Jeep Liberty CRD, Thermostat Remove and Replace
The thermostat should regulate the coolant temperature to 80C (176F). It is normal for temperatures to exceed this and go beyond center scale for hot weather driving, hills and towing.
Note that the indicated 89C (192F) mark is for the modified thermostat if you have one.
The engine should be cold for this procedure.
Turn the cabin heat on to full (engine not running).
Disconnect the battery.
Attach a 5/16 inch hose to the radiator drain cock. It is on the inside, passenger side, lower corner.
Feed the hose into a clean bucket; we will save the coolant.
The drain cock is plastic and easily damaged. The best way to crack it open is with a 10mm Allen wrench in its hollow head. There is little clearance so I sacrificed 2 cms off of the handle of a Allen wrench and used a open/box.
Drain the coolant out of the expansion tank and then open the expansion tank cap.
There is no need to drain out all of the coolant. Feel the coolant drain from upper radiator hose and then wait a little longer. Close the drain cock and remove the hose.
To get better access to the thermostat, we need to remove the engine air filter box.
Pull up the red tab, squeeze the black section and remove the plug to the Maf sensor.
Squeeze the plug to the inlet pressure sensor (you can see the catch tab lift at the front) and pull off.
Loosen the hose clamp to the air intake and unclip the lid to the airbox.
Remove lid and air filter element.
Remove the intake duct from the airbox. You may need to spin it 90°.
Get your hand under the air box and pop out the bottommost tab. Pop out the other 2 and remove air box.
Remove the engine cover.
Disconnect the cac inlet hose at the intercooler (8mm socket).
Disconnect the upper radiator hose from the thermostat.
Squeeze the black tab and pop off the electrical connection to the coolant temperature sensor at the back of the thermostat.
Remove the sensor with a 19mm deep socket.
Loosen the hose clamps and disconnect the two bypass hoses on the side of the thermostat housing. Completely remove the shorter hose to the viscous heater (left side, viewed from the front).
Also disconnect the hose on the right side of the viscous heater .
Remove the lower hose on the thermostat.
Remove the bracket at the top of the thermostat (10mm bolt and 8mm Allen).
Remove 3 10mm bolts securing the thermostat to the block. All 3 can be reached with a 2.5 inch socket extention on a 6 inch wobble end socket extention.
Remove the thermostat, scrape the gasket material off of the engine block and clean with acetone.
Lightly coat the new gasket (part #05066806AA, $2-$3) with high temperature grease (silicone or white lithium) to keep it from sticking again.
Bolt the thermostat housing to the engine block and torque the bolts to 20 ft-lbs (the longer of the 2 short bolts is used here). Replace the bracket and torque the bolt on top to 20 ft-lbs and the 8mm Allen bolt (to the viscous heater) to 25 ft-lbs.
This is the modified thermostat. The actual new thermostat part number is 05142601AA.
Reverse the remaining steps to complete the replacement.
Use a little grease (silcone or white lithium) on the hose fittings to aid in removing the hoses the next time.
Torque the coolant temperature sensor to 14 ft-lbs.
Follow the recommendations in the service manual to refill the coolant.
