2006 Jeep Liberty

Sport SUV

2.8 Liter Turbodiesel

Automatic

1J4GL48506W132303

Clear

Diesel

This is my 2006 Jeep Liberty CRD Turbodiesel. The Liberty CRD (Common Rail Diesel) was produced for two years, 2005 and 2006 by mating a Mercedes manufactured diesel engine with a drivetrain using components from the Dodge Ram Cummins 4 wheel drive system. The 2006 is the more desirable choice because of the introduction of advanced stability control in 2006 which includes rollover mitigation. The 2005-2006 CRD is supposed to be a great towing vehicle. The great torque of the CRD engine and driveline components of the aforementioned Dodge Cummins pickup and is quite beefy in every respect. It is very quick and responsive around town and on the freeway. Fuel economy is incredible when the modifications described below are done. The CRDs are loved for their incredible torque which makes them fun to drive but apparently great for towing or off-roading. This one really is complete in terms of all of the requisite modifications being done. I am an elderly enthusiast and have owned it for all but the first two years of its life. Buying a vehicle sight unseen can be a scary proposition. Please check my feedback and bid with confidence. This vehicle is certainly one of the most desirable Liberty CRDs in the country for several reasons: The low milage of my Liberty CRD The light usage of my Liberty CRD - it has never towed anything and it has never been off-road. The nearly new cosmetic and better-than-new mechanical condition of this Liberty CRD The two CRD-enthusiast ownership history of the Liberty CRD, one of which is an elderly gentleman (me) The upgrades for longevity, reliability and performance to the Liberty CRD performed by the original owner and myself The non-transferable lifetime powertrain warranty I got when I purchased the vehicle which has allowed me to keep the Libby in top mechanical condition at almost no cost to me. Again, this warranty is not transferable to the new owner A no-accident, no paintwork, no ding and no scratch body, also, vehicle is covered all of the time The Liberty CRDs came from the factory with 5 or 6 solvable shortcomings which the original owner and I have addressed. The first 3 dramatically improve longevity, performance and fuel economy as does the fourth. The results are a modern turbodiesel with 37 mpg highway and an expected easy 350,000 mile engine and drivetrain life. This 1st issue was addressed by the original owner who had the vehicle for 2 years. The issue is a somewhat nasty EGR system which pushes heated and sooty exhaust into the engine. This impacts the longevity of the engine unless a 3,000 mile synthetic oil change interval is strictly adhered to and impacts the performance and economy of the engine. This is an issue with many modern diesels but, thankfully, on the Libby CRD there is a totally effective and fairly inexpensive solution that completely turns off the EGR system, electronically. The Liberty came to me one of this important upgrade called the S.E.G.R modification. It is an electronic box that keeps the EGR closed so the engine runs cooler and cleaner. It is a must-do modification for longevity of the vehicle as it keeps the soot laden exhaust from being pushed beck into the intake. The other benefits are better performance and fuel economy. The 2nd issue for performance, longevity and fuel economy is an extremely restrictive exhaust from the factory starting with the catalytic converter and continuing to the muffler and including the small diameter exhaust. I had this rectified from front to back with a high flow Magnaflow catalytic converter and a large Magnaflow-type muffler and 2.5” exhaust pipe all the way to the back of the vehicle. As quick and economical as these things are stock the mods we have done make the vehicle better in every way. The 3rd issue is the need to use better hoses from the turbocharger to the intercooler and back to the intake will, over time, break down. I used Samco silicone hoses for all of the above. I took the time to flush the intercooler at that point. If was amazingly clean to begin with. The 4th issue involves the cheaply made torque converter that the Libby CRD shares with the Dodge Ram Cummins pickup. The upgrade I did (which is also recommended for the Ram) was to install a Sun Coast heavy duty torque converter. You can do a search for “suncoastdiesel” and call them for details. The warranty I received when I purchased the Liberty paid for this when the well-known converter-lockup clutch began to chatter slightly. I was expecting this much sooner than it happened but it took almost 65,000 miles to start, probably because of the light use (lack of towing or off-roading) the vehicle has had. The Sun Coast converter is a really well-built unit with an additional benefit. It is designed with a lower stall speed which effectively raises the gear ratio making the engine turn slower at any given speed. It has dramatically lower RPM at freeway speed resulting, with all of the other modifications, in roughly a 6 MPG increase in highway mileage. The best I had heard of on a stock Libby CRD was 31-32 mpg on the highway. On a trip from Los Angeles to Phoenix and back I was able to get a highway average of 37 mpg. The 5th issue is that on the stock Liberty CRD fuel delivery setup there is only the fuel pump “pulling” fuel from the back of the vehicle to the front. The resolution for this issue is to put an in-tank pump from the Cummins diesel Ram truck in the tank and wire it appropriately. I never had a problem with this but was