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Jeep Wrangler Maintenance and Repair Questions (1997 - 2006)

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Comments

  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Now the problem seems to be the same as others, when I turn on the a/c the cold air is blowing out of the defrost vents. it does not matter what function, heat, defrost, or a/c it all blows out the defrost vents.
    what should I be looking for? are there any manuals on line that I can referance?


    It's a common problem, at least up to '06. Air is directed around the HVAC unit by diverter doors which are controlled by vacuum actuators.

    The issue here is with the defrost/panel door being in the wrong position. This could be caused by: a faulty actuator, a pinched or disconnected vacuum hose, a disconnection between the actuator and door, or a faulty door in that it could be stuck, broken or dislocated.

    The actuators, doors, and their connections can be accessed on the side of the HVAC unit, which in turn can be reached from the drivers footwell.

    Access to the Factory Workshop Manual is available at: alldatadiy.com
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    Can you drop me a line? I have a question about another DC product (Neon) that isn't appropriate here. My email is in my profile, but you may still have my work email address from our earlier conversations.

    -Paul
  • sflajeepsflajeep Member Posts: 2
    Thanks! you were right, it took 2 minutes, and I'm back in business.
    Much appreciated :shades:
  • robiny1robiny1 Member Posts: 1
    For the last two days my jeep takes several tries to start- when I put key in ignition it does nothing several times...if I push it in hard and crank it starts...we have noticed for the last week the engine is louder almost a click clack noise. It has always been maintained etc. Took it to dealer and he informed that the cause was the timing chain which might make some sense as to why the engine is louder but not why it is difficult to start. Its got 114k miles I desperately need advice anyone familiar with this problem or problems????
  • 03jeep4x403jeep4x4 Member Posts: 1
    Just got home after a nice day of driving in the hot Texas heat with the top off...made a brief stop at the grocery store and got back in the Jeep to go home and it made a noise when trying to turn over but never turned. I checked the battery cables and all was fine...nothing loose, no corrosion. When I opened the door, all of the gauges on my panel went crazy moving back and forth real fast...never saw that happen before. The stereo worked. Lights came on. Anyone know what the problem might be before I take it into the shop? Also, how many miles would a TJ go before having to change the alternator?
  • dcook79dcook79 Member Posts: 3
    On my way to work the other day, I stopped at a store to pick up something for lunch. When I started my jeep back up, it was making a knocking sound. My check engine light came on. It was the crankshaft position sensor. I replaced it. the light went off, but it is still making the noise. I will say that it still runs good, just making that sound.
  • skyking49skyking49 Member Posts: 112
    My 06 wrangler x has water on the passenger side floor...sometimes. I smell it and it is just plain water. I have checked everywhere on the inside of the cabin and can see no leaks. I make sure the control knob is turned all the way to the left so no vents or open when the car is parked. Any suggestions?
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    I made a post about this a few pages back. I"m sure it is there. Most likely source is either the A/C drain vent or the gasket around the blower motor. Pics and process are there too...

    -Paul
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    Sounds like multiple issues. MAY need to have the key cylinder checked to make sure all connections are good and that it isn't failing.

    If the timing chain is messed up you may have some bent valves or lifters. I did something similar on my Mazda 626 years ago and it never ran right again. Hopefully your issue is NOT the same.

    May also want to verify your starter, battery, and alternator are up to snuff.

    -Paul
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    Sounds like fun. Verify that your battery is maintaining a charge. If it is the original battery, may want to swap in one of those gel batteries. They seem to do better in heat. I went through batteries about every 2 years out in the Cali desert.

    As for alternators, my 97 has the original alternator with 113k miles on it and it does just fine.

    Your other symptoms make me wonder if you have a loose connection somewhere. Your stereo should be wired in such a way as to NOT work with the keys out of the Jeep. Is it aftermarket? If so, I'd reconsider how you have it and any components (subs/amps) set up.

    Mac may have some ideas...

    -Paul
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    My 97 makes a noise too, but it has since I got it back in 03. The 2.5 is NOT quiet, but it shouldn't be making a knocking sound.

    You sure the CPS was faulty and not reporting an actual problem? If the noise is continuing, I'd have it at least inspected to see what is up. The 2.5L is not an overly strong engine HP or torque-wise, so any problem that relates to the crankshaft and power generated should probably be addressed by somebody who can check that stuff.

    -Paul
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Mac may have some ideas...

    Sounds like a bad connection to me too, either power or ground, just as likely to be at the other end of the battery cables.

    How many miles will an alternator last?

    Somewhere between 1 and 200,000 miles! :)
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Somewhere between 1 and 200,000 miles!

    Thanks, Mac! Mr. Heisenberg would be proud. :P

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Thanks, Mac! Mr. Heisenberg would be proud.

