Problem with the Liberty

daltonamorph · **Posted:** Wed Jun 09, 2010 10:23 pm

Today i was driving along a little gravel road, about a mile long. Not rutted. Not muddy. Any car could have gone down it- heck i could've ridden my bike down it. So about 3/4 of a mile down this little road my check engine light started flashing and as i held the gas steady the Jeep would sort of jump forward and started shaking. I pulled over and shut it off and looked at the engine and saw nothing visibly wrong. Checked the oil and all that good stuff even though it was the check engine light. Everything was fine. I turned the A/C off, and turned the radio off, and started heading home about 5 miles away, i stopped at a red light and the engine shut off. Barley got it started and had to keep it above 1000 rpms the rest of the ride home, all the while it felt like i was on a gravel road, and it sounded like the engine was skipping. I have absolutely no idea whats up, does anyone have any idea? I'm gonna try to get it up to Goodyear this weekend if i can start her up.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Wed Jun 09, 2010 10:32 pm

Wont know anything till you get those codes pulled off of it. Any advance auto parts or autozone will do that for free.

You can also pull the codes by turning the Key ON, OFF, ON, OFF, ON. All while NOT starting the engine. The codes will pop up where the mileage is.

daltonamorph · **Posted:** Wed Jun 09, 2010 10:49 pm

Thank you for the quick reply, Ill check the codes tomorrow and see what they are. I'm taking it to Goodyear when i get the chance

linewarbr · **Posted:** Thu Jun 10, 2010 8:10 am

Sounds to me like something internal in the engine. Hope not, but sounds exactly like what happened to me in my Hemi when I broke an exhaust valve spring.

Good luck.

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Thu Jun 10, 2010 8:53 am

I've always heard that if the CEL is flashing - don't drive it.

daltonamorph · **Posted:** Thu Jun 10, 2010 3:54 pm

So i took it up to Goodyear today, and they way the explained it to me, the valve keepers broke, and so the number 1 cylinder is getting no compression, so they have to replace all the valve keepers. I honestly have no idea what valve keepers do but there expensive...1500 to get it fixed so Itll be sitting outside for a month or 2.

KJWildman · **Posted:** Thu Jun 10, 2010 4:22 pm

Did the valves drop? If not you're lucky. The 3.7 is what they call an interference engine. in other words, if something happens to your timing chain you can destroy your engine with the valves hitting the pistons! :shock:

I'll find out Sunday when I get my heads off how bad mine is. I had the same symptoms!

JustinP · **Posted:** Thu Jun 10, 2010 4:27 pm

A flashing CEL means the code being stored is a "damaging one". Like a bad misfire.
Valve keepers themselves are normally fairly inexpensive. Its the labor youre paying for. Its a fairly difficult job. Valve keepers hold the valve itself to the valve spring. Its the sole item that keeps your valves from falling into the cylinders and keeps the valve returning to its seated position after the camshaft pushes it down. (Hope that makes sense). You have two per valve, well, one pair per valve. they are shaped like small cones cut in half. when put together and put on the valve it it locks the vavle to the spring. To replace these without pulling the cylinder heads off, you must gain access to the valve springs, I.E.: remove valve covers. Once the valve covers are off, on the KJ i belive it is neccessary to remove the camshaft of that cylinder head, so you can get to the valves and springs unobstructed, hope that made sense. You will have to pressurize the cylinder your working on, usually by blowing compressed air into it, Ive always removed the valve core of a compression checker hose, screwed it in the spark plug hole, and connecting the other end to a compressor or air source, Make sure before the cam was removed you had the piston of the cylinder youre working on in the down position (all the way) Once air is pressured in the cylinder it will push the valve up, you push down on the spring with a tool of some sort (unsure what youd use for the KJ), the spring will compress, the valve will stay up, the keepers will be on the top of the valve stem, (or since you have a broke one- rolling around in the top of the head, haha) You pull the keepers off, replace with new ones, let the valve spring up and depressurize the cylinder, the keeper is replaced. Its a big job if youve never done stuff like this. If I got anything wrong please correct me.

Id be leary letting a tire place do this, but some tire shops have amazing techs there, others dont, Id ask a few questions before giving the go ahead on this one, Also, find out if their gonna replace the valve seals, theyre usually cheap and dont take hardly anymore work to replace.

