Jeep Cherokee

vin_weasel

Your Jeep doesn't have struts. You have two coil springs in the front and two leaf springs in the back with 4 shock absorbers, one in each corner. Unless you've been doing some really heavy and prolonged towing the only thing that might need replacement would be the shocks. There are lots of aftermarket types and you should probably shop around to see what you like. I don't have any experience with any of the aftermarket brands so I'll let someone else chime in with favourites.

sandyboy

In general, after the initial new car warrantee has expired, would you rather replace parts that need replacing using Auto Supply Store-Type Parts, obtained by either yourself or the persons at the garage doing your car's work * OR * using original equipment
from MOPAR, either installed by yourself or a Jeep dealer?

mrq3883

My 2000 Cherokee Sport seems to take a long time to put out hot air. The temp gage goes up to 210 within five minutes, but the heater doesn't warm up for 15 or 20 minutes. Any ideas?

vin_weasel

I will buy whatever parts are the cheapest but also hold the most value and always try to install things myself. Every failure on a vehicle is an upgrade waiting to happen.

I try to stay away from the dealer in most cases because of high prices but some things have to be purchased there.

Mrq3883, I don't know much about heaters but I know that my heat is evident as soon as I have engine temperature. Maybe its a heater core thing?

ed96

i agree with vin . through 3 cherokees and 1 grand wagoneer, the one constant is that jeeps make heat.start jeep, drive a bit . turn off the damn heater. open window . turn the heat back on . repeat.

you might want to check thermostat or heater core for plug

boggse

I put Bilsteins on my 98 Classic last fall. They cost about as much as the MOPAR shocks from the dealer. They were quite easy to replace. I got them from stranoparts.com (call them; don't use their website). I had to wait a bit because, at the time, Bilsteins were hard to come by due to greater than expected demand, but I think that has cleared up.

The on-highway ride is much better. Large potholes and pavement irregularities are less harsh than with the stock shocks. If you off-road often, then there are better options, but the Bilsteins are fine for trail riding.

jeepbabe33

Hi, I'm a proud owner of this bad boy and am in awe of this Suv. I owned a Kia Sportgage before (I know what you are saying about that!!) That is another story on it's own. What a piece of crap!!!

On the lighter note, what a honor it is for me to own this truck. It has been everything I thought it would be. It's classic body style is still one of the toughest and sexiest looking compared to its competetors. I finally took it for a road trip recently and it was a great ride. It handles the road great and I felt very safe in it. Haven't taken it off roading, but I plan on it and I know that this truck will be capable of letting me expierience it's true performance.

My only gripe on the truck is the gas milage. WOW!!!it's loves the stuff!! Any sugesstions on keeping better fuel economy? And also give me some pointers on what I need to do to keep my truck running a long time.

thanks everyone

sandyboy

'Ya they like gas, partially because the straight six engine (not V-6) has its roots as a truck engine, but it's nothing to see these engines last to 100,000 ++ miles. By the way, if you look at your title (bill of sale) I think you'll find under the heading of vehicle type the word "Wagon" ~ it technicly is NOT a S.U.V. but rather a station wagon. It was granted the name of wagon, back in 1984 when American Motors Corporation (AMC) introduced it, and due to the fact that the vehicle never changed (18 model years perhaps the longest time frame of any car since WWII), the name Wagon had to remain. Thusly, the lower insurance rates when compared to the closest competition, such as the Chevy Blazer or Ford Escape. Welcome to "Jeepin' "

boggse

Actually, I find my fuel economy pretty good compared to similarly sized, 6 cylinder vehicles like the Ford Escape and Jeep Liberty. I get around 18 in town and about 24 on the highway as long as it isn't too windy. I find the best way to get good fuel economy in my Jeep is to avoid lead footing it, but where is the fun in that? I did get about 1 MPG better by installing a K&N drop in filter.

