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Comments
Even though I've had 2 problems,I really like the JGC a lot.My milage stinks for a 6 cyl. On my trip to Maine I struggled to hit 21mpg and all the dealer suggested was to switch to another brand of gas.I had 3 Chevy Blazers prior to the JGC and there is no comparison,in many respects, between them.The JGC is head & shoulders better in all ways and I had my problems with the Blazers also.Front balljoints with oil changes and on the 1998 Blazer,4 whl drive problems,
expensive problems!
They also recommend this interval for the transmission fluid and front/rear differential oil too.
Doing all of this isn't cheap (one of the joys of owning a 4WD) but the alternative to not doing this is even more expensive.
# 1 cold starting with foot on the brake and with AC off I switch to Reverse to back up. For about 10 seconds there is no engagement of the gear then the force gradually builds.
#2 Scary problem. Same scenario as above but only three times in 19,000 miles of use. Put vehicle into reverse and immediately there is a rapid acceleration that requires forceful application of the brakes...it literally jumps backward out of the garage.
Anyone else have this problem or heard of this? Appreciate any help.
deloid
The first (and simplest) thing to have your dealer check is the software revision level of your Powertrain and/or Transmission Control Modules (PCM and TCM). Have them make sure they're at the latest version. These are constantly being updated by DC.
The PCM and/or TCM software probably causes 95% of the idling and shifting-related transmission problems people complain about.
I had similar, but not the exact symptoms you described. A reflash always seemed to take care of the transmission issues for me. I lost count of how many times I had my PCM reflashed on my 99. They were doing this almost every time I brought it in for an oil change. Now that I have an 02, I'm going to have them check for the latest software revision on a regular basis. I wouldn't be surprised if what I currently have isn't already out-of-date.
Because you have a "learning" transmission, you'll notice different transmission shifting characteristics and "feel" immediately after having new software installed. This will last anywhere from 50-100 miles until the transmission relearns your driving habits. Have your dealer explain to you what you should expect to feel after a software upgrade, so you don't end up thinking they did something wrong.
While having new software installed (only takes a few minutes to download into the PCM) may eliminate these problems, be aware that they may reappear several months or ?K miles down the road. That is the biggest quirk about these new transmissions and electronic control modules. At most, it's an irritation.
Then again, it could be an internal mechanical transmission problem. But the software should always be considered suspect and checked first. Good luck!
Deloid
I'm going to take a real WAG on this...
Have your dealer check into TSB #210794A for the 93 model year. This is for a "shift cable buzz/whine transmitted into the instrument panel." I've only got this summary, so I can't determine if this fits your situation and the conditions when you experience it.
If you burn your own, you need to be carefull of what type of CD-R or CD-RW discs you use. Especially if the discs have the blue coating on the playing surface like a couple of brands do. The laser pickup has difficulty reading these kinds of discs and the head unit will display an error. Others have complained of this.
It appears that the Chrysler/Jeep technicians and service managers are the worst in the industry. Recently, my automobile was service 02/13/02 at
Frank-Parra Jeep Irving, TX; for an intermittent problem of refusing to start. Several repairs were done including:
1) Performed Injection System Service
2) Replaced Serpentine Belt
3) Performed Coolant Flush
4) Replaced PCM
5) Replaced Upstream O2 Sensor
6) Replaced Fuel Pump Assembly
Total Repair/Service= $995.02
The original problem resurfaced within 12 months or 12,000 miles-Parts/
Warranty, and the 12 months labor & refinishing warranty.
I returned my automobile to Frank-Parra Jeep Irving, TX on 09/17/02 and was informed
that the following repairs would be needed:
1) FP sensor was out of range and needed
replaced $254
2) Raw Induction System needed cleaning . $104
3) Replacement of aftermarket spark plugs (same when originally serviced) ..$90
Total Repair/Service=$448.
I refused the repairs and was charged a diagnostic fee of $79.60
I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER JEEP/CHRYSLER PRODUCT AND I HOPE SOME STEALS THIS ONE OR IT CATCHES FIRE.
ride safe..
Thanks for your help!
