Jeep Liberty Diesel

zachinmi

Gee Farout, the dealer told me that the Outer Space Sport CRD was a special edition. I guess I was ripped off! I do really enjoy the Ross Perot signature "huge sucking sound" it makes when I accelerate. My Alien Swatter has only been used once, and it put an end to the local UFO sightings.

vtdog

I bow down to far out (of course its just a small bow)

farout

zachinmi: I am sorry to hear you got the first signature edition. Mine is the third edition, personally signed on the dash above the radio, by Buz Lightyear! I paid extra because my grand kids like Buz so much. He is an alien you know.
However, I did hear a rumor about the ULSD, keep it to yourself. The government had such a large stock pile of Ducktape, because Ashcroft had Homeland Security buy all of WalMart's Ducktape they had in stock. Needless to say the Army had already procured all the Ducktape form Home Depot, and Lowes, and did not have a need for any more. As you can see the two government agencies had Ducktape running out the........(you know what) So in order to dispose of all these warehouses full of Ducktape, they sold one truck load to Red Green in Canada. What they did with the rest is unbelieveable! The ULSD really stands for Undectable Liquified Sifted Ducktape. That's why it's been a secret, people think we are getting better diesel fuel, but really we are just getting Ducktape in compatible liquid form with the same old high sulfer diesel fuel.
I caution you, not to let anyone else know. This is TOP Secret information. This came from a dog from outer space who stars in Men In Black.

Way.....Farout

tidester

This is TOP Secret information.

I'm sorry, but we'll have to run this by HomeWorld Security!

tidester, host

tailgate

Now you guys have gone wacky or blew a gasket or something :surprise: , We all know, you can make diesel out of most anything, but you can't make diesel out of DUCK tape, You can't just assume we will believe anything we read now days....Well ok, there is a shortage of Duck tape? Then you can blame Taco Bell, I hear the Bell has cornered the market and an insider claims they have been using it a filler in their Bean Burritos.

Tailgate

thecip

In the category of making diesel fuel out of anything, the Pork industry funded a study to make biodiesel out of Pig poop. The pork people claim that they have to get rid of 360 MIIIIILLLLLLLION pounds of poop a year. The study proved Pig poop is not much different then the crude oil we take out of the ground.

I have a sticker on my CRD that says "Powered By Biodiesel" soon to be replaced with "Powered By Pig #&$@" :shades:

pttrillium

Wait.

If fry grease derived biodiesel smells like french fries, what does pig poop biodiesel smell like?

I'm not so sure about this pig thing. Would I have to paint my CRD pink and get a curly cue antenna on the back?

siberia

I finally got around to opening my old fuel filter for inspection (25k miles). It’s a well made unit. The bottom 1.75 inch is the water trap and there is an inlet screen in the bottom end of the center feed tube. Your may recall I found a smattering of black specks and flakes in the last filter drain. The were a few black particles stuck to the screen inside of the filter also but there was no sediment coating the bottom of the filter housing.

In 4 filter drains over 25k miles there was no water. The black flakes showed up for the first time on the last drain at 25k miles.

The unrolled and unfolded filter paper is 11 feet long and 8 inches wide. All of the surface area, except for a few square inches at each end, was dark gray to black – mostly black. My opinion (for what its worth) is that the 25k mile change interval specified on this filter is long enough.

vtdog

Its hard to make a guess without seeing your filter, but I suspect the black specks are one of 3 things:

1. If on the "water" end of the filter the specks are probably manganese deposits which is a common contaminant in water.

2. If on the "oil" side the most probable explanation would be specks of "heavy" crude which passed the refining/cracking process or possibly a mold working on the fuel itself

anomious

Don't laugh but a farmer in S.Africa has been running a diesel generator on pig poop for the past 12 years.
He runs it through a digester and runs the engine on methane gas.
For real!! LK

caribou1

A few months ago I read a description of the new material used in the fuel filter. The 'equivalent of' "Gore-tex" was mentionned and could perhaps explain the dark color of the media.
Apparently it's no longer a beige paper element.
This article will tell you more:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/pkf/pkf123.html

tidester

For real!!

