Jeep Liberty Diesel

drowningcreek

and I forgot to mention that an engine mount bolt came loose causing and weird noise when accelerating...after replacing the front end TWICE...it took them three weeks to figure out it was a simple loose bolt causing the noise...

mdamick

I have been experimenting with mine. The last mark before red is approx 230F. I am not sure what temp overheating actually is with these.
I have also found that if I keep the A/C off it will run 1 mark below 1/2. The temp there is 165F while at 1/2 it is 205F.
The A/C condenser seems to put a lot of heat into the system, you may be able to run with the heater off.

I have been debating adding an oil cooler and relocating the oil filter to a safer location. Has anybody tried this?

Mine also had a loose engine mt bolt, passenger side. It took 2 universal joints and 4 extensions to get to it.

drowningcreek

I've found that running the AC usually doesn't cause a problem when I am towing on flat to semi flat roads. But start to get on a moderate o steep incline and the needle starts moving to hot rapidly.

When I'm pulling a steep grade we kill the AC. If it starts to get into the red I put on the heater and turn it wide open. This almost immediately starts to bring the temp down a bit. I guess all that air moving in the heating tubes around the engine acts as a "radiator" and helps cool the engine.

This Jeep should not be having this type problem. Period. I have pulled the same trailer with my V6 Cherokee with no problems at all. This Diesel Liberty was bought specifically to pull this trailer on long trips and has really stressed me out with this overheating issue.

I boondock camp in some really extreme places. Worrying if I'm gonna blow out a water hose, or worse damage he engine or tranny in a remote location really kills the experience. I bought this diesel Jeep based on my past experience with my other Jeeps that were rock solid dependable.

I never thought I would be looking at an imported tow vehicle, but it looks as if it may be the case.

I really love the Liberty, especially the diesel aspect, but the headaches keep adding up and I'm just looking for some peace of mind in my tow vehicle.

zachinmi

"I really love the Liberty, especially the diesel aspect, but the headaches keep adding up and I'm just looking for some peace of mind in my tow vehicle."

Not exactly a rare sentiment on this board.

I have never towed with my CRD and have never had an overheating problem, including AC use at 75mph in hot weather at various altitudes and even going uphill (though there aren't many places where I'd be going up a steep grade and still need AC - I have driven out in the Nevada/Calif area and know what you're talking about, but it doesn't really exist east of the Rockies). I wonder if the cooling just isn't up to pulling a 5% grade at speed? Was your gas Cherokee that didn't overheat able to go uphill at the same speed?

Based on all the other problems it does sound like you have a :lemon: and should be talking to a :lemon: lawyer.

cvocelle

Was this problem ever fixed--I only have 16,000 mi on mine and they have it for the third time. ERG was replaced and still shows engine light!! 2006 CRD

zachinmi

Does anyone know if Chrysler is providing warranty repairs on EGR valves that fail after 36,000 miles? I just read through my warranty booklet and expected to see EGR covered under either the 7/70 powertrain (I have a 2005) or the federal emissions warranty 8/80 - but it's not listed under either. It's only listed under the federal emissions 2/24, though it also is covered by the 3/36 bumper to bumper. Having had one replacement and nearing 36,000 miles, I'm wondering if I can expect an EGR failure shortly after I top 36k and who will be paying for it if I do. This would seem like a perfect candidate for the so called "secret warranties" on parts that the maker knows fail prematurely.

twocycle2

I remember people saying in the beginning (when the first 2005's came out) that they were having trouble with bad fan clutches that caused overheating. Most of those were fixed early on and I really haven't read much about overheating in quite some time. You might ask a dealer to check the fan clutch. If operating correctly, there is no reason you should have this kind of overheating.
Twocycle2

semperfi06

Nescosmo...Thanks for the info. I would want a "plug and play" kit. If all this will do for me is turn off the light, then for $75 plus shipping, and the extra work involved, I will just live with the light, or plug the MAF sensor plug back in and take my chances with the EGR. But I admire the work and thinking of those that want to improve the Liberty CRD and make it more dependable. The EGR system just doesn't seem to work well on this vehicle. It looks like they have adjusted it to let too much exhaust gas recirculate in order to keep the N2O levels down, no matter what it does to smoke production, reliability and drivability.
SemperFi