1badsidekick

Hi, I currently drive a '98 Suzuki Sidekick Sport 4dr 4x4 w/55k, and I am looking to trade it in on something a little newer with less miles. I've had numerous problems with my Sidekick, not to mention that its too small, and gas milage is about the same as a V6. I've driven a Cherokee, and I have a friend who has a '93, and another who has a '01, in that beautiful color "Amber Fire." Both of them love the vehicles, and I like them too. I drove a '98 Sport 4 door with 5 speed (very rare) and loved it. The price was very good, but the only thing that kept me from trading was the rear bumper was all scratched and needed repainting, and the back seat had damage do the top where the vinyl is. I was wondering if you guys could provide any advice on this, tell me of any problems you've had, any TSBs, any info at all really about the '99-'01 models. Thanks!

sandyboy

I too wanted that beautiful Amber-Fire color, but I also wanted heated leather seat dual power buckets, and THAT meant I had to get a LIMITED. Sadly, the mid-year Solar Yellow & Amber-Fire were only available on the Sport, so I took Silver on my Limited.
She has just 10,000 miles (it's a 2001) and the only problem I have had is the element of the driver's side heated seat broke. I am now waiting for a replacement since December 16th and no sign of it yet! 7 weeks. Otherwise I personally have had good luck with it.

1badsidekick

Thanks for the info. I was searching around on Autotrader, and lo and behold, a dealership near where I'll be over the weekend has an awesome looking white 2000 Limited that I think I'll check out while I'm down there. Price is $15,995. Looks like its pretty well loaded, also with the heated seats. Yeah, my friend just happened by a dealership one night when she was taking classes, and decided to test drive a new Jeep (she had an '88 Cherokee, which she loved dearly, but was giving engine problems) and described to the dealer what she wanted. She's also very persuasive, and I've told her that she could sell a pair of panty hose to a bird. Anyway, after describing what she was looking for, and also noting the color that she liked, the dealer said "well, we had one just like that come off the truck today...but its mine. I had it special ordered with what I wanted on it...but, lets see what we can do." He let her take it for 15 days to try it out, and then she signed the paperwork at it was hers. She's put about 25k on it already, and the only thing she's done is the regular oil changes, and tire rotations, and one recall for something under the hood that didn't have a heat shield and could catch fire. Other than that, she loves it. I'll be looking into them a bit more.

sebring95

Just crossing 65K miles. Very pleased with it; goes anywhere, hauls my stuff, handles/drives nice. Had oil-pressure sending unit repaired under warranty, other than that new front pads/rotors, couple sets of plugs, new tires, and fluid changes. I put a better set of shocks on right after buying it and the ride/handling improved. A good set of Michelins also does wonders for things.

bored

Well, I'm not going to say anything about your previous purchase. My mom currently has a Sportage, and it has been the toughest, most reliable automobile she has ever owned... She recommends them to everyone, and the rest of them have all been reliable also.

Wow, it sure has been "busy" while I haven't been posting here. Well, just to let you guys know, I still love the Cherokee, but sometimes, I don't know what comes upon me. It's just hard to find one near me, for sale, anywhere. I guess people seem to be quite happy with the one they already have, so they don't sell them. Nothing is going to change by the summer anyway, so I may end up buying something else. But just know, that I will always love a Jeep.

Which leads me to this question: The Cherokee is a unibody design, right? Now, is that a complete unibody, or is there a frame, welded, instead of bolted, to the shell of the Jeep? Please explain...

vin_weasel

It's all one piece. There are frame "rails" running the length of the vehicle but they are nowhere near the same strength as a real frame. It's annoying because you can't just easily bolt stuff on, like tow hooks, without making sure the load on them is eveny distributed.

1badsidekick

I posted the other day about having a friend who has a '01 Sport, Amber Fire in color. Well, she just purchased another Sport, a '00 model with 36k miles. She and her sister live together and support each other. Her sis loved her sport so good, they went and she traded off her '94 Eddie Bauer Explorer for the '00 Jeep. Its quite nice, has an aftermarket flip/slide power sunroof, which looks like it came from the factory, and a 6 disc changer. She said she got it for around $14k, and got an extended warranty good for 4 years/50k miles. Now they are officially a jeep family. I'm still looking around, and I like the Cherokees, but haven't found one I love to much I could buy it. At the moment I'm eyeing an '01 Isuzu Rodeo LS. I busted my kneecap on the dash of my Suzuki today as I was getting in it in the parking lot of the high school where I teach, and cursed loudly. I'm sure the cameras caught it all. I'd like go see a replay tomorrow. Anyway, I think that tells me, its time to get something bigger. Just thought I'd post about another happy cherokee owner (even tho it isn't me, yet).

snorska

I have taken the Jeep to the dealership to have the rattling noise checked (see posts 1026, 1032).
The following list shows what parts have been replaced:

-Lever and pin assembly
-Torque shaft
-4x4 bushings
-Center exhaust isolator

All this was done under warranty.

