I have 600 miles left on warranty for my stock 05 kj CRD

Big Montana · **Posted:** Thu Jul 30, 2009 11:52 pm

I am the only owner of this Jeep since October 2005. It runs fine, but it seems sluggish these days, but there is no CEL. I have had all the recall work done, and followed the maintanance schedule to the T. Is there anything I should take to the dealer to get fixed? You know like “Hey, I noticed this wasn’t working very well.” I'm not sure they would care, but it could be $ in their pocket right?

1. I checked the fuel heater plug and it looks fine. BTW, I was able to buy just the filter last year without the whole assembly as some posts claim you have to do.

2. I just cleaned the MAP sensor as per this web site.

3. I have had the Jeep in to two different dealers this past winter because it gets stuck in the 4WD "Part Time" option when trying to shift between the 2WD and the 4WD "Full Time" option. I have to drive in circles for 10-15 minutes forward and backward to break it out. Neither dealer could find anything wrong with it and they sent me on my way. Thay said that my complaint is well documented so if something pops up later, they will fix it.

Anyway, anything I should try to have done while it's on Chrysler's dime?

nursecosmo · **Posted:** Fri Jul 31, 2009 12:36 am

If it still has the OE CAC hoses, I'd show them how much oil they sweat out and have them replaced because they are famous for bursting when soaked with oil. I got my dealer to replace mine on the inlet side @ 20k miles because it was sweating so much oil, even though it hadn't popped yet. I just wish that they had done both sides under warranty, cause the cold side blew a couple of months ago.

Big Montana · **Posted:** Fri Jul 31, 2009 12:46 am

Thanks for the tip... but I don't know what the OE CAC hose is. I did have an intercooler hose replaced (with a $100 deductable) because they said it was about to burst. I'm still learning about the intercooler/turbo sys as I have never had one.

BTW I looked at the hose they replaced and I think they ripped me off. I'm pretty sure it was the hose on the driver's side. That's the "in" side right? Anyway, it had a small soft spot in one place. I don't know how they hell they would have found it. I had it in there for a bent rear drive shaft.

I would love to know what the CAC hose is.

geordi · **Posted:** Fri Jul 31, 2009 1:59 am

CAC stands for Charge Air Cooler. The intercooler. Everything that passes through that is called the Air Charge.

Chances are, your dealer was poking around because they knew about the failures of the hoses, but you should have gotten ALL of them replaced. There are a total of three: From the airbox to the turbo inlet (center of the turbo, pointing toward the front of the car) This is the least-likely to be flooded with oil and fail, but it IS where the PCV (or CCV which means Crankcase vent) hose plugs in, and feeds all that oil from the engine. Stupid EPA.

The second is the turbo compressor outlet, from the side of the turbo snail leading up to the top of the engine and forward into the intercooler. This is the MOST likely one to fail as it is under FULL boost pressure (there is the possibility for boost leaking out from the intercooler or after that in the air path) and is also getting covered in filth from the oil mist hitting it. If the hose clamp is loose, this hose will blow off it's connections, and the result will be LOTS of black smoke from the tailpipe, and ZERO power. The engine is fueling for air volume that just isn't there.

The third is from the intercooler to the Flow Control Valve on the driver's side, and into the engine from there. This one is the one they replaced for you.

Your transmission problems... Barring any physical manifestation such as the tires actually skipping on the pavement or you hearing and feeling a driveability difference from the locked differential... The "part time" light problem is probably the same electrical glitch that has happened to several people here, myself included. The indicator switch on the transmission has broken. It is ONLY an indicator, it has NOTHING to do with the operation of the transfer case. BUT, thanks to the beancounters, it is yet another plastic part where there doesn't need to be plastic. Count the stops when you move the handle, ignore the light.

Unless you actually had a difference in how the car handled, then there is a problem with the transfer case, but as you have discovered... It is a new era at Chrysler, and the service department still cannot duplicate your problem. Heaven help them, they couldn't actually let the customer demo a problem for an actual TECH... No, you only get to talk to a service writer.

If I ever need to go for dealer service again (cold day in hell) I'm just going to ask the service writer to find me someone with grease on his hands. Good luck finishing out your warranty. I *SHOULD* have 8,000 left on mine, but Mopar decided I wasn't worthy. Ask if I'm EVER buying another chrysler again.

Joe Romas · **Posted:** Fri Jul 31, 2009 6:52 am

I have two jeeps with the NV242 transfer cases. The CRD and a 147,000 mile 2000 Cherokee Classic and they both operate as you discribe every time full time is used.

The problem is the the fork that actually shifts the transfer case is not solidly attatched to the shift rod :cry:

It's spring loaded and is not supposed to shift till there is no strain on the dog clutch

I find that instead of going from full time to 2 wheel that if I pause while moving in part time for a hundred feet or so then it shifts to two wheel fine :lol:

I was able to duplicate it to the service writer and he verified it also but said "it will have to get worse" before anything can/will get done. I told him if my wife uses it once it will be in there on a flat bed.

It has to do with having all the wheels turning the EXACT speed to relieve the tension on the dog clutch.

