Hello everyone,
.
I am in negotiation for the purchase of a Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland CRD 3.0 of 2010 (less than 60,000 miles). This car was built in Graz Austria (to Euro specs).
.
It seems to be in very good condition, overall.
Car handling is very good and I have not experienced unusual/creepy noises during the test drive.
.
The engine is super smooth, does not sound like a diesel! More like a beefy petrol engine ;-)
.
The OBD diagnosis is clean according to the seller (plan to make a fresh OBD diagnosis before closing the deal however).
.
I have detected one cause of concern with this vehicle:
.
When the vehicle is stopped, when switching from PARK to REVERSE then NEUTRAL there is sort of a thump/clunk noise clearly audible from the cabin... it happens every time ...
.
No noise in the opposite direction (from N to R to P), or when switching from NEUTRAL to DRIVE.
No Noise during the test drive, transmission was very smooth. No noise from the driveline on street/highway and even during a short drive off road on a bumpy track.
.
According to the seller, the transmission fluids were never serviced.
.
The car was taken for a quick inspection to a local mechanic I know who specialize in Jeep GC, although he mostly services older cars (ZJ/WJ). This mechanic told me that the transfer case could need replacement. He offered to sell me a used TC for 2000 USD
Wow1.
.
The mechanic did NOT jack up the car to inspect the underpinnings.
.
My own research on various forums devoted to Jeep WK / WH CRD does not suggest a new transfer case is required in these circumstances.
.
The information I got on the internet tell me that in this case (thumping noise from P to N/R), a simple change of wear/tear parts should be enough to resolve : replacing U-joints or silent blocks maybe (a fairly inexpensive operation ).
.
Some Mercedes ML forums talk about a normal thumping sound on Merc transmissions when switching from P to N / R that are due to a choice of solenoid by MB (?). The consensus is this sound happens even on newer cars and that it's nothing to worry about.
.
Apart from the noise when switching from PARK to Reverse / Neutral, I did not notice anything unusual on this vehicle sold by a private seller.
.
Before making the purchase, I read a lot of info on this forum written by current owners, and the consensus is that its a fairly reliable car with proper maintenance.
.
Has anyone of you guys experienced this kind of noise when switching from Park into R / N?
Any clues as to whether this really involves replacing a TC?
.
Any help would be much appreciated!
-------------
Some more info:
I live in Algeria (in Northern Africa) & it is a pretty rare vehicle over here.
We have no official representative of the Jeep brand (Jeep brand used to be carried by the local MB dealership, not anymore).
.
Therefore I need to be extra careful before buying and stay away from any issue that could immobilize the vehicle pending the import of heavy parts.
If a problem is trivial, it can be solved locally & as long as the car can run for a few months without further damage, I can take it to a Jeep dealership in southern Europe fo full servicing.....
.
This Jeep is fantastic to drive, I like it very much and it would be ideal to explore the Sahara in total comfort. Maybe even an expedition across Africa one day... From Algiers to Cape Town!
.
If a buy this car, I promise to post some nice pics of the mighty WK/WH cruising from the Mediterranean to the Sahara desert
:ylsmoke:
.
Thanks in advance for your kind feedback!
.
(PS Sorry for the lengthy post and for my poor English skills hope it's not too bad!)
.
I am in negotiation for the purchase of a Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland CRD 3.0 of 2010 (less than 60,000 miles). This car was built in Graz Austria (to Euro specs).
.
It seems to be in very good condition, overall.
Car handling is very good and I have not experienced unusual/creepy noises during the test drive.
.
The engine is super smooth, does not sound like a diesel! More like a beefy petrol engine ;-)
.
The OBD diagnosis is clean according to the seller (plan to make a fresh OBD diagnosis before closing the deal however).
.
I have detected one cause of concern with this vehicle:
.
When the vehicle is stopped, when switching from PARK to REVERSE then NEUTRAL there is sort of a thump/clunk noise clearly audible from the cabin... it happens every time ...
.
No noise in the opposite direction (from N to R to P), or when switching from NEUTRAL to DRIVE.
No Noise during the test drive, transmission was very smooth. No noise from the driveline on street/highway and even during a short drive off road on a bumpy track.
.
According to the seller, the transmission fluids were never serviced.
.
The car was taken for a quick inspection to a local mechanic I know who specialize in Jeep GC, although he mostly services older cars (ZJ/WJ). This mechanic told me that the transfer case could need replacement. He offered to sell me a used TC for 2000 USD
Wow1..
The mechanic did NOT jack up the car to inspect the underpinnings.
.
My own research on various forums devoted to Jeep WK / WH CRD does not suggest a new transfer case is required in these circumstances.
.
The information I got on the internet tell me that in this case (thumping noise from P to N/R), a simple change of wear/tear parts should be enough to resolve : replacing U-joints or silent blocks maybe (a fairly inexpensive operation ).
.
Some Mercedes ML forums talk about a normal thumping sound on Merc transmissions when switching from P to N / R that are due to a choice of solenoid by MB (?). The consensus is this sound happens even on newer cars and that it's nothing to worry about.
.
Apart from the noise when switching from PARK to Reverse / Neutral, I did not notice anything unusual on this vehicle sold by a private seller.
.
Before making the purchase, I read a lot of info on this forum written by current owners, and the consensus is that its a fairly reliable car with proper maintenance.
.
Has anyone of you guys experienced this kind of noise when switching from Park into R / N?
Any clues as to whether this really involves replacing a TC?
.
Any help would be much appreciated!
-------------
Some more info:
I live in Algeria (in Northern Africa) & it is a pretty rare vehicle over here.
We have no official representative of the Jeep brand (Jeep brand used to be carried by the local MB dealership, not anymore).
.
Therefore I need to be extra careful before buying and stay away from any issue that could immobilize the vehicle pending the import of heavy parts.
If a problem is trivial, it can be solved locally & as long as the car can run for a few months without further damage, I can take it to a Jeep dealership in southern Europe fo full servicing.....
.
This Jeep is fantastic to drive, I like it very much and it would be ideal to explore the Sahara in total comfort. Maybe even an expedition across Africa one day... From Algiers to Cape Town!
.
If a buy this car, I promise to post some nice pics of the mighty WK/WH cruising from the Mediterranean to the Sahara desert
:ylsmoke:
.
Thanks in advance for your kind feedback!
.
(PS Sorry for the lengthy post and for my poor English skills hope it's not too bad!)
