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I actually have to drive 1/2 mile down hill to get to the main road and the transmission draining is not a problem. A light foot on the gas does not seem to make any difference. In fact, if I get on it a little I can drive past the fade but traffic does not always make it possible.
Thank you from a possible future CRD owner.
At 4k miles I decided to change the oil. After changing it ($13 for the filter and $50 for the oil!!). I noticed a leak coming from the turbocharger. It looked to me to be coming from the oil drain tube gasket. So I took it in to the dealership and they told me that the oil was going past a seal in the turbo and coming out past the compressor wheel. So they had to replace the turbo... I don't drive my CRD crazy and I make sure to let the turbo cool before I shutdown every time. I sure hope this was a production issue (maybe not enough oil in the bearing housing when assembled?). Anybody else had this problem?
So after I got it back, (took a few days to order the turbo and then a few more to order studs for the exh manifold when the broke the old ones taking the bad turbo off) I got a check engine light after about 60 miles... The diesel mechanic at my dealership was already gone for the day so I took a look around to see what he might have missed... Found a wire that was not connected. After fishing around a while, I found a sensor under the coolant reservoir tank. He must not have plugged it in all the way and it worked itself loose. But I still had to take it back to have them clear the fault.
While trying to find where this wire was supposed to be attached I noticed a few odd things under the engine cover. There was a hose clamp wedged between the injector and valve cover along with a rubber band. I talked to the dealer about it and they didn't take any hose clamps off that looked like the one that was there. So I guess VM Motori or DCx decided to leave me a little present. Pretty sloppy work I think.
Now a few days later... My check engine light comes on again. Once again my diesel mechanic was not around, but they were able to check the code for me at the dealership. It was a pressure switch for the transmission. The thing slips like crazy and jerks around a lot... So it is in the shop now and I'm really not looking forward to getting it back and finding the next problem.
This is very unfortunate, there isn't any other vehicle like this on the market and I love the way it drives...
In comparision to other SUV's the Jeep is ONE of a Kind. I read some articles that stated the engine sounds like an old 1980 mercedes diesel. Who ever wrote that needs thier hearing checked. I tricked my friend into thinking the engine have a ticking valve. That's how quite it is when idling. inside you can barley hear it.
Did you try the fuel/water separator pump before you got it towed? Just checking. Thanks.
Now if you read the Service Contract by Daimler Chrysler brochure. The MaxCare plan has optins for scheduled maintenance care. In fine print it states deisels are excluded.
Any thoughts on this?
I got to my destination (Frasier Park CA. 4x4 trail) and the little Liberty performed great on the trail. When I had completed most of it one of the Jeeps got hung up on a rock and after helping him off, I got back into the Liberty and put it in drive and it wouldn't move. I got towed the rest of the way out by a Toyota (how embarrassing). I had reverse and a little bit of first and third as long as I didn't go over 1700 rpm and the grade was not too steep. Anyway to make a long story short, a pump and seals need to be replaced in the trans. I was told these parts are back ordered and it may be up to 10 days before they come in. They did provide me a rental car for 5 of the 10 days, I guess I am on my own after the 5 days. Has anyone else had a trans problem? Other than that I love it. I just wish they offered a manual trans when I purchased mine.
-Over here it's worth 3 times the cost of the original canadian made one.
-The gain over turbo lag at low revs is true, but the tranny is programmed to keep the converter open when the gain is there. Result is a higher fuel consumption.
-Since the turbo stops filling the intake manifold when the pressure is reached, there is no interest to have a particular make at this point.
-The diesel engine breathes at it's full capacity all the time. K&N in this case will need cleaning more frequently than for a gasser.
-Finally the particule size trapped by the original filter may be smaller since for dirt track racing people use other filters than the K&N.
I have one in my garage and keep it for the winter when there is no sand or pollen flying around.
I'm asking because of the switch to DFS for winter or a trip back up north.
Caribou1 talked about the throttle by wire, the use of a potentiometer. It could have a dead spot inside but shouldn't it always be there hot or cold. I can't add anything else.
Driving uphill at 25 mph with cargo is when I feel it most. To my opinion the 3rd gear is a bit too long and the 4th too short. In an ideal (flat) world this engine should always run at 2000 rpm.
