Jeep Wrangler

mtngal

I go away for a week and a half and there are tons of messages! Yellowman - sorry to hear about your breakin. That's what we get for living in this area, and why I moved as far away from the city as I could get without giving up my job!

Thanks all for the information on the manifold. I'm not happy to hear about it - I've been trying to ignore that noise when I'm accelerating since this spring, and thought it was just a leak in the exhaust system somewhere that wouldn't cost me an arm and a leg to fix! I notice it most of the time, but didn't associate it with hills so much (but then, I'm always either going up or down a hill...). I'll have to pay for it since it is just over 3 years old and is over 10,000 miles beyond the extended warranty we bought! I know that I'll have to get it fixed before March, because I doubt it will pass the smog test the way it is. Guess I'll get a quote from my mechanic in the next couple of weeks when I go in for the 90,000 mile servicing (I know, I'm late again on the servicing) and hope that natural gas prices don't go up too badly this winter!

yellowman

So, just to be clear, is this 'clicking' sound the manifold? Or is that an uncertainty? The serviceman I showed the sound to said they've had lots of Wranglers in with the same noise, and they went crazy trying to figure out what it was. Finally he said it was "shift linkage" which is normal. I don't know enough about all this tech stuff to dispute it and, like I said, it hasn't been a problem. But if everyone thinks it's this manifold thing, then I can take it in and at least have them look at it.

yellowman

p.s. - Going to take it in to the body shop sometime this week to get the tailgate fixed.

tsjay

Just thought I'd better let all of you know that I messed up when I was referring to Tidester as a "she." I had him mixed up with another host.

Sorry!

tsjay

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

mtngal

I'm no mechanic, but I think we might be talking about different things. I don't have a sound when I'm shifting (i.e. when I'm engaging the clutch) - only when I'm accelerating and already in gear (fairly hard acceleration). When I shift I don't notice anything out of the ordinary (unless I blow the shift).

scmhockey

I have an appointment tomorrow (Wednesday) to have it looked at again. I told the person that took the appointment that I thought it was the exhaust manifold. Not that it will matter, but I hope it does. I also started having the problem that others have had on this forum - the guages die and the airbag light comes on intermittently. So I figured I'd have them fix that, since it is a known issue. If I have to take a drive with the mechanic, than so be it. I want this fixed, and I'm not paying for it. Thanks for all the great info everyone!

goducks1

Thanks for the advice on checking for exhaust system leaks twylie. I don't think I am experiencing the same problem as the other people on this board though. My sound is a very faint metallic ringing/scraping sound, not a clicking sound. I'm not going to fret about it for the moment--hopefully this decision will not come back to haunt me.

dwrangler

Well Folks, as the old saying goes, "when it rains, it pours" and brother has it ever. I know I've talked about having to replace my battery in my Firebird (the night I had a mid-term exam no less)before. Well, I was leaving work and had just pulled out of the parking lot and was waiting my turn to get onto a fairly busy road to mail a letter when it happened...the bird died. I kept turning the key hoping that it would start, but no luck...it just kept cranking with no success. I called the local shop and they had to tow it to the shop. They can't get to it til tomorrow, so Lord only knows what the news will be. My luck it won't be cheap! So I'll be driving my Dad's old Ford pickup til it's fixed.

Tsjay,
I'm sure Thelma's happy...you need to take her out more often. ;-) Oh and ditto on the statement regarding Gill and thanks to the host's comments...maybe we'll soon see him posting here again. I learn alot from both sites as well as others.

Scmhockey,
Hey neighbor! You're just a "short" drive from me in Maryland Heights Mo. Just out of curiosity, where did you get your Jeep? Good luck with your Jeep.

Yellowman,
Glad to hear things are improving with your Jeep. I don't think I could afford to go with a $500 deductible, it's just too tough on my income although I wish I had my Jeep instead of the Firebird.

Saharagal,
Sorry to hear about the leg injury. As far as the snow tennis goes I was just kiddin'. I was just remembering with a chuckle the snow football games I was involved in while in college (the first time). I figured hey,if we could play snow football why not snow tennis...only problem is what to use for a ball. ;-)

Proud member of the Mud Hole Gang

Hug your Jeeps for me ;-)
dwrangler

twylie

With all the crazy talk of Tom taking Thelma Jane off of pavement, I thought it would be appropriate to post the 2002 Jeep Jamboree schedule. I think we're going to plan on going to the April event in Murphy, NC. Lots of options for different parts of the country. I know there have been some posts on the board before about the good times at these events.

http://www.jeepjamboreeusa.com/sched.htm

Tom, 3 - count 'em, 3 locations in KY next year. No excuses!

