Cost of servicing and outback availability

[josh_cod]

G'day All,
I was all keen to make the switch and purchase a Wrangler Unlimited Sport CRD and was just waiting to sell my old landcruiser. I had a chat to a couple of mechanics about what they thought about the wranglers and they said there is nothing wrong with the cars themselves just the cost of servicing the vehicles due to the needs of genuine parts and also the fact there are no parts/mechanics who want to service jeeps when out of the cities.

I was wondering if anyone could give your thoughts on this and if anyone has had the need to get parts when out in the bush.

Cheers,

[wranglertj]

fact is it is a Jeep and is a niche vehicle and Toyota and Nissan parts will always be easier to come by so i think that is a given. As for servicing they are no more expensive than any other fourby out there but IMHO i would do it from a trusted mechanic than a dealership as they are over priced like any dealership really.
If out bush i think you may need to wait that bit longer to get the part you are after but there are so many aftermarket suppliers for Jeeps you can always get one of them to send the part if they have it rather than waiting for a dealer

[carvesdodo]

Originally Posted by josh_cod

G'day All,
I was all keen to make the switch and purchase a Wrangler Unlimited Sport CRD and was just waiting to sell my old landcruiser. I had a chat to a couple of mechanics about what they thought about the wranglers and they said there is nothing wrong with the cars themselves just the cost of servicing the vehicles due to the needs of genuine parts and also the fact there are no parts/mechanics who want to service jeeps when out of the cities.

I was wondering if anyone could give your thoughts on this and if anyone has had the need to get parts when out in the bush.

Cheers,

Ring a couple of dealers of several vehicle brands and compare same type servicing costs.

Dont be conned by toyota servicing and parts availablity ... That really only applied up till about the end of the 60series.

New vehicles require trained service techs ... primarily because of design & model changes every 5minutes instead of sticking with something that works.

Remote smalltown mechanics usually cant afford the time, travel, accomodation, and course costs to stay abreast of all new model requirements.

Its one of the reasons so many brands now get tilt trayed to major service centres with a dealership ... which dont always have the parts in stock anyway.

Vehicle familiarity is another issue ... If a mechanic hardly ever sees one ... he's not likely to know what to do with .... tis why Ive carried jeep factory worksop manuals with me for the past 12yrs ... What they think they dont know - can easily be learnt quickly

jeep parts airfreight ... just as easily as toynissubishi parts do ....

If your keen on a jeep .... check various forums for info on cost saving procedures and components.

[glend]

If your going into the outback you should always carry a full set of spares for things that could break: your seperntine accessory belt, Fuel Filter, some air filters, MAF cleaner to clean sensors, extra spare tyre, spare turbo hoses (If your running original equipment), etc. SJC did a 5000km outback desert trip in July and there were several Wrangler CRDs on that trip and not one of them had a problem that stopped it. The only problem we had was with a ZJ that had the tie rod bolts work loose on the corrugations and it needed a bush alignment. Get to know you vehicle and how to service it, that will allow you to look after it in those remote locations. The CRDs are great engines and will not let you down if you keep them serviced. Just one weakness to be aware of with the JK CRDs - the fuel filter is down on the right side chassis rail under the drivers feet. Make sure you have good bash late protection for the fuel lines and T pieces near the fuel filter. I have seen two JK CRDs disabled in the last twelve months due to the fuel return line T piece being broken by a branch kicking up (when run over) and snagging the fuel line. If the fuel T piece breaks you will be disabled as there is no bush mechanic way to fix it - it has to be replaced, so buy a spare or protect the area.

Keep in mind that most all road side assist services will not recover a vehicle where two wheel drive access is unavailable, you may have to get out to a road on your own bat or flat tow by a mate - so always travel with company.

[Stevil]

I used Jeep three times for a service in 160,000kms, I buy the two filters and oil and go to a mates Mechanic shop and he does the Biz. At the end of the day the CRD is a cracker of a motor, if your worried about other bits then get a mobile with Telstra so you cann ring Jeep assist.

[Aus Patriot]

Do what carvesdodo said and get a manual.

We did a couple of 4000-6000km trips last year and I made sure we had a manual.
Good idea from Stevil. Telstra is the only way to go when hitting the road.

Last year when we went to Exmouth I had my mobile which was with 3 might as well put it in the bin.
Was in the middle of Cape Range National Park had my lap top and telstra wireless and got a good signal and was on skype to my parents back home checking in and letting them know we were all good.
But no signal on my mobile with 3.

[davidd]

one thing to be aware of is the cooling system hoses. have a climb under one and locate the radiator hoses, heater hoses and the 4 hoses connecting the egr cooling system. trace them back under the inlet manifold to where they join onto the block. you will realise it is impossible to change any one of them out on the track. also enquire about the location of the water pump. you cannot change a faulty water pump outside a well equiped workshop. if these two things are of no concern to you then there is very little else that will be a problem. it is all just normal stuff.