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Jeep Wrangler

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Comments

  • ellalenellellalenell Member Posts: 1
    I cannot figure out this message board and how to make a post in the correct spot (so sorry if I'm posting in the wrong spot or not following protocol).

    I found this board because I was searching for a problem I am having of my passenger side floor getting soaked. Through this board I have figured out that it is my heater/evaporation drain tube. My Jeep is a 98 (Wrangler). There is no warranty left. Do I need to take it back to the dealer or has anybody fixed this themselves? If so, how?
    thanks--dave
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Yes, you found the right spot! :)

    The cure has two parts. First, make sure the drain tube isn't blocked. Second, fit a 90º elbow to the tube so that it drains down, rather than straight out. The correct part will cost less han $10 from a dealer, or you may find something in your local hardware store that will suffice.
  • mcrrtmcrrt Member Posts: 93
    Thanks Mac!

    I have no delusions that anyone would act upon hearing an alarm going off, merely that it would let me know (should I be within earshot), and hopefully the sound of it wailing would reduce the amount of time a thief would feel comfortable hanging out rifling through the interior looking for something to take. I thought about getting a paging alarm, but for what? So I can catch the person in the act and get myself shot by some druggie? :surprise: I also am thinking about adding door lock actuators (in a Jeep? I know, sacrilage! ;) ) so that I can have the convenience of keyless entry this winter. If the starter disable won't really add much protection, I probably won't wire it up. Any other thoughts?

    Marcus
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Any other thoughts?

    I toyed with the idea of door lock actuators, but in the end turning a key seemd like less work than fitting them. ;)

    One way you can cut down on your risk is to leave your Jeep empty, and to leave the console and glove box lids open.
  • mtngalmtngal Member Posts: 1,911
    I have an off-the-wall suggestion of something to check. Since I'm no mechanic, this might not have anything to do with anything, but this discussion got me thinking. The board about different car had a number of posts about OEM tires being out-of-round. They weren't Goodyear tires, but I suppose any tire suffer from it. If you could get different rims and tires put on it for a short time, just to see, it would at least eliminate tires/rims from your list of possibilities
  • keatskeats Member Posts: 412
    Just my opinion, which is worth exactly what you've paid for it: car alarms are completely worthless, with the exception of devices that immobilize the entire vehicle from being stolen, which you already have.
  • div2div2 Member Posts: 2,580
    Like Mac said, it's a VERY simple fix-five minutes, tops. The Jeep part number for the elbow is 56000724AB. My cost was $4.50 in June 2002. The rubber elbow simply slips over the drain tube. The TSB recommends using a plastic cable tie to secure the tube, but I splurged and bought a stainless steel hose clamp. Whatever securing method you use, it just needs to be tight enough to keep the tube from working loose.
  • Hi Randy,

    Sorry to hear you're still having CB problems. The ground plane for a vertical antenna is like a reflecting pond for the radio signal you transmit. For trasmitting, it is just as important as the main vertical element we actually see as the antenna. There are a multitude of variables at play to achieving the best SWR and a good or bad ground plane definitely can impact it. Certainly, the Wrangler won't have a good ground plane due to its soft top or non-metallic hard top.

    I suspect the best ground plane location on a Wrangler would be with the antenna up near the front where the metal hood would give the best transmission...of course, mainly in the forward direction. Rearward transmission would not be as good. I would guess your through-the-glass antenna is on the front windshield would be about as good a place to have it. Through-glass antennas used to have about 3db antenuation (loss) of transmission signal which is like cutting effective power in half. However, the last I paid attention to such things was back in the late 80's so that may no longer be true about those antennas.

    A simple vertical vehicle antenna usually has the negative or "ground" connection of your transmission cable connected to the chassis of the vehicle. This is usually the outside braided shield of the coxial antenna cable going from your CB to the antenna. At the antenna mount, the center conductor is connected through to the vertical antenna element you see sticking up and the coax shield is connected to the metal mount which hence connects to the chassis of the vehicle. The metal roof or trunk lid on cars then acts as the antenna's ground plane.

