Considering Liberty CRD for high-mileage use.

Curlybandit · **Joined:** Tue Dec 29, 2015 11:49 pm **Posts:** 2

Hello everyone.

I recently bought a 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland CRD as the family vehicle and I love it. I'll be looking for a replacement work vehicle soon and I've given serious consideration to the Jeep Liberty CRD thanks to my satisfaction with my JGC CRD. .

My current work vehicle is a 2002 Acura 1.7 EL. They were only sold in Canada and is essentially a 2002 Honda Civic EX with all the bells and whistles. It gets great mileage - around 7-8L/100km (30+ mpg) of mixed but mostly highway driving - which is a must considering I do around 50,000km (30,000 miles) per year. But it has 328,000km (204,000 miles) and as much as these little Hondas are reliable, something is eventually going to give out. It's living on borrowed time.

I was considering a VW TDI now that I've come to appreciate the qualities of a diesel engine. But I like the size and 4x4 of the JGC - great for Canadian winters (Toronto and surrounding areas). Although they aren't the same vehicle, the JGC CRD and the Liberty CRD share common features such as the diesel engine and 4x4 capabilities.

I've been doing some research and I know the Liberty CRD has some issuea such as a weak torque converter from the factory and issues with the fuel filter. Some people are able to squeeze upwards of 30mpg out of the 2.8L VM Motori diesel and diesel here is typically less expensive than 87 octane gas.

Given my intended use, I'm hoping experienced Liberry CRD owners can chime in. What things should I be looking out for if I go with this? Any gremlins to be aware of? Is it a bad idea?

Thanks for the input!

flash7210 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 04, 2016 11:03 am

Dont buy a Liberty CRD because its a reliable, low maintenance vehicle.
Buy it becuase its a fully capable 4x4 that also happens to get good mpg.

If you happen to find a used CRD for a good price ask for detailed maintenace records. Otherwise plan on putting a lot of time and money into applying the proper maintenance and repairs to make it a reliable vehicle.
And not everyone gets 30 mpg from their CRD so dont be dissapointed if your actual mpg is more like 25-26.

Dont get me wrong. I love my CRD and drive it every day and am not afraid to take it anywhere. But Ive put a lot of time and money into making it a reliable vehicle and there have been times where it was undrivable for days or weeks while I was waiting for parts to arrive.

Rixram · **Posted:** Mon Jan 04, 2016 12:46 pm

Curlybandit wrote:

Given my intended use, I'm hoping experienced Liberry CRD owners can chime in. What things should I be looking out for if I go with this? Any gremlins to be aware of? Is it a bad idea?

Step one: go to the topic about the Noob Guide from Sir Sam. Read it. Read it again. Make sure you really know what you are getting into. That being said, I love my CRD, and just finished resurrecting a second one from the dead.

Gremlins?

Yes, there are gremlins to be tamed.

-The stock TTY head bolts really should be replaced with ARP studs.
This job is best done soon, and in conjunction with a full-on timing belt change. You will need to replace the head gasket as the same time - note that there are 3 different sizes of head gaskets.

-Timing Belt: under NO circumstances is it wise to delay replacing this.

-Electronic/Engine Control Module (ECM): the stock programming is totally crap, with Check Engine Lights (aka.: "CEL") going off frequently. Go to www.greendieselengineering.com and order the "ECO Tune" ECM. I have that one, and haven't had to replace my Torque Converter ("TC") yet. I get occasional shudder, but not enough to make me replace the TC yet. Mine limits full TQ while in 5th gear in order to preserve the TC. I've put nearly 90,000 miles on it so far, and no complaints. Note that the ECO tune reduces Exhaust Gas Recirc. (EGR) use by some 95+%, eliminating further EGR/CCV soot issues. I cannot emphasize enough how critical the ECM replacement is.

-Thermostat: Stock t-stat fails at about 70-75K mile intervals. There is a fella here (Turbo Diesel Freak) who has painstakingly reverse engineered the OEM t-stat and made an aftermarket version, selling for $450-$475-ish. I'm not sure how many owners have installed it.
Plan B for the failed T-stat is to install either the Stant in-line T-stat or a different in-line housing (here is the one I use: http://amzn.com/B003NDHHAW ) with a 195° t-stat module. I've used mine for over 60,000 miles with zero issues. I also just installed one of these on my new CRD as well.

-Fuel Filter assembly: Gen 1 unit has air leakage and a potentially dangerous electrical heater issue. The Gen 2 units clears these up. While doing this, it is recommended to install an in-line fuel pump (underside of frame on rear driver's side has good access to the fuel line and the stock wiring) to assist with priming.

-Glow plugs: OEM units are ceramic and *functionally* work well, but there is a breakage risk. There are aftermarket steel-tipped plugs available as well.

-Dipstick: Yes, really. The "full" mark on the dipstick is mislabeled (seriously, Chrysler??). The ACTUAL full mark is 1/4 above the "add" mark. If you fill it to the full mark, then you have overfilled this engine, and now it'll start barking oil out of the CCV valve, into the turbo, eventually filling the intercooler, and sending oil mist into the engine. If you still have the EGR circuit at factory specs, it now adds soot to oil mist, and you pretty much spackle the interior of your intake with soot/oil crud. Yes, really.

-Turbo: some folks tend to have turbo failure at around 120-150K miles. I'm at 168K and am doing okay. My second CRD (I think I'll call it "Ghost", 'cause I brought it back from the dead) had a turbo failure, but it was caused by a secondary issue.

