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my baby 99 cherokee lost a fog light to a tragic rock accident. dealer wants 130.00 dollars for one light.( its my baby, not my wife!) . anybody know a good aftermarket that will fit or can be coerced into place. i will be replacing both so blue lights are not a problem. i also need to get new rotors . tired of the oem. tired of the brake shakes. thanks in advance TTFN (tribute to winchell)
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Is the "head unit" the plastic frame that goes around the a/c vents, radio, heating & cooling, cig lighter, switches, and 12V power source?
I hope your replacement unit sounds as good as it looks.
Thanks, JCS
Also, on days when the temperature is below 90º. I have no problem with the temp (stays at the 165º mark), unless I climb a long steep hill, but on hotter days the temp very slowly creaps up, and then runs quite high, I think it would over heat if I let it. The heater seems to suck the heat off the engine quite well, but is a little warm in a 90º+ day. I'm wondering if the thermostat is opening all the way. The eletrical fan does kick on, and the temperature drops when it does, but then slowly rises. Stopping at lights and such does not cause the temp to rise any faster. Since I replaced the entire cooling system I am unsure of what to replace next.
As for sound....the factory speakers are pretty bad too. I swapped them out with Infinity Kappas (do they still make these??) and that was a huge improvement. I was pretty happy with the system. Sold the Jeep to a friend and the system is still going strong.
Thanks
-Nick
If it does beep, then you probably have a power supply problem. To check that, probe the positive side of the light socket. You will need to remember which side was the negative side. Set the meter to DC voltage in a high enough range to handle 12V. Mine has 10V and 30V - obviously the 10V setting is too low and will blow the fuse in my unit, use the higher setting. When you turn the lights on, you should see roughly 12V registered on the tester. If not, then you have a broken power supply wire and or a bad connection somewhere in the circuit.
I hope this helps. That multi-tester that you need will help you with all sorts of problems on your Jeep, not just lights.
Next, I checked the MPG and it is only 14.91mpg. This was the first tank of gas, and was around town driving, and a short trip of about 120 miles. No off road driving at all. What can I do to improve the mpg? I have changed the oil and filter, and am using full synthetic 10W30. The air filter appears to be new. Any help will be appreciated.
Third, does anyone know if you can contact a Jeep dealer and get a copy of the window sticker for an old Jeep like mine? I called the dealer where this one was purchased new, and was told by the girl on the phone that "we only keep stuff like that for 5 years". Not sure how accurate her info was... am planning a trip to the dealership in the future. It is located in another town. Anyway... I thought maybe Chrysler had some kind of customer service dept. that would have this info.
Last, I know that Cherokees were made for many years, and I think that there were several (2 or 3) different editions... or body changes during production... anyone have any info about this... or can anyone steer me in the right direction to do my own research?
Thanks in advance... and go easy on me... I'm an old guy and the new kid here.
Andy Anderson
What ever came about your situation?
-PBrown6884
I really apreciatte your help! Now I have another problem! my air conditionenr wont turn on, neither my turn signal! I dont know what to do! if is a loose wire HOw do I find it?
thank You again
Well it looks like its close to that now - brought it in for service (for other reasons, AC recharging, tire rotation, etc) and Im getting quoted for all new brakes in the front and the rear. And I mean everything - drums, rotors, shoes, you name it. Im getting quoted at least 450+ in the front, and prolly 500+ for the rear. I havent even felt like my brakes were something that even needed to be looked at
For a car that I could prolly only sell for 4K, is it even worth it?
I have a '90 2dr. Is your system closed pressure system? I'm pretty sure it is.
Make sure the radiator cap is on tight and leave it alone.
Get a large bottle, like a windshield washer fluid bottle.
Cut the bottom out.
Turn the bottle upside down into the reservoir bottle of your jeep.
Fill the reservoir up with antifreeze (while using the washer fluid bottle).
Get someone to start the motor.
The motor will suck the antifreeze in so KEEP THE ANTIFREEZE UP.
The motor will get up to temp and suck the antifreeze in, having the fluid bottle filled with antifreeze will keep from getting air pockets in the block.
