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Comments
Thank You,
Rawho1
Why your mechanic would say that replacing a sensor would make the car NOT start is beyond me. Putting a new sensor in will not cause a car not to start. How he can be 100% sure about that is beyond me.
I would at least find out if it is a fuel issue or an electrical issue.
Jeeps = :lemon:
ps i will not solicit anyone because it is a violation of edmunds membership agreement just as i wouldnt violate my america online agreement either
pps i am also having issues with my truck shaking and the rotors so feel free to comment back on that issue as well, im curious how many people as a class got screwed by Daimler chrysler and what type of "action" they took
The question you need answered, is... Is it a severe oil leak?. The oil change places don't usually replace oil pan gaskets, so they won't try to sell you that service, they will try to sell you new air filters, pvc valves, wipers, and differential drain and refills. that's what they do. If they are being extra attentive, they may tell you that you have a bad leak, (they told you about the CV) but they may not, many times the expertise there is not suitable beyond draining and refilling your oil. so just cause they didn't comment doesn't mean they didn't see anything. (or their opinion of a leak is different from the median)
Dealerships and other Mechanics, make money on any job they can get, so if they see a drop, they aren't lying to you when they say you have a leak. You need to have someone you trust that is auto savvy, tell you how bad the leak is, and whether it needs to be addressed immediately.
I don't condone driving around in a car that is leaking lots of oil, and some states may have inspections that can be failed if the inspector determines the leak to be beyond reasonable.
Steve, Host
I think I can answer some of your questions. First, the unnoticable oil leak...in older Grand Cherokees, the rear main seal tends to leak after like 150,000. This leak is usually VERY slow and does not generally get very bad with time. My rear main seal leaked for 2 years, and still doesnt produce more than a drop or two here and there. In fact, you should not really have to add any oil between changes as long as you keep an eye on the dipstick level.
A note: I have seen many Jeep dealers try to rip me off in terms of repairs/maintainence. My advice: do your own oil changes if possible. Get on the ground and get familiar with the underside of your vehicle. Read books. Learn where things are, what they do, and what they should look like. The more experience you gain the better. If you know NOTHING about your vehicle's mechanics, I suggest you have someone who does know something take your vehicle in for repairs. Sometimes just being able to "talk the talk" will make your mechanic do only what is necessary. Avoid dealerships. Go to a reputable (ask around) repair shop. If you go to a 20min oil change place...do NOT let them do ANYTHING besides change your oil. They would replace your engine if you let them.
The not starting after running...this may be simple vapor lock. One thing...take off your gascap and try starting again. In my case it turned out to be the fuel pump. After replacing the fuel pump, I had to turn the key ON and leave it for several seconds, then try to start.
The bump when you stop is a late downshift. Your transmission may need servicing or eventual replacement. My advice...drive it till she drops. Just keep your foot on the brake. Unless you can afford a transmission.
Transmission leak? or so he says. Check your dipstick. Clean and full? Don't worry. Burnt and low...worry.
Front end shimmy? Check sway bar links. They are easy and cheap to replace (if you have a cutting torch).
DON't replace your computer unless a diagnostic has speciffically indicated it is malfunctioning. One specific problem is usually NOT the computer. If your computer goes, you will usually see numerous problems.
Starting problems...could be anything. From experience (much experience) the problem with a Jeep Grand or Cherokee, the problem is most often a faulty fuel pump (that's why many warranties wont cover it) OR a faulty coil pack. If you find no spark and replace the coil pack, PLEASE replace outlet wiring (as some of these burn out when coil goes bad).
I hope this helps some people.
Finally, my question: I have a clunk (felt through my floorboards) when going over a dip. Like something is loose, but nothing is. Transmission checks out. Not when going over sharp bumps, but shallow dips. I know, VERY wierd. But listen, I have put my Jeeps (stock) through things most A1 Tanks wouldnt try. Gotta love em.
I will check this post if you have any specific questions for me.
-Lee
Another thing. Go OUTSIDE the city. Go to the smallest local shop you can find that still seems reputable (clean,, clean PEOPLE... etc.) Mention the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Indicate you have done some kind of business with them before. This sometimes makes people fly straight.
Cheers,
-Lee
-Lee
I'll pay more attention, but again, i've not noticed any whistling up to 100+ mph
Also, there is no ausdible click when you press the AC button and it doesn't seem to shut off (after I press the button again to turn off, the AC still blows cold air) but I can get the air to be warm if I want by playing with the temp controls and I beleive I can shut of the AC by turning off the entire system (with the right control dial) . I called a Jeep dealer who said I'd have to repalce the whole A/C control unit which would be about $500. Anyone have similar problems or a suggestion to help fix this problem?
Good advice jeep4ever. I had a J10, a Comanche, and two wagoneers in the pre-Chrylser days; well, the last wagoneer was a Chrysler. Did as much of my own maintenance as I possibly could. Of course, then I could still get on the ground and be able to get back up w/o help! LOL! Would go back if they ever make another pickup.
I appreciated your posts...I am a fairly new Jeep owner, and while I have been fairly happy with my girl (she is a 1999 JGC Laredo ,with 56k) I was a bit setback when I had to dish out 500.00 for new calipers in which I was informed by my mechanic that I needed these "new replacement" ones because just replacing the rotors with the same type would have me back in the shop in the near future replacing them again.You say though I could have gotten away with replacement rotors and pads on all 4 wheels for just 100.00 (for parts only) and they wouldnt need repaired for say a year maybe,with good driving habits?My mechanic led me to believe that DC seems to have some type of "problem" (as he stated) with these brakes on 98-2000 JGC and I have begun looking into this also and there really seems to be alot of complaints registered on the NHTSA website.So was I taken for a ride by my mechanic?
