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Jeep Cherokee

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Comments

  • kbk55kbk55 Member Posts: 1
    My 99 Cherokee limited has had perpetual electrical issues since I bought it 4 years ago. I love this vehicle but have got to figure out the problem or it has to go. Sometimes the speedometer and tach go out, sometimes all gauges go out. (The gauge cluster and harness have been replaced). The "outage" may last for a few seconds to a few hours. Sometimes the odometer catches up, sometimes it does not. Last week put me over the edge - it would start but died immediately - during which the gauges did not move at all. I left it in the parking garage at work overnight - next day it started like nothing ever happened and has run fine since. The local jeep dealer says they can't tell whether or which harness might be bad. I suppose it is not in their best interest to figure it out. Help please.
  • lildavidjaxlildavidjax Member Posts: 68
    Has anyone checked the ignition switch? That is what comes to mind first with me. Steve and Tidester? Any input? Good luck! :shades:
    David
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    I agree. The ignition switch is one element common to all the symptoms. Jeep Grand Cherokee Electrical Problems may be helpful.

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • jackattackjackattack Member Posts: 1
    Please someone help me...
    Recently I had my front drive line removed from the quadra-track 02 jeep. My problem was whenever i turned a corner in the jeep it would make a grinding noise and it sounded horrible. The mechanics told me i had metal pieces in my front differential and the best and cheapest way to fix it was to remove this drive line....
    Now it sucks because i dont have 4wh drive anymore and if feel this is a safety issue. The mechanics also told me that the quada-track system isn't strong enough to take it off roading in the sand and that thats why it was tearing up the front diff.
    Has this happened to anyone else?
  • paulepaule Member Posts: 382
    Man, you need to find a new mechanic!
    I'm not all that famaliar with the 02's but that sounds like a front axle CV joint that's bad. Assuming your truck has CV joints and not U-joints, the first thing I would look at is the rubber boots on the CV joints to see if they're ripped or torn. If you get dirt or water in the CV joints, they will go bad quickly.
  • loosenutloosenut Member Posts: 165
    two sugestions on your leaky anti-freeze filled grand cherokee..
    1-autozone.com..loin,select your car,and their website has a online manual!..a great find,i use a lot!..it's not always as thourogh as i'd like sometimes,but will still usually give you a idea of what's what-especially the funnest part of auto repair-under the dash ! ! also,you can shop for the replacement parts-price for your rig..
    --2--try a tube of alumaseal in the coolant..it comes in a tube,about the size of a roll of quarters..only open the radiator cap when your system is cold,otherwise it will erupt like a sience class volcano-probably scalding you..push down,and-like a child proof asprin bottle-there is a safety catch,so ya gotta click about a quarter turn-1/4..
    pour in thepowder,refill with the proper mix,as pure anti-freeze WILL freeze ! !
    do NOT add the sealer into the reserve bottle..it will only plug the line to your radiator..take it for a hour drive..to get rid of the anti-freeze smell quicker,flush the air intake of your car with water..it's the grill under the wipers under the windshield..it'll also clear out the drain,or let you know if you've got a plugged drain
    -the stop leak might save you from having to replace the heater core !..now-wouldn't that be a wonderful thing?? and,if not,ya gave it a good try!..best of luck ! !
    windtalkerr :shades:
  • pla4kpspla4kps Member Posts: 10
    YOU NEED A NEW MECH BUD GO GET YOUR FRONT AXEL BACK
  • paganmommapaganmomma Member Posts: 9
    I have a 1988 cherokee that is chugging when I excellerate. Its feels like I am miss firing and at the same time it feels like the drive line isn't engaging. We changed the plugs (the old ones were bad) and nothing changed. The last owner put in a new cooling system and for some reason the coolant is rusty, could this cause the problem? We also put a higher octane gas in her and that didn't help ( it actually made it worse). We are also getting a lot of fuel in the exhaust. When we changed plugs the very back plug (I have a straight 6) was covered in fuel. to me this seems like I have blown piston rings, but not sure. I also thought about putting the plug riser in that one to see if that helps. Any Ideas would be very helpful. Please help I have a baby due any day now and need a reliable rig. paganmomma
  • lildavidjaxlildavidjax Member Posts: 68
    Have you changed the fuel filter? Inexpensive and easy for a start! Injectors could be clogged/dirty. Could be bad spark plug wires? Bad cap and rotor... Good luck!
    David :shades:
  • paganmommapaganmomma Member Posts: 9
    Thank you David. I didn't even think about the fuel filter. I put some injector cleaner in the fuel tank to try and clean them so hopefully that will hekp that end, but I am going to replace the fuel filter. thanks again.
    paganmomma :)
  • tuggajbtuggajb Member Posts: 646
    compressen check on that cyl will tell you about rings or valves
  • paganmommapaganmomma Member Posts: 9
    Having problems finding the fuel filter. Does anyone know where it is?
  • paganmommapaganmomma Member Posts: 9
    I live in Springfield OR and I am looking for a cheap place to go and get a front driverside electric track. Does anyone know of a good place to go? The seat is in good condition, but the track is busted. The last owner was a very big man.
    Thank You
    Paganmomma :shades: :)
  • jeepster15jeepster15 Member Posts: 4
    U don't need to be big person to bust that track. The whole seat structure system stinks on these Jeeps. First vehicle that I've ever owned that something like this has ever broken. Cheap materials!!!! :mad:
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Ask around at a salvage yard. Maybe a body shop if the electrical stuff is ok and it's just the track that needs fixing.
  • mguymguy Member Posts: 5
    what ever happened to your project?? did you find a pcm??
  • loosenutloosenut Member Posts: 165
    thanks for asking mguy..what happened was winter came,got too cold to play wih..found a father/son who needed a 4.0 engine to rebuild,so junior would have wheels..sold them my-90 pioneer with a great body and a bad pcm for 500..i even threw in all the extra trans,rearends,ect i had to it..took that money and picked up a 97 grand cherokee laredo all wheel drive-with a growling rearend and two broken windows..
    i've "hillbillied" plexi into the passenger door ,and the 1/4 glass on the passenger side(why they missed the rear door-i dunno)..it's a v8---is that the 318?--.but the guy's brother-in-law had it setting at his work's bodyshop for two years..kids broke the windows..his boss started giving him greif about inherating lawn decorations and sutch,so i got it for 500...the body's straight,a tune up should fix the motor,but the rearend's growling..it's that all time all wheel drive,
    --has anyone tried putting lock/unlock hubs on those?..cause i notice why the rearend went out..i turn tight in a parking lot,and can feel it binding..should be good in crappy weather,but on a dry parking lot,it binds.....haven't ran the first tank through it yet,but have already discovered --it LOVES gas..and drinks a lot of it!..i'm hoping it will get me through the winter without too mutch trouble..fortunately,all i need is to get to my doctor's and the grocery,so it should make it that long
    rebuilding a rearend should prove a challange to my abilities,but-i've got more time than money,and will give it a whack!

