New to the KJ world

[Jnors06]

Hello all I am happy to say I'm joining the ranks! In the next week I will be buying a Liberty.

I am looking at buying a CRD do y'all think that is a good choice over the 3.7? My reasoning is it being a diesel should last me a while and get better MPG considering I have 120 mile round trip commute.

Because I commute so much I don't see a lift in the near future but will be putting some sort of AT tire on immediately, any suggestions?

Thanks for the knowledge and I look forward getting to know y'all.

 

[tommudd]

Well CRD owners are going to say they are the best and gasser owners are going to say gassers are better.
But look at maintenance costs on the CRD, can you do all of the work yourself? Diesel cost more than gas, in the end cost are about the same I'd say.
As far as a lift, set up properly a lifted one can pull the same mileage as non lifted. I'd much rather drive something lifted than a low roller :rockit:

 

[Jnors06]

I would think the diesel would have a longer life expectancy than the gas motor.?.

Question for the CRD guys...what do you think the future holds for repair parts and maintenance considering it was only produced 2 yrs?

 

[kj04libby]

I can honestly say my gas mileage did not get affected even tho everyone said it would. I wasn't even concerned if I did loose MPG but it was Cool that I didn't lol

 

[martin_metal_88]

Tom is right. As for the life, if you take very good care both will last long. The problem on that side with gas engine is since it need less care people forget some basic thing so the engine die some day. Keep it clean and happy and it will last as long as you want. Just look at the high mealage thread, so many of us have done over 300k miles with their gas libby.

 

[tommudd]

I would think the diesel would have a longer life expectancy than the gas motor.?.

Question for the CRD guys...what do you think the future holds for repair parts and maintenance considering it was only produced 2 yrs?

Very poor, parts are harder to come by, finding someone that actually knows how to work on them never was good and worse as time goes by. Unless you can do all of the work yourself its going to cost way more.
If buying one make sure all the updates have been done

 

[tjkj2002]

I would think the diesel would have a longer life expectancy than the gas motor.?.

Question for the CRD guys...what do you think the future holds for repair parts and maintenance considering it was only produced 2 yrs?

Sadly the KJ CRD is not your "long life" diesel.Alot have been self destructing at about 100k,from turbo's,timing belts,rocker arms,and transmissions.Like said parts are hard to come by and very expensive.Break a timing belt and expect a $2000-$3000 repair bill,$400-$1000 for each fuel injector(rebuild/new),and $1500+ for the turbo(can not rebuild the KJ's 2.8 turbo).

 

[Jnors06]

Thank you for the replies, this is why I joined this forum.

Now I am having to do some thinking, I am thinking I'll be enter off with a 3.7, I just need to find one with low miles.

Can I expect 20 mpg highway out of the gasser?

 

[HoosierJeeper]

Yeah, I think so. I can get 18-19 from mine that's lifted, bigger tires, skids and stuff. Plus I have the Double platinum plugs which aren't helping.

 

[TwoBobsKJ]

Sadly, if Chrysler had been smarter about sourcing a more common diesel that had more aftermarket support they may have sold more of them and the ones they did sell would have been easier for their own techs to work on.

A real shame that the EPA's emission regs killed off many diesels in this country. Amazing how many more are running in the rest of the world but not here.

Go with a 3.7. Easy to find parts, easy to work on, easy to replace if it happens to go bad. Personally, I'd be more concerned with transmission maintenance when looking at a used KJ. If there's a weak link in the KJ chain that would be it IMO.

Bob

 

[JLRockies]

VM Motori engines are very common. In fact, the new turbo diesel Chevrolet Cruze will have a VM Motori engine.

If I didn't find a CRD I would've never bought a KJ.

The key to a long CRD life is to ignore the advice you get from the experts over on LOST CRD forum.

 

[Jnors06]

Well as long as it doesn't fall through I'll be picking up an 05 renegade tomorrow. It's got the 3.7 and only 41k miles on it. It's at the top of my budget so a lift will have to wait a little while.

 

[deliciousdaly]

That's like a new car with those miles. What do you plan to pay for it?

 

[tommudd]

Well as long as it doesn't fall through I'll be picking up an 05 renegade tomorrow. It's got the 3.7 and only 41k miles on it. It's at the top of my budget so a lift will have to wait a little while.

Thats not even broke in yet !
Bet it still smells new :gr_grin:

 

[martin_metal_88]

Well as long as it doesn't fall through I'll be picking up an 05 renegade tomorrow. It's got the 3.7 and only 41k miles on it. It's at the top of my budget so a lift will have to wait a little while.

Nice find!
You'll love it ho and, never call it a car, he will know and make you pay for it it's a Jeep, or give him a name

on CRD topic, a friend of mine have one and he go to a german mechanic car tech. Seems that they are better with diesel engine XD

 

[rockymountain]

Sadly, if Chrysler had been smarter about sourcing a more common diesel that had more aftermarket support they may have sold more of them and the ones they did sell would have been easier for their own techs to work on.

A real shame that the EPA's emission regs killed off many diesels in this country. Amazing how many more are running in the rest of the world but not here.

Go with a 3.7. Easy to find parts, easy to work on, easy to replace if it happens to go bad. Personally, I'd be more concerned with transmission maintenance when looking at a used KJ. If there's a weak link in the KJ chain that would be it IMO.

Bob

Totally. I'd get an 02 if I wanted to get one now. The 45rle just rocks. Had a chance to drive one again and WOW, what a difference!

The only thing I'll say about my 42 tho is that it is learned pretty good right now. It'll never have that tractor pull feeling tho.

 

[Jnors06]

I'm headed to Houston to pick er up! Will post pics once I get back home tonight.

 

[4x4kayak2112]

I'm headed to Houston to pick er up! Will post pics once I get back home tonight.

While your down here head to Galveston for the jeep meet on the east end of the seawall. Were having a huge food drive. Tons on jeeps, few KJ, mines only lifted KJ. Nice guys.

Sent from my Home Phone using Tapatalk

 

[martin_metal_88]

Yay new member to the familly

 

[Jnors06]

Well i''ve got the keys in my hand and will be heading home shortly. I'll try and get some pictures up soon.