    I would have thought the through-the-glass mount would have some sort of grounding connection to allow the transmission signal to use your chassis as part of a ground plane effect. Magnetic mounts and hard metal mounts usually rely on that physical contact with metal of the vehicle to produce the desired ground plane effect.

    If you stick your mag-mount antenna on the hood of your Wrangler and test the SWR does it improve? For fixed home transmission antennas, the idea SWR ratio is 1.5:1 or better. With vehicles, I'm sure your shooting to get at least 3:1 or better.

    I wish I could help more...I'm hoping to get back into ham radio. Getting my Wrangler has been such a joy and it was something I wanted since I was a teenager. Now that I have it, it's made me realize I need to get back to some of my other passions...ham radio was one of them.

    Good luck and I'll be happy to offer more input if you think I can help.

    Jim
  • jacknimblejacknimble Member Posts: 171
    My Wrangler had the death wobble for about 2 years also. Numerous balancings, rotations, etc. No change. So, I was reluctant to even put new BFG tires on it, because I thought the wobble would still be there.

    Lo and behold, wobble problem solved. I was skeptical at first, but so far, no sign of it returning at all. I can only think that all 5 (I rotated my spare in as well) of the original Goodyear GSAs were out of round.

    If your tires are close to being needed to be replaced, I would go for it.
  • jeff62301jeff62301 Member Posts: 310
    the hard top is back on for winter.

    jeff

    its alot easier the second time. i had 4 people to help take it off, that was more than enough help so we figured 3 would be plenty to put it on. could have used another set of hands to get it on. its not the weight, but the size.
  • drewmeisterdrewmeister Member Posts: 168
    I would highly recommend the cable-style hard top hoists. I have one that just the nylon rope, a couple of buckles, and two pulleys. I was mad the first time I used it because it was actually lifting the Jeep up a bit on the suspension! I had completely forgotten one of the top bolts since the Unlimited has more than my old one did! Once the bolts were actually off, the top went off with no weight at all on the line. Back on was also pretty easy. I could do it by myself if I ever needed to. It cost about a hundred bucks or so.
  • jeff62301jeff62301 Member Posts: 310
    the neighbors probably already dislike my extra wheels, trailer, and cargo rack sitting in the backyard. Not sure what they would think of my Hard Top suspended from a tree like a dead deer.

    Jeff

    I don't have a garage :cry: I'd get a hoist for the hard top if I did.
  • njbamadogznjbamadogz Member Posts: 26
    Has anyone ever pursued the Lemon Law in NJ? I have a 2005 Jeep Wrangler Sport that leaks badly everytime it rains. Water pours in through the rubber gaskets on the plastic door brackets and pools on the floor on both the passenger and driver's side of the car.

    I have been to two different dealerships -- one local and the one further away where I bought the car in May -- and neither can fix the problem. I picked the Jeep up this past Saturday after a 7-day-stay at the second dealership. The Jeep was sent to their body shop twice, had the doors realigned, had multiple parts replaced (including the molding around the doors and windshield) and they said it was not leaking anymore. Wrong. Today we did the "water leak test" with the hose and it is still leaking.

    The service mgr. at the dealership where I bought the Jeep said (off the record, of course)that if it leaks again I should pursue the Lemon Law, as there is nothing else they can do. But I should bring the car back to them anyway to create a paper trail. I have heard that other 2005s are having similar water-leaking problems. Anyone?

    The Jeep has 3200 miles on it. I had a 2004 that was totalled last summer and that one never had a problem. What a mess.

    Any thoughts/advice would be appreciated.
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Sounds like you have an uncommonly good service manager to me. ;)
  • 06tj4banger06tj4banger Member Posts: 39
    Just wanted to let you know that you aren't the only one. My 2006 SE leaks too (4 weeks old). Mine was leaking around the gaskets and both doors. The dealership replaced both doors, but my drivers side is still leaking after it rained Saturday night. I did notice that there is a big gap between the frame and the door at the windshield on the drivers side.