    -- :confuse:
  • fisherpatfisherpat Member Posts: 7
    try your local auto salvage. If there is a pull and save near you that would be your best bet. I did the track and seat last year and paid 30 dollars total. Good luck.
  • mguymguy Member Posts: 5
    Well, sounds like you got your hands full. I got a ecm (pcm) from a junk yard and my 96 jeep fired right up. MY 97 grand cherokee Lorado's engine just took a dump. At least i have one running car now. Before the engine (200,000 miles) died , the rear end had been growling also. but that was after i put in new bearings in rear of pumpkin. (pinion bearings??? i guess) Is there any adjustments in there to make noise go away? Noise louder when under load>
  • loosenutloosenut Member Posts: 165
    :sick: i've never really torn down a ring and pinion before,but,i may end up learning how..
    --your not giving me a lot of hope for my new aqusition,with yours going "clank"..
    did you fry the bottom-crank/rods,or was it electrical?
    was yours "all wheel drive"?,are all laredo's?..
    -i was thinking about the "all time 4wd,and would trading out the transferr case to a shift in 4wd case-like out of a cherokee- a good idea? would it fit?
    my motor sounds good,other than a fresh set of plugs and wires..
    were you running that 5w-stuff in it?..they should ban that stuff..someone might use it,and think it lubricates!5w is too thin! 3-in1 oil is 10 weight! DO NOT USE 5W-NOTHING!!..not in anything you want to keep running!!
    ..guess i'll spend the winter researching some stuff,get in contact with some rock crawler peoples,and make a decesion..here's hoping it makes it through!
  • paganmommapaganmomma Member Posts: 9
    does anyone know if you can interchange an 86 seat track for power seats to the same in an 88? :confuse:
  • mguymguy Member Posts: 5
    I know this isnt much of an answer, but I bet you can call any junk yard (auto wrecking) and they would know or be able to tell you straight away :blush:
  • paganmommapaganmomma Member Posts: 9
    Yep your right it didn't help much because it was the junk yards that weren't sure if it did or not. They have an 86 track, but aren't sure it fits the 88 seats. I guess I will have to go done and look at it and compare. Thanks though.
  • lildavidjaxlildavidjax Member Posts: 68
    Did you call the dealer and inquire if the part number was the same? Too simple or what? :)
  • onebearonebear Member Posts: 1
    I have a very used (180,000 miles) 1994 Cherokee 4.0L. I bought it 3 months ago. A week ago, I noticed a grinding sound coming from the front drivers side when turning right or left. This gradually got louder. Before I was able to get it in the shop, the grinding sound was replaced with a loud snap, then a thump, thump, thump, (also very loud!) that accelerated with speed. I could feel the thumping on the drivers side floor board. I drove it the 12 miles home. I am sure causing even more damage. I have been reading other posts and it seems that it could be many things associated with the axle, hub, etc. Could someone please get me started looking in the right direction. Thanks!
  • bandit13bandit13 Member Posts: 1
    how to remove glovebox and or dashboard. having ventilation prob's an am looking into installing "heater treater" parts.
  • loosenutloosenut Member Posts: 165
    go to "autozone.com"
    set up a account-enter your kind of car,and they have a online manual-with exploded views,this will give you a idea of what comes apart,and where to look for the screws ..
    "heater treater?..maybe heater core?..anyway,the online manual is there..maybe that'l help..
    merry christmas :sick:
  • loosenutloosenut Member Posts: 165
    sounds like you snapped a cv/u joint..have ut towed,to avoid further damage-after you've done your phone work..look for someone who specialises in jeep service,as there are special tools for 4 wheel drive..
    if you shop for the cheapest guy,he may not do all the little extras that might save you more work later on..
    you also don't want the mecanic who'se trying to bring everything back to new--it's NOT new..it's got 180k on it!..but-with proper service,they can last to 500k
