Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Jeep Wrangler

1…386387389391392…455

Comments

  • ocean_shipperocean_shipper Member Posts: 70
    If I remember correctly, most everyone has indicated that the best mpg that I could expect would be in the 15-18 range for most driving. I live in Northern VA area around Wash DC and the traffic can be less than fun!

    Since I have recently bought my 00 Wrangler and it was designated as my 'weekend play toy', I don't intend to make it my primary vehicle. However, I am wondering what I could expect to get in terms of fuel usage. Any ideas? The first tank I tested got right at 17 mpg given the fact that drove it as a 'daily commuter' for the first week.

    Thanks all - Chuck
  • mtngalmtngal Member Posts: 1,911
    Right now I'm in the '98 Sport somewhere around Jean, NV on our way home. We decided to take the Sport since it gets better gas mileage than the Unlimited and we've been tossing around the idea of driving it more often on week days - these gas prices are killing us. Which brings me to a question -

    Can you put an OEM radio from an '04 into a '98? The Sport has the basic radio and no sound bar, so I was thinking of getting an aftermarket soundbar and installing the OEM radio we took out of the Unlimited. It has an aux jack so I could hook up the Roady directly to the radio, instead of using the FM modulator (too many stations in Los Angeles interfere with it). I figured that adding the soundbar and re-doing the wiring would probably be necessary if I did this.

    Or would it be cheaper to change the head to an XM ready radio and plug the Roady into that, leaving the radio speaker configuration alone. I'd like the soundbar and I thought it might not be too expensive if I used the radio I already have. However, if I have to get a new radio I'll skip the soundbar.

    Any economical suggestions?

    As far as MPG - so much depends on your personal driving habits and conditions. I routinely get 18 plus mpg on our commute (150 miles per day, 98% highway with a mix of slow and go and 65 mph involving about 6,000 feet elevation change) in the auto Unlimited, and around 20 in the '98 manual Sport. The one all city driving tank I had in the Unlimited was around 14 mpg. A couple of days ago when i was struggling through the backup from a major accident our mileage (it took us an extra hour and a half to get home) we got 17 mpg.
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Can you put an OEM radio from an '04 into a '98?

    I can't see any problem in fitting an aftermarket soundbar and wiring things to suit, and I certainly wouldn't go to the expense of a new head unit just to connect it to the original basic speakers. However, you may have make some alterations to the dash, as the early head unit had square corners but the latest ones are more rounded.
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Variables to consider are:

    Accuracy of the odometer (check with a GPS)

    Fuel quantity used. You can't judge by the gauge, nor by when the gas station pump shuts off (I get an extra 2.5 gallons after that point). You must either keep track of gas used over several thousand miles, or fill to the neck each time.

    Will you be offroading? Off road use will dramatically increase your consumption in mpg terms.

    Auto or manual? Figure about 2-3mpg difference.

    Will you use a/c? 1-2mpg on a 4.0.

    Will you get it fully warmed up, or just make short trips?

    Will you drive more 'enthusiastically' now it's a weekend toy?

    You really can't do more that 'guestimate' your consumption from one tank, but if you did get 17mpg commuting that's truly excellent. I get an average of 14mpg from my '99 auto.............never less than 13, never more than 15............but with the original optimistic speedo gear I'd be getting 16-17! :surprise:
  • gr8ninja1gr8ninja1 Member Posts: 2
    what year wrangler? on a 1998, you pop off the vent trim on top of dash,remove 2 screws on top off center radio pod cover,and pop off the cover. remove 4 screws to pull the climate control out. there are two bulbs, one on the left top, and one on the right side. good luck getting the right bulbs from the dealer!
  • gman1259gman1259 Member Posts: 209
    I do not count the time it takes me to run through the car wash, since I would have the Jeep washed anyway.