Having been plagued with the pulsating problem since I purchased my '01 Limited, and having had the rotors replaced with little relief, I presented the bulletin # to the dealer who was unaware of it. He checked it out, found that it was legitimate, ordered the new calipers, pads and rotors and replaced them. He noted also that these are a new type of calipers that he had not seen before. So far, so good, but I only have 1000 miles on the new set.
It's a shame that fixes like this have to be sought out by consumers who have to badger dealers to comply. Welcome to the world, huh?
Anyhow, thanks again for the tip.
jgcowner
At 30,000 the only problem has been the rotor issue which I had replaced at aroun 14,000 Mi and plan to ask the dealer about.
I think I did better by purchasing one built later in the year. Build date May, purchased in August 1999.
I love my JEEP!
Well, after the wife got to work this morning, she called and said it did it again. She said it sounds/feels as if there is a flat tire and the front end shakes/wobbles. I guess I will drive it until I can get it to do the dance for me. Wonder if the ball joints need replacing or something like that. Anyone out there had a similiar issue with their Jeep?
Or try http://www.nhtsa.com/cars/problems/tsb/service1.cfm?SearchTopic=Vehicle
I have aftermarket rotors (about $100/pair list from Autozone). Even though the rotor seemed to have warped while it was extremely hot, after cooling down it is not warped.
2) Attending Camp Jeep in Branson,Mo. and at 70MPH+ had a complete failure (blow out) of my passenger side rear tire ( Wrangler SR/A).
Fitted the spare, went to the dealer at Camp Jeep and he agreed to replace it while I was at festivities. Spoke to the Good Year guys and they reached down and GAVE me a replacement SR/A tyre off the display floor.
BTW vehicle stopped dead true, without any appreciable roll, following the failure. I have the Up Country suspension and appreciate the firm suspension and lack of body roll.
Had wife and 3 kids aboard on this trip. Turned around 3 weeks later and went to Orlando from DFW and return over Labor Day weekend about 2800 miles. No problems.
Told the dealer I suspected some brake flutter - he immediately had the new calipers and pads installed, while they were doing the 24K service.
Park Cities Jeep on Lemmon Ave, in dallas have been excellent to deal with.
1. serpentine belt is cracked. I looked at it, I see small cracks on the underside of the belt, but isn't this normal wear? And shouldn't it be good for more than 40,000 miles? cost est. to get fixed by dealership was $110.
2. Right rear axle seal (leak). Cost est. to fix $225.
3. Front differential cover (leak). Cost $90
Again please respond with how important you think each of these items are and which are most important to fix first, if at all. Thanks again.
Gossett Motor Cars (Jeep 5* dealer in Memphis)
Invoice WO8472, vin 1J4G258S1XC593799
Odometer in 23594, covered under warranty. (Traded for the '00 2 weeks later after DC would not cover the second set of warped rotors. Service mgr denied there was a rotor problem and wanted $80 to resurface. Stated that the pallet with 30+ sets of dead rotors behind the shop was not related to a problem with the rotors.)
Concern 54 Customer states rear end whines
Cause Test drove. Found rear axle has growl sound and bad diff bearings. Necessary to replace front and rear pinion bearings and both side carrier bearings.
http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/roadtests/firstdrive/74756/article.html
I was going to trade my truck in for a GC, and hope my rear seat passengers all have short legs, until I found out this truck was everything I've been looking for and more! Jeep is going to loose a lot of customers to this incredible SUV, and I've seen it first hand!
I had something weird happen. I was driving in the rain, first time in the rain in a while. I turned on the windshield wipers to the normal operating position. Everything was normal for a little while. Then the wipers stopped briefly, and started again. It was almost like they went into the intermittent mode by themselves. As it was raining pretty steady, I fooled with it a little, moving it from normal operation position back to intermittent, then off, they back to normal operating position and fast operating position. It still was acting like it was in intermittent mode when it was in normal or fast operating position. I kept fooling with it, and suddenly it worked "normally" again, by itself it changed to the full time normal operation like it was supposed to be doing all along. This has got me puzzled. Anyone else have this problem? Anyone know what the fix is and aproximate cost? Maybe it will just go away on its own as easily as it came and start working normal from now on. I can always hope. What concerns me is that it will stop working completely one day when it is raining really hard and I am on some highway traveling 60 mph.