    but you don't do that by snapping a axle,and driving it home-just becausre it's still moving--get to the side of the road,orthe next exit,anbd STOP..when things are grinding metal to metal,those are expensive parts grinding up..usually more than the wrecker/tow truck would've cost you..and-with any 4 wheel drive-when calling a wrecker-let them know it's 4w drive,as you can't drag a jeep with any of thec wheels on the grou nd..you need a rollback or a trailer..
    :sick:
  • len19len19 Member Posts: 3
    Workng on kids 2005 grand cherokee. Can't turn the ignition. have tried the tricks i know. he went to dealer, says it the cylinder. can't get it out. any tricks. the wheel is locked but i can put in gear. maybe thats the problem? Thanks
  • jeepster15jeepster15 Member Posts: 4
    I just had this issue on my 2000 Grand Cherokee. Had to get the cylinder replaced and unfortunately the keys need to be reprogrammed for the new cylinder. I'm fortunate that we have good auto electronics place that can do it. Regardless, I called to have it towed because I was stuck just like you. The tow truck driver came and tapped it w/ a ball peen hammer and got the tumblers to align for it to start. Took it straight to the shop. Mine was occuring every now and then but eventually became alot and finally permanently stuck. Very frustrating failure!!! Hope this helps! :mad:
  • loosenutloosenut Member Posts: 165
    suprises me just how often "primitive methods" still work in our modern world..
    your old lock cylindeer might have been just fine with a good dose of lock lube-graphite.grease..after-of course,you get it unstuck!..wonder just where dude hit it to get it to loosen?//
    ya see, i'm in that category of "i barely can afford gas,and a couple grand to have the service dept put in a new lock cylinder...well..i'd probably have to drill out the old cylinder,and try to make it NOT look like i stole the dam thing..with the lock missing,and a screwdriver for a key,..that kind of thing..
    the "hammer therapy"using the old mecanic's creed of "if all else fails,GET A BIGGER HAMMER!" :) recently saved me a long cold walk,when my old aerostar's starter decided that the night the temp dropped under zero-to crap out on me..i crawled under it,and gave the starter a few "love taps" :) and-IT STARTED!!..what had happened there was the armature in trhe starter just happened to land on a worn spot,and wouldn't make contact..whacking it moved the shaft only a micron,but it was enough for it to work..it's been starting just fine,but it did give me fair warning....so,when it quits on you,-sometimes,you can get yourself out of a fix by using primitive methods!
  • len19len19 Member Posts: 3
    Well we finally got it. After the fact I was told you can pound a penny nail into the lock to help release it. We took the cylinder canister off the column and ground down the stud that was keeping the cylinder in. Slapped in the new lock cylinder and put it all back together. Saved a lot on labor charges. Thanks all
  • rak1934rak1934 Member Posts: 2
    i have a 06 grand cherokee 4.7L. driver side tail light won't work. replaced bulbs, no luck. replaced whole light assembly, still no luck. blinker, brake, and reverse all work fine on both sides, just no luck with the driver side tail light. anybody have any idea or suggestions for me.
  • paulepaule Member Posts: 382
    I would look at the connector to make sure all of the pins are fully seated and in place. Other than that, start chasing the wiring to see if it is cut somewhere.
    You could also try putting a little dielectric grease in the connector after making sure the pins are seated correctly.
  • rak1934rak1934 Member Posts: 2
    finally figured it out. apparently the trailer wire harness on back was installed wrong with a aftermarket instead of a factory harness. so i disconnected my trailer harness in back replaced a 10amp fuse under the hood and good to go. now gotta install a factory harness
  • matausmataus Member Posts: 43
    I hope someone can help me...