mikescrd

Hello, my first post here having found this thread while searching for answers to my CRD problems. Looks like I’m not alone in this.
Just got our 06 CRD back yesterday from having the ERG, turbo charger, turbo charger housing, throttle body & some other items which I can’t recall at the moment replaced. This after bringing the vehicle in because the CEL came on @ 30,000 miles +/-. The good thing is that it was taken care of under warranty, the bad news is that the light came back on today. I read somewhere in the tread about disconnecting a MAF sensor but am not sure what this refers to? Any directions on what & where this is located, I want to give this a try. Thanks in advance, Mike

caribou1

mdamick, if you know how to install a switch try first to measure what really happens. I once read a document saying the voltage giving initial glow was different than the voltage used to keep the glow plugs "warm" while reaching the smooth running condition. 7 volts rating accounts for the voltage drop when the starter motor is draining the battery. When the engine starts running the battery recovers very fast and 50% more voltage becomes available. I believe there is a voltage limiting device that comes into the game at this point. There cannot be a switching combination because all plugs use the common ground.
This is just a hint. :surprise:

martyz

The overheating TSB (TSB 08-043-05 "Instruments:
Temperagure Gauge Reads Higher Than Normal") fixed this problem for me. Have you had that one applied already?

nescosmo

Semper..... There is a company call Inmotion that will re program the ECU to factory ex. at Europe expecification and they claim that the EGR will work only 60% of the time.

You have to go to their page and read the Faq or call them to see this work. The page is inmotionusa.com and you have to send your ECU for re programing, it is a life time deal.

Give them a call. PRICE $350.00

Nescosmo.

zachinmi

inmotion looks interesting - I see that they offer both a performance and an "ECO" option, but the power claimed is nearly the same for both. Both increase torque to well over 300 ft-lbs. Given that DCX detuned our engines by some unspecified amount so they wouldn't wreck the transmission (which otherwise handles 370 ft-lbs with a Hemi) I wonder if this upgrade would bring back transmission problems, now of course not covered by warranty since the vehicle would have been modified.

I am endlessly puzzled by why this driveline works fine in Europe but doesn't work well in the US, even with ULSD.

caribou1

zachinmi, it's the way people drive that makes the difference. Over here we have no long stretches of road where we are forced to keep a steady 60 mph. :shades:
If the Hemi comes with this transmission, it doesn't mean it has exactly the same torque converter and settings. I think you will need the reinforced converter if you increase the torque and drive in the same conditions. Didn't "winter2" give the address where one can find a better deflector plate?
Go see message #8785

nescosmo

Zach.... The modification will not be detected by the dealer because it is all within the spec. but if they reflash the ECU for some reason, Inmotion will reflash it back. They keep all the spec of your jeep at their place or give you a disk with the spec.

The Tranny will be ok, there is a shift kit made by Transgo that is good and a TC made by Suncoast converter(suncoastconverter.com). They wll work with you.

caribou1

nescosmo, the only friendly advice my mechanics ever gave me was to stay away from these chips.

zachinmi

Ok, let me get this straight. I can have a CRD that runs pretty much how it was advertised, maybe a tiny bit better, if after letting DCX perform about 10 modifications and recalls on the vehicle, I then go out and buy aftermarket replacements for the engine computer and a substantial portion of the transmission. Hmmm, interesting. I am starting to agree with Farout that this CRD was basically experimental and that we were lab rats, ahem I mean a "test market."

05crdjeep

You're mostly right in my opinion. But I think you give the old DCX too much credit. Being a lab rat means they were interested in what might happen to the vehicles after they sold them. In a test, you are concerned with the outcome. They have only demonstrated to me that they have tried to after-engineer the issues we've had. Mine runs great now that it's all done. The ONLY problems I've had with my CRD have been issues related to TSBs that were incomplete or poorly executed. Once we got them right, I was thrilled.

