Jeep Wrangler

yellowman

Hey all

Well, took the Jeep into my local dealer (around the corner from me) and I've got a question for everyone. Do you guys have a small light to the left of the steering wheel on the dash? It sticks out a little bit and looks like it would be red if it were lit. Mine has never lit and I always assumed it was part of the sentry key system. Now that the sentry key system is activated, it still wasn't going on, and when the serviceman looked at my Jeep, the first thing he did was point to that light and say, "Well, that's aftermarket, so I don't know about that." I started to argue with him, because I have not added ANYTHING to my Jeep since I picked it up from the dealer 7 1/2 months ago, and it was specially ordered from the factory for me. He was saying it must have been added by the dealer because he'd never seen it before. I could have sworn I saw a picture of this light in the manual but I think all it discusses is the light on the instrument panel that looks like a key with a line through it.

He did admit that the sentry key system was factory so now I have no idea what that red light is. Do you guys have that on your Jeeps?

The insurance adjuster is coming this morning to look at it and do his thing, then HOPEFULLY they'll fix the ignition and sentry key part today. Then I'll have to take it somewhere else for the body work on the tailgate. Man, what a nuisance this has been!!! Thanks for all your support, everyone.

yellowman

saharagal

I looked at my Sahara's dash, and there's no light for the sentry key system.
The only light I have is on the steering wheel column for my aftermarket alarm. It looks like a little plastic bubble. It lights up and blinks when I activate my alarm. Is that what your light looks like?

Good luck!
Laura

redkey1

After driving myself crazy to find the rattle in the dash of my new TJ (<1000 miles) I finally took it to the dealer to see what was the problem.

Turns out there was a bolt from the factory stereo that had fallen into the dash when the guy at Tweeter installed it and I had even taken it back to them to check it out and they didn't find it. To make matters worse it was not covered under warranty b/c stereo was aftermarket so now I have to go fight with Tweeter for my $75 bucks.

tonkadave

Hi everyone, I have decided its time to lift tonkajeep. Guess ive grown out of the 31" tires already. Im not sure yet whether I will get a 2" spacer lift or just get a 3 inch Suspension lift. Im going to put on 33X10.5 BFG Muds on my Stock Canyon Wheels. Since I have 31s now and no lift, I guess the 33x10.5s will fit with a 2 inch lift. We shall see. I know the backspacing is 5.5 inches on the canyons so 10.5 tires are as wide as I want to go. I plan on trading in my 31 BFGs on the new ones like I did with the Good Years it came with. I want to get some more opinions on what lift to get before I commit. Of course my dealer told me he wont honor the warranty on a lifted jeep.

spyrodragon

I personally would suggest the 3" suspension lift. A 2" coil spacer will give you 2" max. Plus it will shorten the life of your coil, especially if you off-road it and flex it out. If you are going to get a coil spacer you need to extend the bumpstops the same lengh. 3" suspension lifts have been know to actually give more than 3". Look into Teraflex, Rubicon Express, or Superlift. Although I don't like superlift, if your jeep isn't going to see alot of the trails it's a cheaper alternative to the other two.

Happy Jeepin'

larry18

Dealer just called with my VIN. Ship date still 11/29/01. Incentives have been extended so I now have a choice of the $500.00 rebate or the 0/0% three year financing. Also included is a 7 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty. As soon as it ships I will try the rail tracking information. Should route thru Kansas City or St. Louis I am told.

larry18

tsjay

I have had an awful time the last two days trying to get in here! I had to get some online help and they had me dump all my cookies, and that got me to the Town Hall home page. Then, the stupid server was messed up or something, and I couldn't get past the home page to get here.

Well, I'm here now and I owe Madman390 an answer about the bumper corners.

Mad, I don't have a digi, so you would be waiting a long time for a pic of Thelma without the bumper corners. It's so easy to remove them, you ought to just take them off and see what you think. They would go right back on, if you wanted them on there again.

It sure is good to be able to get my Edmunds fix again!

Tsjay

Have yoy hugged your Jeep today?

bamatazz

dude..im finally catching up on your post..
someone tried to "borrow" you jeep huh.
I Know whatcha mean..I had a 1970 Cutlass someone "borowed" & they totaled it out..
I dont have that light you are talking about either.. SUPERtonkadave..good to see you back!!
what going on dude?..so your gonns raise tonkajeep.
I am seriously thinking about getting 31" tires.
Tom what king did you get?
I saw where we are supposed to rotate tires every 5000 miles?..if thats true...im close to that.
Spare tire cover..ive figured no cover during summer with soft top...Cover in winter with hard top..
Looks like a new jeep that way..

