2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi
Discussion
Predictably at this time of year, the B roads of my commute are starting to resemble a war zone in places - barely passable flooding a couple of weeks ago; then last week three cars, all immobile and mid-wheel-change on the same stretch, presumably having all hit the same pothole.
Born of the desire to keep the 19's on the Focus approximately circular, and having destroyed a rim on the Monaro a winter or two ago, I decided to pick up another chunky 4x4 and scratch another long-term, if illogical, Grand Cherokee shaped itch at the same time.
I seriously toyed with the idea of an early GC SRT8, but prices are still firm, tax expensive and wheels are 20" so maybe not much more pothole-proof - overall it was difficult to justify as a cheap winter "beater". That's not to say I didn't try, but even I struggled with the man-maths, and that's saying something.
Fortunately all the ones for sale were the other end of the world and I'm lazy.
Then I spotted a 5.7 Hemi example on the Trader quite locally. A little bit up on miles @ 114k, but "reduced to sell quickly" per the vendor, which can always be seen as a bit of a red flag, but plus points were a fresh MOT (and pretty clean MOT history), sensible road tax, a recent service and a fully stamped up service book (dealer and Jeep specialist).
It had also had a replacement engine approximately 4k ago, as the original did exactly what Hemis seem to have an unfortunate reputation for (especially Stateside), and went bang unexpectedly. So assuming the invoice isn't a complete fabrication, the engine has only done about 70k now. It was supplied by a Jeep specialist and breaker so hopefully is what it claims to be...
Anyway, went to view and test drive.
Initial impressions, externally a nice straight car with just a tiny bit of sub-par paint on one arch but otherwise very tidy. The private seller appeared to have done literally nothing to prepare it for sale however.
This was especially true on the inside, where a heady combination of tobacco, dog and damp greeted me on opening the door. I nearly walked away there and then. No wonder it hadn't sold...
Because it was tidy outside I persevered. Interior was actually in good condition, just needing a damn good clean, especially the dog hair infested boot where most of the smell was coming from. I pretty quickly ascertained that the damp was coming from a blocked sunroof drain, likely an easy fix, not that I let the seller know that, much sucking air through teeth and shaking of my head!!
Anyway, long story short, it drove well, the engine sounded really sweet and pulled surprisingly strongly. No leaks from engine or box, oil clean in both. Struggled to find fault with it beyond slightly tired dampers, weak tailgate struts and a in-op. switch for the "lift glass" back window.
Haggled hard on all points and especially the damp (and probably needing to drop the headliner) and the smell, treading a fine line between "your car could do with a thorough valet" and "you are filthy pigs"!! Must have stayed just the right side of that line as a deal was done for a tad over £3k, or nearly a grand off the asking.
I blew the sunroof drains through with compressed air as soon as I got home (passenger side was totally blocked) and then attacked the carpets with the hoover. Also Febreezed the headlining, which helped a lot. I've also purchased a wet vac to give the carpets a further seeing to and will give the leather a good wipe down with cleaner, but having dried out for a week or so it doesn't smell too bad already.
As it arrived home
And after a handful of commutes - it's certainly not going to get any cleaner this year!
Work in progress, but a lot more pleasant than it was
First "mechanical" jobs were to replace the tailgate struts with a pair from China - £9.99 posted and somehow arrived in four days. Fitted perfectly, work well and appear decent quality - all metal rose joints at the ends vs the plastic originals. Also fitted a secondhand switch for the "lift glass" in the tailgate as the original was rusted solid.
Will update as and when it breaks, after all Jeeps have a certain reputation to uphold, so not expecting plain sailing with this one. But at the time of writing, every single thing seems to work as intended...
Born of the desire to keep the 19's on the Focus approximately circular, and having destroyed a rim on the Monaro a winter or two ago, I decided to pick up another chunky 4x4 and scratch another long-term, if illogical, Grand Cherokee shaped itch at the same time.
I seriously toyed with the idea of an early GC SRT8, but prices are still firm, tax expensive and wheels are 20" so maybe not much more pothole-proof - overall it was difficult to justify as a cheap winter "beater". That's not to say I didn't try, but even I struggled with the man-maths, and that's saying something.
Fortunately all the ones for sale were the other end of the world and I'm lazy.
Then I spotted a 5.7 Hemi example on the Trader quite locally. A little bit up on miles @ 114k, but "reduced to sell quickly" per the vendor, which can always be seen as a bit of a red flag, but plus points were a fresh MOT (and pretty clean MOT history), sensible road tax, a recent service and a fully stamped up service book (dealer and Jeep specialist).
It had also had a replacement engine approximately 4k ago, as the original did exactly what Hemis seem to have an unfortunate reputation for (especially Stateside), and went bang unexpectedly. So assuming the invoice isn't a complete fabrication, the engine has only done about 70k now. It was supplied by a Jeep specialist and breaker so hopefully is what it claims to be...
