Not off to a good start

[RTB]

So I finally received the 2004 Grand Cherokee CRD (170,000 K's on the clock) over from Broome. Many people said that buying sight unseen was silly, nah, it will be ok I say......

Obviously the photos were all taken at just the right angles, and the description of mechanically perfect was right from some point of view.

Now don't get me wrong, a car of this age is expected to have issues, but it is more about what was said by the seller really.

I took it up to northern Victoria. It all went well. The car is very grumbly with a bit of vibration in 2nd and 3rd when you put the foot down, but other than that all good.

Towed a 2T van home 2 days ago. 32 deg day, mostly freeways with no real huge hills. Kept the speed to 95 while I was listening for issues. All good, but not towing as easily as I have read it should. The temp goes just over half which at 105 deg seems high to me, but it is only just past half way on the gauge, so must be safe yeah?? I slow to 90 and it goes back to 90-100. First hill I hit, the temp goes to 110-115, but returns on the downhill. Ok. Next hill is the same thing. Next hill sees the check guages light on. Oil pressure is dropping fast, so straight to the side of the road. Pressure comes back, oil level looks good, no strange smells or sounds. Water ok.

Take off again, but now at 80 and in 4th gear. 4 hours of driving this way kept everything ok. Oil pressure was waving a little at first, but by the end of the trip was rock solid again.

Get home to find a new leak now from the front diff, and an oil leak from the engine somewhere. Going to check it out today.

Looks like the tinkering with my new toy will start a little sooner than I expected. I've seen the thread about the fluctuating oil pressure and I truly believe my issue was caused by the oil getting too hot. Gonna change out the thermostat, double flush the cooling system with cleaning stuff, and change out the oil. Pull the engine temp plug and see if the fan goes nuts. Oh, and keep my fingers crossed that the oil coming from the engine is something minor........

[alexbrown64]

You have given her a good run to identify the bugs.
Pretty sure you will now start working through them and getting her in tip top shape.
Post some pics when u get a chance.
Cheers,

[RTB]

True, if it is just a minor overheating issue, then all should be ok.

Just checked the fan with WJDiag Pro. The fan cranked up perfectly, so next is to wait for the thermostat and change it out.

I did notice something a little disturbing though. Max recorded values in the ECU. Temp = 122, RPM = 5141, Speed = 169 km/hr. Looks like it might have been flogged at some point in time. Pity it doesn't say how long ago it was.

This pic is the first time hooking up the van.

[JeanLuke]

The hydraulic fans don't hit full speed until just under 100°C, so I wouldn't be worried about seeing 105°C under heavy load. Mine does the same in soft sand on a hot day. It's unsettling at first, but seems normal.

For the oil pressure, I'd start with the sensor. It's a common failure, particularly with aftermarket sensors. Try installing a Mopar one. Don't buy it from Jeep Australia unless you enjoy getting financially raped. Go to RockAuto.com. They're not particularly expensive.

Sent from my moto g( plus using Tapatalk

[RTB]

Where on RockAuto should I look? I only see the 4.0 and 4.7. Guessing this has been answered before, I have a few minutes so will do a search in the forum now.

Maybe the heat was messing with the sensor, but it was almost as if the engine temp and oil pressure were linked. The normal oil pressure is up around the 3/4 mark and doesn't move without the van.

It wasn't any real high load. I store the van out in Avoca, so dreading some of the hills on the western highway already. Some are long and steep.

[JeanLuke]

Yeah - my bad. The 2.7 was not released in USA so it is not featured on RockAuto, but you can still but many of the parts because the engine was available in other USA vehicles.

For the oil sensor, search for part number 5149064AB on RockAuto and you'll find it for just over A$70.

[bodgie]

I'd be inclined to run an oil flush through it next oil change. I've had good success with flushes regardless of what others says. I've found they've help quiet down a few rattles and the engine seems happier after a flush, plus they keep the oil cleaner for longer as you remove a lot of the sludge and varnish in the engine.

Also find a good injector cleaner and give it a good dose for a couple of tanks, Chemtech works well but there are plenty of others too.

You can do an EGR delete on them which helps keep the intake cleaner. But before you do that I'd also suggest running a couple of cans for intake decarb through the inlet manifold too, I've used LiquiMoli with good success but be warned it's a dirty job.

Number 4/5 intake runners on mine were quite clogged when I pulled the manifold off. So the cleaner you keep it the better off you'll be. Hopefully it's a country car and has done mostly highway driving and it's quite clean.

They're a great care and pretty reliable in my experience. Just keep the maintenance up.