The people at this dealership are very nice-Bannerman in Toronto.
I have sent an e-mail describing the problem a couple of days before.
Two people called, the service manager and a service advisor (he owns a '98 Cherokee Classic).
The service advisor mentioned recent similar issues with two other Cherokees, so I guess all this work was done based on that experience.

I noticed on the work order that after replacing all these parts a road test followed.
The noise was still there.

What seemed to fix the problem was:
"Found tailpipe hanger pulling to one side. Adjusted to straight down position.
Noise not present"

Now it just purrs like a big cat.

hudnut2

Having had an 86,87,88,89, Cherokee/2 Chamanches plus a 93 and 96 GCherokee, in 2001 I bought a 01 Cherokee Limited. I don't rack up the mileage like I/we used to, the 01 now has 13k from July 01. all the others had 100+k except the 96GC, and other than t/u, oil and filter changes, plus 1 h2o pump in the 96 at 89k there have been no problems. I think that is a pretty good record all things considered. I do check things and keep a "book" on service and or repairs. I have to say that all dealerships ARE not alike... have one close that I wouldn't take a wheelbarrow to, I'll drive the extra 23 miles to the other. I/we like the Jeep, and wanted to get a new one. The Liberty was unproven, so we got the LTD, Edmunds tmv is the way to go..... The only other vehicle I considered was the Volvo XC70 wagon, however 5-10$ wasn't what I wanted to pay.

sandyboy

I too have a n '01 XJ Cherokee Limited. I love it. I am always lOOOking to see other Limiteds on the road, but I actually see almost none! All Sports, the seldom "Classic" (a Limited without leather dual heated power seats) and even a few SE(s) (or base model). I'd say 1 out of 40 is a Limited. I wrote to Chrysler to find out the breakout percentage of each model, but they refuse to answer all 3 letters. I gave up. No problems at all with it. 10,000 miles. It's Silver.

bored

I see plenty of Limiteds. Most of them are Sports, but it takes some close looking to tell, since most Cherokees are dark colors, and those bumpers sometimes blend in.

boggse

Perhaps that is why they call them "limited." ;-)

ed96

sorry sandy, it could be that by 2001, the limited package got so sorry nobody wanted one. i personally saw a limited in 2001, at the dealership with, no fog lights, no tow package, no overhead console. all it had was leather seats. needless to say i went away pretty smug with my classic.

sandyboy

Yes, in the final year Jeep decontented the Limited down to the level of the Classic. They also lowered the price about $2,600.00 and moved over to the option side the heated leather dual power seats, the overhead console, the speed control, the cargo compartment security cover, the Selec-Trac, and the deep tint sun screen glass. They added up the price of these options and took that much off the base sticker of the '01 Limited. Then they put a $2,000 factory to customer rebate on them. Thusly, as I did, if you added everything back on, you actually were abe to buy it for $2,000 less than a 2000 LTD. I believe that the Fog Lights were always an option on the Limited.

boggse

I am about 1000 miles away from the dreaded 60K mile service. I plan to get all of the recommended stuff done. Does anyone suggest getting anything out of the ordinary done, like getting the wheel bearings repacked? TIA

sebring95

I recently had my '01 in for the 60K. Just the routine stuff. Cost was a little higher than the 30,000 service because I had them suck the tranny fluid out and replace it all. The prior dealer didn't have that capablity and just drained the fluid which only got a couple quarts out. Normally I only do the full tranny service the first time just to get the initial wear material out. Next time (90k miles) i'll just do another drain/fill.