Anyway, went to view and test drive.
Initial impressions, externally a nice straight car with just a tiny bit of sub-par paint on one arch but otherwise very tidy. The private seller appeared to have done literally nothing to prepare it for sale however.
This was especially true on the inside, where a heady combination of tobacco, dog and damp greeted me on opening the door. I nearly walked away there and then. No wonder it hadn't sold...
Because it was tidy outside I persevered. Interior was actually in good condition, just needing a damn good clean, especially the dog hair infested boot where most of the smell was coming from. I pretty quickly ascertained that the damp was coming from a blocked sunroof drain, likely an easy fix, not that I let the seller know that, much sucking air through teeth and shaking of my head!!
Anyway, long story short, it drove well, the engine sounded really sweet and pulled surprisingly strongly. No leaks from engine or box, oil clean in both. Struggled to find fault with it beyond slightly tired dampers, weak tailgate struts and a in-op. switch for the "lift glass" back window.
Haggled hard on all points and especially the damp (and probably needing to drop the headliner) and the smell, treading a fine line between "your car could do with a thorough valet" and "you are filthy pigs"!! Must have stayed just the right side of that line as a deal was done for a tad over £3k, or nearly a grand off the asking.
I blew the sunroof drains through with compressed air as soon as I got home (passenger side was totally blocked) and then attacked the carpets with the hoover. Also Febreezed the headlining, which helped a lot. I've also purchased a wet vac to give the carpets a further seeing to and will give the leather a good wipe down with cleaner, but having dried out for a week or so it doesn't smell too bad already.
As it arrived home
And after a handful of commutes - it's certainly not going to get any cleaner this year!
Work in progress, but a lot more pleasant than it was
First "mechanical" jobs were to replace the tailgate struts with a pair from China - £9.99 posted and somehow arrived in four days. Fitted perfectly, work well and appear decent quality - all metal rose joints at the ends vs the plastic originals. Also fitted a secondhand switch for the "lift glass" in the tailgate as the original was rusted solid.
Will update as and when it breaks, after all Jeeps have a certain reputation to uphold, so not expecting plain sailing with this one. But at the time of writing, every single thing seems to work as intended...
Surprised you mention the reputation of the Hemis for failing: provided they're serviced correctly they seem to be extremely reliable engines as far as I can see. A friend of mine has a fleet of Hemi powered flatbeds over here and swears by them.
My dad had one identical to yours on LPG and never had a single problem over the course of almost 100k miles - hopefully yours proves to be similarly dependable.
My dad had one identical to yours on LPG and never had a single problem over the course of almost 100k miles - hopefully yours proves to be similarly dependable.
Barchettaman said:
Bonkers and brilliant. Love it.
Blanco92 said:
Bloody hell, where’s that handbrake lever going? Is it made of helium?!
Yes I think the cable needs a little bit of adjustment, or possibly replacing - previous owner's driveway was sloped so they probably pulled the handbrake quite hard each time...Geekman said:
Surprised you mention the reputation of the Hemis for failing: provided they're serviced correctly they seem to be extremely reliable engines as far as I can see. A friend of mine has a fleet of Hemi powered flatbeds over here and swears by them.
My dad had one identical to yours on LPG and never had a single problem over the course of almost 100k miles - hopefully yours proves to be similarly dependable.
Thanks very much, fair enough and good to hear. My dad had one identical to yours on LPG and never had a single problem over the course of almost 100k miles - hopefully yours proves to be similarly dependable.
I guess we all form our opinions based on who we talk to and what we read and observe.
Rightly or wrongly, over the years I've picked up from various sources that the 5.7 Hemi isn't the most robust of the mass market V8's and can suffer from catastrophic failure, without warning, at far lower miles than one would hope an unstressed V8 would last. Dropped valve seats, MDS lifter failure and rods through the block seem the most common failures.
My personal experience of the Hemi engine is very limited - one vehicle chosen at random from the classified adverts, so hardly a comprehensive sample.
But it turns out that one random vehicle has suffered a catastrophic engine failure with no prior warning - at least per the previous owner - who knows, maybe it was knocking from lack of oil for months before it let go...
But anyway, that's what I'm basing my current opinion on!! Genuinely hope that my actual experience of this engine turns out to be like yours!!
I was watching this one on AT. I think it started off at £4,500 and then quickly came down to £4,000, so you got a real bargain there!
The MDS system relies on the correct oil being used, and it's a bit of a weird weight. Check the book but I think it's 5-20W. It was the really early engines which could suffer from dropped valve seats, so that might be what caught your first one out.
Prices for these are all over the place, but they seem a strong old bus when you follow the MOT histories. Enjoy it!
The MDS system relies on the correct oil being used, and it's a bit of a weird weight. Check the book but I think it's 5-20W. It was the really early engines which could suffer from dropped valve seats, so that might be what caught your first one out.