Personally, I don't place much faith in what a paid writer (even Edmund's) has to say about any vehicle. I prefer to wait until a vehicle actually hits the street and gets a few real-world miles put on it. Then we can hear directly from the owners.
It appears that they're trying to bring the 4Runner up to the level of a JGC. About the only thing that really stands out to me is their new X-REAS shock system. Now I would be curious to see how well this works. I definitely like that concept.
Until something better comes along (including looks), I'll stick with my JGC. Good luck with your purchase!
Sold it recently for ONLY $7500 - what a rip! - but that's another story...
The engine was SOLID, never had a hiccup and ran STRONG the whole time especially after adding the K&N FIPK which advertizses 26+ Hp increase - which is TRUE - like a new engine for $250 !
I did have dealer problems, but I've had similar problems with Ford, Pontiac, Ford, and Ford !!! (See a trend?)
It is more the dealership you buy from or rather have service at that influences your opinions of a car more than the car... Problems will develop with anything and it's how those problems are addressed that let's you know about the dealer...
Right now, Grand Prarie Ford in the DFW area is giving me the runaround about fixing new Excursions problems on a $40k+ vehicle... I tried to take it elsewhere(Texan Ford) and the service drive up never had anyone in the their bays to help me on three different trips there!!!
It's more of a customer service problem we have in ALL businesses... very few care about doing a good job because they are not treated well by their employers! (SORRY FOR THE SOAPBOX! back 2 jeeps now)
My 5.9 had electrical problems with the heated remote side mirrors, rear end pinion gear had to be replaced 3 times (I've been told it's a plastic piece in there that CAN'T last long) @ 600 to 1000 per pop... Brakes that were replaced regularly... A/c Condensor that exploded and was the final straw that made me get rid of it... it was under the dash and they did not put everything back like it should have been and everything rattled, the a/c did not work right and "they" said I would need a control unit @ $400 or so to correct the problem... I told them to go jump in any old lake! and I would bring it elsewhere and NEVER come back to them...
I paid $150 to a body shop I've used before and had good results and they told me there was at least 20 screws missing - interlocking tabs broken from not being replaced properly, at leat 3 wires that weren't hooked up correctly to the sensors in the upper dash...
So u see, it's more important to have a good mechanic than a good doctor!!! we just need to find that one good one !!!
The moral of the story is document EVERTHING, save all receipts, do the maintenance on time, save receipts (again!), make copies of them so the dealer will not "misplace" them... and then sell it when they won't fix it right...
It's made a leasor of me... even though I don't like leasing...
Whew, thanks - I feel better now !!!
Will go "borrow" my wife's nice new Lincoln LS V8 and go have some fun around some corners now )
Got it from John Eagle in Dallas - Great thus far !!!
I would suggest contacting your state Attorney General's Office to see if you have any other recourse for your vehicle. Please do that before you spend the money on an attorney.
Good luck with your class action law suit.
We were told from the dealer that there is nothing they can do and it is part of the software program.
Reading between your lines leads me to suspect that you either have the I6 and are trying to tackle any hill and maintain too high of a speed while doing it, or you have the V8 and are trying to tackle a very steep hill at too high a speed.
I'm going to guess your JGC has the I6 engine because the I6 (which is a good engine) is actually underpowered for the JGC... especially under the conditions you describe.
How do I know this? A friend of mine and I took a trip to the Black Hills in SD in his I6-powered 94 JGC. Travelling I90 with cruise set, his JGC would downshift (sometimes even a double-downshift) on almost every gentle rise of the freeway across MN and SD. There are no hills here.
In either case, you should not be doing this with the cruise control set if you now realize the engine doesn't have the power to climb this without downshifting itself. All your cruise control is doing here is seeing that engine speed is falling and it literally tromps down on the gas in an effort to try to maintain the speed you set. Almost any vehicle will operate this way under those conditions. Especially if your vehicle lacks the pulling torque of a V8 engine.
Another good telltale of pushing a vehicle beyond its engine's power capability? No auto trans should be dropping two gears on a downshift because of a hill. Not even momentarily as you describe. But they can and will if you're doing this with the cruise control set.
