First winter with the KJ. This past weekend really impressed me.
Had to run to western KY to move my daughter out of a toxic situation. Big snow, sleet, freezing rain and overnight temps in the single digits. No problem. My block heater doesn't work, only have 3 functioning glow plugs, trans line leaking and I'm almost over due on a new timing belt. So why not head out for a 250 mile run in a snow storm? "We got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark and we're wearing sunglasses. Hit it!"
Threw some tools in the back, 5 gallons of diesel, sleeping bag and water. The parkways fluctuated from clear, to one lane clear, to no lanes clear, to solid ice, and back and forth... About 20 miles from my destination I finally had to put it in "full time" 4x4. Semis were creeping along. I drove around like it was summertime.
Murray had rain, then sleet, then snow, then single digit temps. When I got there it was like 6-8" of frozen ice/slush with some snow on top. Pot holes, corn, corrugated - a little bit of everything. And the plow trucks kept scraping the powder off the top so it was mostly just solid ice. I drove around like it was summertime.
Overnight temps were high singles and low double digits. Daytime highs in the low 20*s. Started every time with just two cycles of the key. A couple seconds and the engine smoothed out and ran flawlessly. I drove around like it was summertime.
Got home with 117 miles over the timing belt's expiration date. I never felt squirrely or loose. Drove circles around the rest.
I started out with a CJ-3B in the 80's. Have Power Wagons and W200s with 203s and 205s. This little Jeep has impressed me - and saved my butt!
_________________ 2005 Liberty CRD, with 135,XXX miles. Rockers, exhaust valves, Provent, EGR block & butterfly delete & V6 air box at 100K
1998 XJ 4.0L, stock with 130,XXX miles
First Jeep: 1962 Willys CJ-3B
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