05 2.8 CRD lots of problems.

[baalsjeep]

I have to say the jeep KJ 2.8 Diesel is the biggest heap of shit i've ever owned, has put me off Jeeps for life I will never buy another, design issues with everything, air leaks in the fuel, random electrical and sensor issues every where, its uncomfortable to drive, the seats are about 2 inches too high and im not that tall, this car is driving me nuts, after i fix it im selling it.

The short list of what i've had to replace in less then 12 months

Heater fan control circuit.
Starter motor
Battery
Rear ABS sensor
Rear ABS sensor connector
All the glow plugs ( three times ) tried 7V ones and then 5V ones then back to ceramic and all no difference , and yes checked they are running.
Engine Thermostat housing
Fuel lines
ECU and the security module
Ignition key thing that breaks
Oil Filters
Oil
Transmission Filters
Transmission oil
Air filters

And the list goes on , still has a bunch of annoying problems the biggest is the cold morning refusing to start.

The car will not start after sitting overnight especially when cold , i have tried going back to the ceramic glow plugs and that makes no difference, I had the 7V glowplugs so i thought i would try the 5V ones still no difference, the only way to start it is with the assistance of "start you bastard" .
Once started you can turn it off and it will start no problem for the rest of the day , I have tried a bigger 800 CCA battery thinking maybe its just not enough to fire it up, Ive tried running the glow plugs a few times before trying to start and no difference, and they are running have checked .
I have measured the Fuel rail pressure via torque and its about 6800 psi while cranking with a rpm of 196rpm , which is no difference to when it does actually start.

my current suspect is either one of the injectors or the Fuel pressure solenoid but again once it starts it all seems to be working, no codes indicating an issue .
there is no smoke when it starts indicating it has not been putting fuel in when it was previously cranking (maybe) .

Once running sometimes there is some surging rpm goes up and down
maybe 200rpm randomly but only when in drive when its cold in the first 10mins running, put in park and it stops , also when its cold stopping suddenly at lights can stall the engine.

I would really like to try another fuel rail with a solenoid that is known not to have and issues to eliminate that as a suspect as they are pretty expensive to replace when that may not solve it, perhaps its the injector pump , i dont know .

please help .

[Ben-n-Jo]

Sounds like injector leakback to me.

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[Hoobz]

How many K's has it done?

[glend]

You have my sympathy BUT, look your talking about a 2005, which the absolute worst year model to buy (because it was the last US production year) and they stuck electronic EGR valves on them to meet California EPA requirements. The Export models before and after all use vacuum EGR valves and are very reliable, if they have been well maintained.
That vehicle is now 14 years old and I am not surprised it has problems. Go out and check other 14 year old diesel vehicles. I guarantee you the performance and fuel economy will be terrible compared to it's new state. Most old KJ CRDs with Cats, and EGR, and crank case gas recirculation, have intakes gummed up with a thick tar made of diesel soot and oil from the cranckcase blow-by recirculation. This stuff gums up the intercooler, and the intake body, so it is never going to breathe as well as it should. The soot injected by EGR works at wearing away the rings and other internal parts, its like sand inside your engine. At this point it can't be fixed unless your willing to spend the time purging this stuff from the engine, and I bet you can't be bothered.
Many people pass through the KJ Forum complaining about the vehicle they have bought second or third hand, expecting miracles, or that experienced folk here will sort it out.
If your going to buy a KJ CRD, the best ones are probably owned by original owners who have maintained the vehicle obsessively. They will have installed a Provent from day one (in the new vehicle), they probably blocked off EGR, or installed a GDE ECM tune to delete EGR functionality, they will have maintained the vehicle at least to log book schedule but probably better. Frankly I can only think of maybe five members of this forum that might come close to that profile.
I am not saying KJ CRDs are junk, but any 14 year old diesel is going to have problems, petrol models as well. They were not built to last that long, manufacturers don't care about longevity.
So get rid of it, and please don't pass it on to someone else, sell it to a wrecker for parts.
Or commit to a long term project to restore it, and that will cost you money, more than its worth.

[baalsjeep]

Originally Posted by Hoobz

How many K's has it done?

210,000 km

[baalsjeep]

Originally Posted by Ben-n-Jo

Sounds like injector leakback to me.

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cheers, yea thanks for the suggestion.

I have ordered a injector test kit $50 from ebay that attaches the little bottles to the tops of the injectors , see where they are at , hopefully that either identifies the issue of a faulty injector or eliminates that as a possibility.

[TR Laredo]

If the fuel injection system is made by Bosch then there should be a Bosch part number on the fuel rail solenoid. Find the part number then search on line for the replacement items cost/availability/compatability ie: wiring harness connecting plug shape, number of pins etc.

Cheers