Recently, I tried a couple of things on my 2005 crd that I thought I might pass on to see if anybody else has also tried or is considering. In preparation for winter I switched out the glow plugs from the 7v etecnos (put in when timing belt done at 83,000 now at 127000) which struggle below 20 degrees for a set of 12volt plugs designed for the European versions. I plan to use a push button switch, but I currently have them plugged into the factory wiring and so far down to 25 degrees (hasn't gotten too cold in the UP yet) the 12v plugs, running on 7vs, have done better than the 7v replacements. I got the idea from communicating with a VM repair shop in Sheffield England. As the wiring is still factory, no codes have been thrown, but I am guessing once I unplug the glowplugs from the computer wiring and use a push button switch that might throw a code or two. You can get the 12 volt plugs on dieselglowplug.com and they are listed as GX123, but I am still waiting to see how they will handle the -20 and -30 weather that is coming. It seems I remember reading a similar article about the 12volt option on this site but could not find it.

I also developed a leak in the powersteering line the goes out of the pump through a goofy canister thingy around a corner and into the rack. Rather than replacing the hose with new one at $400 something, I had one made. And, to make things easier and against the wise advice of friends I decided to eliminate the goofy canister thingy and make the new one a simple hose that can then be remade and replaced for a simple $50. So far I have not noticed anything different except the PS fluid is no longer having to be constantly refilled and the Jeep has went on about 5 1000+mile road trips since the work was done. So, it appears a simple $50 hose could do the trick and save time in the repair. Interestingly, the service/parts guy at Chrysler showed the 4 cylinder gas and diesel as having the same steering lines. As the gas versions don't have the canister thingy and the guy at Chrysler thought they were the same, I probably could have just pulled a hose from a gas rig at a junkyard.

Anyways, as I have learned a lot from others mistakes and trials here, I thought I would pass that along.

Have a nice day

and just a curiosity is there anybody who actually, truly, loves the Jeep crd or is it a continual relationship of hate with a few grunts of acknowledgement when you actually can go awhile without having to face another design error by the bums at Chrysler.

I've replaced the power steering lines on my 2006 Liberty CRD twice. It's not a fun job.

First time, the hard line rusted out where it goes over the crossmember--I suspect due to rubbing and the coating being damaged. This was at about 130k miles or so.

I got the factory replacement line set and installed it. After a couple of months, fluid was seeping through the rubber part of the lines, which I attributed to a defect. Jeep gave me a new set on warranty (I had a miserable dealer experience though, a topic for another time).

A couple of things to note: I highly doubt the 4-cyl gas lines are similar, as there are traditional supply/return parts listed and they do not look remotely similar to me, at least viewing photos on Rockauto. The diesel set is all-in-one. I have not done a head-to-head comparison but I would be careful ordering blindly.

The tank you speak of is, I believe, a surge tank, meant to alleviate the pulses that the big 4-cyl diesel puts out as it spins. The alternator decoupler pulley serves a similar purpose for the serpentine belt system. Whether this is for convenience or longevity, I cannot say.

If this new set fails, I will likely take it to a shop and have it repaired/modified as you did rather than spend the money Jeep wants for an OEM set. I was less than impressed when one new set failed, and there were other issues--none of the clamps were remotely in the right positions on either set, for instance, and it is not trivial to move them and line it all up.

It's quite a job to replace those lines.

The PS lines are not similar. Gasoline has a PS cooler like a small radiator and dsl has a pipe behind the driver headlight. What you eliminated was the vibration damper, you may feel some pulsation in the steering wheel.

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2005 kj CRD, samco, suncoast tc, provent, Kennedy lift pump, GDE ECO full torque, 2nd gen filter head, 245/70/16 a/t tires, mopar light bar, fumoto oil valve, OEM Skid Plates, ARB Front bumper and HD OME, tru cool LPD47391 40k GVW tranny cooler (stock cooler delete), FF Dynamics e-fan and shroud, rocker arms replaced, HDS2 190F thermostat.

I replaced part of my power steering hose last winter. I took the fitting off the pump and cut it where it changed to 3/8" tubing. I had a hydraulic shop silver solder the part that connects to the pump to a hose fitting. With that they made a hose with a 3/8" compression fitting on the other end. I just cleaned up the hard line really good before I put the compression fitting on it. Worked awsome save a huge hassle to change that entire hose.

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