Take care jeepers..
Happy Turkey Day
BamaTazz

tsjay

I got the BFG 31x10.50 All Terrain KO's.

Why ain't you ever in gill's or here for the Edmunds Thursday night chats? Miss ya, Boy!

Did you know that Osama Bin Laden has a cousin at the University of Alabama? His name is Bama Bin Losin.

tsjay

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

tidester

tsjay,

We've been having problems with the server - I'm glad everyone made it back!

tidester
Host
SUVs

sfjeeps

I would recommend at least a 3" lift kit for running 33" tires on your TJ. The 2" kit will usually be fine with 31-32" tires but the 33" tires just need a little more breathing room. Even with a 3" lift you may get a little rubbing at full flex but nothing serious. If you are planning to run tires like the Swampers I would recommend a 4" lift because the Swamper tires are a true 33" tire. Most of your BFG and Goodyear tires are around 32" for a 33"

tonkadave

I think I am going to go with the Tera 3" Kit. I talked to a guy who just installed it and his jeep looks awesome. He's even running the 33x10.5s on Canyons. Here is a link to his pics.

http://forums.jeepsunlimited.com/ubb/Forum34/HTML/003423.html

spyrodragon

Got any deals going on with Snorkles? My girl, Alee, wants one for Christmas... Oh and we LOVE the lifts... We just got back from a Jeep Jamboree in Tellico and the Jeeps did great, Thanks for the great price! I still need to send you some pics... I'll get around to it sometime. Have a good one.

Chase

bamatazz

Ill will be in chat thursday...
if its still on...
sorry i havent been araound..
let me know..

happy turkey day!!
Bama Tazz

geekman555

Been reading the postings here for some time and you guys(and gals?) all seem pretty familiar with the innards of these wranglers. Got my Sahara back in January 1998...and every winter bar none my jeeps steering column seems to be talking to me. She squeeks and squeels everytime I turn the wheel on those cold winter mornings.I've taken her into the dealer 5 times and they supposedly greased up the column somehow....which works for a while.....but in no time(say a month or two) that things just sqeeking and groaning all over again. I swear this jeep was built in the south somewhere and just hates those cold New England mornings. Anyway, after complaining to the owner of the dealership, they replaced the collar? on the steering column.Well all seemed fine till winter set in this year.....and......once again that dang steering wheel is squeeling like there's no tommorrow.....anyone out there in jeepland got any idea's........

p.s. thanks for all the good info over the past year or so..... I've learned alot ...

jacknimble

My 97 did the same thing - although it was more of a groan. I didn't bother with it, because everything else seemed fine.

Now, my 01 has a squeeky passenger seat that drives me crazy. Anyone had the same problem, and exactly what did you lube to stop it?

jacknimble

If you rotate at every oil change, do you think there would be that much difference in tire size if you always include the spare? Especially if you put the spare on the front everytime? That way, I can buy 5 of the same size to replace, and probably get to 40k with the original Wranglers instead of the 30k I got last time.

Whaddya think?

spyrodragon

Look under your driverside dash... you will see where the steering column goes through the firewall. There is a rubber collar that goes around the steering column and keeps any air from getting in through the hole, this is what is making the squeaking. Try moving it, you'll hear it. see if rotating it helps or try some sort of vasoline or long lasting lubricant type of material. I think the problem is that rubber just doesn't like the cold.

sfjeeps

You have a cool gal if she wants a snorkle. Last time I crossed a stream my girl friend at the time was ready to jump out and swim away just because the water came up to our ankles. To take full advantage of the snorkle you should also place a bead of silicone around the distrubutor and seal off the vent on top of the cap. The tranny breather and both axle breathers should be raised. The front axle is on the top of the radiator and the rear axle is near the gas cap opening, just in case you guys are wondering where they are. The tranny on is the lowest and most people will splice in a longer hose with a small breather cap on it. email me if you have any questions for crossing water over three feet deep in your TJ.

http://home.pacbell.net/jay_w007/index.html

larry18

I am looking into where to mount a hi-lift jack. Anyone familiar with the "on-location" jack mount that mounts under the hood and in front of the firewall? Supposed to be secure and would not be visible from the outside. I found it at:

http://www.mapgear.net/on_products_TJliftmount.htm

Any suggestions?

tsjay

Hey are we still having the chat tonight? I was wondering if we would, since it's Turkey Day for those of us south of the border.