    I built a hoist system with a crank to remove and replace the top, so that does not take me much time at all. The top hangs on the hoist in the garage when it is not on the jeep

    When I remove the soft top I do the following:

    1. I lay out a piece cloth on the drive way.
    2. I remove the rear window and place it on top of the cloth.
    3. I place another piece of cloth on top of the rear window.
    4. I remove a side window and place it on top of the rear window.
    5. I then place cloth on top of the side window.
    6. I remove the other side window and lay it on top of the side window.
    7. I place cloth on top and roll up all three windows, and then wrap the roll with a cover.
    8. Then I lower the top and wrap it with a cover.
    9. Unscrew the four screws that hold it on (thumb screws) pull it off and hand up in the garage.
    10. Pull the door surrounds off and put them on a shelf.
    11. Put a bolt threw the radio mount bar, holding it to the roll cage.
    12. Finally, I back the Jeep up under the hard top, lower the top and tighten it down.

    It could take me as much as 30 to 40 minutes in stead of the 20 minutes I originally quoted to reverse it and put the soft top on, I did not time it. However, I know it does not take me long to swap tops. I have done it many times. A few times I did twice in a week because of the weather or security concerns.

    I am sure I am not as meticulous as you are. I put as much care as I can to preserve the windows, but I do not worry about dust getting through to the top.
  • 99tj99tj Member Posts: 187
    I'm kinda glad I bought my soft top used and pre-scratched :P

    Don't get me wrong, I take pretty good care of my Jeep. I just dont go to the lengths of everyone else, on this board, when it comes to the soft top windows.
    The little bit of dust that collects during the winter comes right off in the spring.

    -Dan
  • scamperscamper Member Posts: 2
    My wife has wanted a Jeep for the past several years and finally got one in the spring of 2004, after retiring. We both love it, but haven't gotten to the point of hugging it every day. We purchased a 4L, six cylinder, 2004 Sport with an automatic transmission. We also have a 16 foot fiberglass Scamp travel trailer that weighs 1500 lbs. dry. The Scamp has electric brakes. We have traveled extensively with the trailer, but pull it with a Ford F150 pick-up. We never imagined that we could pull our little Scamp with the Jeep until we saw some people in Colorado pulling a heavier travel trailer with their Jeep. Realizing the 2000 lb. maximum rule for Jeep Wrangler's, I would like some information on towing my trailer.

    1. Would the Jeep have enough power to negotiate mountain roads? Being old and retired, we are never in a hurry (don't you just love those drivers) so slow is ok.
    2. I know I would need a class 3 hitch and a tranny cooler with filter kit, but is there anything else I would need?
    3. Are we crazy for even exploring this possibility?

    Any information anyone might have on this topic would be greatly appreciate.
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Your Jeep is more than capable of both pulling and stopping your trailer. The 2000lb restriction is due to the relatively short wheelbase which would allow it to become unstable more easily when being pushed by a heavier trailer, as in descending a steep hill or snaking on the flat.

    So, 1: Yes, plenty of power, just use reasonable caution when coming down those mountains in the rain. Remember also that in high winds the large surface area of the trailer will have a disproportionate effect on your Jeep, so keep it slow.

    2: The tranny cooler and filter are very important, and the filter adapter will allow you to easily fit a transmission temperature gauge. Be sure to fit it on the flow line to the cooler rather than the return. Also, fit the aftermarket cooler after the factory one. Additionally, you should use synthetic or semi-synthetic oil in the diffs, as recommended by Jeep.