DCX does not have their act together enough to care. They just wanted to measure demand and price elasticity. I think they are still learning with the GC diesel and we will eventually see diesels at lower price points. Maybe a Compass with a 2.0 Liter?

05crdjeep

Does anyone else think the Compass looks kind of like a Pontiac Aztek? Or an AMC Gremlin?

caribou1

I don't think you should expect the GC to be the cream of the crop. People don't like to pay MB maintenance costs for a truck no better than a Toyota or Nissan. If the Liberty CRD doesn't satisfy you, forget about small Common Rails. The two liter CRD is a disaster for those who drive gently: people often stall when they don't keep their attention on the clutch.

juslooking

I have had many problems with my CRD. Now I have a P0876 code which is covered under Warr. but the Wiring harness that connects the part is not covered although there is a TSB on this part and will still cost me about 400 bucks to fix. When I call Chrysler about this they tell me to send them some information but they do not have email address. What kind of company in todays world does not have email at that level?

zachinmi

Ummm... a company that doesn't want to be contacted?

Anyway, why is the wiring harness not covered? Are you past 36,000 miles but within the 70,000 of a 2005 powertrain warranty? What does that code stand for?

mdamick

I intend to do that, I am planning on activating the glow plug relay only, that should feed any voltage or current limiting circuits.

juslooking

I am at 56k miles. :lemon:

pttrillium

I love my Liberty CRD.

Was curious if you have test driven a Compass or Patriot with the VW derived 2.0 Litre CRD. My rough calculations came out to around 38 highway MPG using American gallons, not Imperial ones. This seems respectable but I was curious if it is a thrashy little thing that needs to be flogged to get anywhere.

ucanfarm

Anyone replace the window? How much did it cost?

nescosmo

Zachi... Not true. Honda,Mazda,Toyota,Suzuki, Europe cars, domestics, all can have Chip Tuning and they are not experimental cars....

Nescosmo...

caribou1

Pttrillium, I know the behavior of the two "leading" 2.0 Liter crd engines that come in the Audi 170HP and in the Corolla Verso 177HP. When you are driving 80mph you have lots of power to accelerate well above 120mph. This is fantastic for racing and building up adrenaline. Both engines produce the sensation of acceleration a motorcycle can give.
When you have 4 passengers plus luggage in traffic or mountain conditions, with a manual shift you must keep in mind there is nothing below 1800 rpm. There is total absence of power. You have two choices: burn the clutch in 2nd gear or stay in 1st at 2500 rpm. First gear gets noisy after a while so you shift into second and you've just about to stall. When you look for your way in a new area, you must stay in 1st because the people behind you don't understand why you are stopping.
The Compass and PTT cruiser fall into this category. The secretary of the Jeep dealership told me the larger trucks were much easier to park in crowded spots. The PTT cruiser also offered poor visibility for parking...
The older diesels can start in 2nd gear and idle around town in 3rd. I have an old Corolla 2.0D and my wife refuses to let me use it to go to work :sick:

zachinmi

I'm not saying the ability to tune the chips indicates it's an experiment by DCX - instead, I'm saying that the fact that DCX has had to reprogram our computers multiple times and de-rate the engine from what it was advertised at, and what 99% of us bought it rated at, indicates it is an experiment.

winter2

I do not think the Liberty CRD is an experiment. Unfortunately the F37 recall was the cheapest way for DCX to fix a problem. It is cheaper to write a few lines of code and replace the TC with existing stock then to build a better, stouter TC. I predict, and I hope I am wrong, that the GC CRD will run into similar issues with the TC.