    I have a 1989 Jeep Cherokee Pioneer 4x4 auto with a 4.0 liter straight 6.
    I went ahead and removed the head from the Jeep because I was getting an excessive amount of oil coming out from under the head. It was evident the head seal needed to be replaced. So of course I went thru the whole process of removing the head from the block. Once I drained all the fluids, I went ahead and removed the valve cover. Once I did that, I went ahead and loosened the cap screws at each bridge pivot assembly. Then I remove the pivot assembly. And then the rocker arms. And then of course the push rods.

    When looking into the condition of all the parts pulled, a couple of the push rods weren't as straight as all the others. So I went ahead and bought a new set. The bridge pivot assembly and rocker arms are in good condition with no excessive wear.

    One thing I didn't think about when I pulled everything out was keeping track of which rocker arm went to each pivot assembly. I'm usually pretty good about detail, but I spaced this one out.

    On each pivot assembly, there are two indentations that run down each pivot. It looks something like this below. Some are matched up, and some are different. I hope there's someone out there who knows what I'm talking about. The bottom of the rocker arms has the same indentations as well. Being there are six cylinders there are obviously 6 pivot assemblies. They are as follows...

    [/\----/\] [/\----/\] [/\----/\] 3 are the same
    [\/----\/] [\/----\/] 2 are the same
    [/\---\/] One is odd

    I don't know if this makes sense to anyone. If so, please let me know if there is a way to resolve this problem. Any help would be greatly appreciated...