Next time you tackle this hill, try disengaging the cruise control and be a little more gentle with applying the throttle to maintain your speed. Your foot can control the smooth application of power better than the cruise control ever will. Yeah, you may lose a couple of mph in speed and your trans may still downshift. But the downshift won't be as harsh this way. And it'll definitely save you from potentially expensive engine, trans and drive train repairs from over-revving the engine because of a double downshift and the shock to the engine, trans and drive train because of the harshness of this kind of downshift.
I have to say that my experience with Jeep has been a disgusting one. I've been dealing with warped rotors, rough idling, and other problems and all I've been doing with this vehicle is driving it back and forth to work.
The jerk/knock coming out of Park sounds more like a high rpm idle problem. Normal idle is between 500-600 rpm. If it's idling higher than that, you'll experience this when putting the trans into gear. That is also easily corrected.
My GC2000 had the same problem. I had it for maybe 2 weeks. They told me the same thing, only they replaced it at no cost to me. I also had it one week when the transmission went, so they gave me a new one. Oh and I also have a rubbing noise in my steering wheel. I wanted them to take my car back but they refused. What they did was buy me an extended warranty! I bought my GC new and I still have some problems with the transmission and the rubbing noise is like nails on a chalk board. I'd really like to trade it in on a Wrangler!
Date: 08/20/99
Bulletin # 021299
Model year(s): 1999-2000
Description: Front end alignment - adjustable / offset ball joints.
Details: This bulletin involves installing offset ball joints to allow adjustments to camber, which were not previously possible on XJ, TJ and ZJ models and to camber and caster which were not possible on WJ models. This TSB releases new offset ball joints which provide the capability to make front-end alignment adjustments to camber and caster. Camber adjustments and caster adjustments on some models are fixed and built into the front axle. Caster adjustments could be made in the past on TJ, XJ and ZJ models. These parts are only to be used in situations where a slight lead or drift to one side of the road or another is occurring with no driver input or where a customer indicates that constant driver input is required to maintain straight ahead steering. These parts will not effect situations where a lead or drift condition is present only under braking.
Parts required:
05014876AA Ball joint - 0.5 degree
05014877AA Ball joint - 1.0 degree
05016972AA Ball joint - 2.5 degree
...This is related to your vehicle pulling to the right and your dealer telling you that alignment is within specs, which it technically would be if caster/camber adjustments can't be made with the original ball joints.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
NEW UPPER BALL JOINTS FOR CASTER AND CAMBER ADJUSTMENT
Date: 9/02
Bulletin # 0200102
Model Year(s): 2001-2003
Description: On the Grand Cherokee, neither castor nor camber can be adjusted. New offset upper ball joints are available for adjusting caster and camber angles.
Details: Three new upper ball joints are available with different offsets: 0.5 degree, 1.0 degree and 1.5 degrees. One or two can be installed as needed to obtain correct alignment.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
STEERING WHEEL - POPPING/TICKING SOUND
Date: 11/23/01
Bulletin # 1900801
Model year(s): 1999-2002
Description: A pop/tick sound may be heard coming from the steering wheel area while the vehicle is in motion. The sound is associated with input from the road surface. It may be difficult to readily repeat the sound once it has occurred until additional road input is experienced, such as driving over an expansion strip.
Details: This bulletin involves installing a shim package and a tilt head housing assembly in the steering column upper tilt head. This is a somewhat involved process that requires removal of steering wheel.
Parts required:
05083383AA Tilt Head Housing and Shim Package:
04690461 Wave Washer
06032364 Snap Ring
05083384AA Shim
05083385AA Miller Special Tool, Installer, Snap Ring
05083729AA Tilt Head Housing Assembly
04318031 Lock & Seal Adhesive
04318070 Silicon Spray Lube
----------------------------------------------------------------------
HONK-LIKE SOUND WHEN PERFORMING RIGHT TURNS AT LOW SPEED
Date: 08/24/01
Bulletin # 1900301A
Model year(s): 1999-2001
Description: THIS BULLETIN APPLIES TO ALL 1999 THROUGH 2001 MODEL YEAR GRAND CHEROKEE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A NON-HYDRAULIC COOLING SYSTEM AND BUILT BEFORE MARCH 05, 2001. Some vehicles may exhibit a honk-like sound from the power steering system. This sound occurs most often during a right hand low speed turn, as would occur during parking lot maneuvers.