I'll be there, if we have it.

I know you are not supposed to talk with your mouth full, but it's OK to TYPE with your mouth full, ain't it?

tsjay

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

spyrodragon

I think that guy just uses some U-bolts and with some rubber hose over them to hold the Hi-Lift onto the bars. The heavy Jack end rest on the body. That mount isn't too expensive, but if you want to save a few buck I'm sure you could figure out a way to do it by just running down to Lowes or Home Depot and picking up some stuff.

Happy Jeepin'

larry18

Thanks. I like the idea of having the jack out of the way so it can be carried all the time. But I wasn't sure about having a large jack that close to the engine in case it breaks loose. Would be a nasty ordeal I am sure. After my jeep arrives I can look it over to see what is required to make my own mount.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

mac24

Yes, that works. You only ever have a difference of 3000 miles between one tire and the rest, which is almost unmeasurable. You also get full use of the tires you paid for, and if you ever have to switch in the spare because of a flat, it will be the same size as the others.

bamatazz

hello all..
are we having the jeep chat tonight?
everyone bring leftovers!!

BT

larry18

I guess everyone ate too much turkey to chat tonight.

appstate88

Best selection of Team Spare Tire Covers on the web is http://www.teamtirecover.com/

They have Baseball, Football, Hockey, Nascar and College Tire Covers. Very nice people to deal with.

Looked at the Blackhawk Cover and it looks cool. Your son in Law will be impressed. (Price is around $40...)

Good Luck!

AppState

scmhockey

Hey all.

I have a 1999 Sport with the 4.0 and I have this clicking sound under acceleration. The dealer mechanic said that he didn't hear anything, but it bothers me BIG TIME. The service lady called me and told me that, and I (without thinking) blurted out "What a bunch of crap". Kinda funny. Anyone had a similar noise, or know what it is? It seems to keep time with the RPMs of the engine.

mac24

Classic symptom of a cracked exhaust manifold. There's a modified manifold available from DC, and the 2000 on have a totally different manifold. It usually cracks at one of the welds, and it doesn't take much of a crack to make a VERY irritating noise.

scmhockey

That doesn't sound good. Thanks for the info. I'll have to take it back again and ride with the idiot. I had heard that kind of sound before in an old beat up van. Any ideas how much that would cost to fix?

dwrangler

Sorry to hear of your problem. If it is still within the warranty period, don't let them screw you around and turn it back on you. Press the point and if you don't get service to your satisfaction contact the BBB and your local tv consumer affairs reporter. Maybe with some bad PR they'll correct the problem. Hope things work out in your favor.

BamaTazz,

Son you are in some serious trouble. We have yet to see you at the Mud Hole chat room. I have seen less postings here...Whatzaaaap? Hurry back to edmunds and g's. We're planning on being there at around 8pm tonight and Saturday night. We had a great crowd last night...hope to see you too.

Saharagal,

How 'bout some snow tennis? ;-) hope to see ya there too around 8 both nights.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.

Hug your Jeeps for me. ;-)

dwrangler

scmhockey

Thanks for the concern. I'll just have to be a real jerk to get what I deserve. I'm still under my warranty period. I've only had it 2 years and 5 months, and I have 28000 miles. Other than my little problem, I love it.

I saw an earlier(much earlier) post about sound systems. I have a Sony CD head unit with a Sony changer. I have Cerwin Vega speakers in the dash and in the soundbar. The real difference maker is the bazooka 8" sub I just put in. It really helps round out the sound. Its not a big boomer, but that's not what I'm into. It sounds great with the top off, which is the main thing I was looking for. Anyone else have a nice sound system they want to talk about?

mac24

You should get it done under warranty without any trouble. It's a very common problem on pre 2000 TJ's, witness the modified manifold and the complete change after 2000. Part number for the modified type of manifold is shown as "4883385 manifold 9048006" on my warranty invoice.