People here will tell you to "blip" the throttle and it will shift but I find my CRD won't "blip" :roll:

I'm thinking about trying some kind of friction modifier in the XJ

It is a well know design problem so don't expect any help from your dealer and you'll not be dissappointed :shock:

Big Montana · **Posted:** Fri Jul 31, 2009 8:57 am

Thanks guys. This is wonderful information...

1. Hoses. I do have some oil around the edges of the hoses. I will need to look at it. I have been getting more black smoke this summer, but the Jeep isn't driven that much and it's short trips when it is. Should I go back to the dealer and ask them to fix my other two hoses? I don't suppose they're going to cover it under the same deductable. Could I get both hoses (or all three at this point) from the dealer for under $100 to do it myself? This might be the perfect time for a provent solution.

2. The transfercase: It is a physical problem geordi. The lights follow the shift lever. I get the wheel hop even when the light goes out. (In the winter, I had to find an icy parkinglot and spin in circles for 10 minutes front and back to break the front wheels out. It gets stuck in between in 4WD "part time"

I will try the shift advice today Joe. That's what I tried to ask two different service managers about and they didn't seem to want to talk about it. He kept looking into (or claiming he did) the TC itself while I thought it had something to do with a lose connection at the handle. The problem was I didn't know what I was talking about and he knew it.

They said, 1) I may not have had a friction modifier put in (I had a local place swap the front and rear dif as well as the tranfercase fluid) When I told him that ATF+4 has the friction modifier and asked what fluid he was talking about he had sort of an "oh yeah there isn't a part item on the service books" 2) my tires don't match. I had two blowouts (just nails) so my front tires have 20k more miles that the rear tires.

CRDMiller · **Posted:** Fri Jul 31, 2009 12:40 pm

Frankly, if the hoses are not blown, you should not expect the warranty to cover them, this abuse is the reason why things are in a sorry state.

Now i'm not blaming you, it would be just a drop in the bucket in comparison to warranty abuse from the dealerships themselves, but you should not expect to BUY a vehicle and not PAY for it.

You should def check them, and if you find damage, well, go at them, otherwise, forget em.

The xfer case is a known issue, if you feel yours is excessive you have legit beef, go for it, but shifting into ft before 2h helps a ton, and diff size rubber can go a long way to making that not work well. imho this is a non issue.

The atf fluid has little to do with the xfer not wanting to shift. I bet it would run fine with urine in it.

the biggest thing imho would be the filter head/heater. This is a KNOWN point of failure and also has a high level of danger attached to it. If you have the new unit and connector, exellent, if not, you can BUY them for 130 or less and install it yourself, or "break" your stock style unit and maby get them to replace it and labor on it with your warranty. They put a badly designed part on our crd and actually upgraded the part, but don't want to give it out for what should be a recall, they owe you on that.

If someone told you you have to buy the entire assembly for a 30 dollar (mopar) filter, they were on crack.

Also you may be able to get a new fan clutch if you say you overheat. (do you?) the 05's stock fan clutch is a known issue.

I have personally had nothing but negative experience at the dealers around here, and would not submit my vehicle to them if i did not absolutely have to. I don't trust them to check my lug nuts. They replaced my entire rack because of a loose motor mount. And then replaced one shock, while the other had 20k on it. It goes on and on and on. Took em 2 hours to program for my new tiers and they did it incorrectly. Scheduled rate is .5 hours for that procedure. It takes about 120 seconds in reality. I had my alignment done at a diffrent dealer, and they claim "cust reports vehicle pulling in one direction at freeway speeds" I did not say that i simply asked for an alignment (i had just gotten my lift) then on the report is says aliment completed "vehicle tested and no longer pulls on freeway" the odo was exactly the same as when i brought it in, and the freeway was a mile away. I RAN for the door.

Anyway, get the new fuel head/heater. It, installed, for 100 bucks, is a good deal. Although it only takes like 20 mins to do it yourself.

UFO · **Posted:** Fri Jul 31, 2009 12:54 pm

If you have low performance with no "limp mode" kicking in, replace your air filter. I spent last week tooling around on dusty roads just fine, then hit the highway in light rain. I could barely make enough power to move at 50 mph at 9000 feet altitude. I took out the air filter and realized I'd not changed it in 20000 miles. oops. I shook out enough debris to get me home and replaced it with a new one.

Big Montana · **Posted:** Fri Jul 31, 2009 4:44 pm

Thanks CRDMiller. You're right that my question does lean a little to ripping off a company. I wasn't think of it that way, but you're right it sure sounds like it. Your remark about the fuel heater is what I was looking for. Things that should be done if only they had the money (concern) for a recall.

The car has treated me pretty well, and I'm just trying to do the same. After reading so many post on this site, (and having a brother who worked at the DC tech building as a transmission calibrator for 10 years) I guess I feel like DC didn't do a good job with a few of the systems they installed on this rig. I just want it to last longer and get the vehicle I thought I was paying for.

This site has been a great resource though thus far. It's only my first week!

I have 600 miles left on warranty for my stock 05 kj CRD

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