-twylie

tsjay

Bless you, my son! I don't know about attending the jamboree, but when I clicked on the link you posted and then on the Land Between the Lakes Jamboree, I found that the national park has a designated area for offroading! I'm only about an hour and fifteen minutes from the Land Between the Lakes, so I will definitely check that place out sometime.

tsjay

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

dwrangler

Well, the Firebird is finally fixed but it was expensive...close to $400...OUCH. The last thing I need is another bill to pay, I still have to come up with money to pay for Spring classes.

Jamboree sounds like fun! I can't wait til I can get my Jeep and join ya.

Hug your Jeeps for me

dwrangler

mtngal

Well, I said I would post something about the Dueller AT tires when the weather turned bad. Last night (and even this morning) the National Weather Service was saying the snow level would be 8,000 lowering to 6500 feet. They were wrong - at 4 am this morning there was about an inch and a half of snow at our 5800 foot home, and there was a dusting as low as 4500 feet! So it was a jeep day for our commute. The tires handled the snow very well - since it wasn't icy we stayed in 2 wheel drive. Once we got on the freeway we were battling rain and high winds. I thought the Duellers handled it much better than the Goodyears did, but it is relative. At 60 MPH (our speed) we were getting blown around quite a bit. I don't know how strong the winds were, but they were as bad as I've driven through (we were out of town the day they closed the Grapevine for high winds last year).

In all, I am very happy we changed to them! And don't always believe the weatherman when it comes to the mountains!

goducks1

Twylie, do the jamborees fill up pretty quickly? The Big Bear one in May looks interesting but I probably won't have the cash for it until after the holidays.

twylie

I don't know how quickly they fill up, but I'd guess that they don't fill up immediately. The refund policy is OK as long as you cancel more than 21 days out($25 I think). I think SPyro went last fall; maybe he can provide guidance.

-twylie

madman390

Hey all! How's life?

Colorado is getting cold finally. The highs over the last few days have been in the 20s and it snowed Mon-Wed. But today it warmed up into the 40s and most of the snow is melting.

Anyway, the Jeep has been great. The heater is amazing, even on those 4degree mornings! And the messy roads did not stop me, although I did see quite a few cars along the side of the road.

I've updated my web page, added the links pages, and some new pics from our Sunday drive. Just ignore the ads, it's something I have to live with at tripod.

Enjoy!

Madman

http://madman390.tripod.com/cgi-bin/home.html

larry18

New jeep rolled off the line yesterday and is awaiting rail service to dealer. She was ordered 11/8/01. Looks like all the incentives will still be in place when she is delivered. Was told to call back tomorrow for possible rail car number to track her journey.

Madman. Nice Pics!

spyrodragon

Jamborees are a great way to experince what your jeep was built for and in a safe environment... Jeep provides spotters who are well experinced with the trails that you go on. They have trails for all kinds of vehicles, from stock to built. I encourage anyone who has a chance to go to one, to go! The Appalachian jamboree in NC was a blast, although the trails wern't terribly difficult, we'll be doing harder ones next year. That Jamboree fills up quickly the April one will be filled up by end of January mid Feb... The October one will be filled by the end of the summer, at least that's how it was last year... Don't be afraid about going with a stock jeep, the spotters there will help you out, and make sure you only go on the trails that your vehicle can handle.

Happy Jeepin'

scmhockey

I am pretty close. I actually worked in Maryland Heights recently at Edward Jones. Anyway, I got my Jeep from Glendale Jeep on Manchester. I don't take it there for service though(not yet at least), because its quite a distance from my house. I take it to Royal Oaks in Cave Springs currently. If they don't get this clicking sound fixed, then I will be taking it somewhere else. I'll probably take it out toward Wentzville. So when are you gonna get a Jeep?

big_dave

Hey all --

Quick question: My 99 Wrangler Sport got broken into earlier in the week -- the price you pay for having a soft top in the city I guess! There wasn't any damage or much of value in there, but one of the things they made off with was the tire jack and all the hardware.

Does anyone know if the Wrangler takes a special jack, or can I just go to AutoZone or someplace like that and grab one? I know I'll have to go to a dealer to get the tool to unlock the spare, but I'd like to spend as little money there as possible ...