Try another dealer if yours is dumb. Otherwise contact DC. You really don't want to pay for this. Manifold is approximately $475, plus gasket, plus sealing ring, plus about 2.5 hours labor, plus tax. You REALLY don't want to pay for it. Good luck.

saharagal

Sorry I haven't been around much lately. I made the mistake of buying my sons a computer game, and now I can't get a minute on the computer most nights! I've stopped by the chat room a few times, but nobody was there. Thanks for thinking about me.

By the way, no snow here in ATL! No tennis lately for me though. I've had a very unexciting leg injury that has sidelined me for the last few weeks! Bummer!

S'gal

tsjay

About time we heard from you! Kick those kids off the puter once in a while and post some messages. Go to Gill's once in a while too: things are picking up there again.

tsjay

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

yellowman

Well, got the Jeep back and the ignition area has been repaired, and I'm once again back on the road :-) They put a new lock on my tailgate, but it still is bulging out a little bit and there are some small paint cracks around the keyhole, so I'm taking it to a body shop next week to take care of that. Damage on the ignition stuff was $637.00, of which I'm responsible for $500.00. Since I'm now over the deductible, I won't have to pay for the body work, so that's good. Now I'm going nuts trying to figure out what this light is to the left of the steering wheel on the dash. I'll take a picture of it soon and post it so you all can give me your opinions.

Also had the Jeep washed and hand waxed today, looks great. :-) I have it covered now so hopefully the jerk that messed with it last time won't try it again.

yellowman

tsjay

Glad things are progressing, but it makes me sick that some (expletive deleted) caused you to have to spend $500 of your hard earned money just cause he is too lazy to work for something of his own and tried to take something from you.

Man, if you were gonna spend $500 on your Jeep, it should have been for some mods, not just to try to get it back in the same condition it was in before some jerk came along and tried to steal it!

Sure sorry that happened, Yeller. You didn't deserve that.

tsjay

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

tsjay

You are most likely sitting down, since you are on the puter, but if you're not, you need to be before you read this.

I TOOK THELMA JANE OFF ROAD!

Yep, my little Thelma Jane was offroad yesterday and she even got a little muddy!

We went out in the strip mine land and found a few little dirt roads that were mostly overgrown with grass and took a ride on them. There were some places where the road was partially washed out, and we used 4-low to get through them.

Now I'm sure what we did would be considered very tame stuff by any true offroader's standards, but, hey, it was a start.

I had a ball! Thelma Jane loved it! She still has a smile on her grill!

I think I'm hooked. Just wish I had some better places to go offroading around here. Those little roads only went a few hundred yards at the most and then dead ended. Had to turn around and come back out the same way. I wish I could find someplace where you can go miles and miles offroad.

tsjay

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

bamatazz

Well..that means im the odd one...
no off roading for me...maybe in a couple of years.. trying to keep Tazz just as clean as he was in June....
Tom..you can go off roading in my place..
hey dwrangler..i;m back...
tom yelled at me enough..i was at the mud hole last night... hope to see ya there soon

Keep Jeepin
BamaTazz
rolll tide

goducks1

Oh man, I hope that clicking sound I sometimes here at low speeds is not a cracked exhaust manifold. I'm paying this thing off in 2 weeks and I'll have to pay for an expensive repair? It's a very subtle sound but I was wondering if that is what I hear. I noticed it stops when I am shifting. I bought my TJ in March 1998 so I am 8 months out of warranty though I am still under 36K miles.

As for the spare--to rotate, or not to rotate, that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler to keep all tires with the same wear...only you can really make that choice, but you best make sure that if the axle in question has a limited slip you keep identical tires on there.

tsjay

Hey, that was a recognized problem with the Jeeps, and DC is well aware of it. I think they would fix it for you, even if you are past the three years.

You ought to check into it right away, though.

Hope that they will take care of it for you, if that is the problem. They ought to!

tsjay

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

scmhockey

Thanks a lot for the info mac24. I wasn't aware that it was a known issue. Did you have that problem on yours?

Ducks - The sound I'm experiencing is only noticable under hard acceleration, like when I'm entering the highway. Is that the same for you?