assured that I could someday. So the Cummins truck pump was installed. The stock Liberty brakes are rather wimpy. Not terrible, mind you, but I am a former BMW/Porsche enthusiast and wanted to put great brakes in the Libby. It did not need the original brakes replaced until about 3,000 miles ago and I put high-quality drilled and slotted rotors and metallic/organic pads on all four wheels and put a new factory master cylinder in at the same time. The brakes are now fabulous! I can imagine if someone towed with the Liberty they would love the brakes. The pedal is rock hard and the brakes have great “bite” and progression. It feels like it could almost stand on its nose in a hard stop. There is one more performance/economy modification and it is an easily adjustable and removable device that controls the fuel rail pressure. I don't believe in reprogramming the ECU because the reprogramming always involves increasing turbo boost. This is hard on the turbocharger and everything else. The device that I used controls fuel rail pressure allows a finer spray and a bit more fuel according to the setting you prefer. This mod gave the Liberty at least a 2 MPG increase all by itself. I bought it with a money-back guarantee and it lived up to its billing in a big way. Throttle response was dramatically improved and fuel economy improved as described above. Again, I am the 2nd owner and have had the Liberty for 9 years. The SEGR modification was done by the original owner, restrictive exhaust, better turbo/intercooler hoses and in-tank fuel lift pump from the Dodge Cummins are all installed by me and the vehicle is extremely well maintained. If these modifications are done the CRD can run very high mileage on the longevity scale that one would expect from a modern turbodiesel engine. I've seen reports of them running over 350,000+ miles with all synthetic oil (factory recommended and always used). I have done dealer oil changes and my own in between the 7,500 mile recommended changes at the dealer for an average of 3,250 miles between changes. The Forever Warranty Lifetime powertrain warranty I got when I purchased the Libby from a dealership has paid for small items and a larger one. The torque converter was replaced with a Sun Coast heavy duty converter at 70,000 as described above. When I purchased the I changed all of the fluids in the transmission, transfer case and differential to synthetic. I am as compulsive about maintenance with the Jeep as I have ever been with a Mercedes Benz, BMW or Porsche. I have had many diesels, including seven Mercedes, and I love the longevity and ruggedness of a properly engineered diesel vehicle. Being the 2nd owner the way I know that this vehicle has never towed is that it had no hitch or wiring for towing a trailer. I received a free hitch which was installed by Jeep about 3 years ago as a free safety recall but it is still not wired for the lights needed for a trailer. With these modifications the CRD runs extremely well. It has tons of torque and instant throttle response. Recent replacements/upgrades include the best Michelin tires available in this size, replacing the factory tires at 63,000 miles, and front and rear brakes including drilled and slotted rotors, a new factory master cylinder and organic/metallic pads. The brakes are much, much better than the stock brakes they replaced. The tires and brakes and tires both made it to 63,000 and 73,000 respectively. In the last 2 months I have installed an Optima Gel battery. Included in sale is a Battery Tender to keep things topped off between our infrequent jaunts in the Libby. The condition of my Liberty CRD is incredible. There are no dings and there has never been any paintwork on the vehicle. Again, it had had a very easy life and with the lifetime warranty I had which, again, is not transferable to the next owner, it has had all of its needs met. There is no rust anywhere on the vehicle, including the undercarriage. While it was owned in the midwest for the first 2 years, the last 9 have been here in Southern California. So why am I selling it? I have recently had spinal surgery to fuse my spine from the back of my head to the bottom of my ribcage. For you medical techies, that's from the occiput (skull) to T10 (the bottom of the ribcage). Since the function in the family of the CRD was my fun-to-drive toy it went from 3,000 miles per year to 500 miles per year. My automotive needs are as close to needing a couch on wheels as possible. I have my wife drive the Liberty monthly when she has anything over a 50 mile trip to take just to keep it in shape. The new Optima Gel cell battery is kept topped off by a Battery Tender which is included with the sale. The vehicle is available for pre-bidding inspections. Remember that the Forever Warranty I received when I purchased the vehicle from the dealer where it was traded in does not transfer to the new owner. It does provide you with assurance that if the vehicle had ANY problems I would have them fixed at no cost and the car has NO issues. This is perfect car mechanically and as close to perfect car cosmetically as any 9 year old car has a right to be. I have placed an extremely low reserve to encourage more bidders jumping in. This really is a time capsule in terms of condition and everyone I have allowed to drive it has been overwhelmed at just how quick it is with just a small amount of throttle. Again, it's just a blast to drive. A bid is a contract to buy, not a contract to consider. Please ask any and all questions about the Liberty CRD before you bid. Good luck and happy bidding!