Jeep Owners Care and Maintenance

indianrefining · October 2006

Having never worked on one so equipped, I was just wondering how much of a problem it is to change the oil and oil filter on a Liberty (with the 3.7 V6) equipped with the skid plate group. Do you have to remove a skid plate/plates to get to the drain plug and/or filter? How much mess do you get into? (Lord knows it couldn't be as "messy" as changing the oil filter on a CRD. Nasty little buggar!)

howiem2 · October 2006

Hi, all, first-time poster.
My wife loves her 2003 Jeep Liberty (80,000 miles already in four years!), but the other day the engine conked out at 60 mph.
It started up again, but ran a little rough. It smells a little like antifreeze in the engine area, and the diagnostic brought a 1299 code - Vacuum Leak Found.

One auto place looked at it, said it wasn't a leaky hose or anything else visible, must be hidden by the engine.
We're taking it to the dealer Tuesday.

Anyone else had this experience? My wife doesn't think the temperature gauge went too high, in which case I don't think this would be too bad. But who knows if she missed it?
Any thoughts?

thanks a million!

:confuse:

mullins87 · October 2006

The engine would be toast by then. I bet you knocked the wire loose.

indianrefining · November 2006

Any experience-based opinions on "covered" vs "uncovered" spare tires? I like the way the Liberty looks without a spare tire cover, but don't want to unnecessarily risk sun damage. :confuse:

mullins87 · November 2006

Well, your other four tires aren't covered. If it were mine, and the spare was identical to the other four tires, I'd uncover it and do a five tire rotation instead of just the standard four tire rotation. The worst thing you can do to a tire is to not use it.

keithy02 · November 2006

SEEMS ALL THEY DO IS CHANGE FLUIDS AND SUCH JIFFY LUBE WILL DO ALL THE FLUIDS FOR 150.00
AM I TAKING CHANCE HERE
THANKS KEITH :mad:

tidester · November 2006

You need to find out exactly what they do for that $600.

tidester, host

jefany4 · January 2007

i have a 89 cherokee inline 6/4.0 engine.........its very hard starting,seems to have no power on accel(by the way its a 5speed manual)! i have to ride the clutch and gas to get anywhere...........very depressing! ive run lucas fuel injector in the gas to clean the injectors and still it seems to wanna stall and has no power.
any advice would help alot!..........is their a way to bypass the egr valve? or atleast check to see if it is the cause of my nightmare? its just a work car but im used to driving it! im not a mechanic so please keep it simple.....thanks

tidester · January 2007

Regarding a bypass, you may want to try Got a Quick, Technical Question?.

tidester, host

cflyboy29 · February 2007

I own 99 Cherokee Limited with 99k miles I had the same prb and I had the seals and filters changed witha fluid replacement and the prb has gone and it even runs smoother, you should try it!

cflyboy29 · February 2007

Its time to have the moter replaced, i waited until it was too late and it broke all the way and never came back up!! Dont go to the dealer try any body shop and they can fix it much cheaper!!

rnasman · March 2007

Are 2006 service/maintenance manuals available anywhere? All I can find is to 2005. Received a quote from my dealership for Front & Rear Differential oil change of $320 and for transmission oil change of $269! Seems like they are looking to take advantage of the situation of scheduled maintenance. At these prices would look to do myself or go to a local service station. Any thoughts?

keithy02 · March 2007

go to jiffy lube have all the fluids and is reconized by jeep all for about 150.00
keith

rnasman · March 2007

Thanks for the tip Keith!

kksmith25 · March 2007

Hi. I was wondering if anyone knew how much transmission fluid a 99 grand cherokee laredo needed? I was driving home yesterday and a hise popped off and transmission fluid was everywhere. Luckily, my friend was able to come out and put it back and we put some more in, but it's still slipping into 2nd gear. It's fine once I'm over 30, but before that it's struggles. Anyone know what it might be, and at the very least, how much transmission fluid should be in there?

stumpf2000 · May 2007

Anyone notice that the cloth in the WKs stain so easily? I have the taupe interior which is bad! Anyone know of a good way to clean them? Also is like velcro for dog hair!