I am saving my pennies for a new stouter TC for my CRD. I will be purchasing a reprogrammer for the engine controller to bring it back to original specs and no more. I will also be adding the Transgo kit in a few thousand miles when I have the trans serviced.

bhcs111

Yes I am going to have my drivers side window replaced here in the next week. I was hit by a sofa while it was flying off a trailer at 55 mph. The cost is 229.00 dollars.

bmartinpe

I just towed a 4500 pound camper from Nashville to Cookeville, TN which includes a grade from Silver Point to Cookeville. I have found that I cannot use the cruise control for towing. The cruise control downshifts too much in order to maintain the set speed on the hill climbs. I feather the throttle with my foot to maintain 1800-2100 RPM and avoid the downshifting. This has pretty much kept the thermometer needle off the red "H". For the early morning drive up the hill, the needle stayed on center. Returning home between 10:00 and noon, however saw some elevated temperatures on the gentle slopes. I guess the ambient air temperature was driving that indicator.

By the way, I pretty much stayed on the speed limit of 70 MPH except for the hill climb, and I maintained an average fuel economy of 16 MPG for the round trip of 170 miles. My average fuel economy for the past month without the camper in tow had been declining from 20 through 19 to 18 MPG.

I got another new EGR valve and throttle plate yesterday. This makes number seven. The service manager offered to change it out before the check enging lignt came on since I had been having so much trouble and since he believes that this is a redesigned throttle plate with a different part number from the last throttle plate that was installed. We will see how it does with the next tank of fuel in the next week or so.

zachinmi

Winter - to each his own. I would understand aftermarket upgrades if we were all 10's of thousands of miles past the warranty, or had modified our CRDs for increased power. I'm still under 36k and have no mods of any kind. Your approach sounds very practical if you plan to keep your CRD regardless, but for me I'm pretty much at my limit of repairs and vehicle downtime I can tolerate. I'm amazed that bmartinpe is in on his 7th EGR valve - unless he's at 200k miles and his dealership is just doing him a favor (not likely) this to me indicates a severe design flaw.

As for the Grand Cherokee - I believe they put a Mercedes transmission into that instead of the 545RFE we have. Hopefully Mercedes designed and tuned it for the torque of the Mercedes diesel it's paired with. I believe the same combo is offered on Mercedes sedans.

zachinmi

Bmartinpe - your 7th EGR valve? Are you under or past 36k miles and are they treating this as a warranty item or making you pay for it? My biggest concern right now is having to pay out of pocket for EGR replacements when I pass 36k in a month or two. When I read the powertrain warranty (7/70 on my 2005) I didn't see it listed as a covered part.

nescosmo

Zachinmi... Bmartinpe CRD has no flaw, the dealer is the one that has a flaw, they do not know what they doing and the CRD is great depend how you use it. With the ULSD and the ORM the EGR problem should be a thing of the past.

Here what all should do:
1- ORM
2-install Proven
3-clean or replaced cac hoses
4-clean map at each oil change.
5-bleed air from fuel filter.(15 day interval or so)
6-disconenct fuel heater ( on summer if you are on cold states).
7-Open it nose every day to keep mpg low.

If you all do that the CRD will last until the next century..

Nescosmo...

mrmag00

After having the F37 recall done when I start my Liberty
in the garage and put it into reverse it takes 20-30
seconds at idle for the transmission to produce enough
torque to move the vehicle out. Before the recall there
was immediate pressure and it reversed right away.
Checked the transmission level and it appears correct.
Is anyone having the same delay following the recall?

caribou1

mrmag00,
Do you park the truck in a horizontal position?
Do you leave the engine at idle speed with a gear engaged and wait until it begins to pull?
I am not concerned by the F37 recall and I get immediate pressure after the last chime; but nevertheless I have to 'help' it a bit

mrmag00

Caribou1:

the garage floor is flat and engine idling in reverse gear. After it starts when I put it in
gear after 3 or 4 seconds (putting my seat belt on) and
like I mentioned it takes awhile to create drive to the
drive line. I'm sure its pressure as the torque comes
on gradual and not like it went into gear with the
pressure already there.

goodcrd

I have a CRD built 3/05. I now have 60k+ miles. Never have had a delay going into gear. Start it up, let it idle about 10 seconds, put it into gear and go. Something doesn't sound right with your issue. I would have the dealer check it out, but first call the problem into jeep customer service before taking it into the dealer. When transmissions delay moving for that long something is wrong.