    Would he? I'm uncertain. :blush:
  • starkiststarkist Member Posts: 1
    i just bought a 1988 yj and was woundering why the pvc vaulve pops out of the valve cover
  • tracy3999tracy3999 Member Posts: 10
    HI .. I have a Jeep Wrangler..2005..I and lately it has been having this bad shaking when i get up to 50 miles an hour.. it starts to plain of around 60 or so.. It has only happened a few times.. so i didn't think anything of it.. but today it was bad!!! It felt like the front tires were going shake right of the jeep... the steering wheel also shook a lot!! .. What do you think the problem is? The tire pressure is fine, and the tread on the tires are fine also!! I think the tires are the original.. they came with the jeep.. What do you think it is!! Thanks
  • tracy3999tracy3999 Member Posts: 10
    HI MY NAME IS TRACY AND IM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM.. DID YOU FIND OUT WHY THIS IS HAPPENING? I WAS GOING AROUND 50 AND I THOUGHT THE FRONT WHEELS WERE GOING TO FALL OFF .. THE STEERING WHEEL ALSO!! THANKS TRACY
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    has been covered a LOT in the Jeep Wrangler forum. May want to search there. But it boils down to a few things:

    1. Is your Jeep lifted?
    2. You running larger tires?
    3. Verify alignment and tire balance is good, especially with larger tires.
    4. Verify all linkages are tight:
    Both ends of the tie rod.
    Drag link ends.
    etc
    5. Verify that the knuckles and CV joints are still in good shape. If you jack up the jeep, you should be able to wiggle the tire just a TINY bit. If it wobbles when you grab top and bottom and move back forth (in and out). Joints may be worn.

    -Paul
  • tgpbiddertgpbidder Member Posts: 1
    Can anyone help with this?
    During the last Cali heat wave I was driving home with the AC on high, and my '05 Wrangler spewed coolant out the overflow and down the side of the vehicle. I never noticed the heat gauge going much above 210. It did this same thing last summer ('07) on a trip to Oregon going through a very hot Redding. At that time I got to Oregon and replaced the thermostat just in case. It hadn't done it since, but I hadn't been in a situation where I was running fast at freeway speeds, in high temp. (95 degrees or higher) and was running the AC on full. I found a TSB Bulletin # 1801404 on a google search - but can't get the website to come up that speaks to it. One last thing, when I got home and parked it continued to gurgle a bit in the radiator or hoses. Any help anyone can give me before I take it to the shop would be appreciated.
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    Most likely:

    - clog in the system somewhere
    - too much air causing bubbles to run fluid to overflow
    - water pump going bad?

    I'd recommend a good flush and inspection of the system.

    -Paul
  • mclarke06mclarke06 Member Posts: 3
    My 98 wrangler seems to have trouble getting fuel a few min after starting it. It sputters so i give it a more gas and it powers through. After a few cycles of this, sputtering and lunging, it goes away and runs fine. When it is sputtering i push the clutch in so as to ease the lunges and it barely keeps idling and after a few seconds it corrects itself back up to normal idle rpms. I changed out the crank position sensor because i did a resistance check on the old one and got an open circuit (infinite ohms). The manual calls out a spec of about 250 ohms. I checked the new one before installing it and it was in spec. After the swap my jeep still exhibits the same symptoms. Is there a camshaft sensor on a 98 wrangler? I also changed my plugs and it didnt help. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated!
  • saharastevesaharasteve Member Posts: 15
    My 98 did the same thing 2 years ago, and I changed and tried everything until I found this forum. After following Mac24's advice.it has ran like a top ever since and a lot of local mechanics are following the same advice. Do you hear an exhaust leak on you exhaust manifold? What is happening is they have been known to crack. As your engine warms up, the crack expands and contracts, letting air into your exhuast. This air makes your O2 senser make the adjustments that it thinks it needs but doesn't, changing your fuel mixture causing the sputtering. usually after you reach operating temperature, it quits sputtering. I changed the exhuast manifold and put on a new O2 sensor for good measure and have not had a problem in 2 years now. Let me know how it works out for you.
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    Sounds about right. May want to see if you have any OBDII codes in your system. Mine ran like that too but it was a faulty throttle position sensor (due to excessive mud O:) ).