I will be doing this in the next few months. I just need to figure out where to put it. There is no room behind the grill as everything is well packed in there. There is space between the intercooler and the radiator, about 1-1/2 inches, so I might put it in there.
I understand that I have a diesel and all but what the dealer told me after I brought it in was stunning but want to make sure if anybody else has encountered these problems. I asked the service manager if I could speak to the technician before he starts or after he is finished on my truck. Her response to that was " sorry sir, we do not let our technicians speak to the customers". That's all fine and dandy.
Once I received a call back, the service manager explained this to me and after having my jeep in for 2 days nothing was done to it. She explained to me that the supposed problems with my AC line was that it wasn't deep enough and should be ok. The temp monitor doesn't read a temp. until the vehicle reaches approx. 50mph. The pool of dried oil that I found, the mechanic called it as to be "NORMAL" and that it is not an oil leak, it is nearly a seepage. And the oily soot I found around my hose clamp that leads to my fuel filter as the mechanic stated again as it being "NORMAL".
I just can't understand that oil dripping onto my motor is "normal" or a possible fuel leak to be "normal". And as far as the temp, you mean to tell me that on a 30mph speed limit road, I have to speed to 50mph so I can see how hot or cold it is outside. Give me a break!! Also a hole that was embedded into my A/C line that was caused by them. I prevented from the line to rupture but all I get is, sorry it didn't go through all the way so you're fine.
VW New Beetle diesel
VW Golf diesel
Jeep Liberty CRD (diesel)
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As for the temperature gauge, I assume you are referring to the one that is above the rearview mirror. According to the owner's manual, any speed over 20 mph
On Sunday, I went through the engine compartment with a fine tooth comb. I snugged down several clamps and repositioned several others. I checked all the fuel system connections and found them to be bone dry. Not even a haze. If it is really hot outside and I have been driving my CRD, I get an occasional whiff of diesel fuel odor from under the hood. So, far, I have not been able to find anything. There are np puddles, leaks that I can find.
Outside of that, it runs great.
All that I have had done is the first oil change. The service technicians were helpful and courteous. After the service I was called by the shop and asked what I thought of the service. I told the caller about the good help and that it was appreciated. The caller said that he would tell the service manager. I told the caller to tell the technicians themselves and the caller said he would.
I forgot to bring the high priced Mobil One Oil. The service personnel explained that there would be cost over and above their normal cost due to the use of this expensive oil. After the oil change, the 1/2 quart excess was given to me which I may use on future oil changes.
For future oil changes, I will most likely go back to doing it myself. The dealer told me that all I had to do to retain the warranty was to keep receipts and records.
I think because my dealer is in a lower populated area that customer appreciation may be higher.
The Jeep is still running well. I don't have one of those consoles that give you automatic mileage. I checked my mileage during a recent run up North and was getting in the high twenties. (miles per gallon) No overheating yet.
After reading the above posts, I'm going to check under my hood for leaks and signs of abrasions. This sounds like a distinct possibility and thanks for pointing it out.
Has anyone had a problem with knocking into the oil filter on dirt roads? Has anyone done a relocation to avoid it being knocked into? I could see hitting a rock in the middle of a high rut road and knocking that thing off. Bad News.
I thought about a dead spot on the pot also-but you are right it should always be there.
I don't think it is a transmission issue, you can hear and feel then engine drop out. The mechanic has also driven it and confirmed the problem but they have yet to come up with a fix.
I just put 1000 miles on it and it runs on the interstate like a dream.
This is definintely a design defect-anything you scrape along the bottom could take it out.
I have thought about relocating it rather than hiding it.
Is the engine running any differently with the Amsoil 5W-40? I like the specs on it better than the equivalent Mobil 1 product.
But the way it's going, webchat two years ago about Hyundai the next value leader, before any VW or VW/DC happens, we may be buying Chinese labels with engineering from ...
1) Overheating that seems to be related to issues with the fan clutch, dragging brakes and maybe but not likely the transmission. Problem may be compounded by obstinate or clueless dealers. Not sure if the problem has been resolved by DC yet.