I believe it! During WWII People in Germany, Russia and Eastern Europe did many similar things when "refined" fuel became almost impossible to obtain and mere survival depended on it.

tidester, host

siberia

Vtdog, I poured the drain fuel through a paint filter for a closer look. The black material is some soft and some granular, but both types disintegrate easily when rubbed between the thumb and finger.

Caribou1, the filter paper is actually beige, dense, fibrous and tears fairly easily. When laid out on the driveway it looks black, but when held up to a light it is still a little translucent. I saved a 6 inch swatch of the material for future reference but I'm not sure I want to go thru this much work each time I change the fuel filter. I think I will just monitor the drain fuel closely and change the filter more often if a lot of the black material shows up.

Clean drain at 6k, clean drain at 12k, clean drain at 18k, then black flakes at 25k. This seems to follow Winter2's scenario of once in a while you get some fuel that is not so good.

caribou1

siberia, I usually put a light source behind the bowl to inspect it so I don't carry the smell of diesel on my hands when it's not needed. I've not found any significant trace of water trapped in my fuel filter during the past 25 years. I think french filling stations are clean, but don't always sell good fuel. (This doesn't mean there is no diesel spilled on the pavement, so watch your shoes!)

siberia

I am a little surprised that solid material of this size (largest piece maybe 1/16 inch) could get through the filters at the filling station. Do you think (Caribou1,etal) that maybe this could be slow build up on the bottom of the filter material that is sloughing off once it is collected enough? If that is the case I expect to see the same result over the next 25k miles and no worries.

zachinmi

I have noticed that my CRD has been running noticeably smoother and quieter in the last week or so. I have not changed oil in over 2000 miles and haven't had any other changes lately. I am speculating that ULSD is now getting to the pumps in my area (my last two tanks were from a very high volume station that sells only "premium diesel") and perhaps the lower sulfur is reducing the noise. I'm also noticing a bit less smell than I used to. Has anyone else had this experience on ULSD, or can tell me if this is likely? The only other thing I can think of is that I'm now at 11000 miles and presumably the engine has broken in, but the new quietness has shown up very quickly, not gradually.

caribou1

Chunks of material (chips/burrs) could come from the manufacturing of the vehicle. I can also imagine a few debris from a previous vehicle getting caught in the delivery pistol and given to you (free of charge). Have you ever noticed the aspect of the delivery pistol? Most of them really suffer.

caribou1

I think you just found good fuel.
LSD gives very little smell, ULSD smells like fresh frying oil when it's warm because of the added lubricating agent that could come from canola like we use here. Cetane usually reduces the noise because the engine can reach it's targeted speed quicker and with less fuel. Keep in mind this engine is driven by a brain and if your neighbour's diesel smells like bacon then he's using pig fat...
Have you ever seen owners of gassers smell their exhausts? Dogs must have used diesel long before us :shades:

crd_curious

I am considering buying a Liberty CRD. I've read most of the post on this site about the problems with the Liberty CRD. It's hard to tell though wether the problems are representative of all CRD owners or just a few and whether the reliability of the liberty CRD is much worse than the gas Liberty. I have run into the problem with Chrysler mechanics not knowing what they are doing with our 1997 Cherokee 4WD and can sympathize with the repeated trips to the dealer.

winter2

Curious,

The people who do complain about their CRDs tend to be quite vociferous.

Part of the issue with the early build CRDs is that much of the software and hardware is new because emissions rules in Europe are different from what we have here in the United States. Other issues come from lack of motivated or high quality techs, dealers who do not care about after sales customer care and the generally poor quality of domestic diesel fuel with the high sulfur level and low cetane. Some issues come from design modifications made by the manufacturer (trying to fix something that is not broken)in order to save a few pennies per car.