What's so dreaded about the 60K? I spent about $400 which included them unsuccessfully diagnosing an intermittant check engine light, tranny flush, transaxle fluid, diff fluids, brake inspection, spark plugs, and oil/filter. You want dreaded, take in an Lexus RX300 and tell them to do the 60k service. But you get a crappy ES300 to drive around while they service it, whoopee.

boggse

I paid about $600 for my 30k service. I was expecting closer to $1000 for 60k. Labor is about $75/hour where I live. I expected that to be a large portion of the cost.

Thanks for the tip on the transmission service. I'll try to find a shop that will suck it all out.

sebring95

What all did they do at 30K? I had the tranny drain/refill, transaxle fluid, diff fluids, and spark-plugs and it was around $300. I think we're around $65/hour here for domestic shops.

Most of the fluid services take very little time. I've changed the plugs once on my own and it barely took 1/2 hour. One thing I've found they beat you up on is airfilter. They did mine during a LOF change and charged me $17. It's a $4 part at autozone and takes all of five minutes.

The other thing is I don't think the book calls for anything different at 60K than the 30K service. You might want to look at it but I think it's an identical service. I know that's all I had them do. I'm not exactly a maitenance freak but I do what needs done. I've got several 150K miles cars under my belt. IMHO a lot of what shops sell is bunk.

vin_weasel

I've done all the maintenance myself. It cost me about $150cdn to do the front and rear diff, transfer case, oil and transmission in about 6 hours with synthetics in the right places.

sebring95

It's very easy to work on the cherokees and parts are cheap. I used to do all my maintenance and enjoy doing the work (used to wrench and drive race-cars) but too many vehicles and not enough time these days.

boggse

As I recall, I got a tire rotation/balance, alignment, and throttle body service in addition to the normal service items.

sebring95

Ahhh, that's another big money maker. I remember toyota service pushing that one. $50 was the number they always dropped. You can buy a full can of throttle-body cleaner for $4. Takes about 10 minutes to clean.

vin_weasel

I don't think you even need to worry about the throttle body/intake manifold until about 100k-150k miles. It can't hurt to clean it but it may not be needed for every vehicle.

usausa

Hi people. I am new to this board but am hoping that someone can help me. 94 Cherokee,4.0,auto, air,127,000 mi.. When I have the slide selector pushed as far to the right as it will go (in the defrost position), the fan shuts off. Move it a bit to the left but still in the defrost position, the fan starts again. While driving with the slide in the defrost position (fan working), the engine misses, not constantly but about once every mile or two. There is a wierd sounding fizzled popping sound in the engine compartment when this miss occurs. If I simply run with the slide in the heat position, it runs great. When running in the summer w/AC on at lower speeds, sometimes all air flow stops to ALL vent openings, but resumes once I accelerate. Is there a connection here??? Vaccum related??? Electrical??? Accept for this (these) issues, I am pretty happy with this vehicle. Any ideas?
Thanks.

bored

I posted in this topic earlier about the Jeep Cherokee. I would just like to update:

I have finally settled on a '96 Jeep XJ (Cherokee) Sport 4x4. I would like power options, but I could go without them (But hey, if you're going without power options, may as well get an SE). 4.0L High Output, color doesn't matter, as long as it isn't red. Automatic Transmission, and Air Conditioning. Now, as for the ABS, um, well, I drove a car with it, and I didn't see much benefit of the costly option. I would like a low mileage Jeep, but I know I'll probably never find one. Around 120,000 miles is fine for me. The 4.0L and the AW4 (Automatic Transmission) seem to run forever.

I think that the '96s have enough improvements, and seem to be the most reliable. Good year, I guess. I'm still a bit worried about those falling doors, but maybe I can get a dealer to fix them. Was there ever a recall for those doors? It seems to only affect the 2-Door, but I "think" I heard someone with a 4-Door have the same problem.

Now, I think I have caught the offroading bug. These people at the other Jeep forums have gotten me knowing a Jeep like the back of my hand.

Why not a '97 you ask? Well, '97s tend to have the higher resale value, and I'm not looking to spend much money (I have to pay for insurance).

This will be my main and only vehicle, and hopefully, it will get me through college without much trouble.

stever

Congrats!