    -Rob
  • 06tj4banger06tj4banger Member Posts: 39
    Tom,

    Missed you this weekend! Hopefully, we will have another chance before the end of the year. The weather was great...sunny and 70's. I'll try to post a few pics when I get them.

    -Rob
  • greddengredden Member Posts: 30
    I was wanting some suggestions on the best oil for my 2004 Wrangler. It has 28000 miles. I was thinking of Mobile One. I live in Southern Indiana if that info is needed.

    Thanks
  • div2div2 Member Posts: 2,580
    I live just south of Louisville and I run Mobil 1 10W-30 year round in my 1999 Sahara. I change the oil every 6K-7.5K using a Mobil 1 filter. If you are going to change the oil at a much shorter interval(such as 3K), I'd use any good 10W-30 conventional oil.
  • wheelsdownwheelsdown Member Posts: 250
    Tom,

    Don't you live in Henderson? Did you get any storm damage this weekend?

    Terry
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    But he is okay, last I heard. We have some friends in Evansville and others we wheel with were VERY close to the damage, but nobody I know was injured or killed.

    Prayers are with those affected.

    -Paul
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    I guess the storm missed us by a good margin where I live. I live in a little town called Greenville, which is 65 miles from Henderson.

    Thanks for asking, Terry.

    Tom
    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Rob:

    I definitely want us to hook up for some wheelin'. Let's try again to set something up.

    Tomster
    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • mtngalmtngal Member Posts: 1,911
    Tom - glad to hear that you are fine - tornadoes scare me more than hurricanes do. My prayers to all who lost all.

    As far as oil - the '98 Sport gets 10W30 dino oil and oil changes every 3,000 miles. It's still doing well with well over 130,000 miles on it (I haven't checked the odo recently). The '04 Unlimited gets Mobile 1 10W30 every 6,000 miles, and that's been working so far at 60,000 miles (she's now almost 14 months old but hasn't had much use in the past month or 2, or she'd have a whole lot more miles on her. Her 60,000 mile servicing got postponed as a matter of priority - for some reason my other half thought that having a working hot water heater was more important).
  • utahjeeputahjeep Member Posts: 24
    Combine both hobbies - Jeeps and HAM Radio. It works and is a lot of fun. Tuffy makes some products that allow for the installation of a lot of radio gear.

    Jeep Information

    As for glass-mount antennas, they are always inferior to a hard-mounted antenna. I have a FireStik mounted above the rear tail light and it works pretty well, under a 2:1 SWR.

    At SEMA, I found that Midland is still making an SSB CB too.
  • redrocker15redrocker15 Member Posts: 102
    Hey all - - after entirely too long, I posted some info and pix in the Wrangler Owners, Wave & Greet forum. I'd put a link here, but at least there are fewer postings there to sort thru. guess I'm the latest one there....
  • njbamadogznjbamadogz Member Posts: 26
    Rob -

    Other than replacing gaskets and doors, what does your dealership suggest doing next to try to remedy the problem?

    I've pretty much been written off by Chrysler -- complaining is getting me nowhere. (Even though I told them that many Wranglers on the new car lot had water in them after a recent rain; Chrysler has a serious problem and will not acknowledge it.)

    I am taking the Jeep back to the dealership where I bought it again tomorrow morning because NJ Lemon Law says you must bring the car in 3 times, or lose use of it for at least 20 days because of attempted repairs. Tomorrow will be the third time it is in the shop -- and we are almost at the 20 day mark.

    Anyone else with this same problem? Any ideas on potential solutions? (Maybe if we get enough people together to complain about this issue, we can get Chrysler to admit there is a problem and come up with a solution.)
  • mtngalmtngal Member Posts: 1,911
    I saw your post and the link to the other photo. When I first looked at it, I did think you had been 'wheeling with Tom. There are differences, but the similarities are incredible. Are you sure you aren't related? Nice looking Jeep, by the way.
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    By the way, it's Jeep Wrangler Owners: *Wave* & Meet!

    tidester, host
  • rp05rp05 Member Posts: 20
    My Wrangler Unlimited had the same problem a couple days ago during a heavy rain storm. There was a large pool of water on the passenger side and a smaller amount on the drivers side. Guess I'll be taking it in.
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    I have a 97 and it only got wet inside when hurricane Katrina blew through here in early September.

