140K on the clock. Time to renovate the '02 KJ CRD

[indiedog]

I've owned my '02 2.5CRD Sport from new and it's now got 140,000 (edit; now 170,000) on the clock. It's time to make it run somewhat like it used to, or hopefully a little better than that. I'm looking for suggestions as to what would be the best things to do to it to make it run well/better, not to turn it into a Tonka Truck. I'll give a brief assessment of the car's current state and what's already been done to it.

Mods already done;
- OME suspension giving approx 40mm lift (approx 2005 install) and Firestone airbags (2011 install)
- ARB front bar with IPF spots (approx 2006 install)

Major maintenance done;
- Timing belt done at 96000 end of 2009 after breaking, ouch!
- New front brake rotors and pads March 2012

Current issues;
- Fuel consumption has increased to around 14/100. When new the car used to get 11/100 or there a bouts.
- Fuel gauge stays over full and then drops quickly.
- Loss of power. The turbo used to make this thing buzz but now the acceleration just isn't there. Car is due for a service but last service made no marked difference. Turbo hoses replaced with some improvement
- Exhaust smoky especially under load or high revs.
- Clunk in rear centre of car when going over bumps or with harsh change down of gears. Happens when rear axle goes over speed bumps. Sorted
- Steering slightly heavy
- Wet front passenger floor - plastic elbow in engine bay has come off. Sorted

I've just returned from holidays towing a pop up camper from Brisbane down to and around Tassie. Overall the car went well but heated up going up long hills. Was managed by backing speed down. Oh, and can someone please tell me what the fuel tank capacity is? I've searched and think it's 70 litres but not 100% on that.

I've done a lot of reading on here including the Fuel Economy thread, the Clevis Bushing thread, Opening up the KJ CRD exhaust thread, the KJ CRD owners FAQ thread, and the other one about the fuel lift install. So I'm aware of most of the issues/solutions that come with the CRD.

My desired goals are to;
- improve fuel efficiency
- improve power
- make sure car is good for further 100K.

Some of the possible renovations to do at this time are;
- New Clevis bushings - should help steering - Have bushes and will attempt this soon - still to do at 170000
- Clean Boost Control Sensor - not sure if this was done at service and may help with fuel economy - done courtesy of cmohr
- Replace all hoses to radiator etc - done
- Provent? Will this help economy? Not going through with this.
- Fuel lift? Not sure if the '02 has an in-tank fuel pump or is vacuum type. Will this help economy and/or power or is it really to fix stutter from air in fuel? Will this fix the fuel gauge issue? - Issue sorted with new fuel filter head, much smoother.
- Power Chip? Heard mixed reports about value of this so not keen at this point. - Not happening
- Uni joint replacement, hopefully will fix clunk in rear. Not on agenda with new rear suspension bushes fixing clunk
- New exhaust? Will look at new Magnaflow at some point edit; was quoted around $800 for this, not happening.
Edit; new items added to list
- New rear glass gas struts - DONE
- New rear brake pads and machining drums Done
- Replacing all rear lower and upper control arm bushes and ball joint - DONE
- New turbo hoses - DONE
- Pressure test to turbo system.

For those more knowledgeable than me on the KJ and the CRD I'd like to hear your thoughts on the above and if there are other things that you believe are worth considering at this stage in the car's life.

Thanks, Indie.

[bgbazz]

I have a 2003 2.5CRD and can answer a couple of things for you. The fuel capacity is 70 litres as you guessed. The clunk from the rear could be the ball joint on the upper control arm..I'm in the middle of replacing all the bushes and the ball joint on mine as we speak..if you jack up the left hand rear wheel and remove it, you will get a clear look at the little bugger..you can see it from the other side, but the muffler and exhaust pipe is a bit in the way. I usually place the jack under the side of the jeep, about three inches in front of the lower control arm [where it attaches to the body], jack it up as high as I can, then place a large block of wood as close to the jack as possible, then let it down to sit on the block. You can then use the jack to lift the axle up enough to remove the wheel and while it's off you can raise and lower the axle with the jack and you will see any movement in the ball joint..you can also crawl under there without worrying about it all coming down on you..you'll also see why I said to jack up the left side. While you're under there you can check the bushes on the control arms..there should be no sideways or back and forth movement at all. Enough of that stuff for now.

Regarding the fuel economy...I used to get around 8.5 per 100, then a few months ago it started to get quite thirsty and went up to around 11.0 per 100. A fresh service and cleaning the sensor helped a tiny bit, but not a lot. My motor has always run on the cool side and I thought the temp reading was ok..sitting at the quarter mark. A month ago, I found the thermostat housing was leaking, so installed a new one....apparently the thermo was jammed open and never allowed the motor to reach the correct temp! Anyway, the difference is amazing..I did a economy check over 200 k's last week and she returned 8.1 per 100!! Around town, where we have a 50 k limit and sometimes 60, I can get 7.0 anytime, if I don't flog it.

