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Comments
Good to here the fire danger is lifting.
Keep those pictures coming!
-Pete
Andrew - If I lived where you do, I'd get tired of the cold more than the snow. My other half talks about those prairie winds (he is originally from Manitoba). Burrrr!
Pete - I hope that you got some rain, at least, along with the couple of snow flakes.
Tom - Did you get Thelma Jane cleaned up? It sounded like you weren't all that interested in it yesterday.
Do our new owners have any pictures up anywhere yet? I love looking at new Wranglers!
I have been using Mobil1 since 1973 in so many cars/trucks I lost count. I have generally put 250K to 485K on the engines without major work. When you have ran a new engine from the start with synthetic oil and pull the "top" they are so clean you could eat off of it. Same for the inside of the oil pump.
I typically only run the conventional mineral oil for no more then a 1000 miles so to not start any sludge build-up. I am planning on replacing a '87 Wrangler with either a new Sport or Rubicon as soon as I can afford it -- but also want to see the new Scrambler first.
Also, it took me a few years to get with it but I also quickly switch the tranny and axles to Mobil1 tranny and axle synthetics also -- which has made a big difference in how long I seen to go without tranny rebuilds.
Happy trails with your new Sport, you lucky dog!
Jim
For us, a bad snow is 6" that will last maybe a week. I'm from this area and have never lived in a snow state, but I feel like I have a grasp on the basics of driving on snow and ice. I am amazed at the drivers around here when confronted with anything other than dry pavement. Countless times I have watched a driver stop at the bottom of an ice covered hill and then wonder why they can't make it up to the top, or why they don't stop when they hit the brakes!!!! But the one that takes the cake IMO are the news casters that tell everyone to stay at home everytime a snow flake floats by.
In 1994 the Bronco(which I had inherited from Dad) was dead in the driveway(bad gas) and we got snowed in that Sunday night. A friend finally plowed our farm road on Friday, so we dug out the Turbo Coupe and ventured out. I swore I'd NEVER be without a real 4X4 again.
That is one snow story that I'll never forget.
My Wrangler (with either the Goodyear Wranglers or the Bridgestone Dueller ATs it has on it now) usually has no problem with the snow we get around here. The last 2 winters have been pretty mild - never more than 6 inches at a time. Since we leave for work so early, the roads are snow-covered but not particularly icy. Every year I think about snow tires but rarely have felt a need for them.
Keep the pics coming. As we get snow in Tehachapi, I'll probly put some up on my Webshots. I had a chance to shoot the sunrise this morning through fog and some trees. VERY surreal shot, but by the time I had my camera aimed and ready, the fog had already shifted, destroying that shot. What a bummer.
As for aftermarket parts, I've made no secret of the fact that I've been keeping JCWhitney afloat to upgrade the TJ at our house. I've found some good sources there and I've found a Jeep dealership that gives great service and discounted parts via the net. So if I need Mopar parts, I go through him (unless it is something really small, which I pick up at my local dealer). So I feel pretty dialed in for parts.
My next upgrade will be the foglamps and maybe new headlamps, but I'm still trying to decide if I want to go with the Jeep foglamps or aftermarkets. Any thoughts anybody?
I replaced my headlamps with IPF inserts and their H4 bulbs. The change is pretty dramatic. I am pleased with them and would buy them again.
I also did the "hi bypass" mod on the factory fogs so I can run them with the high beams on when travelling rural 2 lane. The replacement lenses I installed throw a nice definied pattern, but the high beams separate, raising the light well out in front of the Jeep. I like being able to use the fogs in addition to the high beams to help spot any wildlife on back roads.