Thanks!

spyrodragon

Get a Hi-Lift and a 4x rack for the front bumper... It's a big jack that can be used for a hundred and one purposes, great item to have if you plan on going off-road.

goducks1

Any jack will probably work, but it may not fit under the passenger seat as neatly as the factory one. Maybe you can buy spyro's old factory jack, since he's apparently upgraded his

tsjay

Although I already congratulated you in gill's chat room, let me take advantage of this forum to publicly say... CONGRATULATIONS!

I hope the delivery is in record time! I know what you are going through!

Good luck, Lar

tsjay

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

tsjay

Richard... where in the world have you been????

If you are still checking in here once in a while, POST SOMETHING!

Atleast email me. We miss you, Boy!

tsjay

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

sfjeeps

A High Lift jack is a great tool and very useful for a Jeep owner but keep in mind the stock bumpers are not designed to act as a jacking point. The front and rear bumpers and like foil and I don't recommend jacking up your TJ on this area.

yellowman

Bummer about the break-in...I know all about that now, unfortunately! Did they try to steal the Jeep itself, or were they just looting?

yellowman

scmhockey

Well, I had them look at my Jeep again on Saturday. They call me about noon and say that they can't hear anything wrong. They had fixed the gauge problem already. I told them I would be up to take a drive with one of the techs. Took the tech on a test drive and he said he heard the sound. So I get back to the dealer and they bring it back into the garage. The manager and the tech wouldn't discuss anything about it anywhere near me. I knew something was up. So I decided to leave and go see a movie while they were pretending to look at my Jeep again. I called them when I got out of the movie and the manager says that they couldn't get the sound to re-occur unless they drove it improperly. He said that the only way they got it to make any noise was when they started out in third gear instead of first. So basically I gave up with them, especially when they say I'm driving it improperly. I've been driving sticks for over ten years, and know what I am doing. Anyway, I'm gonna get a survey in the mail shortly and tell them what I think of their "5 star" service.

yellowman

I think I must have a similar sound, and I had a similar brush-off with the dealership when they told me it was normal. To be clear, I hear the noise when I am IN gear and accelerating, not between gears. It mostly happens as I'm accelerating up in third gear or fourth gear (particularly the latter). To me it originally sounded like a rattling sound, but I can see where someone would describe it as fast clicking or scraping. Like I said, I almost don't notice it anymore because it's always there, and I haven't had any performance problems, so for the time being I've decided to let it be. But if anyone hears anything other than a brush-off from a dealer or tech, please post it here!

yellowman

big_dave

Thanks for the help on the jack! Yeah, they were just breaking in and looking for treasure. They got in through one of the back windows, and were also able to pop open the locked glove compartment without damaging it (clearly not the most secure location in a Wrangler).

There wasn't much of value in there, so they took random things -- my tire jack, the faceplate to my CD player (but didn't touch the player -- weird), a Jimmy Buffett CD (ha ha it skips), a road atlas of the Boston area, and a soccer shin guard.

When they were done though, they did try to replace the back window, which I appreciate.

dwrangler

Unfortunately for me I am in a tight spot financially and am trying to get certified to teach art, so getting my Jeep is a few years away. Keep on the dealership and the service department, if you let them they'll run all over you. Good luck and let us know what happens.

Can't stay long tonight so this post will be a short one.

Hug your Jeeps for me.

dwrangler

sfjeeps

Since we are on the topic of theft and simple and very inexpensive kill switch may save the day. If you look closely on the starter motor of your TJ there is a small red wire. This is the starter solenoid wire and if you cut that wire and place a switch it will cut out the starter. Just run down to your local Radio Shack for a small single pull/ single throw switch and your in business. Where to mount the switch? That's your secret but I do recommend a hood lock as well.
Please let me know if you have any questions.

James

rs1157

Well Guess what the jeeps is starting to LEAK, I am at 3500 miles and a leak has formed. First thing I checked was the oil filter and bolt, they were dry. Second let me tell you where it leaks, The leak build up on the gas tank skid plate. So I think that there can only be two sources for the leak. The transmission, and or the trasfer case. Has anyone else had this problem. I got to get to a dealer soon. This is not normal right. Oh ya I do not hink the gas tank is leaking, because gas evaporates really fast, and i do not think that i would see a build up. And for the color of the oil, looks like brand new oil? Not black or anything.

R

tsjay

Jeep Buddies, it was one year ago today that my little baby girl was making her way down the assembly line! She was officially "born" at 12:13 AM on the fifth, so that means she was really mostly put together on the fourth.