Anyway, a few things for you to check out including all the hoses from the airbox, through the turbo, to the intercooler into the intake..any leaks at all will take away your zing.

My CRD has done almost the same mileage as yours and I love it!!

[glend]

Congrats on reaching your 140000kms as original owner and your plans to renovate rather than change over - they are a great vehicle and worth keeping once you get them the way you want them.

I would just add to bazz's comment about the intercooler. I think it might be worth getting a pressure test done by a radiator or intercooler specialist shop. Your fuel economy problems maybe due to overfueling caused maybe by your right foot if you have lost some boost capacity due to a leak. I know of at least one confirmed case of a cracked tube in the intercooler that was allowing boost bleed off. It's hard to find an intercooler leak without removing it. The one I know about cracked a tube near the turbo to intercooler top hose connection on one of the first few top rows of tubes near the hose connector. Sometimes these can be fixed with epoxy putty but you'd need to find it first. A leak down test on the intercooler might help find out if it is a problem.

I would recommend replacing the rear shaft uni joints, it worked wonders on mine. Also use that opportunity to grease the slip yoke as well. Rear uni joint replacements can cost less than $200 including labour at a driveline specialist. It's worth using a specialist because they can high speed spin balance the shaft as well.

Agee about replacing as many bushes as you can manage but use the quality bushes. There are a number of aftermarket ones that just do not last (ask cmohr about his) and you don't want to have to do it again - so use OEM ones or quality replacements like the heavy duty ones now available from Morris 4x4 (check his parts list because they sell both the good ones and the bad ones).

I'd focus on your current issues list before some of the other reno options. Good luck.

[indiedog]

Hi Bazz thanks for your feedback. I'll get the car up on stands in a day or 3 and will check the ball joints as described. Great instructions thanks.

My motor runs with the temp needle sitting at or just under the half mark. I don't remember if this is where it was when first purchased or not. When towing the camper on long hauls it usually sat right on half except for the hills. Interesting to hear your thermostat made that much of a difference to your economy. The car does leave water on the ground after being parked and I have always assumed it's from the AC but will check things better.

Glend, thanks, great feedback as always. I have considered swapping for a non-Jeep secondhand car but the change over to get the new car to what I've got now would be big plus I know my car's history, so keeping it makes total sense. And after what we've just put it through I know it's a capable beast. Some more room in the back seat area so the kids don't kick me in the back all the time would be nice though......

The suggestion of a pressure test is a good idea and may save me a lot of looking at pipes etc and maybe not finding a leak. We've had issues before of split hoses that stopped the car from running so won't surprise me if there's a leak or two in the system. Maybe cmohr has a suitable place to go to get this done?

As to the rear uni joint, is there an aftermarket unit listed in the parts thread? I've found if I call any specialists around here they tend to charge like wounded bulls for both the parts (understandable if they come from Jeep Oz) and the labour. If I can go to them with the parts then that may make life a bit easier.

I agree with the prioritizing the current issues, the money and the time are both short!

[bgbazz]

Hi Indie

happy to help..I've had plenty of good help from the blokes and girls on here over the last six months or so and I think knowledge is like a wheel..made round, to go round.

I forgot to mention the uni joint, but Glen sorted that for you. Don't know about the aussie version of the KJ, but mine has a Spicer at the rear, so won't be hard to get as quite a few vehicles [mainly light trucks] use the same ones..read somewhere that we use the same ones as an F100 OR F150, but I can't remember where I read it. It would be good for you if you can get one with a grease nipple..that's what I will be doing when mine are ready.

The intercooler pressure test is a good idea as they have [as Glen pointed out] been known to fail. I pulled mine out and did it myself, but it's a bugger of a job and takes a fair bit of time.

The thermostat business on mine was more good luck than good judgement because I noticed some coolant sitting on the top of it [where the large elbow joins the body] and when I was wiping it off, I felt some movement at the joint. I ordered a new one from the UK and while waiting took the old one off. I could see up inside that the business was fully open [on a cold day] so a bit of testing with boiling water in a bucket and then into the freezer...didn't move at all!! Temp gauge now sits just below half on a trip, even with the aircon going. I don't tow anything, so have no idea how much that would change under heavy load.

Bushes...good ones and bad ones around, as Glen said. I use Raybestos when I can get them, Crown aren't too bad, but stay away from Crane..you've probably got more choice than me when it comes to finding good ones.

Anyway..something more for you to go on....

[Jeep'ers]

I found with my kj a snorkel made a marked improvement on fuel and power!! And not to mention the added benifits of a higher intake pulling in cleaner cooler air not water etc.

Tyres make a massive difference to economy too. New hoses to the turbo if split, new coolant and water pump. Tranny service and transfer case service. Glow plugs and a new tune the GDE have a great one.... Glend could elaborate....

New exhaust will help somewhat, but it's the weight that's the killer

[glend]

Indie, I ran across this photo of a guy on the LOST forum testing for leaks, he obviously has used some detergent or other foaming substance to indicate where the leak is.