Details: The revised steering hose(s) has been tuned to eliminate this condition.
Parts required:
52088452AD Hose, Pressure (4.0L)
05080950AA Hose, Pressure (4.7L)
05080951AA Hose, Return (4.7L)
52088116AB Fitting, Pressure Hose - Quick Connect At Pump (4.7L)
02448770 Clamp, Return Hose to Cooler (4.7L)
04883077 Fluid, Power Steering (MS-5931 quart)
It is too bad you were not looking a couple of months ago when I turned in a '99. It was the perfect second hand JGC that I would have seriously considered if I was looking to buy a '99. It was a fully loaded V8 Laredo with Quadra-Trac II in excellent condition. I did have problems that people have complained about on this site: warped front rotors(replaced three times), replaced drive shaft, replaced yokes, re-programed transmission, but no power window problems and everything was covered under waranty. In buying a '99 I would want to make sure such repairs had been done and at some point, expect to have to replace the rotors with good aftermaket replacements. In addition consider purchasing an extended waranty if you were to buy a second hand '99 JGC from a Jeep dealership.
Despite that I had problems with my '99, the vehicle always ran great and I enjoyed driving it. I did not keep it because it was leased and the residual value was thousands of dollars above the blue book value, not making it at all economically practical to purchase. I took advatage of the early lease buyout and 0.0% financing buying a '02 JGC V8 Special Edition.
My experience has only been with a V8 JGCs with Quadr-Trac II. I do have friends who own JGCs with the I6 and they seem to have had no problems except for maybe warped front rotors. Bottom line is if you are going to consider a '99 JGC, find out as much about the vehicle's service history as possible. If you are satisfied that there were no problems with the vehicle or they were taken care of, just be prepared to replace the front rotors at some stage down the road and basis you decission on that.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
The majority of problems you've heard about are primarily on the early production 99's (built prior to 4-99). Check the build date (located on the decal on the driver's door) and stay away from anything built up to this date.
Again I would have to argue that not every JGC built has been a lemon as some JGC Town Hall contributors would like to lead you to believe. And I don't disagree that some unfortunate owners such as Sailor16, got stuck with a poorly built vehicles. During my experience with my '99 JGC all the waranty/recall work was performed during normal scheduled oil changes and only once did the dealership have to keep the vehicle overnight due to not finishing the replacement work in one day. I turned my '99 in with only 30,000 miles on it and despite the warped rotors and other problems, my overall satisfaction and enjoyment in driving the vehicle was the basis on why I purchased an '02 JGC V8 SE.
So again I would say to anybody who maybe considering to buy a second hand '99 JGC, research the service history of the vehicle, try to find one built after 4/99 as kkulig suggested (I believe mine was built in 5/99) and lastly consider purchasing an extended waranty.
I have just bought a second hand JGC 93K miles.
I don't know much about the car, and it doesn't have a manual, but I will be getting one. I have some questions that some of you might be able to answer me :
1) The overhead computer reads 6.6 mpg, avg eco, or 36 lt/100km. Surely this can't be the average fuel consumption, can it. I read it was in the worse case around 14 mpg , for this model. Can any body tell me, if there is a problem with the computer? can it be reset, or is this an indication of a serious problem with the car?
2) The car idles a little rough and indicates 500 rev/min on idle, is this normal or not, can this be related to a possibble fuel consumption problem?
3) The computer indicates that the rear lights are faulty, but they aren't, I was told that the sensor needed to be replaced. Is this difficult to do? Or do I need a shop to do it?
4) The buttons for the passenger side window were missing when I got the car. The passenger window can't be opened from the driver door control. I tested new buttons on the passenger door, but the window didn't work either. Does this indicate that ther is a prbleme with the window opening engine, or can it be something else??
5) On low speed right turns the car makes a grave , grounding sound? What can this be?
Thanks a lot
pandres2002
It is truly amazing to me how many other options there are available today in mid-size SUV's that were not around in the summer of 1999 when I did my shopping and research. At the time, everything was either too small (Pathfinder/4 Runner) or too big for my slot in the garage and more expensive (Tahoe/Suburban).
Would I buy another JGC? at this point I'd say without a doubt, but not before I did some research.