Prices for these are all over the place, but they seem a strong old bus when you follow the MOT histories. Enjoy it!
RicksAlfas said:
I was watching this one on AT. I think it started off at £4,500 and then quickly came down to £4,000, so you got a real bargain there!
The MDS system relies on the correct oil being used, and it's a bit of a weird weight. Check the book but I think it's 5-20W. It was the really early engines which could suffer from dropped valve seats, so that might be what caught your first one out.
Prices for these are all over the place, but they seem a strong old bus when you follow the MOT histories. Enjoy it!
Thanks, yes 5w20 is correct as you say for the MDS (Multi-Displacement System) to function properly (which it appears to do).The MDS system relies on the correct oil being used, and it's a bit of a weird weight. Check the book but I think it's 5-20W. It was the really early engines which could suffer from dropped valve seats, so that might be what caught your first one out.
Prices for these are all over the place, but they seem a strong old bus when you follow the MOT histories. Enjoy it!
At a steady cruise you can feel when it switches to running on just one bank of the V8 as there is just a tiny surge in power when it happens, pretty subtle, but discernible. Can't really feel when it drops back onto all 8 cylinders though.
On cruise at say 65mph, the fuel instant consumption jumps from around 18 to about 26 when MDS kicks in!
As an aside, I think I have worked wonders on the smell inside the car since I've had it, I don't really notice anything untoward now when I get in.
In contrast, I opened the box file this morning that I put the owners manual and paperwork in, and the tobacco stench that came out was unbelievable!!
In contrast, I opened the box file this morning that I put the owners manual and paperwork in, and the tobacco stench that came out was unbelievable!!
So far so good, no major issues although I did think it sounded a little more strained turning over this morning, the battery is clearly a few years old and may well not make it through the winter - I'll stick it on a battery conditioner at the weekend and see if that helps...
Looked a bit closer at the cooling system today - I'd checked the level and for leaks when I bought it, but hadn't really inspected the contents as closely as I should have done. Nasty and quite rusty, needs flushing and replacing with proper G05 ASAP as although there is no issue with the running temperature, I suspect its anti-freeze properties will be pretty poor.
Does make me question the quality of the Blackburn-ish Jeep specialist's servicing, although as stated earlier the engine oil is pristine. Makes me wonder how old, for example, the brake fluid is?
Is it comfortable? It isn't bad, miles better than the old Landcruiser I used to have. Far from a magic carpet ride though, as you do feel bumps and it feels under-damped over some surfaces (dampers are likely 114k old originals though). But it absorbs big holes and speed bumps much better than a car as you would expect, the seats are very comfortable and in normal driving it is quiet, NVH low and refinement is pretty good.
It makes a nice noise on startup and in kickdown though!
I imagine that an SRT8 would be absolutely hilarious fun, and had I bought one of those instead I would literally never drive anything else until I was declared bankrupt or the oil reserves ran out...
Looked a bit closer at the cooling system today - I'd checked the level and for leaks when I bought it, but hadn't really inspected the contents as closely as I should have done. Nasty and quite rusty, needs flushing and replacing with proper G05 ASAP as although there is no issue with the running temperature, I suspect its anti-freeze properties will be pretty poor.
Does make me question the quality of the Blackburn-ish Jeep specialist's servicing, although as stated earlier the engine oil is pristine. Makes me wonder how old, for example, the brake fluid is?
Is it comfortable? It isn't bad, miles better than the old Landcruiser I used to have. Far from a magic carpet ride though, as you do feel bumps and it feels under-damped over some surfaces (dampers are likely 114k old originals though). But it absorbs big holes and speed bumps much better than a car as you would expect, the seats are very comfortable and in normal driving it is quiet, NVH low and refinement is pretty good.
It makes a nice noise on startup and in kickdown though!
I imagine that an SRT8 would be absolutely hilarious fun, and had I bought one of those instead I would literally never drive anything else until I was declared bankrupt or the oil reserves ran out...
99t said:
So far so good, no major issues although I did think it sounded a little more strained turning over this morning, the battery is clearly a few years old and may well not make it through the winter - I'll stick it on a battery conditioner at the weekend and see if that helps...
Looked a bit closer at the cooling system today - I'd checked the level and for leaks when I bought it, but hadn't really inspected the contents as closely as I should have done. Nasty and quite rusty, needs flushing and replacing with proper G05 ASAP as although there is no issue with the running temperature, I suspect its anti-freeze properties will be pretty poor.
Does make me question the quality of the Blackburn-ish Jeep specialist's servicing, although as stated earlier the engine oil is pristine. Makes me wonder how old, for example, the brake fluid is?