    3: No, just don't forget have a trailer behind you, and pull over from time to time let the line of traffic behind you go past. :)
  • jeepbuckspajeepbuckspa Member Posts: 3
    hey hey,

    the actual connectors between the radio and the wiring harness are different between a 1998 and a 2004. mopar does make an adapter, so this shouldn't be an issue. really the only other part you will need is the center bezel itself, which you can get cheap on ebay (it attaches the same way as pre-03 bezels). otherwise, all screw holes are the same. good luck!! :shades:
  • mtngalmtngal Member Posts: 1,911
    This morning my other half filled up the Sport and figured we got well over 21 mpg on the last tank. However, don't take this one too seriously - we drove from the house (about 6,000 feet) to work (sea level), then up to 4,000 feet (Lebec) where we found a landslide had blocked the one road into our area. After spending an hour eating dinner we gave up and drove back "down the hill" to spend the night at friends (about 1500 feet) and then on to work (sea level - total distance 226 miles), for significantly more downhill driving than uphill driving. Sure wish I could count on that figure all the time!

    This confirms what we had always thought, the Sport does get about 2 mpg more than the Unlimited.

    Now we're thinking about adding the sport bar and a new radio - it isn't all that much to add a third unit to our XM account, and my other half hates having wires that have to detached and re-attached all the time. He knows I'm not about to give up listening to the Roady at the office. And if we don't get a top of the line head unit, I think we could do it for about what we spent on the Unlimited's Alpine head that had the XM tuner built in. Does anyone have any thoughts about where to mount an XM tuner, now that the new ones seem to be much smaller than the old ones? I was thinking that there might be room behind the dash, rather than mounting one under the seat (the Sport has been known to leak but not recently).
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    Harriet,

    When I did the XM stuff for my Wrangler back in January, I mounted the antenna box on the sidewall right next to the passenger feet area. The Alpine connecter (This was a universal one from XM) I stuck above the glove box to the bottom of the airbag box/holder. That then ran to the Alpine HU.

    Why don't you just get another integrated XM Alpine tuner? :)

    -Paul
  • scamperscamper Member Posts: 2
    Thanks Mac for the most useful information. I will ready my Jeep this winter for a long trip to Alaska in June. I will try to find a good mechanic in Phoenix to follow your detailed instructions.
  • keatskeats Member Posts: 412
    I agree. If you're going to get a new head unit, get one like the Alpine with the XM tuner already in it.
  • mtngalmtngal Member Posts: 1,911
    The main reason why I'm thinking of not going that way is that it's more expensive, and since I'm looking at a new water heater (for the house), dental work on the tooth I broke yesterday and roof repairs (we have big leak), my available finances aren't very large. Besides, we're talking about a 7 year old vehicle and I'd hate to put a bunch of money into it, only to sell it in a year. Not that I'm planning on selling it any time soon...
  • koolbreeze2koolbreeze2 Member Posts: 252
    Hey Keats. My top is still off and I am enjoying some nice weather after all that miserable rain. I got the end caps and put them on. Nice look and much better for off road. Nothing gets hung up in them. Thanks for the tip. How's life? Go Easy, KB2
  • 05rubisahara05rubisahara Member Posts: 25
    Well...thinking my leak after 5 inches of rain, was coming through the vent on the cowl, turned out to be wrong. The service dept determined the leak was from a faulty gasket under the folding windshield from the factory. Of course the dealer did not have this in stock and another 70 mile return trip is in the cards. Oh well...only more expensive gas and time. Anyone else ever experienced this?

    Harlan
  • 99tj99tj Member Posts: 187
    I have this Pioneer and am happy with it.
    http://www.crutchfield.com/S-gL2CWvQHTgn/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=247450&I=130DEHP47D

    You can control XM or Sirius with this head unit. I haven't subscribed to satelite yet, so I can't really give a review on how well it controls the satelite info. It's $250 on Crutchfield. Not sure how that compares to the Alpine. I'm guessing it would be another $100 to add the XM modulator. just a thought :)

    -Dan
  • davids1davids1 Member Posts: 411
    Yep. Just replaced the cowl seal on my 95 Rio Grande. Pain in the you-know-what. It looks like the TJ cowl seal are easier to replace as they don't have a vertical lip on the exterior that needs to be attached with weatherstripping adhesive. That process is a pain. Look at a YJ and you may understand. Otherwise, it is not a difficult job at all.
  • wheelsdownwheelsdown Member Posts: 250
    Testing, 1-2-3, testing, testing 1-2-3.