There are more items, but at the end of the day, there are 2 major changes (IMO) that you have to make to have a reliable CRD:
1] ECO tune
2] Drive it like a diesel, not a gasser

I emphasize #2 above. A lot of folks tend to drive these diesels like gasoline cars, and there is, IMO, where a lot of the reliability issues come from. If you drive it hard, it puts a lot of stress on the head (TTY bolts & head gasket issues), as well as the glow plugs.

My recommendation: On start-up, give it 30 seconds before doing anything. Drive it gently, and know your shift points. At 47-ish mph, you are at about 2,000 rpms. Increase to 49 mph for a moment, and let it shift to the next gear, and revs drop to 1500-1600. There is no reason to pound on this engine, and it is not a good idea. Hard acceleration should be reserved for emergency situations, IMO.

Oh, and do you own oil changes. make sure to add ONLY 6.4 quarts of 0W-40 or 5w-40 diesel-approved oil. A lot of us use Rotella T6 synthetic.

YMMV

Curlybandit · **Joined:** Tue Dec 29, 2015 11:49 pm **Posts:** 2

Rixram wrote:

Curlybandit wrote:

Given my intended use, I'm hoping experienced Liberry CRD owners can chime in. What things should I be looking out for if I go with this? Any gremlins to be aware of? Is it a bad idea?

Step one: go to the topic about the Noob Guide from Sir Sam. Read it. Read it again. Make sure you really know what you are getting into. That being said, I love my CRD, and just finished resurrecting a second one from the dead.

Gremlins?

Yes, there are gremlins to be tamed.

-The stock TTY head bolts really should be replaced with ARP studs.
This job is best done soon, and in conjunction with a full-on timing belt change. You will need to replace the head gasket as the same time - note that there are 3 different sizes of head gaskets.

-Timing Belt: under NO circumstances is it wise to delay replacing this.

-Electronic/Engine Control Module (ECM): the stock programming is totally crap, with Check Engine Lights (aka.: "CEL") going off frequently. Go to http://www.greendieselengineering.com and order the "ECO Tune" ECM. I have that one, and haven't had to replace my Torque Converter ("TC") yet. I get occasional shudder, but not enough to make me replace the TC yet. Mine limits full TQ while in 5th gear in order to preserve the TC. I've put nearly 90,000 miles on it so far, and no complaints. Note that the ECO tune reduces Exhaust Gas Recirc. (EGR) use by some 95+%, eliminating further EGR/CCV soot issues. I cannot emphasize enough how critical the ECM replacement is.

-Thermostat: Stock t-stat fails at about 70-75K mile intervals. There is a fella here (Turbo Diesel Freak) who has painstakingly reverse engineered the OEM t-stat and made an aftermarket version, selling for $450-$475-ish. I'm not sure how many owners have installed it.
Plan B for the failed T-stat is to install either the Stant in-line T-stat or a different in-line housing (here is the one I use: http://amzn.com/B003NDHHAW ) with a 195° t-stat module. I've used mine for over 60,000 miles with zero issues. I also just installed one of these on my new CRD as well.

-Fuel Filter assembly: Gen 1 unit has air leakage and a potentially dangerous electrical heater issue. The Gen 2 units clears these up. While doing this, it is recommended to install an in-line fuel pump (underside of frame on rear driver's side has good access to the fuel line and the stock wiring) to assist with priming.

-Glow plugs: OEM units are ceramic and *functionally* work well, but there is a breakage risk. There are aftermarket steel-tipped plugs available as well.

-Dipstick: Yes, really. The "full" mark on the dipstick is mislabeled (seriously, Chrysler??). The ACTUAL full mark is 1/4 above the "add" mark. If you fill it to the full mark, then you have overfilled this engine, and now it'll start barking oil out of the CCV valve, into the turbo, eventually filling the intercooler, and sending oil mist into the engine. If you still have the EGR circuit at factory specs, it now adds soot to oil mist, and you pretty much spackle the interior of your intake with soot/oil crud. Yes, really.

-Turbo: some folks tend to have turbo failure at around 120-150K miles. I'm at 168K and am doing okay. My second CRD (I think I'll call it "Ghost", 'cause I brought it back from the dead) had a turbo failure, but it was caused by a secondary issue.

There are more items, but at the end of the day, there are 2 major changes (IMO) that you have to make to have a reliable CRD:
1] ECO tune
2] Drive it like a diesel, not a gasser

I emphasize #2 above. A lot of folks tend to drive these diesels like gasoline cars, and there is, IMO, where a lot of the reliability issues come from. If you drive it hard, it puts a lot of stress on the head (TTY bolts & head gasket issues), as well as the glow plugs.

My recommendation: On start-up, give it 30 seconds before doing anything. Drive it gently, and know your shift points. At 47-ish mph, you are at about 2,000 rpms. Increase to 49 mph for a moment, and let it shift to the next gear, and revs drop to 1500-1600. There is no reason to pound on this engine, and it is not a good idea. Hard acceleration should be reserved for emergency situations, IMO.

Oh, and do you own oil changes. make sure to add ONLY 6.4 quarts of 0W-40 or 5w-40 diesel-approved oil. A lot of us use Rotella T6 synthetic.

YMMV

Excellent response! Very concise and informative.

I'll read the noob section again. And agin. And again.

This information will definitely help.

Thanks!

Rixram · **Posted:** Mon Jan 04, 2016 3:11 pm

Oh, and welcome to the board, and welcome to your next obsession.

We're all here to help each other.

weeks101 · **Joined:** Mon Jul 30, 2012 3:29 pm **Posts:** 747

Welcome!

Considering Liberty CRD for high-mileage use.

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