zachinmi

mrmag00 - I have a similar issue though much less dramatic. If the jeep has been sitting more than 4 hours and I immediately shift into reverse I will have very weak response. However, if I let it idle 15 seconds or more before shifting, I get pretty much normal response. I consider this a feature rather than real problem in my use. Your situation sounds more severe and I'd have the dealer or a mechanic check it out if it's bothering you.

zachinmi

Nescosmo - I appreciate the info and I'm sure it will be useful to some future owner of my Jeep (assuming Chrysler doesn't just send it to the crusher if I can get them to buy it back). Personally I think a vehicle purchased new should run trouble-free for its entire warranty period and several years afterward with nothing but basic maintenance (fluid and filter changes, maybe tune-ups if they are still relevant). It seems that the CRD in many (most?) cases isn't running that way without lots of work. Incidentally, I find the ORM troublesome in that it is clearly illegal under federal emissions laws, even if the chance of getting caught is low and it otherwise improves things. You and a few others seem to have a much higher tolerance for finicky tuning needs of the CRD, and more power to you. I just don't have the time - I work roughly 50 hours a week in my regular job, and then I have a lot of non-Jeep work to do at home on our sort of a farm. I can make time for basic maintenance but not for hand-holding and coddling a finicky vehicle that needs it (If I had wanted a Triumph, or an early 80's Jaguar, I would have bought one). Again, it's no knock on you or Winter or Caribou - it's great that you all know these tricks and like working on your CRDs to keep them running and get 23+ mpg instead of the 17-18 of the gasoline version - but for my personal needs of reliable 4x4 transportation I'm looking elsewhere and wishing I hadn't bought into the DCX experiment in the US market (realizing that this exact same vehicle, minus emissions and tuning differences, works great over in Europe).

I find this especially disappointing as my immediate prior vehicle was a 2004 Honda Civic HYBRID. That was about as new, bleeding-edge technology as it comes (OK, maybe one step down from buying a Honda Insight when they came out, but well above the apparent risk of buying a vehicle using technology that has been established for decades and widely in use in virtually all non-US markets) and despite being a totally new type of drivetrain technology, it worked absolutely flawlessly for the two years I owned it. The biggest issue I ever had with it was a rattle in the dash. No mechanical issues at all. With what Honda and Toyota have been able to do with an entirely new drivetrain technology that they basically invented, I don't think it's unreasonable to think that DCX could have made a successful vehicle built in the US for the European market and tuned it properly to run reliably in the US and under US emissions standards. How they managed to screw up something that seems so simple is beyond me.

nescosmo

Zach.... Sad to said but the big man at Chrysler still thing about the big engines; Sad to said that the smarter the peaple are the narrowed their mind is. The Big 3 will come down and that is because they think that americans are stupid and that they can dump any vehicle on us. Wait for india and China to come, they are in south america cutting low.

Every time that I see peaple like Farout,Tire old dave and you talk like this give me the chills. I love to buy American but money money have change the hearts of the enterprises.

nescosmo...

lyfordolypen

Our 2005 CRD has 36,000 miles on it. Short runs around town pull the mileage down in a hurry, to as low as 18 mpg or so. On the other hand, the longer the highway trip, the better the mileage. We just drove more than 2,000 highway miles in temperatures from 80 to 101 degrees, up hills and down, at speeds between 70 and 80 mph, using the air conditioning. We got 27 mpg. On the same roads, with cooler temperatures and no AC, we get 33 mpg. Oh yes, we run B99 biodiesel when fueling at home and petro diesel otherwise. Can't tell the difference between the two in how the car runs, except that it is quieter and smells better on bioD.

I've towed my car hauler trailer and 2200-pound sports car 1,000 miles at a pop and got 20 mpg ... traveling 60 mph. I've also towed a Ford tractor on the car hauler, a total load of about 6400 pounds, with absolutely no trouble, though only on a trip of about 50 miles. So yes, towing the load you mentioned is reasonable.