    Okay, it DID get wet when I left the top off one day at work and it rained.

    When I looked at where water could come in from the passenger side, I did a few things:
    1. I installed the J-tube for the A/C since mine didn't have that and thought it might be a problem.
    2. I noticed the black plastic along the windshield frame near where the doors meet the top of the windshield wasn't in very good contact and the weatherstripping between the plastic and the metal was gone or seriously worn. Taking that plastic piece off (3 screws), I noticed that the top and bottom of the piece had no stripping. I COULD have put new stripping on, but didn't feel like messing with that. :) I just got some silicon and caulked the seam from the top to bottom. I used clear, but black would probably have been a better choice as the clear really isn't very clear.
    3. I made sure my soft upper doors were bent in a bit to make a good seal all the way around. I think over time, they bow out a bit, so I bent em back in.

    At this point, I have had no additional water in the Jeep.

    -Paul
  • goducks1goducks1 Member Posts: 432
    Hey mtngal, quick question--are you still on the original drum brakes on your '98? I'm at 81K on mine now and just changed the front discs for the first time if you all can believe that. I also put new plugs and wires on last week. And of course I had someone put that new header on this summer. I think I'm good to go for awhile now maintainence-wise but am wondering when I'll need to look at the rear drums.
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    I think I'm good to go for awhile now maintainence-wise but am wondering when I'll need to look at the rear drums.

    Errr.......how abought right now! It's not just wear of the friction material that matters, but also seizing of components and possible hydraulic leaks. At the very least they need to be cleaned regularly. However, if you mean when will the drums need resurfacing or replacing, the answer may be never, as the rear brakes handle very little of the braking effort. Keeping them clean will prolong their life tremendously.

    I inspect the brakes every 3k when I change the oil, and although the rears do very little work there's always a good amount of brake dust that needs to be cleaned out. The automatic adjusters don't work well at the best of times and often need to be reset manually. You should also peel back the dust boots on the ends of the wheel cylinders to look for any moisture, indicating a leak from the piston seal.

    Finally, as the wheels are off anyway, you can do a tire rotation with no extra effort!
  • mtngalmtngal Member Posts: 1,911
    I replaced the brakes and rotors at around 100,000 miles - the rotors were just out of tolerance. I'm guessing I'll need to do the Unlimited's sooner than that - the difference between having a manual and auto tranny (maybe not the rotors, but definitely the brakes). The rear drums are still original on the Sport.
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    I just did my rear drums a couple weekends ago with 102000 miles on them. I think it was a case more of driving with the e-brake on, having mud get into one of the brakes, and lots of brake dust that let me to change the pads and drums.

    They're clean now (well, relatively) and I should be good to go for a long while.