    Terry
  • embeedueceembeeduece Member Posts: 260
    For those still suffering, I Google searched Death Wobble. Found good info on these sites.

    http://www.off-road.com/jeep/tech/deathwobble/

    http://www.off-road.com/jeep/questions/2004_01/

    http://www.jpmagazine.com/techarticles/29619/

    http://www.yuccaman.com/jeep/dw.html

    http://www.timkennedy.net/jeep/index.php

    http://www.ultimatejeep.com/News/article/sid=141.html

    -Mike
  • 06tj4banger06tj4banger Member Posts: 39
    New owner checking in! I have never enjoyed any car or truck that I have bought as much as this Wrangler...and I have only had it a couple of weeks :) I am glad that I went for the 6-spd manual (it rocks!) and the 4 cylinder (20 MPG in the city). I have only had one problem if anyone has any suggestions...we had some heavy rain today and my drivers side floorboard had a significant amount of water in it...looks like it's coming in around the softop door...guess I'll just have the dealer check it out.
  • 06tj4banger06tj4banger Member Posts: 39
    Tom, sorry about your loss :( I had 1 of my 2 dogs put to sleep about 1.5 years ago and it was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. My other dog (still to this day) looks for him between the bed and the wall where he used to sleep.
  • redrocker15redrocker15 Member Posts: 102
    Quick question. I am going to re-paint my TJ's flares with Krylon Fusion paint. I noticed that the screws holding them on have little plastic retainers ("nuts") which are not fastened to the sheet metal. I took off one front flare's front-most screw to discover this. My question is: are any of these retainers at risk of being dropped into a non-reachable area inside between inner and outer sheet metal panels?

    I just don't want to remove and paint my flares only to discover the "hidden bummer factor*" - - being that some important mountings pieces are AWOL. Or, maybe I'm worrying about a non-issue. Either way, I know I'm not the first to remove and replace the flares..... so I appreciate the knowledge of experienced others!

    * HBF - thanks to author Dave Barry

    Y.H!
    Gary
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    06:

    Thanks for your expression of sympathy concerning my loss of my best bud. I just hope I can learn to enjoy wheelin' without him. I have been twice since he died, and it just isn't the same. Have you checked out the website I made for Ross Allen?

    http://home.earthlink.net/~tsjay53/

    Welcome to Edmunds Jeep Wrangler! Good to have you with us. Just make yourself at home.

    Glad you have discovered the joy of Jeep ownership! I can surely understand why you are enjoying your Wrangler more than you enjoyed any other vehicle. It has been the same for me.

    Your leak MIGHT be caused by lack of a seal where the heater box goes through the firewall. That is a VERY common problem on Wranglers. Somehow the water collected in the cowl runs down the firewall to the heater box and then into the cabin. Pull back your passenger side carpet that covers the firewall and see if the inside of the firewall and/or the back side of the carpet are wet.

    You can have the dealer fix it under warranty, but if you have already identified the source of the leak and pass it on to the service writer, it might save you a trip or two back to the dealer.

    Tom
    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • drewmeisterdrewmeister Member Posts: 168
    Welcome! I must say, the six-speed and four-cylinder is looking very attractive right now. I decided this time that I MUST have an unlimited, so I didn't have the choice. The auto in the LJ is a joke. I just leave the overdrive off unless I'm over 60, which seems to sort out the shift controller just a bit. It likes to pop into overdrive at 50 and then force a "floor-it" to kickdown at every hill. Conversely, mileage isn't any better than my old carbuerated 258. Otherwise, I love it!
    I must say that even though all of my three Jeeps have had a version of the Inline 6 (258, then 96 4.0, and now the new 4.0) I have always been really fascinated by all the projects (especially editor Hazel's project) in Jp magazine using a 4-cylinder and a stick. Even with tires up to 35". It seems like a smaller four-cylinder can be made to be the perfect engine for this vehicle. Since I'm sort of a crack-addict for Jeeps, I'll probably trade if they do come out with the 4-cylinder diesel in the new Wrangler. It's done so well in the Liberty, that it might be the perfect motor. All you Wrangler owners, just IMAGINE 28 MPG on the hwy! I could have my cake in the mud and eat it too, so to speak.