    -Paul
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    And just to add to the fun, yes there's a camshaft position sensor on a '98. It's in the base of the distributor.
  • mclarke06mclarke06 Member Posts: 3
    Yeah my exhaust manifold cracked a three years ago with a replacement from jeep. That cracked about a year later. So i replaced the manifold with a stainless steel aftermarket manifold and its held up fine since. I will replace the O2 anyway. If that doesnt do it i guess the camshaft sensor or the throttle position sensor is next in line. Thanks for the info!
  • mclarke06mclarke06 Member Posts: 3
    Well i did some in depth research and this is what i have found. There are 2 O2 sensors. The front one is the one that does most of the work and the rear sensor pretty much tells your pcm how efficient your cattalitic converter is operating. The Front O2 sensor has a heating element inside of it. When you first turn on your car the heating element turns on so as to heat up the sensor. The sensor has to be at operating temp to work correctly so the heater takes care of this. However in that small time your O2 sensor is heating up your PCM ignores the sensor input and just gives preset signal for air fuel mixture. Then after a little while the PCM accepts the input from the O2 sensor. The O2 sensor tells the PCM to run rich or lean based on the O2 output coming from the engine. The signal is from 0 to 1 volt. If the sensor is not heated properly it gives crappy info to the PCM affecting the air/fuel mixture. I changed out the O2 sensor and the lunging has stopped. The resistance of the O2 sensor i pulled out was in spec. The heater must have been toast. It is recommended you replace them every 100000 miles.
    Success! Thanks!
  • dav332dav332 Member Posts: 1
    My 97 Wrangler is making a loud tapping sound, seems to be coming from the front underside around the oil pan/transmission pan area. I had the same noise a little over a year ago and just so happened to have an inspection appointment. The dealer fixed it for $50 and said it was a loose dust cover?? The dealer has since gone out of business so no luck in asking them what they fixed.

    The engine is an auto 6 cyl and has just under 60K miles on it. The main problem is that it doesn't make the noise all of the time and doesn't seem to have a pattern to make it occur, so when it does happen due to the heat of the engine makes it hard to diagnose. The best I can describe the sound is a metallic tapping sound (kind of like if you were to put a thin piece of sheet metal against the spokes of a bike tire while it was spinning) that increases/decreases with acceleration/de-celeration. After the noise starts it will continue in all gears.

    Thanks for any help.
  • burntupburntup Member Posts: 64
    You should be able to go to any dealer and have them pull up the records of any and all work done on your Jeep.
    The dust cover on your Jeep is between the engine and transmission. Should be an easy fix if it just involves tightening up th bolts.
    My guess for the kind of noise that you describe would be that there is an issue with your torque converter. High pressure hydraulic fluid can have a metallic sound.
    Good luck.
  • jeepguy48jeepguy48 Member Posts: 9
    my 97 jeep pops through the in take at wide open throttle and high rpm. I have changed many of the sensors distributor, plugs, wires,
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    Can you elaborate on that popping? Exhaust popping? Axle making popping noises?

    -Paul
  • exaltationexaltation Member Posts: 2
    I'am not a mechanic, where is the manifold and the O2 sensor located? How much did this cost?
  • exaltationexaltation Member Posts: 2
    I recently took my jeep in the mud. Everything ran fine until i washed the engine. After the engine was washed the check engine light came on and the engine sputters as if it wanted to shut off. If i leave it idle the engine will shut off. Help PLZ, i will not take my jeep in the mud again!!!
  • jeepguy48jeepguy48 Member Posts: 9
    popping from the intake only does it at high rpm wide open throttle. can take it to the rev limiter at part throttle and no popping. I knowing it is more likely called a backfire but you get the point.
  • jeepguy48jeepguy48 Member Posts: 9
    dont get to worried you just probly got water in the distributer. just pull the cap and blow it out with compressed air reinstall and you should be fine.
    p.s. MUD is s.p.f. for Jeeps
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    Mud + water usually means your Throttle position Sensor got uh... messed up. :)

    $53.00 or so at autozone and 10 minutes later you'll be on the road. Autozone or any good auto part store should be able to read the code and have it tell you what the issue is.

    I messed mine up wheeling in mud. Died while driving 55mph on the highway back to the hotel --- WHILE CROSSING A BRIDGE! That was fun.

    It could be the distributor too, so it would be worth a look see by opening it up and checking the points and such to ensure they are dry. If not, shoot some WD40 in there (after all it IS for water displacement) and try again. But if you are throwing codes, I'm willing to bet your TPS is shot.
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    What kind of gas you running?

    I'd suggest some decent fuel injector cleaner into the gas tank and perhaps fill up at Chevron (or buy some Techron) just to help clean things out.

    I'd also consider checking the plugs/wires to ensure they are working fine. Check the coloration on the plugs to determine if the engine is running lean or rich. I'd also check the air filter to ensure it is clean.

    It SOUNDS to me like either bad gas or a few minor maintenance issues may be the culprit. Mine has never had that noise so I'm not too sure where to point ya?

    Mac?????

    -Paul
  • jeepguy48jeepguy48 Member Posts: 9
    I use an injector cleaner on a regular bases. i have tried new cap, rotor, plugs,coil, cam position sensor, crank position sensor, o2 sensors, throttle position sensor, manifold air temp sensor, coolant temp sensor. the next thing i'm thinking of doing is the manifold absolute pressure sensor, computer, or timing chain. I have been chasing this for over a year and getting determined to figure this out even if it kills me. Was hoping someone has had a similar problem and maybe get some help. thanks
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    Not sure if this will help, but did you see if you have a broken/cracked manifold?