    Maddy :confuse:
  • tuggajbtuggajb Member Posts: 646
    just sounds as if head was pulled before and when pivits were installed they just put them in with out any ordre if the rockers and pivits are not to scrached up if you just match the ware patern should be ok
  • paulepaule Member Posts: 382
    Look at the fulcrum that the rocker arm bridge attaches to. The fulcrums (the part that sits in the valley of the rocker arm) will have a V pattern to it where it mates to the rocker arm.

    Make sure you have the same V pattern on the fulcrum as what is on the rocker arm and you will be fine.
  • land_sharkland_shark Member Posts: 4
    Hi all, bought a 2000 Cherokee Classic late last year, thing is basically in brand-new condition inside and out and is really a beautiful little truck. It has the 4.0L inline-6 with 207,000 highway kilometres on it and makes lots of power, but there is a definite 'rubbing' or 'vibration' at speed that seems to come and go. I noticed one poster mentioned that he solved this problem by replacing the driveshaft holder so I'll give that a try. However, a short time after I bought it, one morning while sitting in a drive-thru the temperature spiked up, then the check gauge light came on. I shut it off immediately, to let it cool down then started it up and got out of the lane and to a gas station where I found the overflow tank bone dry. Filled it up with 50/50 mix and the temperature was back to normal for a little while when it started to spike again. Checked the tank, again it was dry. No leaks or anything anywhere at all, oil was clean but I could smell antifreeze now and again while driving. So I ran like this for a while, constantly checking the level and adding to it to keep the temperature normal and then decided to try some radiator sealant as we figured I might have pinholes in it that were letting off coolant and evaporating on the motor which is possibly why I couldn't see it anywhere but could smell it. Lo and behold, temperature and missing coolant problem solved but almost the very next day my oil pressure, which until that point had been just fine, started to drop after the engine warmed up. When starting cold it will maintain a steady 35 or so psi but as soon as normal operating temperature is reached it will drop down to maybe 5 or 10 based on the gauge. Revving it up or driving will bring it back up quickly close to 30psi but never more than that, and dropping the idle back down drops the oil pressure (again based on the gauge) as well. I've replaced the oil pressure sender with no luck, and now I've just changed the oil with a fresh filter just on the off-chance there was sludge build-up. I know I need to check the pressure with a manual gauge to confirm, but I'm wondering if someone can clue me in as to why this may have happened right after my temperature issue. If my pump is worn out would I get these symptoms? I really hope it's not a bearing issue as I can barely afford to replace the pump myself, if I have to, let alone doing the bearings, but I really don't want to keep driving it with this issue. Thanks for any feedback!
  • paulepaule Member Posts: 382
    The coolant issue sounds like a blown head gasket to me. I believe you are burning coolant which is why you could smell it. It could also be a coolant leak like you said where the coolant is dropping onto the exhaust and burning off.

