By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
Tony
Thanks for hosting it twylie.
Andrew
I know I would be letting you guys down if I fall off the wagon. (Yeah, yeah, it would be letting ME down, but somehow it is easier to use you guys for incentive.)
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
I don't know exactly how I went from a "bug gut wiper offer" to a guy who puts his Jeep through the stuff I do now.
Thelma Jane has scratches everywhere, kinked flares and front fenders from hitting trees in tight places, deformed flares from tire rub, dented and scratched tub corners, flares scrubbed on rock walls in gullies, etc. I am NOT one bit sorry that I got that damage. I had a BLAST accumulating all of it.
Those gullies are pretty safe. If I did lay her over on her side, she wouldn't go far before hitting the wall of the gully.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Just took delivery last Friday of a Black Wrangler 'X' Columbia Edition soft top with full doors. It has replaced a 10 year old Cherokee Sport 4x4 that has over 150,000 solid miles. It's still in the family (brother-in-law has it now), so I'm sure it will stay solid for a while to come.
I was able to get the full employee discount from a friend, 0% + $2000, another $500 for being a veteran, and a down payment. All in all, I got a fantastic deal too good to pass up even if I wasn't looking for new vehicle.
Fred
Tony
It's an '04 with auto, air, cruise, cd, seven speaker sound sytem, leather wrapped steering wheel, painted "ecco" wheels with color matching fender flares, fog lights, "Columbia" logo seats, full doors and tinted soft top windows.
I would have liked the manual trans (like my Cherokee), but my lovely wife wanted an auto in case she needs to use the Jeep. I've always wanted a Wrangler, but being single at the time of my Cherokee purchase, it was a little impracticle. My wife drives a new SUV, so the timing of the Jeep deal was perfect. We rented a Wrangler Sport while we were in Maui last December and it convinced her that a Jeep Wrangler was for us as a second car. My only request was to have the 4.0 I-6, so the Columbia Edition gave me more options for not much more money.
Fred
-Paul
As far as the manual vs. auto - it really is a personal choice, so don't be unhappy that you got the automatic. I have a manual and have been very happy with it, but if I spent more time driving in sand, I might not think so.
The only thing I really wonder about is all the gals who won't drive a manual (a pet peeve of mine). I've always been very happy that I learned how to drive one and really enjoy it. We had a number of automatics, until I test drove a Wrangler and re-discovered the fun of a manual. Now both our vehicles are manuals (though I think my other half would prefer an auto on one of them). I think that every person should learn how to drive a manual (and then decide which they prefer).
I'm glad I got the manual though, I know no-one else is going to drive it off
Fred: as for impracticallity, that's the Wranglers middle name. You get used to it. Got told on Saturday, "It's not a big boy car, it's a really expensive toy". You know it's the best damn toy I've ever bought
Tony
-twylie
Great incentive for a 16-17 year old.
-Paul
Keep it up!
I am down to less than 5 pieces of Nicorette a day.
Yeah, I have hung in there so far.
This is day 61. It was a much easier day today than I have been having lately... hardly thought about smoking. Needed a day like this!!!
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
-twylie
Tyoshu: as far as lifts go, anything you replace (ie. shocks, springs, lower control arms, etc.) will not be under warranty any more. After that it seems to be a dealer based judgment as to what else they will cover after a lift. Some dealers wont warranty any part of the drive train with a minor 2" lift, while others will warranty the whole thing with a major lift of 4-5". No matter what though the replaced parts aren't covered.
My dealer installs SkyJacker lifts and I know if I go with something like the OME 2" I'll be safe and not have any problems with them. You should go and talk to your service manager and see what they say.
Tony
If I could find a low mileage 2001+ TJ, I'd drive it stock (or with slightly larger tires) until the warranty was up, THEN start the mods.
I guess it's easier to 'accept' the damage inherent with wheeling on a used car.
As for the RX-7's... they were a sweet car. I still see a few in cherry condition, but not many.
-Paul
Manual/Auto: Definite fan of the manual tranny. Like Tony said, it helps me be more aware (and involved) while driving... Not that there is anything wrong with having an auto. :-)
Andrew
However, it's always good practice to flush the entire system anyway to remove any sludge and deposits. There's a drain plug in the side of the block (which takes an odd sized wrench) to allow you to do the job properly.
Is there any reason you want to change the type of coolant? The 'old' green type works very well, and I don't see being able to go with a five year service interval with the orange type to be any real advantage.