    -Paul
  • jeepguy48jeepguy48 Member Posts: 9
    intake or exhaust
  • jeepboatjeepboat Member Posts: 1
    I recently dove my 2001 Jeep Wrangler into a mud pit and got it stuck. I didnt know at the time that the dealership or the previous owners had pulled the drain plugs and when I got stuck I flooded the interior of the jeep. Im sure im not the first person to do this so any cleaning tips anyone might give me would be greatly appreciated.

    I also had to be pulled out and when I came out I couldnt get the clutch to engage. After a 4 mile tow by my buddys jeep out of the woods I had it Towed to my mechanic. Thinking I had destroyed the clutch. My mechanic "also a jeep enthusiast" told me that I had somehow jammed enough mud into the slave cylinder to prevent it from engageing the clutch. He cleaned it and the jeep worked again. However my clutch still seems slugish and my check guages light keeps popping on. I plan to due a full fluid replacement oil, transmission fluid, radiator flush. Any advise on either problem would also be appreciated. P.S. this is a 2001 4 cylinder 5 speed. also any advise on how to prevent this from happening again.
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    Best way to avoid it is to not go in that deep of mud. ;)

    If you do, you may want to extend your breather lines for differentials, transmission, and transfer case.

    Also, do NOT shift while in that deep of mud. Disengaging the clutch lets the junk in, especially with a stock breather tube.

    -Paul
  • jeepguy48jeepguy48 Member Posts: 9
    does any know what the fuel pressure should be for a 4.0L jeep running wide open throttle?
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    does any know what the fuel pressure should be for a 4.0L jeep running wide open throttle?

    I do...me...over here... :)

    Oh, you wanted the actual figure? Ok, sorry too much coffee.....

    It should be 49psi +/- 5psi constantly while running or ign on. WOT or idle, it should be the same. The amount of fuel getting to the pistons is controlled by the injectors, which in turn are controlled by the PCM.

    If your pressure is less it could be a pump, filter, pressure regulator, or fuel line issue. If it's more, then it's the regulator.

    Now, where are those donuts........... :shades:
  • jeepguy48jeepguy48 Member Posts: 9
    thanks mine is dropping to about 30psi above 4000rpm at wot thanks again for the info looks like its time for a fuel pump.
  • m_j_luffm_j_luff Member Posts: 1
    Hi
    Can someone please help.
    Im Jeep Wrangler has had a misfiring problem since i had it. When the Jeep is cold it will misfirer and splutter until it the temp hits 100c, after that its normaly fine. I have had a full serivce and changed the heater sensor and thermistate changed. This has done nothing. I just got back from a garage and they couldnt work out what was wrong. The computer didnt come up with any problems so the only thing he could think of is the oxigen sensor. Will this help?
    Can someone please help.
    Many Thanks
    Mike
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    When were the plugs last changed? When were the wires and distributor cap replaced?

    Full service won't always do that stuff.

    -Paul
  • gooseblastergooseblaster Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara TJ that keeps saying "check guages". It also studders at arround 2000 rpm (as if it has bad gas), and my mileage is only 12 mpg.
    I have removed the fuel tank and pump, cleaned the tank and re-installed the fuel pump, checked all of the injectors (which all read the same resistance +/- 10%). I have also replaced cap, rotor, wires, and plugs.
    I was goning to play with the timing but it seems to be controlled electronicly.
    I have found that my fuel presure should be arround 49 psi, can any one verify that for me.
    Please help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :confuse:
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    The answer is here (five posts back).
  • dscottygdscottyg Member Posts: 2
    My 98 Jeep Wrangler, does the same thing when it rains. It seems to drip slowly from up under, behind the glove box or trickle down by where the passenger foot area is. Below. It seems to have nothing to do with the jeep top. I copied and pasted a comment from another website addressing how to fix it. I'm going to try it. The "cowl" is the vent across the hood of the jeep at the base of the windshield. Good luck.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    I just fixed mine.Remove windshield wipers(push clip down and pull off).At least on my 98'.Remove the hood cowl on the outside near the windshield. You need two people to do this if you don't want to scratch your paint removing it.Seal inside around the vent box on the passengers side.Also seal along the weld all the way across and especially where it is spot welded.I missed one spot weld and I got 2" of water in during a storm.Seal the water drainage vent directly under the hood vent too.I used a good clear silicone to seal mine.Make sure you clean it really good first and dry it out.That will keep you dry.I have no leaks finally.
  • dscottygdscottyg Member Posts: 2
    My gauges in my 98 Jeep Wrangler work once in a while if it's really hot or cold outside, or if I hit a bump they'll work and then stop working a little while later. Anyone know a do-it-yourself way to fix this?
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