My first KJ, anything I need to be aware of?

Hey guys! This would be my first Kj, I’m in love with it.
Aside from the basic service, oil change ect. Anything I should get checked? (Very little mechanical knowledge but I’m learning) what are the most common weak points of the liberty? What mileage is the average lifespan? I’ve had an issue with the rusty rockers/sills but that’s for another day lol. I have the 2.8 diesel CRD. I’m in the UK & would eventually like to go on some off road trails! (Nothing too serious) but what would you guys suggest I equip on my jeep? Aside from good tyres ect.

Thank you so much for any replies!

Lib88888 said:

Hey guys! This would be my first Kj, I’m in love with it.
Aside from the basic service, oil change ect. Anything I should get checked? (Very little mechanical knowledge but I’m learning) what are the most common weak points of the liberty? What mileage is the average lifespan? I’ve had an issue with the rusty rockers/sills but that’s for another day lol. I have the 2.8 diesel CRD. I’m in the UK & would eventually like to go on some off road trails! (Nothing too serious) but what would you guys suggest I equip on my jeep? Aside from good tyres ect.

Thank you so much for any replies!

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Nice looking KJ! Depending on the mileage (Yours looks like a 2004/05 model, is it?) I would check out all the suspension bushes and pay particular attention to the lower and upper joints. If you intend to go off road I would suggest that you lfit the suspension (https://www.rocky-road.com/liberty.html) because the standard ground clearance on the KJs isn't great to start of with and as they sag over time it gets even worse. We lifted ours and it's performance off road changed dramatically. Apart from that there are some typical KJ problems such as the window wind mechanism breaking (bad design with a key component being made out of plastic that breaks) but overall they're solid and capable vehicles. the secret is to check them over regularly and deal with problems as you notice them - which applies to pretty much any other vehicle out there! Keep us updated on what you get up to with your KJ! Warm regards from Zimbabwe, Mike & Eve

Change the diff oils unless you have 100% proof of a recent oil change, likewise with the engine oil. Ensure the cam belt has been done recently too, check the antifreeze is HOAT and has also been done (usually gets replaced along with the cam belt and water pump) HOAT is a bit hard to find in the UK, don't use anything else or the liners will wormhole.


And finally, welcome to Jeep ownership! They are brilliant cars, far less hassle than a Land Rover product.... ;-)

Oh and I forgot to say, if you look on here H&R (Germany) do a mild lift spring set that's been well reviewed and is way cheaper than shipping stuff in from the USA. I will shortly be fitting a set to my CRD.

Check the height. It should be 19 inches from the center of the wheel hub to the underside of the fender flare. Less than that, you need new shocks and springs. Your right valve cover gasket is probably leaking by now. Also get underneath and look for rust, and check to see if all the recall work has been done.

In addition to proper oil, coolant, and fuel, a proper battery is essential. Depending on your climate either a Odyssey or an Optima is the consensus.
Also make sure you manage differential and transmission fluids.
Don't give into the hype: aftermarket LEDs are trouble.

On mine lower, and upper ball joint seals were torn, could have continued to go longer but they were on the way to failure, also tie rod ends, I'm in the process of replacing them all.
I don't have the diesel engine so really can say anything about them.

Thanks so much guys!

Timing belts are only good for 6 years, installed, or 100,000 miles, 160,000 kilometers. Bad things happen when the rubber band breaks.

ID-Parts and Weeks have a lot for the 2.8 CRD.

You're probably not going to get HOAT in Halfords, but it's readily available on-line. Chances are previous owner couldn't find it either so unless you are absolutely certain that's what's in the cooling system, drain it, keep flushing it until it runs clear, then a couple more times for good measure. Only thing worse than using ethylene-glycol, is mixing the two!

Any work, except the back brakes & rear light bulbs, will take at least twice as long as you'd expected/allowed - certainly for the first time.

Lower ball joints, as mentioned. Window regulators tend to go bad as well. There's an updated aftermarket design that does away with problematic long coil spring in the OEMs. Note that the front differential is kinda weak due to its aluminum housing and they're known to crack when pushed hard.

I owned a 2005 CRD for 15 years. I loved that thing and miss it terribly. I live in Northern Michigan with lots of snow, Ice and salt. It rusted away and I had to replace it. I now have a 2019 Cherokee Trail hawk.

The first thing I would address is the timing belt. There is an excellent series of videos on youtube by COrobotchicken, crazy name but he knows his stuff and it is a great help. Make sure you properly torque the belt tensioner. You don't want the belt to slip because it is an interference engine. It's not the end of the world if the belt slips, the engined is designed so if the pistons hits the valves it simply knocks the lifters off the valve and you can, hopefully just remove the valve cover and replace the lifers, re-time the engine and put it back together. I did this. but do you really want to take that chance. Be careful.

Always use synthetic oil in your CRD. It is turbocharged and all turbos create a lot of heat. The turbos are cooled by the engine oil so you need oil that can stand up to the heat produced by the turbos.

If you do some light towing then let the engine run an extra 10 or 15 seconds before turning off the engine to give the oil a chance to cool the turbos down. If you do some heavy towing (and the KJ can do it) or drive it aggressivly then let it run 4 or 5 minutes before turning off the engine.

You will get under boost engine codes, don't automatically think the turbo is bad. It could be but it is more likely any number things other than the turbo. You could have turbo hoses that need to be replaced or you have leaks in the intake system between the turbo and intake manifold. You may need a new Intercooler. I found even a dirty air filter can through those codes. There is a manifold boost pressure sensor that can go bad although I would look at the previous possibilities first.

I would be careful of changing the suspension geometry. The KJ has pretty good clearance for 99% of driving you will likely do and changing the geometry often puts a strain on the transmission and transfer cases that they were not designed for. I'm not saying don't do it if you feel you really need it. I'm saying make sure you really need added clearance before doing it and do your research first.

Good luck with Jeep, I know you will love it. I loved mine.