    -Paul
  • goducks1goducks1 Member Posts: 432
    Thanks mac and mtngal (who is certainly up early on the West Coast). The front brakes and rotors were surprisingly clean when I changed out the original pads 2 weeks ago, not sure why though of course I hit them with the cleaner anyway. I had a shop rotate and rebalance the tires a few days later for good measure, but next time I do it I'll inspect the drums. I'll have had this vehicle 8 years now come March, the longest I've ever kept a vehicle by far. I've never had to think about the rear brakes before so I was wondering how long they would last.
  • oldgoat2oldgoat2 Member Posts: 14
    Novice question. My 17 year-old daughter did a 360 in her Wrangler on slick pavement the other day (just started raining). I gave her all of the advice around oil on road, slow acceleration when weight is shifted, etc. What I do not know: Does it make sense to engage the 4 whl drive in rainy conditions? Would it have helped to avoid the spin?
  • goducks1goducks1 Member Posts: 432
    The answer is "occasionally" and since she is a 17-year-old that translates to "no" for her. 4wd does nothing to help your braking, a fact that always escaped the people I used to see slid off the snowy roads in the Oregon mountains in winter. Some people are going to scream here, but I have occasionally engaged my Jeep's 4wd during torrential rains when there is pooling in the road and yes it helped then. Thing is, a Wrangler has 4wd and not AWD, so there is no "give" between the front and rear axles in 4wd. Not a problem on snow or dirt, where the surface has that "give", but on pavement it can cause binding and damage to your transfer case. A light rain on the road will not do it, and even in downpours I only do it when going straight and tend to pop it in and out of 4wd as conditions demand.
  • mtngalmtngal Member Posts: 1,911
    I would agree with Scott, goducks1 - it's better that your daughter learn the proper way of driving on newly wet roads (slow down!), rather than depend on using 4WD and possibly hurting the drivetrain. Also, let her know that Wranglers, depending on the tires, could be more prone to hydroplaning (and that's really scary!). Best advice is to slow down and take twice as long to do anything, if possible.
  • barnz_69barnz_69 Member Posts: 75
    Well, in preperation for our cold Canadian winters, today I switched the oil in my 97 tj to mobil 1 synthetic (5W 30), as it seems to be the choice amongst many of you. Of course, I also changed the filter as well. As some of you know, I had my transmission fluid changed last week (mopar GL3), and since I've now had ALL the fluids changed at least once since I bought her (still, she has not a name...) in late April, and the oil 3 times now, I feel she's being well-cared for. Despite the longer life of synthetics, I will still change according to this strict schedule, just to be safe.

    I have heard and read of the problems regarding synthetics on higher mileage vehicles (mine has 108 000 kms, not miles), but I didn't have any oil seeping problems before, and everything seems fine so far afterwards (i believe my seals are all good). Plus, I did this myself, for the very first time! Needless to say, I'm happy with myself and the results (though, I must admit, it was pretty messy!). I'll keep everyone updated as to how well the synthetic holds up on my 'moderately' old engine, as I see that has been a topic of some interest on here and elsewhere. Since my engine has been strong since the day I first test drove her, I don't anticipate any problems.

    Hopefully, everything will work out ok, and I will have the confidence to work on my jeep myself and save myself a few bucks, not to mention introduce myself to a new hobby--working on my jeep!

    Ryan
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Hopefully, everything will work out ok, and I will have the confidence to work on my jeep myself and save myself a few bucks, not to mention introduce myself to a new hobby--working on my jeep!

    Good for you...........well done!

    Why not put a FSM on your Christmas list? :D
  • njbamadogznjbamadogz Member Posts: 26
    Okay. Here's the "official" statement from Chrysler re: massive leaking through the rubber door gaskets on both the passenger's side and driver's side of the car: "Jeep Wranglers are designed to do that."

    So let me get this straight, they are "designed" to leak water all over you when you are driving? "Yes" they said.

    This a.m. I hit the Jeep with a hose before taking it back to the dealership to make sure we still had a problem with leakage. Sure do. Water was pouring in through the rubber gaskets on the plastic door frames. POURING in, not dripping. All over the floor. All over the seats. Saturating the rugs. (And we only hit it with a hose for about 15 seconds or so.)

    Oh, and the great part is that the dealership service mgr. told me that if it leaks again (IF??? The only time it doesn't leak is when it's not raining) not to bring it back to them, because if I do, they will not open a new service order for it, as Chrysler the almighty has spoken.

    Chrysler has a massive problem here -- problem is present in 2006 models too I have found out. Anyone out there who thinks this is wrong and wants to resolve this problem, let me know. Maybe if we get a group together who have the same problem with their new Jeep Wranglers, we can get some satisfaction.
  • yjbobyjbob Member Posts: 56
    What tires do you have on the Wrangler your daughter was driving? My original tires (Goodyear GSA's - typical with many Wranglers) can have poor traction on dry roads and worse in the rain. I had to retire my GSA's after I lost rear traction twice. I now run Michelin ribbed "rain" tires that have good traction (even though they don't look like "Jeep" tires). It seems to me that tires lose traction as they age - as though they use a harder rubber closer to the cord and a softer rubber on the very outside layer. This deterioration of traction has also happened to my minivan tires.