Thanks!

gotjeeps · May 2007

Hi

i've had my jeep since i was a junior in high school (2002)and it's a '93. i've got over 341K on my mileage and she still runs well despite that lil' squeak i've got to fix. i've had very few problems with her. i heart my jeep.

neneloco · June 2007

Hey all, First post. I have a 2002 Jeep Liberty Renegade that needs all fluids changed. It has 75k miles and upon recent oil change, mechanic said that fluids should be changed. Can any one tell me what fluids should be changed immediately and any places you guys recommend? I am in Staten Island NY. Mechanic said about $500 all fluids.

thanks in advance. :confuse:

milkman7 · August 2007

If it is well taken care of it may last as long as my 1989 Jeep Islander with just over 230,000 miles. What I would like to find is a complete set of Decals for the Islander. Does anyone know where?

dnyce0519 · August 2007

I purchased a used 2003 Jeep Liberty Limited from a DaimlerChrysler Dealership that had 25,892 miles at the time of purchase. My Jeep now has 30,600 miles on it and I was advised that it's time for the 30,000 miles maintenance to be performed. My question to you is, in your opinion, should I be responsible for paying for the miles put on the vehicle BEFORE I purchased it?

tuggajb · September 2007

if you want to keep the worenty good i would

heatherstuff · October 2007

Hi, I have a 1997 JGC Laredo, and I have constant electrical problems, fuses blowing, headlights, turn signals blowing (if any tips on this, it would be appreciated) My main quest right now is, I have a front turn signal blown, and cannot figure out how to change it, the lens doesn't pop off, I've tried from under the bumper, can't reach it from under the hood....any ideas? Secondly, I have a blown brake light, I can't change it b/c my tailgate won't open. Feels like the lock is jammed, any ideas on a way to get it open? :confuse:

painman22 · November 2007

After having the transmission fluid & filter changed, I experienced a "clunking" noise whenever the vehicle downshifted. My mechanic solved the puzzle when he checked for fault codes (P0944). Turns out, when the fluid is drained and refilled, the pump takes a few seconds to re-prime itself. During those few seconds, it reads the fluid as being low and causes a fault code to set transmission to bump up the line pressure to prevent transmission damage. The increase in line pressure causes the harsh downshift. Once he cleared the code and did a re-learn of the transmission pressure with the scan tool, problem solved! I've talked to other Jeep owners who had this problem and were told they needed a new pump and now think they might have been ripped off.

podunk503 · December 2007

We have a 2003 liberty with about 62k miles on it. We recently took it to the dealer to have a code checked and cleared and of course they wanted us to do all this extra stuff but my concern is for the longevity of the car. Should we have the trans fluid changed and both diffs also? I'm concerned with the trans as in shifting we can feel sometimes a clunk in the rear and at hwy speeds can hear a whine when throttle but no whine in coasting. We've taken it to aamco and the trans checked out good they said so.... maybe the rear diff is not good? I'm not sure but anyone find any harm in having the fluids changed? Thank you

tuggajb · December 2007

no real harm in having fluids changed
in reality should have been done already

desimone856 · December 2007

how much Antifreeze is in a 90 jeep cherokee 6 4.0 engine.
tell me how to drain & flush the coolant :confuse:

turbanski · December 2007

Hi: I just leased a new Jeep GC for 36 months. What is the general consensus on prepaid dealer service contracts? Are they a good deal or a rip off? I paid $555 for a maintenance contract that covers oil changes and lubes every 3,000 miles plus all required services and inspections including tire rotations during the lease period. Thanks for your input.

stever · December 2007

Jeep says to change the oil in your 4.7L V8 every 6,000 miles. So why it the dealer going to change it every 3,000? That alone makes it sound like a rip-off to me.

The Edmunds Maintenance Guide will tell you what Jeep requires and will tell you what it should cost in your zip code.

Prepaid Maintenance Plans - Smart Move? Or a Waste of Money?

turbanski · December 2007

Thanks Steve: I'm old school. I do oil changes between 3,000 and 4000 miles anyway. That is why dealer service contract made some sense to me. Previous leased vehicles were 2005 Pacifica Touring, 2002 300M and 1999 300M. Zero problems with all of them. Thanks for the links though. I will check them out.

stever · December 2007

It's funny - I drive them forever and barely get the oil changed at the recommended service intervals (5k for my 10+ year old Subbie, and 7.5k for my 9 year old Quest).