    Anyway, here's a pic. This is in the field behind my homestead...
    image
  • embeedueceembeeduece Member Posts: 260
    Also, waaaay back Tom (I think) was discusssing proper tire inflation. My door label indicates 29 psi. The dealership had each of the four tires inflated to differnet PSIs, the highest being around 38/39 psi. Caused (or exacerbated) my jittery ride; I was all over the place. Deflated down to 29, and the ride is noticeably better.

    I'm coining a new phrase: "What woud Tom do?" A helpful mantra in any situation.

    -Mike
  • mtngalmtngal Member Posts: 1,911
    The price of gas is definitely hurting - I was delighted to pay $2.69 today at Costco - our local gas stations are still running $2.85.

    We've been driving the old manual Sport this past week and it definitely gets about 2 mpg better than the auto Unlimited. So we'll be commuting in it for a while, and leaving the much newer Unlimited for the weekend chores.

    I figured out several years ago that slowing down to 65 gave me much better gas mileage, so that hasn't changed for us. What amazes me is the number of people on the freeways who either haven't figured out that slowing down some saves money, or else don't care. Perhaps when your commute is already about an hour and a half, an extra 5-10 minutes longer is not a big deal.

    Has anyone else made changes to their lives/driving habits? Or are we the only ones still suffering from huge prices at the gas pump?
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    I figured out several years ago that slowing down to 65 gave me much better gas mileage, so that hasn't changed for us. What amazes me is the number of people on the freeways who either haven't figured out that slowing down some saves money, or else don't care. Perhaps when your commute is already about an hour and a half, an extra 5-10 minutes longer is not a big deal.

    Not only do you save gas, but you rarely have to overtake anyone, so the trip is much more relaxing. :)
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Or are we the only ones still suffering from huge prices at the gas pump?

    You are definitely not alone!

    tidester, host
  • gman1259gman1259 Member Posts: 209
    I have been driving my wife’s Altima to work. It will get over 500 miles to it’s 19 gal. tank, where my Jeep will get a little over 300 miles to a tank.
  • redrocker15redrocker15 Member Posts: 102
    Seems Oklahoma City area is one of the cheapest locations for gas in the USA. Even though we did peak as high as $3.099 (as far as I saw and paid a few weeks back), I've seen it as low as $2.12 in the past few days. Almot seems like they're giving it away for free! :confuse:

    Y.H!
    G
  • wheelsdownwheelsdown Member Posts: 250
    300 miles on a tank? $2.12 a gallon? I can't get close to either. Red Ryder is my daily driver, guess I will just have to get over it.

    Terry
  • yjbobyjbob Member Posts: 56
    I get up to 23-24 mpg in my 95 YJ, but I drive about 57 MPH. The 2.5L 4 runs about 2500 RPM at that speed (4.11 diff, 5 speed) and sounds happy there but not much faster. I commute about 55 miles one way (110 miles round trip) so gas does eat a chunk out of my paycheck - but the alternatives are more expensive (haven't found a car pool partner yet). Speed makes a big difference in a Jeep.
  • yjbobyjbob Member Posts: 56
    BTW - I agree with Mac that driving a little slower than the crowd is much more relaxing - the best way I have found to cope with the craziness on the road is to let it just pass me by (yes, I drive in the slow lane).
  • sandmansjeepsandmansjeep Member Posts: 1
    Just wanted to say hi to everyone here... my pride and joy is my 87 Jeep wrangler that is now the new "moneypit" in my life... latest projects that I'm doing is the hardtop:(priming it and painting it black), replacing the windshield (bidding as we speak) and HEI upgrade... Can I get alittle help with the windshield... I plan to reuse the hinges and interior brackets. I bought the cowl glass seal, and windshield frame knobs. I plan to buy the urethane bonding adhesive and some new torx screws.
    I read somewhere about glass seal clips... what are theses and if I do need them how many and where do they go.... thanks in advance....