Of course, if you have the orange in there now you may be wanting to change to green.
:--)
Like Mac said, you really want to use distilled water so you don't introduce more minerals into the system. Those minerals found in tap water do bad things when the water gets real hot!
-Paul
I have the original Mopar orange in there now-it seems what I find on the shelves in green. Also, I did not realize there was a drain plug on the block? I was going to flush it a few times by letting engine idle w/ temp set to wamest setting to open up thermostat-do you think that is effective enough? Thanks.
The thermostat opens as the temperature in the block/head rises.
Coolant from the cylinder head circulates through the heater core via a bypass around the thermostat. That's why the heater warms up so quickly.
The heater core is always hot. The temperature control knob operates an electrically controlled door (the blend door) in the HVAC housing, which diverts air through the core. As you can see, this will have no effect on the thermostat.
You can buy an attachment for a couple of bucks to flush the cooling system with a garden hose.
For one thing, you can develop your off road driving skills better with a stock Jeep. There is less forgiveness with a stock Jeep when you miss the perfect line than there would be with a highly modded Jeep, so it MAKES you learn to pick the line you need. Also, a more capable Jeep can get you into deeper doo doo that you are not prepared for as a driver. (Hey, so can a stock Jeep, but less so than for a modded one.)
Also, staying stock for a while gives you a chance to see what the more experienced Jeepers you run the trails with have for mods, and it gives you the chance to see how those mods are performing.
As for the Jeep Wave, man, I wish ALL TJ, YJ, and CJ owners would wave. I try to never miss an opportunity to wave at a Jeep.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
In an area I travel through frequently, I've used power line roads quite often - like when I'm avoiding the backup at 4 Corners (or Kramer Corners or whatever they are calling the intersection of Hwys 395 and 58). I noticed it marked on a SoCal Auto Club map once and have driven it several times (on holiday weekends it can take 2 hours to go 7 miles sometimes).
One time I looked at, but did not take ('cause we were driving the Taco) another power line road that would avoid Halloran Summit (there was an accident that had I-15 shut down for several hours). These roads travel though (more or less) uninhabited, federally owned land, so your local area could be different.
As far as where Paragon is, it's in PA. One of a few of roading locations in PA. Kinda wish the east was like the west there just aren't as many places to wheel. Everywhere I look there's another city
Tony
Driving back one President's day weekend, it took us 3 hours to go 5 miles.
As for the wave, I do it in my Grand Cherokee too. Other GC owners look at me funny though.
-Paul
Hey, I still hope that I don't ever get MAJOR damage to Thelma Jane, but for the fun of wheelin', I take my chances. You just cannot imagine how much fun that stuff is!
You get out in the woods, which is a great thing in itself. You are with super good people that share the love of Jeeps with you. You get the adrenaline rush of doing something risky and making it through. And, with Old RA with me like he is every trip, I spend the day with my best friend in the whole world. Those are the main reasons I love wheelin' so much, I guess.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
At least the Sahara has wider flares to help minimize the debris flying at the car.
-Paul
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Has rained about all day here. Had some rain earlier in the week too. If it would just quit now, the ground would dry up pretty good by the weekend.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
I could see a 2-3" lift, quick discos, rock rails, bumpers, winch in the future, but after that, I am not certain. Maybe racks and better steering components... It would need to be a daily driver too, so I'm tempered by that.
I am SO ready for the weekend.
-Paul
We need to talk... David called me just a few minutes ago and had to cancel. We will still go, Paul, but the cabin thing is kind of out of the picture now. You should just get yourself a motel room for the nights that you will be there.
We'll discuss things in emails or in the chat room at Gill's.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
-Paul
-Paul
I have a whole set of SoCal AAA county maps - they are accurate, have mileage on many dirt roads, indicate both seasonal and permanently locked gates. I've found a few times the forest service may have closed a road after the map was published up in the mountains, but otherwise I've had no problems. I wandered off-road around Palm Springs quite a bit one trip just using the AAA maps, the odometer and a compass.
The road that avoids 4 Corners is not posted as restricted access in any way, is far enough from Hwy 58 that you wouldn't see it so we are usually the only people on it, and it is easy to find.
There is another road that parallels I-15 from Baker to Primm, but I've never driven it. It is something like 80 miles and the write-up I read on it in a SoCal off-road book suggested that you only take it with someone else. You are a long way from anyplace if you have a problem.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Tony