Sorry for the bad news.

daltonamorph · **Posted:** Thu Jun 10, 2010 6:44 pm

The valve did not drop. They gave me a card for an engine mechanic, the guy seemed knowledgeable and told us the guy he was recommending would do a good job for less money. I'm waiting on the money right now but ill let y'all know what happens. And thanks a lot of the explanation, it makes more sense to me and i can understand how that would be an expensive job.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Thu Jun 10, 2010 9:30 pm

How many miles are on the Jeep?

daltonamorph · **Posted:** Thu Jun 10, 2010 11:32 pm

72,345

Diver · **Posted:** Fri Jun 11, 2010 8:22 am

This is a great time to upgrade the valve springs. Myself, I'd yank the heads, get a full valve job done up, better springs, new seals, and why not---look into a cam that will fit my desires better. the labor takes one weekend with a friend and lots of beer.

**Disclaimer** last time I helped a buddy do this same job (he already had a new cam for his firebird) we ended up puling the whole motor to the race shop for the full work up. 2 weeks after install, a drunk slammed the car to bits....

Diver

KJWildman · **Posted:** Fri Jun 11, 2010 8:41 am

Diver wrote:

This is a great time to upgrade the valve springs. Myself, I'd yank the heads, get a full valve job done up, better springs, new seals, and why not---look into a cam that will fit my desires better. ....

Diver

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ !!! Just priced this stuff out. +/-$1500 in parts for all this, +labor if you can't do it yourself! I'm just dropping another motor in it.

daltonamorph · **Posted:** Fri Jun 11, 2010 1:50 pm

Phew thats expensive!

daltonamorph · **Posted:** Sat Jun 12, 2010 11:33 am

My dad is a cop, and one of his friends is the police mechanic, so he came and took a look at it. He took the drivers side valve cover off and looked at the number 1 cylinder, and he says nothings wrong with that. He used one of the computers and looked at it and it said the problem was cylinders 2,4,5, and 6. So i started it up and it was misfiring really bad, and he thinks the problem is the rocker arm. Also, we bought the liberty used at 63,000 miles, and haven't changed the spark plugs because were only at 72. He thinks my plugs are stock and have never been changed so i need to get new spark plugs as well. Hes coming back next Wednesday to do a compression test.

jnaut · **Posted:** Sun Jun 13, 2010 3:46 pm

Diver wrote:

This is a great time to upgrade the valve springs. Myself, I'd yank the heads, get a full valve job done up, better springs, new seals, and why not---look into a cam that will fit my desires better. the labor takes one weekend with a friend and lots of beer.

**Disclaimer** last time I helped a buddy do this same job (he already had a new cam for his firebird) we ended up puling the whole motor to the race shop for the full work up. 2 weeks after install, a drunk slammed the car to bits....

Diver

Amateur time schedule for working on cars:

FSM says 40 minutes to replace part 'X'.

Amatuer Schedule:

Stare at part to decide if it's something you can tackle: 45 minutes
Call friend to ask if he's ever done one before: 30 minutes
Wait for friend to come over: 45 minutes
When friend arrives, ask if he's eaten, when he responds "no", get lunch at local drive-thru: 25 minutes.
Arrive home, get out tools: 15-25 minutes
Realize you are out of beer, make beer run: 20 Minutes.
Stare at part with friend while drinking first beer: 15 minutes
Begin removal process, find that one bolt won't come free: 15 minutes
Discover special fastener you don't have tool for. Run to AutoZone: 25 minutes
Realize Autozone sucks and doesn't have tool, admit to yourself you should have gone to NAPA: 25 minutes
Remove special fasteners: 10 minutes
Remove part: 2-5 minutes
Struggle with new part before you realize new part isn't exactly the same: 45 minutes
Drive part back to NAPA (You learned the first time) and get replacement part: 10 minute trip.
Stand and wait for parts guy at NAPA to pull correct part (He grabbed the "option group B" part first time): 15 minutes.
Drive home from NAPA: 10 minutes.
PUt special fasteners on: 45 minutes (You lost one in the driveway and you can't find it)
Replace bolts: 45 minutes (you can't find torque specifications so your friend is inside browsing porn on your computer (claiming he's looking for torque specifications) while you wait outside talking to the neighbor)
Go back in to get proper torque specifications because your friend got the pinko commie european specifications in NM instead of foot lbs and your cheap torque wrench doesn't have those: 5 minutes
Torque bolts down: 5 minutes.
Try to turn engine over: 30 minutes.
Attempt to figure out why replacing part hasn't fixed problem: 2 hours
Call AAA and tow to garage: 15 minutes.

RED_KJ_666 · **Posted:** Sun Jun 13, 2010 3:53 pm

jnaut wrote:

Diver wrote:

This is a great time to upgrade the valve springs. Myself, I'd yank the heads, get a full valve job done up, better springs, new seals, and why not---look into a cam that will fit my desires better. the labor takes one weekend with a friend and lots of beer.

**Disclaimer** last time I helped a buddy do this same job (he already had a new cam for his firebird) we ended up puling the whole motor to the race shop for the full work up. 2 weeks after install, a drunk slammed the car to bits....