-twylie
i just wanted to announce that i bought my wrangler! it's a 98 se with 40,000 miles! i had someone i trust look it over-i checked wheel wells and the engine and since i don't do much highway driving, i went with the se.
however, i do believe that even if i did do a lot of freeway driving i'd have bought the se anyway cuz it was love at first sight!! it's the jeep i took on my test drive and i was seriously hooked!
thanks so much for all of your guidance about what to look for. i felt much more confident buying the jeep.
i've named him Tucker! he's red with great chrome bumpers and big wheels. i know nothing about off roading but find myself wanting to learn about it!
i've even received my first 'jeep wave' and felt accepted since i don't know much about off roading or 4 wheel driving! but i do know i really like driving Tucker-being so high up and the way the jeep moves over the road, like a living being. it's all good! :-)
thanks again for the help!
susan
ps-i know that people say wranglers ride rough, but i disagree. it's certainly no 'rougher' than a 12 year old crx with 140,000 miles! actually way smoother! so i guess the time was right. it's all about perspective. ;-)
I have a 5 year old Wrangler with 113,000 on the odometer and still love it. If it were up to me, it would be my daily driver and would have another 135,000 miles on it (what is on my 2000 Taco, which I dislike very much). But there are "creature comforts" that you give up driving one full time. Only you can decide whether you would be happy giving them up.
Out of curiosity, since I'll eventually be in the market for a replacement for the Taco, why are you thinking of trading the Liberty for a Wrangler? I know that the Wrangler is a whole lot more fun than a Liberty, but is there any other reason?
You can get an idea if 4-wheeling is something you would enjoy by heading to a national forest and driving some of their dirt roads. Many of them don't require any special skills but will give you a feel of what it is like to leave the pavement behind. I love being able to drive to some beautiful spot where few people go to. Tucker will thank you for it and you'll either get hooked or decide it isn't for you. From the sounds of it, you'll be hooked, just like the rest of us. If you get a chance, post some pictures - we all love to see new Jeeps!
Congratulations on your "new" SE!
The "jeep wave" is a pleasant surprize. I was quite surprized when I was driving home my "new" Sport for the first time and all sorts of other Wrangler drivers were waving to me. It really makes you feel like you made the right decision and joined an elite group.
Enjoy your new ride!
-Bill
Hey, for the kind of money you are talking, what other vehicle could be so much fun? Heck, in my book, regardless of price, there simply is not another vehicle that would be even HALF the fun of a Wrangler!
You might be OK with the SE, since there ain't exactly a lot of hills in Florida, unless you guys have imported some that I haven't heard about. Just don't expect a lot of power out on the highway, and especially with a headwind. Better test drive one first, just to be sure you are OK with the highway performance. If not, then find a used Sport, as has been suggested.
What about A/C? You won't be getting that for $13,999 will you? Man, if I lived in Florida, I would HAVE to have A/C! You can't ALWAYS have the top down, can you? Don't you get a lot of rain down there?
Hey, whether an SE or a Sport, just get a Wrangler! I promise you, you won't be disappointed.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
P.S. Oops! I just reread your post, and you said you DO get A/C for that price. Man, how could you pass that up, then? GO FOR IT!
CONGRATS!
You'll have to hook up with a Jeep club and get started "wheelin."
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Let's see some pics!
Andrew
As for the tranny, I've found a rebuilder out of Florida that sells their units for $750, 12 month unlimited mileage warranty and free shipping. They don't charge the core upfront. I'll have 30 days to return my tranny to them. Looks like I'll be taking this route in the next couple of weeks.
Also, I found an offroad store in nearby Western Tennessee that has Rough Country 3" suspension lifts. These lifts include 4 replacement leaf springs, drop pitman arm, 4 shocks with boots, steering stabilizer and all the necessary hardware for only $400. If anyone knows of something better, I'd like to know about it.
And yes, I have hugged my Jeep today
Would you like to post details of the dealer?
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
If it's a loose gas cap or leaky evap hose it's not too serious, if it's a misfire it could be an indication of something a little more so.
Do be aware that if the PCM detects a fault that's not emmissions related, even if it could be potentially damaging to your wallet, it'll keep quiet about it until interrogated. This information is stored in the form of Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) and can be retrieved via the odometer or a plug in reader, depending on the year of your Jeep.
If it was a loose gas cap that set the MIL, it will take several cycles of the PCM checking the problem before it's satisfied that it's been fixed, hence the advice from your dealer to drive it for a few days.