Tsjay - Congrats on getting Thelma Jane off-road. Have you driven it in the snow yet? That's when I knew I loved my Jeep.

goducks1

It comes and goes, but I usually notice it in 2nd or 3rd gear when accelerating, yes. Of course, I tried to hear it this weekend and could not. Actually, it's more of a raspy scraping sound and I think it is coming more from the back of the Jeep. There is nothing in the wheels (I checked) and anyway it disappears for the second or so that I am shifting between gears, so I figure it must be drivetrain related. I have not heard it for about a month now, but it has been coming and going for 6 months.

After I read the post yesterday morning on the manifold, I let the engine idle for a while and popped open the hood. No exhaust smell--should there be if there is a leak? I did notice that water was pouring out of one end of the muffler (not the tailpipe, the muffler itself) and I am not sure if that is normal. It rained here this weekend, but I'll be danged if I can see how it could have gotten under the Jeep. The exhaust appeared normal coming out of the tailpipe.

Wranglers are such noisy beasts normally it is kind of hard to tell if the sounds you hear are a problem or just something you generally can't hear in a car. I have no idea into which category this falls. I have never heard of this exhaust manifold TSB before this weekend. The only warranty repair I ever needed was the dashboard gauge failure that some others here have experienced.

mac24

scmhockey #4248: Yes, had it on my '99 4.0. Covered under warranty at 33,000m with no problem. Noise was impossible to hear while stationary, either in the vehicle, under the vehicle, or under the hood. The crack was about half an inch long and virtually invisible (I saw the manifold afterwards). The noise was only audible under acceleration, and at it's worst when accelerating up a hill. As I'm sure you know, it's REALLY irritating!

goducks1 #4249: Doesn't sound like it's your problem. By the way, there's no TSB on it as far as I'm aware, it's not a complex problem. The water is condensation coming from the weep or drain hole on the muffler. It's there to stop water building up and rusting through.

twylie

To see if you have an exhaust leak somewhere in the system, try the following:

- get a friend to help you
- get a large shop towell
- have your friend fold up the towell and firmly, but briefly cover the tailpipe for no more than 2 seconds (any longer and you may kill the engine), release the towell, give the engine a few seconds, and repeat. When you close off the "normal" path for the exhaust to escape, you will find out if you have leaks anywhere else.
- if you have an exhaust leak at the manifold, muffler, or anywhere else in the system, you should hear the exhaust escaping through any holes or cracks in the system while the tailpipe os capped off.
- move through the system, listening for leaks as your friend covers the pipe. Go through the system from to rear at least twice.
- I would recommend doing this on a warm day (not a problem for you as a SoCal'er) after the engine is at operating temperature. This will make sure the exhaust system is as "expanded" as possible.

HTH, and let us know if you find anything. If you do have a problem with the exhaust system, the problem should be pretty evident after trying this test.

-twylie

jeepboy727

Sure enough tsjay, They deleted it. I can't stand it. This will be my last post here. Goodbye

tsjay

Hey, Tidester said she would check with management. She just did what she thought was right.

I explained that Gill's place is a private, noncommercial web site that doesn't even have advertising and is by no means a competitor of Edmunds.

I also told her that I have sent several people TO Edmunds FROM Gill's, and these people didn't even know that Edmunds existed until I invited them here from Gill's chat room.

So, I think we should just wait and see about this. This place has been my home for the last year and a half, and I don't want to leave, nor do I want anyone else to leave.

Let's give Tidester a chance to check this out.

tsjay

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

tidester

I'm sorry about the confusion. I discussed the matter with management and we concluded that we can draw a line between commercial and noncommercial sites.

I hope this clarification will let us get back to enjoying our discussion of Wranglers. We enjoy your company here!

tidester
Host
SUVs

tsjay

Thanks a bunch! You are a good moderator!

I understand Edmunds not wanting their site to be used to promote a competitor's site, but that is certainly not the case with good old Gill's place.
Everything there is free and there is absolutely no advertising. Gill just loves Jeeps and likes people to come to his place and "talk Jeep."

Now, everyone, let's get back to "bidness" and have some fun!

Thanks for understanding, Edmunds. You guys are OK!

tsjay

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

yellowman

Sounds like this is the same thing as the "rattling" that I experience when I'm going from third to fourth a lot of the time. I almost don't notice it anymore. I had it looked into by a dealer once and he told me it was something called "shift linkage". I certainly haven't had any performance issues in the 7 1/2 months I've owned my Jeep.

yellowman