Steve, Host

fvp

Hi All. I have a 2001 Sport and the dealer tells me that I should have the differential fluids [both axles] changed between 15,000 and 20,000 miles. It currently has almost 16,000 miles on it.
This seems a little early to change the fluids [especially at $125 plus] however, we have not had good luck with this vehicle over the last year and a half [at least 12 visits to the service department for a variety of issues] and I want to keep it in good shape.
Any advice?

sebring95

unless you're towing frequently or using it for taxi/police service, 30k miles is typically the first major fluid change. I think the dealer has you on their "too much maintenance" plan.

Check your owners manual if you need further proof. It's a bit less biased than the guys selling the service.

I've got 65k miles on my '01 and had the diffs, tranny, and transaxle fluids changed at 30k and 60k miles. I would probably do a complete tranny flush at the first 30k miles service, but drain and fill is adequate after that IMHO. A tranny flush will run you $100 by itself.

Sorry about your bad luck. Mine needed an oil-pressure sending unit and front rotors at 20k miles. Otherwise no problems in 65k miles.

fvp

I agree with you regarding the dealer and his 'too much maintenance" plan. However, I called two dealers and both told me the same thing. If memory serves, his words were: "Jeep is now calling for the differential fluids to be changed every 15K-20K miles. We do not tow anything nor did he ask. In addition, one quoted a price of $120 plus tax and the other was $180. Quite a swing there for a simple maintenance operation - don't you think?
As far as reliability, I don't understand why we are having so many problems with our unit. I have been monitoring this forum for some time no one seems to be going to the shop like us. It's a shame when the guys at the desk no longer ask your name. My wife and I like the Cherokee and hope we can get the bugs worked out. It sure is nice to have with all the snow around here this winter. With the new Michelin tires I bought last October [the stock Goodyears lasted a little over 12,000 miles], the Jeep went anywhere in the worst conditions. It's been over a month with no problems and we are keeping our fingers crossed.
I also have a number of friends with Cherokees and all they swear by them. Oh well, perhaps we have one that was made on a Friday - does that old wives tale still apply?
Thanks for the input.

sebring95

If Jeep changed anything that pertained to the maintenance schedule printed in your owners manual, they would have sent you an addendum. Most dealers participate in the "non-book lets sell service" schedules.

I used to own Toyotas and their dealers are even worse. "Toyota recommends a throttle-body cleaning every 15k miles, it's only $50". That's $1 worth of cleaner and something I can do at home in less than five minutes. Bunch of crooks. I put oil in the things, tranny fluid at 50k mile intervals, and drive them for 200k miles with no problems. I suppose if I wanted to keep the thing for a million miles over-servicing might help, but I get sick of a car after a few years.

I stopped into our local Jeep dealer to buy a set of front pads awhile back and I overheard a guy on a phone call to a customer. He was trying to convince the guy he needed a tranny flush (he might have needed it) but when he hung up he was bragging to the other part-guy that he sold a tranny flush to some guy that brought his car in for a warranty item. They must be on commission at that dealership, and I imagine many are.

I switched to Michelin LTX-A/T's around 20k miles. My factory goodyears still had well over 1/2 tread left but they were over-all junk IMHO. Wet/snow traction was bad after 10k miles, they were noisey, and refused to stay balanced. The Michelins have around 40k miles on them and look to be within about 75% of new.

fvp

I can't win. I just bought a new Toyota Sienna last week. It seems I'm in for more of the same over service. I'll just stick with the schedule according to the owners manual.
By the way, I bought the Michelin M&S's and love them.

snorska

How can you properly shift in and out of 4X4?

Yesterday we got a fresh layer of snow in Toronto.
In some spots just a little over 1 foot deep.

As I came home and tried to get from the street into the driveway, I found the driveway blocked by a bank of snow, I got stuck, so I had shifted into 4X4 full time.
After clearing the snow bank I shifted back into 2 wheel drive mode.
The driveway is about 40 to 50 feet in length, and after that I have to make a sharp turn to get to the underground parking.