    sandman
  • 06tj4banger06tj4banger Member Posts: 39
    Tom,

    That is a very touching website! I thank the Lord too for blessing me with the companionship of my dog Bailey whom I still have. Thanks for the advice...I dropped it off this morning so hopefully they can fix it. If and when you are ready to hit the trails again, let me know...I am also from Big Blue land

    -Rob
  • 06tj4banger06tj4banger Member Posts: 39
    Thanks for the reply! I was looking around for an SE and couldn't find anyone in the area that had one with the optional 4.0. I am glad I went ahead and got the 2.4 though especially with gas and the amount of driving that I do every week. That's a cool pic...I'll be wishing a I had a hardtop this winter :P

    -Rob
  • keatskeats Member Posts: 412
    All of my family lives in Edmond, OK. I spent a few days there this past week and gas was $2.07. It was funny to watch it climb higher and higher as I traveled east back to Memphis...
  • keatskeats Member Posts: 412
    Hey, KB2! Where are those Rosie pics? I dropped of my Rubi this morning at the dealership to get them to fix the rattling door and the gap between my back hard top window and the tailgate. I can't believe I put up with that rattle for 6 months!

    Saw the Jeep Commander while I was there. It looks a lot better in person than in the pics...
  • wpowellwpowell Member Posts: 125
    drewmeister,

    I also have a new LJ, but I'm not experiencing the shifting problems you describe. Mine is geared differently (Rubi) which I suppose could account for the difference, but I don't recall others reporting the same issue here. Have you had the dealer check it? Mac?

    Mark
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    It's obviously partly a matter of perception, but I don't see a problem either. It's supposed to be kept out of overdrive until you're cruising at higher speed, and at that time it will take full throttle to activate the kickdown.
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    I was looking around for an SE and couldn't find anyone in the area that had one with the optional 4.0.

    Just being picky, but to avoid confusion for others, the SE isn't available with a 4.0 option. The SE comes with a 2.4 I4, period...........all other Wranglers currently come with the 4.0 I6.
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Rob:

    You're in KY? Great! GO BIG BLUE!

    Let's try to set up a time to go wheelin'. My email is public in my profile here, or you can get it from Ross Allen's website. Holler at me.

    Tom
    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Sandman:

    No help for ya, but I wanted to welcome you to Edmunds Jeep Wrangler. Glad you have joined us. Just make yourself at home.

    Tom
    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    It's called the X model. :)

    Get the RME package and you get a D44 too. :)

    -Paul
  • 06tj4banger06tj4banger Member Posts: 39
    Guy's, I knew I wasn't totally crazy :D Check out Jeeps website (Jeep.com) for 2006 Wrangler specs and it shows an available 4.0 for the SE. I wonder if you have to order it from the factory that way? ">

    -Rob
  • 06tj4banger06tj4banger Member Posts: 39
    Tom,

    Sounds great! I was planning on trying to make a run to Livingston or Slade before the year was up. I'll email ya'

    -Rob
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Yes, you're correct ( I was wrong :cry: ) and it's new for '06.

    Of course, I should have said "I haven't checked for '06, but up to '05..............", but I didn't! :blush:
  • guy21guy21 Member Posts: 129
    The 4.0L IS available on the 2006 SE. It is not available with the 6 speed, but becomes a manditory option when an automatic transmission is desired. Cost: automatic - $825, 4.0L - $1,280, total - $2,105.
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles