Well, today as I sit here and finalize the column I've watched President Bush reaffirm his oath of office. How blessed we are to be Americans and see such proceedings in our great nation. No matter your political leanings, it's a great thing to be an American and choose our own destiny. For those of you who'd watched the inauguration today, I hope you revel in your freedom while realizing that freedom is not free. There are members of the Armed Forces dying every day to guarantee you that freedom. May God Bless them and their families.

There have been a lot of questions on Cold Start/running problems on Cherokees and TJ's that I've not answered this last month. It's not that I don't want to answers the questions, it's that I just don't know the answer. There are so many problems that can result from he cold. While living in Wisconsin and working at 3M in St. Paul I'd often walk out to my Jeep at 7am after a 12 hour shift... and it'd been over -40*F that night. I'd get into the Jeep and listen as I climbed in the door. The Jeep would protest by groaning from my weight shifting from the sill to the seat. The springs would groan, the shocks would groan and that cold seat would wake me up for the 30 mile ride home. The question of the day was, would the Jeep start? I'd buy a new battery every two years, and rotate the batteries. The new one would become the starting battery, while the two year old battery would become the secondary battery in the dual battery system. It was always rigged to self jump if needed. There's nothing like two batteries in series to spin a cold starter motor! To help the engine turn over I would simply bow my head and say a prayer asking that the darned Jeep'd start.

Thank goodness I fuel injected that ol' CJ7.

It would start on about the third revolution and bitterly roar to life. Clouds of steam would encircle the Jeep as evaporation would boil off the the engine and out the tailpipe. Of course I couldn't move the Jeep. The automatic transmission fluid was still nothing but sludge in the bottom of the ATF pan. It would take about 3 minutes for the ATF to start to warm up and thin out enough so the Jeep would move. I often though about fabricating a pre-heater for the ATF that I could shut off when it reached operational temp. But thank goodness I moved back to God's country before I needed to do engineer it.

In the deep of winter that is February, your car freezes. It doesn't like winter anymore than you do. Remember the second law of thermodynamics states that the quality of this energy is degraded irreversibly. This is the principle of Entropy, and you're Jeep's been suffering from obeying this law.

Combat this by doing your Pre-Winter Maintenance. FIX THE JEEP IN THE SPRING,SUMMER and FALL! Waiting till winter is too late. By fixing the Jeep you'll keep it reliable. Remember, most vehicles are designed to run 500,000 miles without major repairs. Thinking about that most owners only get between 75,000 miles to 125,000 miles before they either have to do a major repair or dump the vehicle for a new one because they fear a major repairs.

So live providently, and fix those problems as they arise. Where there's smoke there's fire. Putting out smoke is a whole lot easier than putting out fire, and whole lot less expensive.

Time's a wastin'... start making your repair list!

Oh, you can do that with me on the morning of Feb 2nd, at McDonalds. Join my family and I in a 34 year tradition... Go to McDonalds and have a Sausage McMuffin in celebration of Groundhog Day! Get it? Ground Hog... gosh I love a good pun!

O.K. guess it's time to get back to work and look at the 60 Jeep Creep Questions that await an answer...

Till next month, good Jeepin'

LEVE Note: I get a whole truck load of SPAM and virus loaded Emails each month. So I filler all my Emails. Remember when you send in your questions DO NOT CHANGE THE SUBJECT LINE. If you change the message line

• Your message will be deleted.
• The message will never be read.
• It will be marked as Junk-Mail.
• Anytime in the future if you send in a question it will be trashed.

I'd sure like to avoid all that unpleasantness. If your Email makes it into the column, I won't correct your grammer or spelling... I can barely correct my own!

Dear Jeep Creep:

I would appreciate your help in locating a *very *annoying rattle under the dashboard of my 1989 Wrangler. It's just a basic Wrangler with nothing optional under the dash. The rattle seems to originate above the transmission hump in the area of the heater duct. It's sort of a dull thud or heavy sounding rattle when the road is washboard like; *repeated rough joints in otherwise smooth pavement also really makes this thud apparent*. I just can't seem to pinpoint where its coming from even when I take the passenger seat out, lie on my back, and try to locate while someone else drives. I don't want to guess and take the heater duct out unless I'm pretty certain that the problem is inside of the duct. I've checked the firewall area, under the hood, frame, front shocks, engine and transmission mounts, etc. Everything seems to be tight. Please let me know if you have any ideas or if you have experienced this before. I can't believe that this is the only Wrangler built that has a rattle like this.

Thanks much.

ANNOYED, THUDDED, AND RATTLED IN *MONTANA*

Hi Sue,

I've been ruminating over your rattle. How hard of a thump is this when you go over bumps? There's not much under the dash that can get be loose enough to flop around.

Is it possible that the noise is under the floorboard?

LEVE

Dear Jeep Creep:

First, one correction. I'm using my wife's computer. My name is Clyde, not Susan. I've been trying to located this thuddy rattle in our Jeep for quite a while. I'm wondering about the possibility of a loose heater core inside the heat duct.

Have you heard of any weakness in this area for the 1989 Jeep Wrangler?? The thuddy rattle sounds sort of heavy like possibly a core filled with fluid that is moving inside the plastic heater duct. I just don't know at this point, but I've had the vehicle up on a hoist several times in my shop and nothing seems to be loose under the floorboard.

According to the Chrysler service manual for 1989 Jeeps, the Wrangler is the only model that does not show the heater core mount held by screws inside the heater duct. I'm growing more and more suspicious of the possibility of a loose heater core. Have you heard of this??

Thanks much.

Sincerely, Clyde

Hi Clyde,

Sorry about the name, but if the sender doesn't sign the E-mail I address the response to the name on the address.

The Heater Core is held in the heater box by some foam around the core.. If the foam is bad it could move around a bit... but you can loosen the heater core hoses and move the core by hand. That should tell you if the core is moving. I'd be highly surprised if it's the problem. Does that Jeep have Air Conditioning?

LEVE

Hello Jeep Creep:

My Jeep Wrangler (1989) is a basic as basic can be. It has no air conditioning, it doesn't even have a radio. I will take the heater hoses off and check for loosness. Sounds like you don't think its the heater core though.

Thanks,

Clyde

LEVE Note: It is hard to address the right person if you don't sign you're E-mail. I'm not really into gender reassignment, so if you want my to address you by your correct name, please let me know your name. I don't sell E-mail lists to spammers, so your address/name is safe with me.

Hello,

I have a 1990 Jeep Cherokee XJ with a 4.0 L engine. I pulled on the hood release lever the other day, and nothing happened. The lever pulls with absolutely no resistance and the hood does not release. I pulled the front grill to see if I could access the mechanism to release the hood, but was unsuccessful. Can you tell me how to get the hood released, and what the problem might be? Probably a simple solution, but I?m pretty limited in my mechanical knowledge. It just seems like I should be able to fix it and not have to take it to a mechanic.

Thanks for your help,

Dennis

G'Day Dennis,

Make sure the cable has not broke at the release handle. If it has you can use vice grips till you get the replacement parts. If the cable has broke up near the hood latch, it greatly complicates the repair. The cable should be available at the dealer for about $30. You may be able to crawl under the Jeep and reach up around the fans. There's a cable that runs across the hood from drivers to passenger side. Pulling this cable should release both latches. Or, try removing the headlights.

You may be able to get at the mounting bolts for the hood catches via this area. One points to the rear, the other up... This isn't easy, but if I remember right, with a little contortion and a couple of sockets, extensions, and swivels, it can be done. Then again, sometimes this is a job for the dealer... and you don't know how much I hate to say that...

LEVE

I got it open.