Is it comfortable? It isn't bad, miles better than the old Landcruiser I used to have. Far from a magic carpet ride though, as you do feel bumps and it feels under-damped over some surfaces (dampers are likely 114k old originals though). But it absorbs big holes and speed bumps much better than a car as you would expect, the seats are very comfortable and in normal driving it is quiet, NVH low and refinement is pretty good.
It makes a nice noise on startup and in kickdown though!
I imagine that an SRT8 would be absolutely hilarious fun, and had I bought one of those instead I would literally never drive anything else until I was declared bankrupt or the oil reserves ran out...
Do you not fancy the faster and better srt8? Looked a bit closer at the cooling system today - I'd checked the level and for leaks when I bought it, but hadn't really inspected the contents as closely as I should have done. Nasty and quite rusty, needs flushing and replacing with proper G05 ASAP as although there is no issue with the running temperature, I suspect its anti-freeze properties will be pretty poor.
Does make me question the quality of the Blackburn-ish Jeep specialist's servicing, although as stated earlier the engine oil is pristine. Makes me wonder how old, for example, the brake fluid is?
Is it comfortable? It isn't bad, miles better than the old Landcruiser I used to have. Far from a magic carpet ride though, as you do feel bumps and it feels under-damped over some surfaces (dampers are likely 114k old originals though). But it absorbs big holes and speed bumps much better than a car as you would expect, the seats are very comfortable and in normal driving it is quiet, NVH low and refinement is pretty good.
It makes a nice noise on startup and in kickdown though!
I imagine that an SRT8 would be absolutely hilarious fun, and had I bought one of those instead I would literally never drive anything else until I was declared bankrupt or the oil reserves ran out...
(then sell me this for £3k?)
I purchased an 06 Hemi WK about a year ago. All good for a while and then without warning it dropped a few valve seats which destroyed the heads and took out two pistons. Jeep revised the heads a few years later so something to consider when buying second hand. Should have mine back shortly with some recon heads from an outfit in the States who rebuild them with a revised valve seat arrangement. The guy reassembling mine said the coolant passages in the block and head looked rather clogged, possibly a factor I don’t know.
I’ve had 04 and 05 Hemi Rams with no issues whatsoever so maybe just s
t luck but I’ll maybe look for something with the revised heads if I buy again in the future. I really like the WK though and will be glad to get it back.
One easy job I did on mine was wrap the god-awful wood trim....
I’ve had 04 and 05 Hemi Rams with no issues whatsoever so maybe just s
t luck but I’ll maybe look for something with the revised heads if I buy again in the future. I really like the WK though and will be glad to get it back. One easy job I did on mine was wrap the god-awful wood trim....
Edited by benny.c on Monday 9th December 22:15
benny.c said:
I purchased an 06 Hemi WK about a year ago. All good for a while and then without warning it dropped a few valve seats which destroyed the heads and took out two pistons. Jeep revised the heads a few years later so something to consider when buying second hand. Should have mine back shortly with some recon heads from an outfit in the States who rebuild them with a revised valve seat arrangement. The guy reassembling mine said the coolant passages in the block and head looked rather clogged, possibly a factor I don’t know.
Sorry to hear that, hope the rebuild works out well for you. Will have to check what year my replacement engine is..Dropped valve seats do seem to be a key failure mode on this engine - some of the other failure modes listed previously are quite possibly consequential once the mechanical carnage is under way.
From the description of the coolant passages on yours, it could well be that minor, localized overheating was a factor in the failure. Makes flushing my cooling system an even more urgent job!
benny.c said:
One easy job I did on mine was wrap the god-awful wood trim....
That looks good. The wood isn't the most convincing, I don't think many trees were harmed in its production!99t said:
Dropped valve seats do seem to be a key failure mode on this engine - some of the other failure modes listed previously are quite possibly consequential once the mechanical carnage is under way.
From the description of the coolant passages on yours, it could well be that minor, localized overheating was a factor in the failure. Makes flushing my cooling system an even more urgent job!
Yeah, I’d definitely make that a priority! As you say, the theory with mine is that the head was hot enough in places for the known valve seat problem to occur but overall the motor wasn’t running hot so no warning signs. My failure was typical of others reported on the net too - Car running fine, turned motor off briefly when parked (about 60s), went to restart and valves dropped. This brief stop/start seems much more common than a failure when driving. From the description of the coolant passages on yours, it could well be that minor, localized overheating was a factor in the failure. Makes flushing my cooling system an even more urgent job!
99t said:
That looks good. The wood isn't the most convincing, I don't think many trees were harmed in its production!
Very true. I don’t mind the wood in an XJ because it’s all pretty cheesy/retro but the WK interior isn’t actually too bad at all so it really stands out. You’re lucky, I got a half wood steering wheel too 
This diagnostic software is great (and cheap) BTW if you have a laptop and OBD cable - https://appcar-diagfca.com/en/
Edited by benny.c on Tuesday 10th December 09:38
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