A Couple Questions on 2007 Liberty

JohnnyCash · **Posted:** Mon Aug 20, 2007 2:55 pm

1. When driving thru hilly terrain, sometimes you'll be on the flats for a while, and then come to a hill, and the transmission either desperately needs to downshift, but won't, or it gets stuck in between gears if that's possible, and you have to take your foot off the pedal and press it back down. I was just wondering what is that nasty noise it makes (kind of a buzzy, scraping sound).............is it the engine lugging, or is it the transmission? Wondering if it harms anything.

2. Recently I have heard a sound from my jeep similar to what you'd hear if you were driving along a curb and rubbing your tire against it (squeaky sond). It has only happened at real slow speeds.........just yesterday I was pulling out of a parking lot turning right and I heard it, before that I heard it another time going slow thru a parking lot. It sounds like the rubber on the tire rubbing against something, but that's not possible, so I have no clue.

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 20, 2007 3:39 pm

From what I have gathered about the newer models the downshifting issue is normal. I don't think there is anymore wear on a vehicle that hunts for gears while driving down the road.

The noise you hear at slow speeds could be a lot of things. I'm leaning towards tire rub (on the ground) or possibly just the driveshaft spinning..

WoodysKJ · **Posted:** Mon Aug 20, 2007 3:56 pm

07 limited here.

I am getting my shifting looked at under warentee, let yo0u kno what i find out. As far as the noise, is it after it sits and has rained or washed or HIGh humidity? Could be brake squeal just as it starts up and then goes away.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Mon Aug 20, 2007 4:03 pm

just give it some more gas and it will unlock the torque to get you going. They just programmed it like that to either save gas or save wear on the tranny.

JohnnyCash · **Posted:** Mon Aug 20, 2007 5:14 pm

WoodysKJ wrote:

07 limited here.

I am getting my shifting looked at under warentee, let yo0u kno what i find out. As far as the noise, is it after it sits and has rained or washed or HIGh humidity? Could be brake squeal just as it starts up and then goes away.

The noise isn't from the brakes. Mine did that real bad when brand new, but not so much now. It sounds like a tire rubbing on the ground just like Sleeve said. I think it has done it as I've been turning.........either coming out of a parking lot or going thru one. So maybe it is just the tire rubbing on the ground as I'm turning. Sounds good. I'm going with that.

The transmission on the other hand, is kind of annoying. I finally ended up putting it in 2nd yesterday as I was driving the forest roads out in Oregon. That solved the shifting problem. I was just wondering what the ugly noise is that it makes. Wasn't sure if it was lugging or something esle.

libbygreen · **Posted:** Mon Aug 20, 2007 5:55 pm

Tapping the brake pedal on my 2007 will unlock the torque converter so I dont have to press down hard on accelerator.

jason thompson · **Posted:** Mon Aug 20, 2007 6:27 pm

PUSH THE SKINNY PEDAL HARDER

if it seems to be "luging down" or something like that then just push down on the gas real hard to triger the
FWOT and it will down shift I can get the TF999 in my TJ to down shift from 3 to 1 and crank out 4000+ rpm's on the I-6
so to do it on the 3.7 V-6 will not hurt a thing
FWOT=Full Wide Open Throtle

JohnnyCash · **Posted:** Mon Aug 20, 2007 7:14 pm

jason thompson wrote:

PUSH THE SKINNY PEDAL HARDER

if it seems to be "luging down" or something like that then just push down on the gas real hard to triger the
FWOT and it will down shift I can get the TF999 in my TJ to down shift from 3 to 1 and crank out 4000+ rpm's on the I-6
so to do it on the 3.7 V-6 will not hurt a thing
FWOT=Full Wide Open Throtle

I've learned to do that on the highway. Even with "overdrive" turned off, it still is tough to get it to accelerate going up a long but slight incline. I don't mess with it anymore; I just jam that pedal down and take off !

On the forest roads this method ain't that great. I don't really want to accelerate on the roads because they can be rough and full of potholes. Just want to go smoothly up & down the hills. If I'm wide awake I can time the stabs at the pedal just right when I see a hill coming, but if I'm too tired to get them all it will get to a hill and buzz and scrape and will not downshift unless I get off the pedal and back on it. I may just start keeping it in 2nd at all times on roads like that.

jason thompson · **Posted:** Mon Aug 20, 2007 7:58 pm

JohnnyCash wrote:

jason thompson wrote:

PUSH THE SKINNY PEDAL HARDER

if it seems to be "luging down" or something like that then just push down on the gas real hard to triger the
FWOT and it will down shift I can get the TF999 in my TJ to down shift from 3 to 1 and crank out 4000+ rpm's on the I-6
so to do it on the 3.7 V-6 will not hurt a thing
FWOT=Full Wide Open Throtle

I've learned to do that on the highway. Even with "overdrive" turned off, it still is tough to get it to accelerate going up a long but slight incline. I don't mess with it anymore; I just jam that pedal down and take off !

On the forest roads this method ain't that great. I don't really want to accelerate on the roads because they can be rough and full of potholes. Just want to go smoothly up & down the hills. If I'm wide awake I can time the stabs at the pedal just right when I see a hill coming, but if I'm too tired to get them all it will get to a hill and buzz and scrape and will not downshift unless I get off the pedal and back on it. I may just start keeping it in 2nd at all times on roads like that.

IIRC the trany that comes in the KJ's ,both of them, if you put them in 2 they will stay in 2 that is if you stop and do not go to D or 1 it will try to go in 2
I know that the 3 speed in the TJ is like that wich helps on some of the trails I run

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Mon Aug 20, 2007 8:09 pm

^^, Mine is not like that.