This is going to take some time and a lot of patience.
Do this until the thermostat maintains running temp, 190-210 depending on thermostat.
Once you maintain temp, put the reservoir bottle cap on tightly.
Don't worry if the bottle expands, the cap will releave any pressure and then it will seal. DON'T OPEN THE RESERVOIR CAP UNLESS THE BLOCK IS COMPLETELY COOL!! Opening cap will make you loose it's pressure (pressure system, get it)
The next morning, after the block is cool, check the level of antifreeze. If it's still low, add some and put cap back on.
NEVER ADD COOLANT WHILE BLOCK IS HOT OR IT WILL ALL KICK BACK OUT THROUGH THE CAP LATER (it sucks I know, I had an over heating problem for almost 3 years before I did this)
What happens is for one reason or another, air gets in the line or block. Once it's trapped in the block, it's very hard to get rid of.
In the case of my '90, I had a hose leak. When I replaced the hose, it got air in the system. I replaced the thermostat with a 185 degree, new water pump, new hoses, new bottle, new cap, etc etc. Nothing helped. Took it to TWO jeep dealerships and almost a $1000 later, same problem. I finally found a mechanic who was very familiar with the issue and showed me what i described to you above.
He solved the problem the first time!!! I was amazed, shocked, and pissed off at those "5-Star" dealerships.
Once you get that system straight, don't ever let anyone take that bottle cap off ever. Only you take the cap off and only take it off when it's cool.
Something else happened to my '90, my radiator went bad. The plastic neck on the upper hose cracked and broke completely off!!! What a mess. That pressure system blew off the coolant out. It happened on the interstate, by the time I made it to the shoulder, all the coolant was gone. All gone! I had to buy a new radiator of course. I found a place on line, radiatorbarn.com. I bought (get this) a ALL metal, 3 row (oem is 2 row) for less than a replacement from Advance or Napa. It was a direct fit, no mods. It costs $140 delivered. So, if you ever have that issue, check it out.
Hope I helped. I got on here to ask about a problem I'm having with my '99 XJ.
I'm having a metal clanking sound from my passenger front hub. Everything is tight. When I turn sharp, it acts like it's in four wheel drive even though it isn't.
Any help on that?
Good luck!
WorleyGuy
I notice it most when I hit bumps of course.
Something else I notice is that when I turn sharp, it feels like the front tires slip, almost as if it's in 4 wheel drive, but it's not.
I looked for joint problems, anything leaking or rubbing, but no sign.
It's getting worse and I'm afraid it will leave me stranded.
Any ideas?
Anyone had this issue?
WorleyGuy
worleyguy@gmail.com
2. Mileage depends on many factors. What's your driving style? Does it have the factory size tires on it? Has it been lifted? What's the axle ratios? Make sure none of the brakes are dragging to start. I have a completely stock '01 XJ with 70k miles. My normal daily commute covers roughly 85 miles with about 75% being open highway using cruise control. I usually get between 19.5 and 21 mpg.
3. Jump over to the Jeep Wrangler thread. Ask a fella with the screen name of "tsjay". He can tell you how to get the build sheet for your XJ.
If anyone here has first hand experience with this, I'd love to hear it.
1. I completely understand the "Jeep Thing"
2. I love the classic lines of the Cherokee. Most people can't tell a '91 from an '01. Since they didn't change much, parts are super easy to find.
3. That 4.0L engine is absolutely bullet-proof. I have many Jeep friends that have well over 200k miles on their 4.0's. My wife works with a person that has an older Cherokee, not sure what year, that has just over 275k miles on it.
Since '01 was the last year the Cherokee was produced, many of the bugs had been long since worked out. I honestly am not aware of any particular downfall of this model. Infact, with me getting around 20 mpg out of mine, the only thing I can think of that even could be a turn-off is its truck like ride and handling. But then of course, I've always had trucks, so it's no big deal to me.
My wife also fell in love with Jeeps. Last month my wife traded her Windstar for a Grand Cherokee. Folks, I'm in Jeep heaven!!!!
