ijoeman247 wrote:
Hello all,
New guy here. I just acquired an 05 KJ with 84K miles. What do I do now?
It seems to be stock other than the renegade lite rack on top that was added.
In the past 2 years the last owner replaced-
Timing chain & water pump
All new breaks
Coil over and shocks
Rebuilt transfer case
Fuel filter and housing
And various other things.
He also mentioned and EGR “block” and unplugged the sensor by the air filter.
What do I do first. EGR delete? Stage 1 or 2
Please help the new guy.
My first goals are longevity and MPG
Thank you
Joe
Hello, Joe:
You mentioned "And various other things."
What would those things be? There have been some very bad modifications to the CRD engine that were dreamed up by people who have absolutely no idea what they are doing. The inline thermostat is one of them. If you have another thermostat valve in your upper radiator hose, REMOVE IT IMMEDIATELY. This modification greatly increases your chance of an overheat condition, a head gasket failure and a cracked cylinder head.
If your goal truly is longevity, stay away from poorly thought out modifications.
For increased MPG, an engine tune with a matching transmission tune is called for, (if the transmission tune is still available).
You also need to get your engine's operating temperature up higher as North American Liberty CRD vehicles are subject to ridiculous EPA oxides of nitrogen emission regulations. To meet those emissions standards, Daimler Chrysler specified a lower engine operating temperature. The rest of the world gets a 195 degree thermostat; we here in North America get a 176 degree thermostat which is too low for efficient operation of the engine. The end result is lower MPG, loss of power and reliability problems down the road because the engine has a more difficult time burning off the built up pollutants within it.