You lease so you turn your cars back in every 3 years or so and yet you change the oil twice as often as required. I think we both have it wrong, LOL.

turbanski · December 2007

Steve: I did a quick cost check based on the Edmunds site. Total cost of Jeep recommended and required services at 6,000 mi. intervals is $359. Estimated cost of 6 additional oil/filter changes @$30 each = $180. Total: required + extra oil changes is $539. Pretty much looks like a wash.

turbanski · December 2007

Call it peace of mind or whatever. Old habbits are hard to break.Happy New Year.

stever · December 2007

Happy New Year to you too and enjoy the new Jeep!

turbanski · January 2008

If you are experiencing high speed driveline vibration in your 4.7 or 5.7 V8 JGC with Quadra trac II, check the following link. www.wkjeeps.com/tsb/tsb_wh_1600105.pdf. It seems that this problem (driveline vibration), was caused by "Excess Grease In Rear Propeller Shaft". in 2005 JGC's with V8 engines. Is it possible that this affliction returned in 2007? You might want to have your Service Tech check it out. I understand from reading posts in the lease questions forum that Jeep service techs have not been able to solve the problem.

rkoz1 · January 2008

I sure wish someone would come forward and admit a problem. All I'm getting with the vibration issues on my '07 is the run around. Last I was told that the vibration is a characteristic of the Quadra-trac II system.

turbanski · January 2008

Hi Steve. For the record, I just received the formal service/maintenance contract from Chrysler/Jeep. It covers more than just oil/filter changes. Also included is a loaner/rental vechicle for up to five days, if needed, ($35 per day max.), roadside assistance and towing up to 100 miles. Overall, not too bad. I think you get your moneys worth. Like most insurance plans, you hope you never need to use it.

naatz1 · January 2008

Re the Edmunds Maintenance Guide link back on your Dec 31 posting...... I just checked and it seems either way off or perhaps following the schedule A for my 2007 Laredo 4.7L 4wd. The owners manual schedule B (which I agree is excessive but states to use it if you ever drive in < 32 degree weather, short trips, tow, etc) states to flush the front & rear differential fluid every 15k miles. This is needed supposedly to ensure you pass a 5 year inspection and have the coverage of the new lifetime power train warranty, as I cannot see ever needing that type of flush more than 60k miles or so in my occasional towing an little if any offroad (driving through creeks etc) use.

I read that 15k service info after buying my new Jeep last November and was not happy dealing with the cost of that frequent service, something I cannot do easily being way under the middle of the vehicle. An extra $120 every 12-15 months depending on service & mileage. My 01 Laredo did not even require that frequent of service.

Any comments on this point? I only have 2300 miles so I am probably a year away from dealing with this. Other than that "gotcha", I am happy with our vehicle; great quality so far, a beaut in the harsh MN winter.

stever · January 2008

Please send in an email using the Help link at the Edmunds.com site - look for the Contact Us tab. That'll get your question to the folks that keep the Maintenance Guide up to date and they can make any needed corrections. Thanks!

gsmith5 · January 2008

We have two 1996 JGC limiteds and a 1995 JGC laredo. We are having transmission problems with two of them.

The 96 has problems shifting after being driven more than 30 minutes. Everything will seem fine until it is necessary to come to a stop or really slow down. When you begin to accelerate again, the transmission keeps wanting to downshift and the engine revs. The only thing I have found that helps is to turn the vehicle off, restart and then manually shift through the first acceleration.

The 95 does about the same thing, with one added twist. The overdrive will not engage. If you try to drive highway speeds, that tach stays at about 3500 rpm.
I have checked the O/D switch on the dash and it seems to be operating properly.

I would welcome any guidance. The last time I took one of these vehicles to the local dealer, they had it for six weeks, I was out $600 and the problem was not fixed.

turbanski · January 2008

I am assuming that these are high milage vehicles. Have you performed basic maintenance on them such as transmission and transfer case fluid changes. Sometimes, thats all that is necessary.

gsmith5 · January 2008

I have changed the transmission filter and fluid on both.

turbanski · January 2008

Try the Jeep Engine and Performance Forum. Perhaps you can find some assistance there.

stever · January 2008

Here's the link:

Jeep Cherokee Grand Cherokee Engine and Performance Issues

jere747 · November 2010

I have a 1998 5.9 4X4. 169K miles. A year ago I started noticing some minor electrical issues. Interior dash lights will go dim and flicker. The right rear window would just go down when I turn the car off, I had to turn the ignition on raise the window and remove the power window switch to make it stop. The radio died, I've checked all fuses and found no problems.
Now I'm chasing a cooling fan issue! I have checked the 60AMP fuse, installed a jumper to check it-nothing, I installed a jumper in each of the plugs for the relay's-nothing. Hooked the fan directly to the battery-it ran. WHAT ELSE IT IT! This has been a pretty awesome and worry free vehicle for 10 years, but now this is getting rediculous. I would appreciate any suggestions anyone might have regarding the cooling fan and/or the radio. Thanks

Jeep Owners Care and Maintenance

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