Diver

Amateur time schedule for working on cars:

FSM says 40 minutes to replace part 'X'.

Amatuer Schedule:

Stare at part to decide if it's something you can tackle: 45 minutes
Call friend to ask if he's ever done one before: 30 minutes
Wait for friend to come over: 45 minutes
When friend arrives, ask if he's eaten, when he responds "no", get lunch at local drive-thru: 25 minutes.
Arrive home, get out tools: 15-25 minutes
Realize you are out of beer, make beer run: 20 Minutes.
Stare at part with friend while drinking first beer: 15 minutes
Begin removal process, find that one bolt won't come free: 15 minutes
Discover special fastener you don't have tool for. Run to AutoZone: 25 minutes
Realize Autozone sucks and doesn't have tool, admit to yourself you should have gone to NAPA: 25 minutes
Remove special fasteners: 10 minutes
Remove part: 2-5 minutes
Struggle with new part before you realize new part isn't exactly the same: 45 minutes
Drive part back to NAPA (You learned the first time) and get replacement part: 10 minute trip.
Stand and wait for parts guy at NAPA to pull correct part (He grabbed the "option group B" part first time): 15 minutes.
Drive home from NAPA: 10 minutes.
PUt special fasteners on: 45 minutes (You lost one in the driveway and you can't find it)
Replace bolts: 45 minutes (you can't find torque specifications so your friend is inside browsing porn on your computer (claiming he's looking for torque specifications) while you wait outside talking to the neighbor)
Go back in to get proper torque specifications because your friend got the pinko commie european specifications in NM instead of foot lbs and your cheap torque wrench doesn't have those: 5 minutes
Torque bolts down: 5 minutes.
Try to turn engine over: 30 minutes.
Attempt to figure out why replacing part hasn't fixed problem: 2 hours
Call AAA and tow to garage: 15 minutes.

ROFLMAO You forgot Get Drunk And Forget About It. :5SHOTS:

KJWildman · **Posted:** Sun Jun 13, 2010 4:10 pm

jnaut wrote:

Amateur time schedule for working on cars:

FSM says 40 minutes to replace part 'X'.

Amatuer Schedule:

Stare at part to decide if it's something you can tackle: 45 minutes
Call friend to ask if he's ever done one before: 30 minutes
Wait for friend to come over: 45 minutes
When friend arrives, ask if he's eaten, when he responds "no", get lunch at local drive-thru: 25 minutes.
Arrive home, get out tools: 15-25 minutes
Realize you are out of beer, make beer run: 20 Minutes.
Stare at part with friend while drinking first beer: 15 minutes
Begin removal process, find that one bolt won't come free: 15 minutes
Discover special fastener you don't have tool for. Run to AutoZone: 25 minutes
Realize Autozone sucks and doesn't have tool, admit to yourself you should have gone to NAPA: 25 minutes
Remove special fasteners: 10 minutes
Remove part: 2-5 minutes
Struggle with new part before you realize new part isn't exactly the same: 45 minutes
Drive part back to NAPA (You learned the first time) and get replacement part: 10 minute trip.
Stand and wait for parts guy at NAPA to pull correct part (He grabbed the "option group B" part first time): 15 minutes.
Drive home from NAPA: 10 minutes.
PUt special fasteners on: 45 minutes (You lost one in the driveway and you can't find it)
Replace bolts: 45 minutes (you can't find torque specifications so your friend is inside browsing porn on your computer (claiming he's looking for torque specifications) while you wait outside talking to the neighbor)
Go back in to get proper torque specifications because your friend got the pinko commie european specifications in NM instead of foot lbs and your cheap torque wrench doesn't have those: 5 minutes
Torque bolts down: 5 minutes.
Try to turn engine over: 30 minutes.
Attempt to figure out why replacing part hasn't fixed problem: 2 hours
Call AAA and tow to garage: 15 minutes.

F#%*king hilarious ..... because it's TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :ROTFL:

daltonamorph · **Posted:** Mon Jun 14, 2010 11:25 am

Hahaa thats awesome :ROTFL:

Liberty02sport · **Posted:** Sat Jun 19, 2010 12:53 am

OP, I had a problem like this with mine that happened while in SC on vacation. Was going down the Hwy. around 65mph when the CEL starts flashing and the enigine begins to lose power. Got it to the off ramp where it promptly died. Long story short, it broke a valve spring and one of the valve retainers let go and dropped the valve in the cylinder, instant new motor time.

I had bought one of the warranties at the stealership when I bought the Jeep so the motor was covered, chassis has 91K on it but the engine is new. Sorry to hear you're having, what sounds like, exactly what happened to mine.

Problem with the Liberty

Who is online