I accessed by removing the headlights and mounting brackets, then removed the bolts. One was to the top right of the hole on the vertical panel, the other was above and to the right of the hole on the horizontal panel. The hood came open, then I released the catches manually and reinstalled them.

The problem is that the pivot mechanism that the cable hooks to broke off from the rivets that attached it to the underside of the hood. Any ideas on the best way to re-secure the mechanism to the hood?

Thanks for your help,

Dennis

Hi Dennis,

Wow, that was a lot of work! Good Job!

Is the pivot pulled out from the metal, or is it still attached to a plate that rivets onto the cross member frame?

If it's not pulled out from the plate, I'd drill the pieces and bolt/locktite them back together. Baring that, it's a case for piece replacement an bolt on or a spot weld job!

LEVE

Thanks.

The pivot is still secure. There?s no way to get a bolt in from the top, so I?ll see if I can tap in for bolts. I appreciate the help,

Dennis

Hi Dennis,

Yes, it can be an ugly repair... but better in the long run.

It seems you'll have to start taking the front of the Jeep's grille off to start getting enough clearance. But you've got the hard part over, contorting your hands in those headlight buckets to get the hood open.

LEVE

LEVE Note: This is the case of persistence. This is an ugly repair to do yourself because the are you are working in is very tight and the sheetmetal parts are sharp. You're lucky if the beter half doesn't find you laying in front of the Jeep with your wrists slit by sheet metal and still stuck in the headlight buckets. My hat's off to Dennis on this repair. And also, a note to others, IF DENNIS CAN DO IT... SO CAN YOU... I really appreciate it when a Jeep owner writes back to tell me something worked! There's great satisfaction in right application of knowledge.

Arise O'Ye Jeep owners and throw off the shackles of the shops and the dealer. Buy some tools and do your own work when ever possible. The more you learn the more you know, the more you know the more knowledge you have. Knowledge is power. Size the power in your own lives.

Hello JeepCreep,

I gotta question for ya, I'm sure you're answered similar or identical questions before but I thought I'd ask anyway. I have a manual 95 jeep cherokee with 126k miles. It runs great all the time, always starts, accelerates fine, unless I drive it on the highway above 70 mph for 45 minutes or longer. It starts to 'hiccup', and the motor has a split second lapse in power. It feels like one or more of the cylinders is failing to fire. The engine light comes on about 15 minutes after the problem begins.

If I stop and turn the car off for 10 minutes or so, when I return to the highway the problem won't return for around 15 minutes. However the jeep will run fine for hours around town or when driving at different speeds or offroad, in any temperature. I'm assuming that its not a sparkplug problem since it is only at high speeds and after a long period of time. I replaced my fuel filter and the problem is still there. I have a dent in my new header from offroading, not sure if that could have an effect. I'm thinking that its the fuel pump, but I'm reluctant to spend the money without knowing the exact problem.

If you could help me out I'd really appreciate it, let me know what you think-

Jonathan

Hi Jonathan,

The very first thing you want to do is to recover the error code that is being set when the engine light comes on. That will point you in the right direction to effect a repair. Try the Key-on Key-off trick to recover the code. Without starting the engine, turn the ignition key on, off, on, off, and back to on. The "CHECK ENGINE" light will flash the first digit, pause and then flash the second digit of any stored error.

The codes can be found at:

http://www.dodgeram.org/tech/gas/Trouble/pcm_fault_code.htm

Let me know what you find.

LEVE

LEVE

Wow that sure is handy, good thing I didn't replace my fuel filter.

It displayed a: 12: Battery recently disconnected.

24: TPS sensor is out of normal range, so that may need to be replaced.

55: End of message

I will check out the TPS sensor as soon as I have some time, any other suggestions?

Thanks-

Jonathan

LEVE Note: I don't have any more information for Jonathan, he's on the right track to fixing the Jeep. The problem is Jonathan's listened to people who were grasping at straws. They did keep the fix simple by first pulling the computer codes. This was because the person did not know what he was talking about. Be careful who you follow, when the blind lead the blind you all fall in the ditch. Keep the diagnostics sample. Remember Achem's Razor:

The simplest solution is usually the best answer...