PS Just to clarify, I am not a city girl,my JGC is my country ride...:)))
Clean the top of the battery with baking soda and water and make sure both the battery terminals (studs) and the cable connections are nice and shiny with the wire brush tool.
Throw on some felt battery corrosion washers and see if you have any further problems.
http://www.wkjeeps.com/index.htm is an excellent resource.
Take a look at "recalls and satisfaction notices" on that web page! Many teething problems with the new model. I would refrain from buying any WK that was made in the first six months or so. Production was started in July, and ramped up in September, I believe -- so that means prior to February 05. A lot of the new Jeeps on the lots right now are that old. You can find the production date somewhere on the vehicle... on one of the data plates. Or ask.
I say this because I bought a '99 JGC in the first year of the WJ model. I loved it - but it had the squirrelly brakes (bad rotors and calipers), the window that wouldn't open, the seat problem, etc. -- all things that were later recalls or TSBs. I later bought a 2002 WJ, and today drive a 2004 WJ. It is an excellent vehicle, with virtually NO problems in the first 26,000 miles. (All of them, including the new one, have the clicking/popping noise in the steering column -- for which there are two different TSB's! In fact, I will have this problem looked at next week, while I am still on warranty. But it is a fact of life with 1999-2004 WJ's.
DER
Disconnect the battery.
Remove the plastic panels to gain access to the ignition switch.
Remove the three torx screws (you will need torx head bits to do this). One of the screws is located under the cover.
Look for a retaining pin that needs to be pushed in to allow the cylinder to be removed.
The lock cylinder will need to be rotated to the lock position and the key removed before it will come all the way out.
96 Grand Cherokee, V8 5.2 liters. 120k miles or so.
When using the car without the need for much power, things do run smoothly, but when trying to get a good acceleration (highway entrance for instance), the engine will not increase power at all and will behave a bit as if a rev limiter was preventing the engine to rev up... also when looking at the instant MPG, I can see that the gas usage is way increased even though the car doesn't accelerate.
My mechanics tells me that the catalytic convertor might have to be replaced... but this really doesn't seem related.
The engine light does not go on...
Anybody has an idea what to look for, sounds to me that this might be more an issue with fuel injection.
thank you in advance,
-- benoit
-Lee
Just give it a good pull - straight up. Took me a long time to figure this out!
Should have read the book before giving inaccurate information earlier.........
Having a little information goes a long way when dealing with some mechanics.
BTW I just want to mention that this is our first Jeep and has over 87,000 miles and we love it. We live in Northern Indiana with lots of ice and snow in the winter and has also been great for long trips to Miami during the holidays.
As for warping rotors, like so many cars these days, the rotors warp due to the calipers freezing to the slide pins. There seems to not be enough clearance in the pin holes and that's probably due to the caliper being improperly annealed during manufacture.Annealing during manufacture is supposed to reduce or eliminate heat - induced distortion in use.
That is, as the caliper heats and cools during braking, stresses are introduced that distort the caliper just enough to keep it from following the rotor properly. The machined slide pin holes in the caliper cease to be straight as the heat stresses (distortions) build up. The rotor seizes to the slide pins causing the brake pads to stay in contact with the rotors, even after pedal presuure is released. The rotor stays hotter longer and over time the extra heat causes it to warp. If this does not seem plausible, ask an engine rebuilder if he has ever line bored the crank and cam journals on an engine block. Large pieces of machined cast iron CAN distort, if regularly heated(overheated) and cooled.
I found that the rotors on my Jeep warped very quickly as well. Getting one rotor off was difficult so I used a hammer and a few carefully placed raps to dislodge it. I replaced the rotor, of course.
Then on all four calipers I de burred the slide pin holes using a drill and a properly sized bit. I don't recall the size of the bit because I did the work 70,000 miles ago. That's right...the pads and rotors have lasted 70k miles! The right rotor has warped just a bit again but I will fix that soon when I do the next brake job. I was a bit more aggressive on re - machining the the left caliper slide pins holes and that's why that rotor hasn't warped.
When you re assemble, be generous with the anti seize compound on the slide pins. Re lube every 5 -10 k miles.
If you go for the real "fix" as recommended by Chrysler, replace the OEM calipers with the recommended Akebono calipers. The Akebono calipers don't seem to cause as much rotor warping. They are noted in a Techical Service Bulletin that every Jeep dealer should have in its records. This is not a recall item, even though it probably should be. At $125 per caliper plus installation, I took the re - machining route.
If your are a bit faint of heart or if your idea of heavy work on the vehicle is checking the oil, have a good garage replace the calipers for you.
caneswin5@echoes.net :sick:
So anyone have any idea what might be causing the problem? Could it be the fuel pump? I've been seeing a lot of posts about CPS being the cause, could that be it in my case as well or maybe the coil? I just told them to replace the fuel filter for now. So if anyone can help me out, any help will be greatly appreciated.
Some body know where located that module , please help.
Thank you
-Lee
Take a piece of wire and run it up the hose to make sure it isn't blocked. If it is, that will cause water leakage inside the vehicle.