2) Jerking or surging at specific speeds such as 55 to 60 MPH usually after a pull such as an onramp to highway speeds. Seems to be cured by reflashing the computer in most cases. May be related to fuel in other cases. Problem reported as light to severe and engine actually quit in one or more cases.
3) A rattling or clunking when backing up or out of a garage first thing in the morning. May be related to misplaced exhaust brackets or sticking/vibrating rear brakes.
4) Factory Good Year tires are said to be cheesy. Poor wet traction and less than optimal snow traction are indicated by some posters.
5) Steering is a little clumsy or unresponsive when going straight on the highway. Other posts (winter2) and my experience is that this issue is dramatically reduced or eliminated by keeping the tires 2 - 3 lbs over factory specification. 35 to 36 PSI also improves fuel economy without sacrificing ride.
6) Oil filter is in exposed location. We drive a lot off pavement on rough and steep roads. Just knowing it’s exposed and keeping an eye on the road for rocks, etc that could potentially destroy the filter is enough for all BUT the serious off-roaders (or going off road accidentally).
7) Some complained about hard seats. We like the hard seats. This is something anyone can determine for themselves during a test drive.
8) Wires, hoses and clamps may be positioned incorrectly. Problem ranges from serious to not so serious. Easily curable by a good DIYer or an average mechanic.
9) Oil gets black very quickly. This is perfectly normal for diesels. Required oil is expensive but oil change interval is longer than normally recommended for gasoline engines.
10) Maybe a bad EGR pump on one post.
Now for the positives:
In my opinion, no other vehicle in it’s price range sold in the US has the unique combination of capabilities of the Liberty CRD. It easily tows 5,000+ lbs, gets 27 to 30 MPG on the highway and weighs 4,300 lbs empty. We usually weigh in at 4,800 lbs minimum when we hit the road and we get 29 to 30 MPG driving 65 MPH (66.7 MPH on GPS). Diesel engine has a very nice diesel sound at light pedal and is very quiet and smooth at highway speeds while climbing steep grades barely depressing the pedal. Oh, and it has real full time and part time (with low range) 4WD.
If you are a diesel person you will absolutely love this vehicle. You might want to wait a little while until DC works out all the issues.
I would love to get my hands on a programming breakdown myself. Better yet, a real time logging of various controls would give us a much better handle on what is happening and when. There is a diagnostic program called Autotap which ties into the OBD port and does exactly that. I was thinking of purchasing it to build a custom gauge set, but your post makes me think I should get it for the datalogging. It would make a conversation with the mechanic or DC much more useful if I had data to back up some things.
Aside, in DFW,TX , you name we have seen it on the highway. Furniture, refrigerators, dryers, 2x4's 4x4's, roofing, roofing nails, pipes. Throw it in the pickup-it's okay.
Someone posted about the skidplate that almost protects the oil filter. I believe I asked a follow up but don't remember a response. Lost posts 1/4" plate skids in hundred of pounds.
The DC gasser transmission plate is part number 52128925-AC about $25
I may be forced to find a shop to custom make a HD (plate)one with a provision for oil changes or a HD sheetmetal that can be taken on and off. DC uses folds on the sheetmetal for strength from lightness for theirs.
Again, if anyone would like to share information (part numbers) I'm listening.
Thats me. Just got the new one on yesterday. Drives like day one off the lot. I got to see the old EGR valve. For only 5100 miles on it, it was pretty carbond up. I hope when ULS diesel fuel is here, this will not happen again.
Here are a few examples:
School zones are limited to 20 mph, so the engine is in 2nd around 2000 rpm.
City driving is 30 mph, that's 3rd gear 1800 rpm.
City limits is 35 mph, that's 3rd gear 2000 rpm.
Country roads is 56 mph, that's 4th gear slipping back and forth into 5th.
Highway is between 69 and 80 mph and this time the converter is finally closed.
We get flashed by radars everywhere if we drive above speed limits. This adds to a lot of noise and unnecessary fuel consumption to obey to traffic rules and pollution regulations. Most of these poor engine running conditions could be solved by having different gear ratios in 3rd and 4th. My wife would also stop telling me to go faster because we are being taken over by most of the traffic :shades:
I noticed that back in june a lost poster had his 4x4 linkage break too. My parts are in for that but the skid plate is not available in the Dallas warehouse.