    At any rate, I would consider changing if you have GSA's with more than 30,000 miles, even of they still have tread. New tires probably would improve traction significantly.
  • mtngalmtngal Member Posts: 1,911
    Wow! I've never had a problem with either my '98 Sport or my '04 Unlimited. Well, I shouldn't say that - I had water all over the floor of the Sport one time when my hubby left the window down, and I had water come in the back tailgate several times when the screws holding the latch worked loose. But I haven't had any problems since I got that fixed over a year ago at Camp Jeep.

    Good luck, and I hope that you get your problem solved.
  • steavesteave Member Posts: 6
    Are there any differences when doing a spring over suspension lift between a manual and an automatic transmission?
    Thank you.
  • goducks1goducks1 Member Posts: 432
    Wow. If this really is a common problem, I'm not surprised that Chrysler would try to ignore it and deny responsibility; they certainly have chosen that course before with the cracked manifold problem. Problem is, all Jeeps do tend to leak occasionally here or there. It's not usually bad, but seems part of the nature of the beast. This sounds considerably worse, though. It also sounds like something you could see happening--what's going on, the water comes off the roof, hits the door surround and there's a sufficiently large gap that it pours inside rather than continue down over the door?
  • 06tj4banger06tj4banger Member Posts: 39
    I am going back to the dealership this week, so I will let you know how it goes. One of the problems is the doors...they don't fit properly with gaps between the doors and the body. My passenger side door was replaced and there are no gaps and I am not having problems with that side anymore (except for a few drops around the gasket). The drivers side has a gap where the door is supposed to meet the windsheild. If I can get a door that will seal properly, the only problem that I will have is a little bit that is getting through around the gaskets on both sides. I'll just have to tackle the gaskets next if they start leaking worse. So far, my dealership has been very apologetic and has done everything they can to help...gave me a ride to work, ordered the parts without a hassle and even cleaned the carpet afterwards. They told me they would keep working with me until the problem is solved so that's about all I can ask. If I find a permanent solution to this leaking problem, I'll let you know.
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Not that I'm aware of. Transmission stays where it is, axles get relocated to under the springs. Lots of careful cutting, realignment, and welding required. Hardest part is getting sensible driveshaft angles together with suspension and steering alignment.
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    The drivers side has a gap where the door is supposed to meet the windsheild.

    Hopefully they're aware that some adjustment can be made to the angle of the windshield by adjusting the length of the tube connecting the windshield to the 'roll' bar.
  • njbamadogznjbamadogz Member Posts: 26
    The leaking in my Jeep goes waaaaaay beyong what would be considered "normal." Water is pouring in everytime the car gets wet. It can't be out in the rain at all and you definitely cannot wash it. (So much for the "go anywhere do anything" vehicle that Chrysler advertises. I can't even drive it down the street to the convenience store in the rain.)

    What gets me is that Chrysler's party line is now that Wranglers are designed to leak. They originally said something about a "buyback" when I spoke to a customer service rep last month -- the last time they would speak to me before writing me off and telling me to contact their corporate headquarters. Then their tune changed abruptly and they said it was my problem to deal with.

    The guys at the service dept. obviously do not feel that Wranglers are supposed to leak this way (duh) as they have been working on solving the problem for the better part of a month. They have replaced all the molding, seals, etc. around the windshield and doors, and had the doors adjusted at their bodyshop twice. No dice. In fact, I think the leaking is worse now than it's ever been. Now when water hits it, it leaks on the seats too. Used to just go dirctly to the floor and not hit anything on the way down, then pool by the drain plugs.

    And the other scary thing is that when the service manager pulled a new 2006 off the lot to test it, that Jeep leaked in the same way.
  • koolbreeze2koolbreeze2 Member Posts: 252
    Sorry about your water leak. I have a 2003 Freedom Edition Wrangler with 30000 miles. No garage. Soft top in summer until Dec. 1 and then the HT goes on. NEVER a drop of water during rain, melting snow/ice. Lemon law sounds appropriate if they cannot fix the problem. Good Luck. John
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