Thelma is a Monday Jeep, I guess, since last year December 4th was a Monday. She turned out fine, anyway. I guess they make some good ones even on Mondays.

Tomorrow is her official birthday, but I thought I would post today to tell everyone that Thelma was being built on this day last year.

tsjay

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

bamatazz

Happy birthday to you...happy birthday to Thelma,
Happy birthday to you...
From your Cousin
TAZZ

tsjay

Here's a copy of my post announcing her birth...

#478 of 4288 It's a girl! by tsjay Dec 05, 2000 (10:15 pm)
I proudly announce the birth of my baby girl, Thelma Jane Johnson!

She weighed 3316 lbs and was 150.1 inches long.

It's official! She rolled off the line today, and I ought to have her by Friday or Saturday!!!!

tsjay

I think I'll drive her to work today instead of driving the S-10, and I'll treat her to some 89 octance instead of the usual 87!

tsjay

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

tsjay

I am totally satisfied with the vehicle I'm driving after owning it a year! Shoulda got into Wranglers a long time ago! I could have saved thousands of dollars!

I think I have the perfect combination of vehicles now, with the little S-10 for a work truck and Thelma Jane for fun. Hey, Thelma Jane did fine as a daily driver, but I'm really keeping the miles down on her now by driving that S-10, and getting better gas mileage too. Then there is the important advantage of having something to drive to work on rainy days and being able to leave Thelma in the garage with her top and doors off in the summer.

tsjay

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

nycjeeper

Okay - I haven't posted in a while because of the little flame war that tainted my first experiences here. I do continue to read the new posts about twice a week - just to check on any sort of Jeep tips or newly recognized technical problems that I could avoid with a little community advice.

Now for the problem. Tracking birthdays of inanimate objects, typing songs, or continually referring to your vehicle as a person with thoughts and/or feelings is extraordinarily creepy. It is reminiscent of old women who hold conversations with cats, lonely men who have parties for their dogs, or small children who cry endlessly over the demise of a fifty cent goldfish.

This is silly behavior and I find it terribly disturbing.

mtngal

Glad to hear you still love Thelma Jane. I'm having a terrible time right now. My other half really wants to dump the Taco for a more comfortable daily commuter, and he's fallen in love with the Trailblazer at the moment. Unfortunately it would require us to go to only one vehicle and trade in both the Taco (which is still depreciating faster than I can pay it off) and my beloved Wrangler (which is worth more than we owe on it). I really don't want to give it up! It is the first car I really wanted, the first car since I got married that was my choice, and its fun! On the other hand I endured many complaints the first year about how small it is, how rough a ride it is, how noisy, etc. Granted, he's been quiet about it for the last year, ever since we got the Taco. And I'm not comfortable in the Taco either. Just don't know what to do at this point.

Thanks for letting me cry on all your shoulders...

big_dave

Just trying to figure out how NYCJEEPER could possibly ever have been involved in a "flame war." Hmmmmm ...

larry18

Finally found out the rail car # for my jeep. It is sitting in GIBSYD, Indiana. Ready to come to Tulsa, OK for transport to the dealer. Anyone know where GIBSYD, IN might be. I am sure it is coded for the rail yard somewhere in Indiana, but where?

Tsjay, looks like it may be close to your area. See if you can move things along for me. Catch you at Gill's tonight for an update.

larry18

cklausing

Well, I too rarely post here, but simply because I don't have the free time to post all that often, and because my knowledge on any relavent subject here is far surpassed by the others who do frequent this forum.

As far as the behaviour of the people here, I think that it simply stems from the fact that they are good natured people who understand the concept of "fun". That is half the reason for owning a jeep in the first place, right? Please don't take this the wrong way, but perhaps the right approach would be to simply lighten up and roll with it:) This place would be awfully bland if it weren't for the personality of the people here. Creativity and sillyness are good things!

Oh, and my puppy's birthday is only a couple of months away. I think I know somebody who won't be getting an invite to the party;)

mac24

For less on puppies, and more on tech, why not try:

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/

goducks1

For those who remember sasquatch(tex, twylie, tsjay, and a few other long-termers in here): maybe we could have the hosts set up a personal thread for nycjeeper & sasquatch where they could endlessly flame each other's posts. It would avoid any more ugliness in here...

tsjay

Man, you gotta lighten up! This is all in fun.

If it adds to my enjoyment of my Jeep to ascribe some human attributes to her, then what's the harm? I may carry things a little farther than most others in here, but I think the vast majority of members in Wrangler IV have some type of emotional attachment to their Jeeps.