Just one caveat. I knew nothing about towing so found my first trip a white knuckle event. Then a neighbor explained that I needed a load equalizing hitch with sway control. Once that device was installed, towing became a breeze.

Lyford Hale

caribou1

Mrmag00,
Check the wiring harness connectors of the tranny and make sure they are clean and well inserted. You could have a resistive or retracted contact giving delayed information to the controller. This could even be due to a defective temperature sensor imposing a 'cold start' mode. It may sound crazy to you, but electronics drive this truck, not you.

caribou1

Zachinmi, understanding this truck means keeping our heads out of the water
Do you think all Europeans are proud owners of these technological unknowns?
Living out here is very expensive and money is scarce for most folks. I know many people who would like to break free from this 'leading edge technology' and more often enjoy outings with their families.
When the SMART vehicle was designed, it was thought in a way to receive a hybrid propulsion. DCX killed it immediately by putting the 1.4L gas engine 'they knew how to build'. DCX went for profit and those who didn't follow the story paid to kill this evolution.

What's left to buy for people with a fixed budget? Old stuff!

zachinmi

Nescosmo - I haven't given up on the Big 3, far from it. If Chrysler will step up and make almost any accomodation for me, I'll happily replace my CRD with a gas powered something with their name on it, probably an Aspen/Durango. And if Chrysler doesn't help me out, I'm going to forget them but I've been looking at Ford and GM products and frankly both have improved so much since 5 or 10 years ago that it's amazing. I've owned two Hondas (2004 Hybrid Civic, 2001 Accord) and a Toyota (1992 Corolla), and based on what I can tell from looking and test driving I wouldn't hesitate to get Ford or GM right now (or certain Chrysler products - but probably not anything Jeep).

twocycle2

"Personally I think a vehicle purchased new should run trouble-free for its entire warranty period and several years afterward with nothing but basic maintenance (fluid and filter changes, maybe tune-ups if they are still relevant). It seems that the CRD in many (most?) cases isn't running that way without lots of work."

Zachinmi,

I have to agree with you. Nescosmo gave a great list on an earlier post of what is needed for the CRD to run trouble free, but I shouldn't have to do all of that to keep a vehicle running that is still in warranty. My wife's Hyundai has 20k miles on nothing but oil changes. My Caravan (that I bought when I traded in my CRD) has 9k miles with nothing but oil changes. I had a 2003 Chevy Duramax Diesel and did nothing but fluid changes and oil, fuel, and air filter replacements in 40k miles. My dad has a VW Jetta TDI and has done nothing but basic maintenance to it (though he has had some non-engine related problems). My point is, it IS possible to make problem free diesels these days. Unfortunately for us, the CRD was not one of them. While I am capable of doing a lot of "shadetree mechanic" type work, I too work 50 hrs per week and don't have time for unexpected repairs/modifications. I enjoy doing the maintenance myself when I can work it around my schedule, but I didn't like driving around wondering what would break next. Five recalls and a window regulator in one year was a bit much for me.....

All that being said, I really did enjoy my CRD and miss having it, though the peace of mind my Caravan offers is worth more to me.
Twocycle2

05crdjeep

I know exactly what this is. I had this issue for 6 months and really dogged it with the dealer. It got worse over time and after first startup and the delay, it would actually stall the engine. It is a front transmission pump. Some F37s required that pump. The new one is of a different design and it completely solved my issue.

Was done under warranty at 37,500 miles.

nescosmo

I finally decide to buy the Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza on the 225/75/16. why because I do mainly highway driving and central florida is nothing but rain and I do not have a trailer. I love the Revo but is too strong for what i need and also too expensive. The tire ride very good.

I bought it at Firestone store, they gave me life time alignment service, life balance, Road hazard warranty. All for $770.00 plus a rebate of $75.00. What you guys think?

05crdjeep

I was looking at the same tire. I thought they looked good for highway use and occasional off the pavement trips. I am curious about whether you think they are quieter, noisier or the same as the Wrangler ST tires. Thanks.