However, when making the turns to get underground and into my parking spot, I have noticed that the font wheels turn and feel funny, like going over bricks or bumps in the road.
I have the Select Track system and I have to go through 4X4 part time before getting into two wheel drive mode.
My first thought was that I was still in 4x4 mode, and not in full time but part time (because the funny feel of the front wheels).
That got me thinking to a couple of posts seen here about tapping the acceleration twice to make sure the transmission gets back into 2 wheel drive mode.
I only have 50 feet at the most and then I have to turn, and once I go down the slope there is no way back but to keep going and turning.

My question is: how far you have to roll before the 4X4 mode will disengage?

sebring95

My question is: how far you have to roll before the 4X4 mode will disengage?

The answer is: it depends. Going from part-time to 2wd typically you can hear the front hubs "click" when they connect/disconnect. Doesn't usually take more than 15' or so if you're changing throttle input (which helps it shift). Going from full-time all the way to 2wd though sometimes can take longer. Usually between full-time and part-time is where it hangs up. Usually I've found the best way to get it to connect/disconnect is by changing the throttle. Either giving it gas or letting off.

Best bet for these types of condtions is to be in full-time. It's essentially the same as running in 2wd until you have slippage. Eliminates the lag-time between switching systems and you don't have to think about it when you come upon dry concrete.

Part-time is better for severe conditions, but it's a lot easier to shift from full-time to part-time if necessary.

jimsxn

How does it work? Are hubs locked all the time? If yes, what about binding? Does it have a slip differential? Do you still have to make adjustment to your driving style (as against driving in 2WD mode)?

sebring95

What are you doing on here mister i hate SUV's? LOL!!

Basically the Select-trac is similar to most any 4X4 system in the front-end. The hubs are locked which in itself does not cause binding because the front diff is open. When in full-time mode, the center differential only kicks in when slippage occurs in the rear. There is no change in driving style with full-time engaged assuming you don't drive like a knucklehead. It's just like running in 2wd until the rear wheels spin. If you like to do burn-outs or "fish-tail" around turns, then you'd have to change your driving style:)

When in part-time mode, the center differntial is locked and sends power evenly to the front and rear. This will cause binding on dry surfaces which is why it's not to be used unless the roads are completely slippery. The full-time is great for typical light snow days when some areas are snowy, some are cleared roads, etc. No thinking required. Part-time is a little better when the roads are very slippery and there aren't any cleared roads in sight.

jimsxn

4WD/AWD is a major attraction of SUVs in the eyes of the general public, along with the riding height.

I have driven a Cherokee over a short distance and I confess that, in part-time 4WD mode, turning was a hair-raising experience. I didn't feel that in a Subaru. I was wondering if a selc-trac system is much better than the part-time 4WD in urban daily driving, especially in slush of the winter.

sebring95

I was wondering if a selc-trac system is much better than the part-time 4WD in urban daily driving, especially in slush of the winter.

The answer would be yes. The part-time system can get "hairy" when turning, particularly if it's not real slippery. Sometimes slush isn't slippery enough and you can bind it up. Very bad for the internals when that happens.

The Subaru system and jeep full-time are similar in their basic functions. It's when you have the front and rear axles locked together (like the part-time system) that funky stuff happens.

The selec-trac is usually more than adquate for the average urban junkie. Having the part-time system available is just an added plus, although it seems to confuse a lot of folks as to which system they should be driving in.

vin_weasel

It's half and half until one of the wheels slips and then all power will go to that wheel accordingly. There is no viscous coupling (since 1987) or anything in the centre differential in the transfer case. It is "open" to allow for cornering at speeds that would cause a normal "locked" centre differential to scrub the tires and pull such as Part-Time 4x4.

leopard104

00' Sport, I love it. My remote keyless entry's,
both of them, only work about a maximum of 5 feet from the vehicle and sometimes not at all. Can the dealer fix this without to much hassle, I'm still under warranty.

boggse

My dealer never could. It still doesn't work more than a few feet from the car.

sandyboy

Most people put in new batteries only to find it's no better. I believe the problem is dirt gets in the contact points and "dulls" the contacts. A new set of keyless entry key fobs should cure the problem. You can find them on any of the E-Commerce auction sites, and many have the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer - same as the dealer gave you).