Alternately, you can disconnect your battery for about ten minutes which, among other things, will reset the PCM. If the MIL is relit after this you need to interrogate the PCM for DTCs as there's obviously a continuing problem.
i drove Tucker to work today and i'm glad that i don't have to take the bus because it's cold today. not as cold as it's going to get but it was almost 80 degrees a couple of days ago and that makes 40 degrees seem like below zero! :-)
i'm taking things slowly and getting used to driving a jeep. the great turning radius is fun when parking. i did drive on the highway a little bit and i'll probably do some more of that on the weekend, although i do drive more in the city.
i always learn something when i read the posts here. i never knew autozone could help out with figuring out what might be wrong with a car. cool!
thanks for the warm welcome to the jeep club! :-)
susan
I went ahead and bought one. I got the OBDII compliant model since everything I owned at the time was a '96 or newer model. I've used it on several occasions to fix various cars. Even if I didn't do my own work I'd still like to have one so that I'd have an idea of what the mechanic is looking at when he/she is scanning the car.
One for instance: My wife's last car, a Mercury Cougar, had an intermittant misfire. I couldn't get it to do it at any particular time, it was a random event and never would turn on the MIL or set any DTC's. So at one point I decided to hook up the scanner and leave it plugged in while I was driving it. After about an hour and a half the car hiccupped and the scanner immediately displayed a misfire on cylinder #3 message. When I got home I pulled that plug wire. Sure enough, there was a small hole in the boot at the base of the plug allowing the spark to bypass the plug. The funny part of this is that I had previously pulled the plug wires and checked them with an ohm meter, but obviously didn't notice the hole.
Come on, let's get some action around here.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Not yet, Mac.
Gonna try to set up a time with my bud at work, and we'll do both Jeeps.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
I guess all of the new owners are out there enjoying their new Wranglers!
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
mullins87-thanks for the info about autozone. maybe i'll take tucker in for a checkup!! :-)
i did spend the weekend driving around. a friend came up from cincinnati to visit and she brought a gift for tucker!! :-) pat and i toured the city and mtngal is so right-the jeep can be parked really easily. i could pull the crx into most parallel parking spots and the jeep i can back into everywhere.
after pat left on sunday, tucker and i drove around in the country so that i could go fast on straight roads and get used to higher speeds. the 4 cylinder has pretty good pick up at lights. i'm by no means driving tucker like a sports car, but i do need to get used to the way it drives and figure out what tucker can do.
while tucker and i were driving around in the country, i saw a flash of brown out of the corner of my eye. i put my foot on the brake to slow down and then i had to slam on the brake as a buck jumped onto the road and bounded across. he was big. tucker responded well. i wonder if i'd have seen the deer if i'd been in my crx.
i grew up in that area and i often take drives out there on sundays. it used to be a very rural area when i was younger but now it's being very developed and the deer have no where to go. i'm glad he didn't run into tucker and me and that we didn't run into him.
i was too busy over the weekend to get tucker washed and shiny. i'm hoping i can do that tomorrow since it is veterans' day and i'll be off work. don't worry-i'm not going through a car wash!
bye4now.
susan
-Paul
I have seen those hitch mount racks but I don't like the idea of going down the road and having all that stuff kick up off the road onto my gear.
If I didn't use a trailer, I was thinking about one of those roof racks that mount to the windshield mounts and the rear bumper. They can even flip over for a sunshade... perfect for diving and sitting out. But I wasn't sure about their quality.
-Paul
However, the wife of a friend of mine would probably require an enclosed U-Haul trailer, plus all the interior space of a Jeep, just to carry her regular luggage for a weekend.
Like I said, it depends!
The upside is that everything on it will be pretty low tech and easy to fix, though not necessarily inexpensive to fix. You'd need to regard something like this as a hobby/project, rather than a daily driver.
Just one question for ya... do you think you would enjoy doing work on an older Jeep, and would you prefer to be driving the Jeep most of the time or working on it most of the time? Guess that's TWO questions, huh?
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Not sure when the changeover occurred; maybe when the switch was moved from the switches next to the ash tray to the headlight/turn signal stalk?
tsjay, also took off the bumper ends - looks alot better, although it took awhile to get used to the rear bumper.
Anyone hooked up a cd changer that plays mp3s and is cheap?