Is there a way to change the timing (maybe advance a little?) to get better mpg? I did this on a '74 Vega that I once owned and it got 34 mpg on the highway.
Thanks again,
Andy
http://www.kevinsjeepparts.com/identifyyourjeep.html
Generations - Jeep Cherokee
Steve, Host
This wasn't a gradual problem - it literally just started doing it. It still does the typical 2-4 Jeep turn overs and then the engine starts, but the turn overs are struggling now.
I have no idea what's up, and hold my breath every time I turn the key, hoping for it to catch. So far, it's always caught *whew!*. This is my only vehicle!
Any suggestions on what the problem could be? Many, many thanks for everyone's help!
Thanks for the reply.
I don't think it's the u-joints. I had never heard anyone say they had clunking noises after they had replaced them, that's odd.
My father in law and I looked over that front in for about an hour both jacked up and sitting on the ground. We were hitting anything and everything with a rubber mallate. It wasn't until I jacked up the Jeep ( i put the jack behind the lower control arm of the passenger side, up on the chasis, high enough to get the tire off the ground) that we noticed a HUGE gap in the sway bar chasis mount bushing mount. The gap is sooo big you could put a number 2 pencil between the bar and the bushing. I have not replaced them as of yet, but I'm thinking it's what's causing it. You can get bushing kits for the sway bar and tie rods for $25. I don't think it will take me an hour to replace them. I will update my message if and when I fix this problem. Check your Jeep out, I'm curious if you may have the same issue.
WorleyGuy
After going to Jeep and the local auto parts stores and getting quotes for a replacement at about $280+, I looked on ebay. I found a listing from an obvious retailer of new parts - so I called them to make sure it would fit. I ordered a 3-row heavy duty replacement for $142.00 delivered. Frankly, it was of better construction than my original, as the replacement was ALL-metal construction versus my original which actually had plastic end pieces!
Installation was easy enough. Remove the electric fan. Remove the mounting screws for the clutch fan shrowd, and push it over the fan blades. Mark the position of the hood latch, then remove the whole top mounting plate. Disconnect the upper radiator hose, overflow hose, transmission upper and lower lines, lower radiator hose --- then the tricky one: the lowest connection on the driver's side. I thought I'd need some kind of special tool to loosen a "special" fitting. After looking at it, I used a small screwdriver and squeezed/pushed the nylon tabs in and the connection just slides apart (DON'T LOOSE THIS NYLON PIECE). And out the old radiator comes!
At this point, I also needed to put in a new thermostat. When I removed the thermostat housing I took my garden hose and shot it through the block, and through the heater lines. While I was running it thru the heater lines, I manually moved the heater line valve thingy located fruther back on the line. Just trying to get a thorough flush. Then re-assembled with an oem thermostat (195)
When I installed the replacement radiator, I did have remove two upper oil cooler support "tabs" because they didn't line up just exactly where mine had been origionally located (just bent them back and forth until they broke off at the edge), so I could use the original brackets. Stuff everything back in its place and wha-la, new radiator. And what'd ya know, no more overheating problems! Total time: about 3 hrs. Sorry for the very long winded note, but hopefully this will help a few others...
The car needs a new starter solenoid (cost me $32 at Pep Boys). The contacts are burnt and do not give full power to the starter motor.
You need to take the starter out (from the bottom) to replace the solenoid. Or a mechanic can do it for you relativelly cheap.
Enjoy!
Jose
IL
As mentioned above, it could also be the solenoid. I'd look at the battery first, as that is the easiest part to replace. The starter is really easy to remove. Remove the negative battery cable. Remove the two wires at the starter, one large and one small. Loosen the two bolts holding the starter in place, it bolts into the bellhousing. While holding the starter with one hand, remove the bolts with the other hand. The starter isn't all that heavy, probably 10 to 15 lbs. However, lying flat on your back, it will feel much heavier than that. Once the bolts are out, lower it to the ground. Installation is the reverse of removal. Very simple job, just dirty and inconvenient.
Thanks, everyone!
ksoyk