I have had my CRD back to the shop twice, once for a software problem and once for a ruptured hose between the turbocharger and the aftercooler. Outside of that it has been perfect. There have been some drivability issues from time to time (when the engine is cold) related to the poor quality of domestic diesel fuel. Adding a liberal dose of cetane improver and some fuel system detergent seems to quell that issue quite nicely.

This is my second diesel powered vehicle and from time to time I still wonder why I ever got rid of the first one.

winter2

You are right about the engine running more smoothly. I have noticed the same thing. You can attribute the smoother running to the higher cetane.

zachinmi

+1

I have 11000 miles and 7 months on my CRD with no problems. It does sometimes have the shudder at 55mph or so, which you can see is a common problem that hasn't yet been resolved. In my CRD it seems not to occur if I use one specific brand of fuel, but I'm not certain that there is cause and effect or mere coincidence. So far the shudder is just a nuisance and not a serious problem.

Getting a good dealer with at least one diesel trained tech is essential. If you're in an area with multiple dealers you should be able to find one. If you're in a remote area with only one dealer, I would interview them thoroughly since you'll be up a creek if they turn out to be bad.

There's always some gamble with any new vehicle. I don't think it's any worse with the CRD than anything else, though there are some on here who do seem to have true lemons (And I feel bad for them). I think if you read the boards for any vehicle you will see a decent number of lemons and angry owners. From personal experience, Honda and Toyota, the brands usually looked to as quality leaders, are no guarantee - and I just read that Toyota is recalling still more cars today for yet another problem. Not criticism of Toyota specifically, just noting that no brand is guaranteed regardless of their image or JD Power ratings. I would still happily buy a Toyota or Honda, but as my CRD is running great I have no immediate plans to switch it.

crd_curious

Winter2,

Thanks, that helps alot. I think that I read somewhere that CRDs manufactured after Jan 1, 2006 have all the latest software and hardware updates. Do you know if that is true? Or are new redesigns coming out?

farout

CRD_curious: If you can get a very good mark down, and if you are willing to buy the Extended Warranty to 100,000 miles, and you are good at maintaining your vehicles, then I would say go for it.
If all you want is a Jeep to drive and do a little off roading or have no need for some hefty towing, get the gas. The gas Liberty goes for less. Cost per mile with the CRD is about 3 cents a mile less.
As for us we like our CRD, we have 18,700 miles and the last two tanks have been 26.1 mpg and 23.9 mpg. This is with the air on always, and lots of stop and go and fulltime 4X$ on about 2% of the time.
I think ours took about 17,000 to be broke in. We just drive it as we have any other gas Jeep Liberty. Good luck, hope this helps.

Farout

farout

winter2: The only thing I have noticed is the smoother shifts in the transmission, and it goes into 5th at 48mph and lock up at 53 mph.
I bought diesel fuel yesterday in Columbia, MO for $2.959, where here at the Lake of the Ozarks it is $3.120 to $3.199 so 25 cents less a gallon is a big difference. No stations have posted that they have ULSD. And I do not mean the Ducktape kind.
The Jeep Commander took a big hit for being the vehicle with the biggest blind spot. That has to cost some customers for DCX. They also have pricing on the Patriot at the Jeep.com . The fully loaded one costs about $26,500. I think thats a hep of money for a vehicle made with a Caliber, Compass dash and same engine in all three. I am not at all sure this CVT transmission is going to outlast the 4 speed the Neons had. I got to say something nice, I do like the body shape.
Has anyone else noticed that in the last year or so, DCX is charging extra for different paint colors.

Farout

winter2

Curious,

I do not know if all CRDs manufactured after January 1st 2006 have all of the latest updates. As to new designs, the Liberty is due for re-design in 2007 or 2008 and will be getting a diesel in 2008, but it will not be the same engine found in the 2005 and 2006 models. I would not be concerned about getting parts for this engine either as it is used extensively over in Europe.