Now this kind of thing may not be your cup of tea, but I sure hope you have SOME ways of having fun. You DO have fun sometimes, don't you?

Cklausing had it almost right when he said that Jeeps are mostly for fun. I think he could have said that Jeeps are ALL about fun. For very few owners is a Jeep a practical vehicle to own. For almost every one of us, our Jeeps are totally IMPRACTICAL, but FUN!

Can you say, "FUN?"

tsjay

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

tidester

maybe we could have the hosts set up a personal thread for nycjeeper & sasquatch

We could possibly arrange that! ;-) just kidding, guys! As you were - sans flames!

tidester
Host
SUVs

frank2

My 2001 TJ Sport, 5700 miles with many off road trips, and no issues to report. no leaks of any kind. I have found on my van sometimes will pickup oil off the road and it drops by the wheel but goes away in a day or so.

hope this helps.

texasjeep

HAPPY BIRTHDAY THELMA JANE!

Whats going on everyone?
Sorry about the disappearing act. I don't get online at work anymore and my PC at home sucks.
Hopefully putting a new PC together soon.

Can there be a bigger hypocrite than nycjeeper?

I didn't mind sasquatch. He was a little blunt, but I don't remeber any wars with him.

tsjay

YOU RASCAL! I was really worried about you! Seriously! I emailed you a couple times and never heard from you. I was afraid something bad had happened to you.

You SHOULD be sorry for disappearing! Don't do that again, ok????

Glad you're ok. Now start posting once in a while.
And chatting again!

Thanks for the bithday wishes for thelma jane.

c ya

tsjay

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

spyrodragon

Jeeps are unique, every Jeep is different, the names add to that differance. It adds to the enjoyment you get from owning something. It's better than saying "yea, I drove my car there." You can say "yea, I drove Thelma Jane there." It's an easy conversation topic/starter. It's for those of us that can enjoy life, even in certain aspects as simple as taking a drive. As for typing songs... did the tune not pop into your head? It's like saying "don't think of a zebra." You automatically think of a zebra. It's a way that people can connect and communicate instead of grunting. As for the rest of it, it's like telling someone that praying is useless or that their religion is a joke... You're not going to pursuade them no matter how hard you try, you're just going to make them angry. All of the "creepy" things that you listed are normal human reaction to a provoked stimulus. Look it up, there are thousands of research projects that have been done on how the human mind becomes attached to objects that have no returned feelings.

bamatazz

ok...so we are a little creepy..
Isnt that what keeps up from going insane/

Tazz..is my escape from the the real world...

some people..take drugs...or drink...
mine is TAZZ...i dont apologize for it...

Cant we all just....get along?
Nahhh

Keep jeepin
BamaTazz

dwrangler

texasjeep,
Where ya been son we've missed ya. Come by the mud hole when ya can. We usually get together around 8pm central or a little before.

tsjay,
I know I've already said it but I'll repeat it here....HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THELMA...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

Bama,

Some are more abnormal than others...and they should get their own topic made especially for hurling insults and whatever else is below the fun yet CIVIL posts we have here. See ya at the mud hole tomorrow (otherwise known as Friday). Hope we have a good fun crowd.

Ok folks I know that we don't always stick to technical mumbo jumbo as far as Jeeps go, but the idea is to have fun, exchange information point potential Jeep owners in the right direction so they can enjoy their Jeepster owner's experience. Let's remember that and remember to have fun without being crude, rude, and socially unacceptable. This is a friendly topic area unlike some of the truck posts that have the "mine is bigger, badder, and better than yours mentality...let's keep it that way.

Ok now that I have put my two cents worth in let's get back to the fun-loving Jeepsters that we are.

Hug your Jeeps for me ;-)

dwrangler

sfjeeps

I just had a customer in the shop today that complained about how his TJ rode. The gripe was it rode too hard and was bouncy. The first thing I did was check his tire pressure. The pressure was over 35 PSI on the BFG AT tires which is way too high. The average tire pressure for this tire on a TJ should be around 22-25 PSI. If your tires are over inflated you will wear out the center of the tire before the outer edges and you will not take advantage of the full tire surface. The best way to figure out what tire pressure is best for you I recommend taking a piece of chalk and marking a stripe across the tire. The roll your jeep about 30 feet and check the chalk mark. If the chalk mark is wear at the eadge first, you will need more pressure and if it is wearing at the center first, it will need less pressure. The perfect pattern is an even wear mark straight across.