    I believe you would get the oil pressure symptoms prior to your oil pump failing. The only way to properly diagnose it is to put a gauge on it.
  • land_sharkland_shark Member Posts: 4
    I thought at first that I had a head gasket issue as well, but after putting the radiator seal in the smell has gone and it doesn't take any coolant at all, anymore so it must have been the rad, unless the sealant was able to seal the break in the head gasket? It did claim to be able to do that, so I suppose it's possible.
    It just seems wierd that as soon as that problem was solved, the other oil pressure issue immediately cropped up.
    I'll put a gauge on it to see what the real pressure is, for sure.
  • mguymguy Member Posts: 5
    I own a 96 Jeep cherokee sport 4(L) 4x4. I recently had to change out the computer. I found a cheap (free) one from a junk 2000. Put it in and the jeep started right up and runs fine, Only the engine light and generator light stay on. It won't pass e-check that way so I am in need of the right computer. I cant afford to buy a new one and junk yards dont have them. Help...... :sick:
  • land_sharkland_shark Member Posts: 4
    Checked my pressure with a 0-100psi gauge today, started up cold at just over 40psi; once it warmed up it will drop at idle down to 8-10psi, if I rev it up it will rise right away to about 35-40psi, the higher I rev the higher the pressure until I let off and then it drops instantly to 8-10psi. Is this indicative of my oil pump starting to fail or am I looking at some other issue? Thanks in advance!
    Edit: my Haynes manual says the oil pressure at idle should be 13 psi and over 1600 rpm should be 37 to 75psi; I'm actually not far off of that, should I even be worried?
  • salinitysalinity Member Posts: 5
    Hi all - new problem I'm having with my 1995 4-cyl (I know, I know) Cherokee. There's some sort of electrical connection which has a wire from the battery (?) and clicks into a "fitting" (sort of like a plug) which looks like it goes into the engine block. It's located just in front of the distributor cap on the passengers side. It came to my attention, because there's what appears to be a mixture of gas and oil seeping up thru it. What is this and what would cause this seepage (I can start it up with this thing "unplugged")? Still starts and runs (although I've had trouble starting as of late). Is she nearing the end?...
  • salinitysalinity Member Posts: 5
    OK - so after some looking and posting, it appears as if this is my oil pressure sensor:
    oil pressure sensor

    (the elec tape is there to prevent the white part on top from popping off).

    So, is it likely that some sort of diaphragm within the sensor unit is compromised and that's causing seepage into the top connector? If I were to replace this, apart from draining the oil, is there a way to prevent oil from pouring out when I remove the old sensor unit (if it would even pour out)? Any other advice pertaining to replacing this is appreciated.
  • paulepaule Member Posts: 382
    I would go down to your local Jeep dealer and look at their "drawings" to find out exactly what it is and purchase one.
    If it is the oil sensor and it is in the side of the engine block, you won't even need to drain the oil. All of the oil will be in the pan when the engine is not running.
    Just pull it out and install the new one. Put a little bit of oil on the O-ring if it has one and reconnect the electrical connection.
    Good luck!
  • matausmataus Member Posts: 43
    I really hope someone can help me with this problem I'm having...

    I started to get this wobbling vibration in the rear of my Jeep at about 40 to 50 Mph. It wobbles so hard that it almost feels like the rear end is going to fall off the truck. Problem solving the issue, I first thought was that maybe the drive shaft was out of balance. In thinking that was the problem, I went ahead and pulled the drive shaft off. After doing so, I went ahead and took the Jeep out for a spin in 4 hi. Again, when I got to about 40 to 50 Mph, the wobbling vibration still occurred. So than I went ahead and lifted the front end of the truck up and spun up the tires. I wasn’t getting any kind of vibration at all. In doing so, I realized that it had to be coming from the rear end of the jeep.

    So my question is this, what would cause the vibration? I tried out different tires but it still occurs. The one thing I haven't done was to change out the shocks in back. Do you think that this would be the problem?

    If there is anyone who can help, it would be greatly appreciated..

    Tracy :confuse: :confuse: :confuse:
  • paulepaule Member Posts: 382
    When I first read this I was sure it was a wheel that had some of the weights come off but it looks like you've already ruled that out with trying different tires.

    I'd look for the easy stuff first. Get under your jeep or lift it up such that the wheels are still on something so that the suspension is compressed (be safe!). Look to see if any nuts have come off of the suspension components. Break out your torque wrench and torque EVERY bolt\nut that is part of your suspension. Take it out for a drive.

    Still there? Check your rear wheel bearings. You should be able to jack it up to see if you have any play.

    It could be your shocks but you should be able to rule that out by standing on your bumper on each side of the vehicle and stepping off. If it oscillates more than a couple of times, you may have a shock issue. Typically you'll see evidence of oil leakage on the shock if they're bad.

    Hope this helps. Good luck.
  • mguymguy Member Posts: 5
    If you read through some of these questions, you will find that the wobble is probably from the front end of the vehicle. My jeep did the same thing. When I got under it I found that my swaybar links and bushing were bad. I have had no issues since I replaced them. :shades:
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