If you buy a 2006 CRD, Farout's advice about dealers is very sound. If you have multiple dealers in your area, look at each one to see who will give you the best service. Talk to people who have bought from these dealers and ask them how they feel about the service they have received. That should help you make your decision.

winter2

Farout,

There are several differences I have noticed since I have been using S15.

1. Less noise from the engine.
2. Smoother pickup and less vibration at idle.
3. Less smoke when I "blow the EGR valve's nose".

agresearch

I have a Liberty CRD manufactured in March 06 that has exhibited many of the bad and good features that have been covered on this forum. The first problem started with 22 miles when the Electronic Throttle Control, ETC, warning light came on and the vehicle went into the limp mode. Two dealerships worked on trying to repair the shorts in the wiring harness that was finally replaced at 455 miles. The second problem was at 1140 miles where the air conditioner compressor was replaced.

I currently have 4320 miles with no additional problems since the compressor issue. The only other negative thing I have found is that the speedometer/odometer under measures the speed/distance by 5 percent. (This will effectively extend the warranty by 1800 miles) This difference was confirmed with a portable GPS unit.

I have been getting better than expected mileage based upon most reports. The overall mileage to this point is 23.5 mpg. I just completed a 1636 mile round trip from Jackson, TN to Raleigh, NC. The average mileage for this trip was 26.1 mpg with a high of 28.8 mpg and a low of 23.6. This trip included interstate (70 mph), city, and Smoky Mountain Park roads.

I enjoy driving this vehicle, however, I must admit I keep a close eye on the dash display and listen closely to the transmission gear changes because of all the issues raised on this forum.

nescosmo

I most admit I don't know why I have a super stereo in my CRD all I do is lisining to my engine clattering. I love that sound.

nescosmo

goodcrd

Does anyone know if this trans uses 2nd gear when coming to a stop. After releasing the brake then the trans shifts down into first. I noticed a harder downshift when at about five MPH then coming to a complete stop. Depending on the degree of decceleration it shifts down from 2nd to 1st if braking hard. Or sometimes shifting down to 2nd when braking lightly then shifting from 2nd to 1st after releasing the brake after coming to a complete stop. I noticed this after having the battery start to fail. They replaced the battery then the shifting harshness gradually went away. But it seems this trans uses 2nd gear to stop. Am I the only one to notice this? It's no biggie but I'm curious. Some other heavy duty transmissions use this downshifting pattern "2nd gear stopping".
Also the dealer tried to "advise" me to pay them to service my trans. I told them that they need to read the maintenance schedules better. That only under extreme service use does Chrysler recommend servicing this trans and then not until 62,000 miles. I was slightly over 32,000 miles at the time. I told the dealer no one does a "Trans Magic" to my vehicles. When a trans is defective changing the fluid and the filters won't fix anything. It might hide the symptoms for a while longer but it is just throwing money away. And if and when you change the fluid and filters, take it to a good trans shop and have them power flush the trans. That is the only way to change all the fluid. As I posted before have your batteries checked! This is the most overlooked cause of problems on cars and trucks with electronic controls today. It's cheap and easy to do and may save you alot of money. I check my battery with every oil change. If you don't have a battery tester use an analog volt meter and have someone start the vehicle while you watch the DC voltage reading across the battery terminals. It shouldn't drop below 9.5 volts ever. Also Right after starting the engine shut it off and watch to see if the battery recovers to 12.7 volts within 30 seconds without the engine running to recharge the battery. A good battery with recover to full voltage. A bad battery won't. And with the engine running turn everything on that uses electric power. Put your volt meter on the AC voltage setting. You shouldn't read any AC voltage. Having an AC voltage normally indicates a defective diode in the alternator. This also will cause electronic control modules to function improperly.

Good luck

vtdog

I just had a 30k service done on my transmission by a local shop that I have work done at for many years. The feeling of the shop owner was that the "high tech" fluid in the tranny was certainly good for 60k miles, but that the filters/screens etc would probably not be good for that length of service. I had a power flush/pan drop/& fiiter change for $ 153.

He said filters were "ok" but did need to be changed and that there was "some" metal in the pan, but nothing beyond what should be expected at first tranny service. In short, the tranny was basically ok, but that the service was needed.

I have not had any of the tranny problems reported, but changed as I felt 30k was enough. If I was just leasing this vehicle and was going to turn it in next year I would not have bothered with the work.

siberia

Goodcrd, when coasting or decelerating normally using the brakes I can sense no downshift from highway speed to 0. When driving slowly around and under 10 mph I can sense no downshift unless I step on the pedal and the transmission upshifts into 2nd gear at 10 mph (of course, I can feel the downshift going up a grade when the speed drops below 10 mph). When coasting to a stop in neutral, there is a light engagement of the brakes or transmission (can't tell which) at 3 to 5 mph that slows the vehicle more quickly to a stop and holds it on a slope as long as the engine is running. Turn off the engine and it will start to roll - not to be confused with the stronger hill holding ability of the transmission when running in gear.

goodcrd

I don't agree. You just paid half of his electric bill for the month. A 30K service is too soon unless your a trash truck averaging less then 3 mph and stopping every 25 feet. I bet your one of the people who change your oil every 3,000 miles on your car because that is what people who are in the business want you to believe. Your a cash cow for them. All transmissions will have a small amount of fine specs of metal trapped in the sump screen and filters. Thats normal. The power flush is the best way to get all the fluid changed. In the last 20 years I've driven my cars over 100 miles a day just commuting to and from work. I get 250,000 to 425,000 miles on my cars before giving them away. I have never had a trans failure or engine replaced. I have a 2002 neon with over 165,000 miles on it which never has been back to the dealer. Its an automatic 4 speed and still gets 31 MPGs combined city and highway. Only serviced the trans at 100,000 miles when I changed the timing belt. I also have a Buick with 147,000 miles on it. Never serviced the trans. Runs great. Just keep giving your money away and the owner of the shop will love you forever.

winter2

When coming to a stop, I have never noticed any type of down shifting at all. This has always been smooth.

As to being advised to change the trans fluid at 30K, well in my view that is your call. I tend to over maintain my vehicles and to me that is money well spent. I have never had a major component in the drive train fail because I over maintained it. If DCX made these transmissions like the TorqueFlite 727 of many years ago, I would probably go to 45K miles before I change the fluid but since DCX does build them that way, a complete fluid flush and filter change will occur at 25K.

goodcrd

Go to this link and read about this trans. Remember what I've posted about battery and charging systems and how they affect electronically controlled equipment. http://www.getahelmet.com/jeeps/tech/545rfe/
My trans works fine after the battery was replaced. And keep giving your money away!!! The economy loves you but not the environment with all the oil your wasting.

goodcrd

I agree with this ealier post. steve_, "Ford Explorer: Problems & Solutions" #5233, 23 Jul 2006 10:36 am. Read it.

farout

vtdog: I personally think 30,000 is a good time to change the fluid. But I do it a little differently. At 30,000 I have the power flush, which completely flushes the TC and the transmission. at 60,000 I have the filters changed and refill the transmission. I have done this with our 1996 Neon with 189,700 miles, and our 2002 Dakota which we traded in at 93,000. Before I use to change at 60,000 and I have had to rebuild several transmissions and I don't ever want to do that again. So I agree with you schedule.
However $153. for the service you got is too high. At most all Jeep dealers the power flush is $120. and a change oil and filters $110. I have found DCX dealers are very competitive in transmission and engine servicing. I know our oil change in town with one of these national oil change places, oil and filter for our Neon is $28. dealer is $18.95.
If you have metal in the pan at 30,000 miles that is not good no matter who tells you otherwise. You should have the dealer check it out.
We are blessed to have two 5 Star dealerships with in 65 miles and they even wash your vehicle every time you have your vehicle in the service dept, even if it cost you nothing, they wash and clean the inside as well. I also get 10% off the bill because I am a senior adult. That's very good as far as I am concerned.

Farout.

farout

agresearch: I am sure this will not extend your warranty. The dealer can correct the speedometer. I put 245 70 16 T tires on and it was off , the dealer charged me $30. But if this is a facotry error they will correct it free.
DCX is not going to give anone anything. With the vehicle business in such a struggling shape they have tightened their belst up, real snuggly.

Farout

farout

winter2: The Liberty will be similar to the Dodge Nitro coming out this year in the fall. The liberty will be a 2008, NO DIESEL IS SCHEDULED FOR ANY LIBERTY, EVEN IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS. The new 3.8 V-6 in the Wrangler will replace the 3.7. With the cost of diesel engines and the new Emissions law DCX said it would be too costly for a Liberty.. The Grand C is scheduled for a
MB 3. L Bluetec CRD. I think it might well be an additional 3 to 4 grand more. Can you imagine a Sport Liberty CRD going for $35,000. I doubt there would be many taker. This just might increase the value of our CRD's. The CRD in all the SUV value books gives the CRD $2,000 to $2,500 more now.


Farout

goodcrd

I think you may be taking what I'm posting that I don't believe in proper maintenance. Wrong I am all for it. But I have found that the manufactures already use conservative maintenance schedules for maintenance. I was upset with the dealer for trying to sell me work that is not wise to have done when you are having a problem with a transmission. Be careful with trans power flushing see link. http://www.teamramco.com/newsletter1.html Look in your owner's manual and you will see that Chrysler recommends servicing this trans at 62,000 miles when towing. It doesn't state this unit needs service under normal driving conditions. I've always dropped the trans pan cleaned out the metal and dirt, replaced the screen/filter then adding a drain plug to the pan before putting it back together. After which I refilled with new trans fluid. The next weekend I'd drain it again by the plug installed on the trans pan. I would repeat the draining of the trans every weekend until the fluid showed no signs of metal or clutch material from normal ware. When I hit 62,000 miles I will drop the pan myself then drill and tap a hole for a drain plug. But when your having problems with your trans don't flush. Address the problem first. Then after it's fixed go on with your normal service. To many hands inside the trans is no good, your just asking for trouble. The biggest problems with transmissions are due to leaks. Most leaks that I have found with trans that were over serviced came from mechanics repeatedly torquing or over torquing the pan bolts. The pan bolts must be removed and re installed every time you properly service your trans. About the second or third time you start to strip out the threads. Now all the effort and money you put into your vehicle can back fire and cost you if your not careful. I use my torque wrench all the time when servicing my vehicles. And I have had to repair the threads a few times. Most mechanics are working flat rate and are not as careful with your vehicle as I am with mine. If 9 out 10 bolts torque properly and they have no leaks they let it fly. About 2 to 3k miles later you have fluid leaking from the car. You don't notice the problem until the trans doesn't shift right. Now who has saved money.

goodcrd

This little important tidbit I copied from Cananda's AIA:

Maintenance Tips/Suggestions: Your car’s automatic transmission filter and fluid should be changed periodically according to the schedule in your owner’s manual. Although some maintenance schedules may claim that the transmission fluid or filter doesn’t need to be changed for the life of the car, remember that the average driving situation falls into the "severe" maintenance category due to short trips and stop-and-go driving. Some shops offer transmission flushing and filling, which is intended to remove more contaminants than simple draining of the transmission. If you decide to have this service performed, make sure that the transmission pan will be removed in order to change the filter before refilling it with new fluid. If the filter is not replaced, contaminants from the old fluid, along with those dislodged during the flushing process, could impair flow through the filter and lead to transmission problems.

Just something I thought everyone needed to know before making an informed decision.

Good Luck

dadx3

Boiler,
Has your dealer been able to correctly identify the source of the buzzing and repair it?

My CRD began making the same noise 2 days ago. It's an 01/05 build with 21,000 completely trouble-free miles.

I will be taking it to my dealer on Monday and will let you know what they tell me.

farmer52

Farout - I think what agresearch meant is if the odometer is reading slow, then you "effectively" are getting some "free" miles. That is how I interpreted his message. Mine is also reading slow (5.5%). I do not want it corrected as I too am getting some "free" miles (100,000 miles odometer reading will really be 105,820 miles on the vehicle).

What has me baffled is my speedometer is reading fast (70 indicated versus 67 actual) but my odometer is reading slow (1 mile indicated versus 0.945 actual). Usually when a speedo is fast, the odometer is fast too. I have adjusted my driving to account for the speedo error (it may save me a speeding ticket too). When I manually calculate the fuel mileage I divide the number by 0.945 to correct the odometer reading. So I have three (3) MPG numbers (indicated from the overhead readout, calculated, and corrected).

goodcrd

Forced Flash

This very simple procedure will Erase the “Adaptive Memory” stored inside the Liberty PCM and allow a new “Adaptive Memory” to be developed.

After performing this procedure the PCM will re-learn and store into Adaptive Memory your engines performance characteristics.

Disconnect the POSITIVE battery Terminal and touch it to ground for 30 seconds. (This is to discharge the PCM capacitors, which maintain the Adaptive Memory.
Reconnect the Battery Cable
Turn Ignition Switch to the “On” position but DO NOT start the engine
Turn Headlight “On”
Turn Headlights “Off”
Turn Ignition Key “Off”

Adaptive memory has now been flashed, or erased from the PCM.

When you start the engine it will be running off a set of pre-programmed tables that come with the PCM from the factory.

When you get the engine up to operating temperature the PCM will start to collect data for the “Adaptive Memory”.

The PCM will collect data for Adaptive Memory for the first 50 Warm-up Cycles.

Warm-up Cycle

A warm-up cycle happens when all of the following conditions exist.

Engine is running
A raise of 40F in engine temperature must occur ABOVE the engine temperature at start-up
Engine Coolant Temp must reach at least 160 F.

Once your engine has gone through 50 warm-up cycles in at least a 500-mile distance the PCM adaptive memory is set.
It WILL NOT Change unless you flash it out and start all over again.

This also can happen if you try to start the engine with a weak battery. As was my experience.

Good Luck

farout

goofcrd: Thank you fro the informative article on the power flush. I found it very interesting and warns that flushing for vehicles that have not been cared for properly are at risk.
I have not thought you don't believe in proper maintenance. I consider your posts very worthy of consideration, and like the power flush article very helpful.
This is the second 545 RFE transmission I have had. Because I have had such inadequate and sloppy service work done at independent garages, I have only used Dodge/Jeep 5 Star dealerships for service, in the last 8 years. There are some areas that I do more than what the owners manual says. I was not aware that the owners manual said 62,000 miles on the schedule B, I thought it was schedule A. It seems like 62,000 it just to far to go, especially if we buy the Zoom travel trailer we are considering.
We had the transmission rebuilt two times in 84,000 miles in our 1996 Neon, I serviced it as the book said. The last transmission was a Chrysler rebuilt, and it now has 103,000 miles on it. After the second rebuilt failed, I decided to go by what the Tec suggested, every 30,000 miles. This has been my guide from that point on, and we have had no transmission problems from that point on any of our vehicles.
I have no idea what a rebuilt 545 RFE would run installed. But our Neon is near $2,500. This 545 RFE might be a lot more.
I try to watch the tec when ever they work on our vehicles. I have seen the bolts torqued and have never had a leak yet. But recently I have had to have 6 lug bolts replaced on the Neon. But maybe after 11 years and 189,000 miles it's just a ware item.
No matter what automatic transmission you can name built today, it is better than the old Power Glide in the early fifties that Chevy had back some 55 years ago.

Farout

goodcrd

The neon when redesigned in 2002 has been a great car. My youngest sister also has a 1996 neon and the head gasket has been changed twice in 100,000 miles. The trans has been fine and was serviced once. No power flush. Just dropped the pan, cleaned it out and replaced the filter. I told her not to have it flushed because she bought it used and I wasn't happy with the way it looked. If your going to be towing add a trans cooler with an electric fan. They work the best. This way when your stuck in stop and go traffic the fluid is still being cooled. I'm looking at a Que for two Sunline travel trailer myself. I visited the plant up near Adamstown PA a few weeks ago. I like it and may purchase one this spring. My bother had a Chevelle with a two speed power glide and a 307. I liked how you could push start the car with that trans. It came in handy when you left the lights on and drained the battery.
If am not mistaken you can get a rebuilt 545RFE for about $2900.00 I'm thinking Jasper but may be wrong. I'll look one up later and post how much and the rebuilder. The price would not include installation. I always install mine myself. I don't trust other people to work on my cars. I rather relie on myself. I kind of wish my warranty period was over so I could play with the jeep myself, but I don't want to pay for the parts.

goodcrd

Discount auto parts price is $1,799.00. Figure $300 to $800 for labor. The installed price should be around $2,100 to $2,600. This was for a 2005 Jeep Liberty 4WD with the 2.8 diesel and 545RFE automatic trans. Installing this myself would be 3 hours tops. The price I got for your 1996 neon was $845.oo it should take a experience installer about 4 hours tops to install this unit. Again installed price about $1650.00.

boilermaker2

Yes, they fixed it. It is in my post #7409:

We I got the CRD back and she's purring again. According to my ticket, the official name of the failed part is:

"EGR Airflow Control Valve"

This long title (especially if the EGR acronym is expanded)likely provides insight as to why it failed and why nobody calls it by name. It also provides insight to the price of the part which is $427 + $40 (don't know what the $40 was for). So far I have right $1000 in warranty services provided for the EGR and related pollution control devices. I feel like we are reliving the 70's when catalytic converters crapped and lead paint was scrapped (remeber the early 70's rust buckets?).

Hopefully the ULSD will save us but I am not holding my breath. Like tin-can Cat-converters, I bet EGR bypass procedures will be the norm until DCX et al get this figured out. I feel real sorry for those that buy an '07 or '08 BlueTec or any diesel for that matter. I love this libby but I can't afford over $1k a year in repairs.

Boiler

boilermaker2

A few posters live in Indiana and/or the midwest. Countrymark Co-Op (http://www.countrymark.com/) provides fuel to the Energy 24 stations that are scattered throughout Indiana. Diesel from these sites use Domestic Soybean Oil AND domestic crude from the Illinois Basin. So, in effect, you can get all of your fuel from these stations and ALL of it will be domestically sourced.

Just a little tidbit I thought that I would pass on.

FYI, I am not a stockholder or employee of Countrymark or any of its affiliates nor do I recieve a commission, bonus or any other form of renumeration.

Boiler

alljeep

That's what I discovered as well. I get the majority of my fuel in the form of B2 at local Energy Plus 24 stations and right at the stations they state 100% American sourced crude oil. Nice feeling I must admit.

"A few posters live in Indiana and/or the midwest. Countrymark Co-Op (http://www.countrymark.com/) provides fuel to the Energy 24 stations that are scattered throughout Indiana. Diesel from these sites use Domestic Soybean Oil AND domestic crude from the Illinois Basin. So, in effect, you can get all of your fuel from these stations and ALL of it will be domestically sourced.

Just a little tidbit I thought that I would pass on.

FYI, I am not a stockholder or employee of Countrymark or any of its affiliates nor do I recieve a commission, bonus or any other form of renumeration.

Boiler "