1st Jeep purchase,need help.

[FUGAWEE]

Howdy.
New to the boards and to Jeep as well.
Never owned or driven a Jeep before.
My saturn vue is dying and Ive been looking very hard
at the Jeep Liberty.
Ive never driven a 4wheel drive and want to know
what I can do to test it as I am looking at used vehicles.
I guess I need help on how to even shift it into 4wd and what
to expect when I do.
I read another thread about taking a prospect to a Jeep mechanic,
but I would like to know some basic things to look at before I even
get that far.

Thanks very much for your input.
/John

 

[Conundrum2006]

There will be more maintenance kind of things just because it is 4x4, things like axel fluid, transmission & transfer case fluid at more frequent intervals.

On the 3.7 engine I'd look at it real hard for signs of sludge. Basically if the past owner had oil changes on schedule. That and any signs of overheating. But this is the same concerns for any modern car. Car fax can help but as I found out can leave a lot of information out.

Shifting it to 4x4 is fairly straight forward, depending on the type of transfer case you will be able to feel the front wheels engage especially when turning.

With A few more details the folks here maybe be able to offer a more comprehensive guide to checking out a liberty.
I think you'll like it. I've owned a jeep since my late teens. First vehicle I bought on my own. Going from a small front wheel drive car to a rear wheel drive jeep with four wheel drive with the shift of a lever was a big change, felt like I was in a huge truck compared to my old car (it wasn't, just a factory XJ) , but having real 4x4 vehicle is a great, may never have to use it but when there's bad weather or other natural disaster hits there is a piece of mind knowing its there.





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[tommudd]

As far as testing out the 4 wheel drive, depending on what transfer case you have, you don't want to try it out on dry pavement

 

[Billwill]

As far as testing out the 4 wheel drive, depending on what transfer case you have, you don't want to try it out on dry pavement

Yeah check if the Transfer Case shifter has the option of "Full time 4X4". This means it has the better Selec Trac transfer case that means you can run in 4X4 mode in any conditions.

If you only have the option of 2 wheel drive, "Part time 4X4" and Lo 4X4 then you have the lessor Command Trac transfer case with which you can only drive in 4X4 mode at low speeds for a short time in extremely slippery conditions such as thick sand, mud or snow.:emotions34:

I have a Command Trac manual transmission and have seldom used 4X4 mode...I do most of my driving on the freeway or good sand roads....have only used 4X4 in thick sand and mud for short periods!:emotions34:

 

[renegade 04]

Also check and see if there are any codes, so bring a code reader or have a shop scan it for you. Also go ahead and test out 4 wheel drive. see if the previous owner has any records of the maintenance done as well, when I purchased my libby I was able to get all the service records since new, and I am the third owner. If you want a great libby go for a late 2002 or an early 2003 with the 45RFE transmission, and if you could find one with the factory tow package meaning clutch fan, trailer wiring and hitch you will really be in good shape.

 

[FUGAWEE]

Thank you all for your help.
It is much appreciated.
I had a question of how to tell if a Liberty had
selec-trac or command,but googled and the images show
if the shifter has 4wheel full and 4wheel part then its selec-trac
I will update this when I find my vehicle :gr_grin:

Once again,
thanks for taking your time to reply.

 

[FUGAWEE]

So Im still on the search.
Selec Trac vs Command Trac,
is that a deal killer?
Ive only seen 2 with the Full time 4wd here
on craigslist. I am coming from a
saturn vue 03 with AWD. Is the Command Trac going to be that much of
a difference in 2wd compared to my AWD vue?
Ive never driven a real 4wd
before.
Thanks

 

[HoosierJeeper]

I love the full time 4wd in the KJ. Makes it so you don't have to think about shifting in and out of 4WD like you would in Command Trac.

Although I wouldn't pass on a really clean and nice Command Trac KJ.

 

[profdlp]

I wouldn't let it be a deal breaker. I have the Part-Time and am happy with it. If I could get a clone of my Jeep with Full-Time I would probably go for it.

 

[tommudd]

Its all in what you get used to really, if I found one that I liked Id go for it regeardless
I have three with Command Trac and one with Selec Trac
although personally I prefer the command trac
But with your background you'd like the Selectrac better it sounds like