And they must of reprogrammed the 05+ libertys b/c mine isnt that hard to unlock the torque. If I just push it down some it will unlock it, then if I push it more it will shift down into 3rd. Ive not floored it in who knows how long. I go up and down ALOT of hills in my area too.

I would rather it keep it locked in 4th then to downshift every 5sec. In my GF's Grand cherokee with the the I-6 and 42re, it will downshift as soon as you give it just the least amount of gas. It has alot more low end torque than the 3.7 thouh. City driving is alot more pleasant with the 4.0.

KJ4ME · **Posted:** Tue Aug 21, 2007 12:52 am

this past weekend i went up through the mountains and i set my cruise control. that seems to be the only time the transmission cooperates with any hills. im tired of dealing with the dern thing.

slikjr · **Posted:** Thu Aug 23, 2007 12:55 am

Yeah, 07's don't like to downshift. Escpecially with larger tires, then the RPMs are lower so the engine thinks it's going... Driving in the city, I turn my OD off. Seems to help. I know on clover leaf merge lanes when I'm coming off slow and want to accelerate, I have to really push the skinny pedal to get it to shift down.

The reason behind it is "gas mileage". They think the lower RPM's save gas, which might be true on the highway with no wind. But low RPM's and a hard working engine to not mix.

JohnnyCash · **Posted:** Thu Aug 23, 2007 1:34 am

slikjr wrote:

Yeah, 07's don't like to downshift. Escpecially with larger tires, then the RPMs are lower so the engine thinks it's going... Driving in the city, I turn my OD off. Seems to help. I know on clover leaf merge lanes when I'm coming off slow and want to accelerate, I have to really push the skinny pedal to get it to shift down.

The reason behind it is "gas mileage". They think the lower RPM's save gas, which might be true on the highway with no wind. But low RPM's and a hard working engine to not mix.

It's one of those deals where they probably got incentives from the government for having the "potential" of better gas mileage, but in the real world it probably ends up worse because I'm driving around with overdrive off and sticking it in 2nd gear in hilly terrain.

jason thompson · **Posted:** Thu Aug 23, 2007 8:17 am

Guys there is a condition that must be met befor the trany will down shift
if the jeep is slowing down and you want to speed up you need to push the gas
but simply pushing the gas will not cause a down shift you need to reach a certain load or some thing like that
Look I drive an F250 with the 5.4 gas engine it weighs 2 times a Kj with not 2 times the HP and torque and I can make it scream
I dont think twice when I get on I-10 and it is cranking out 5000 RPM
the same goes for the KJ rev it up it will not hurt ,they have a rev limiter in them
I have only found it once in the KJ but thank god for the one in the TJ I know it has one

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Thu Aug 23, 2007 9:12 am

If you want the kj to last in the long run, I wouldn't hit the rev limiter every time I got on the HW.

The 3.7's are bad to loose valve springs. Keep that in mind.

slikjr · **Posted:** Thu Aug 23, 2007 9:17 am

well absolutely! Stomp it and of course it will shift!! That's not what I'm saying. Anyone can get it to shift if they step on it. We're saying it does have a "lazier" transmission than my 02, I'll tell you that. On my 02 I was running 265/75's and on my 07 I have 245/75 and it still shifts later.

For those of us who do not want to mash the pedal, you have to learn how to drive it. I agree, they probobly said "it saves gas" somewhere and stuck with it. Unless you're on a free-way in the city, turn the OD off. Saves shifting around and too having too low RPM.

Not complaining about it... I love my Libby that's for sure. Just saying.

detroit_doc · **Posted:** Thu Aug 23, 2007 10:04 am

For the record, I've been complaining about this on my 2003 since the day I got it. We had a 2002 in the family with the 45RFE and it was SOOOO much nicer to drive. The torque converter just does not want to unlock on the 2003 w/42RLE. It's fine in the city and will unlock the converter like it should. But once you are above 60 MPH, it won't unlock the converter until you are at nearly full throttle. Then when it does finally unlock, it's a big deal because you foot is so far into the throttle. Instead of just maintaing your speed, now you take off like you are racing the guy next to you.

It's really annoying that a 210 horsepower vehicle can't maintain speed going up a mild hill on the freeway. It's a joke and probably the number one reason I won't be buying another liberty.

I rent Escapes when I'm out of town on business. Even though they have less horsepower they feel so much more responsive because of much better transmission software.

JohnnyCash · **Posted:** Thu Aug 23, 2007 11:23 am

I am actually starting to like my Liberty more as I learn to drive it better, but
I have to agree that it is kind of a joke that it can't maintain speed going up a slight incline.

On my way home from work I go up a stretch of highway which is slightly uphill for a couple miles; it can barely
be called a hill because it is just a slight angle, but goes on for a long time.

I always turn O/D off, but even then I'll start to lose ground to the traffic around me if I am forced to slow down for a second and then get back on it. I can then either wait for it to slowly get back up to speed, or I can jam the pedal down and shoot past everyone which will probably get me a ticket sooner or later.

BeepBeepJeepJeep · **Posted:** Thu Aug 23, 2007 11:29 am

JohnnyCash wrote:

I am actually starting to like my Liberty more as I learn to drive it better, but
I have to agree that it is kind of a joke that it can't maintain speed going up a slight incline.

On my way home from work I go up a stretch of highway which is slightly uphill for a couple miles; it can barely
be called a hill because it is just a slight angle, but goes on for a long time.

I always turn O/D off, but even then I'll start to lose ground to the traffic around me if I am forced to slow down for a second and then get back on it. I can then either wait for it to slowly get back up to speed, or I can jam the pedal down and shoot past everyone which will probably get me a ticket sooner or later.

That's the one thing i've learned with my 5-speed renny is on any type of an incline i'm going to be down shifting to either 4th or 3rd depending on how fast i'm going.

A Couple Questions on 2007 Liberty

Who is online