The fuel filter was a fine fix in the old carb days, but those days have been gone for almost a generation. There have been three generations of fuel injection since carbs and all of them are a little different. Like my ol' Dad used to say: "Son, Green things grow, ripe things rot." So keep growing! Keep learning.

Did you ever notice the way people type? Jonathan always says "Thanks-" with that little hyphen after the word. Hummm... I wonder what that means about Jonathan's character? These little personalizing foibles always mean something. Now I've gotta get a foible! Oh, as an aside, it's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice. Jonathan E-mailed back to say thanks, and that's mighty nice of him!

JeepCreep:

Judging by the quantity of the Emails on your site I will probably hash this out on my own before you can reply but it could be useful info for the other jeepsters out there.

I drive a '90 wrangler with a 4-popper. Oddly enough my question isn't about the engine! I've installed a 4" lift and done the drive shaft mods required to make it run smooth as it is my daily driver. It has a loc-rite in the rear axle and open in the front and the stock 4:11 diffs. I've just upgraded to 33" BFG's and will replace the rear axle assembly with another dana 35 with 4:56 gearing I inherited from my son-in-law. So now I must change the gearing in the front axle. My Nephew-in-law the auto mechanic says do it yourself, there's nothing to it, call me with Questions as you go. I have done all the work on the Jeep myself including the short-shaft conversion on the transfer case. I have another vehicle to drive to work so I can take my time. I've read lots of instructions and articles and I'm still 50/50 on whether I want to try. Your thoughts please.

Jeeping between the trees in the Northwest.

Hi Lynn,

From one mossback to another, with an accurate dial gauge you should have no problems... Just go slow, double and triple check your work Go by the book, and watch the gear mesh pattern as you set up the mesh. It's not a hard job, but it can be time consuming to do, and redo the job as you seek the right mesh pattern. Just remember, if you don't get it right, the heat in the gearing will destroy the gears in no time at all. So this is one time to take your time and do it right the first time... and since you've got your Nephew-in-law as a resource... then go for it!

LEVE

Jeepcreep:

Thanks for the super fast reply, I really appreciate it!

Happy New Year!

Lynn

Hi Lynn,

Let me know how it goes... and take your wife out for a root-beer float with all the money you save. What part of the PNW are you in?

I know Western Washington like the back of my hand, and I'm getting to know the Eastern half the last three years...

LEVE

LEVE,

I've a couple sets of wheels/tires to sell to clean out my junk pile and finance the ring and pinion swap so that project is down the road a bit. Debbie and I live in N.E. Tacoma. Most of the time I wheel at Evans Creek ORV Park, with occasional visits to Walker Valley, Tahau (spell?) State Forest near Hood Canal, and Naches Pass the last 3 years over the fourth of July with the 4 wheeling inlaws.

I'm taking down the Christmas lights today, might get started on cutting out the rear fenders for the TJ flares I got for Christmas.

Lynn

LEVE Note: If any of you wonder about Evans Creek and Tahau, don't wonder. It's a beautiful area. I used to wheel my Baby Bronco II up and over the Naches Trail and it's a FUN ride. You can't beat the views. The vistas are nothing short of spectactular.

Having lived in Hood Canal for the first few years of my marriage I can attest to the beauty of the area. It broke my heart to move from my little home overlooking Hood's Head to the base of Mount Rainier. I used to set my clock by the passing of the Princess Margaret steaming up Puget Sound to Victoria BC.

Here's a picture of Lynn at Evans Creek... You gotta love the ribbon an wreath on the front of the YJ. Goodness, I hate mud... and Evans Creek is full of the stuff!

Hey Jeep Creep,

I have a fun one going on here! :) I have noise going on in my 97 Wrangler Sahara (70K miles), somewhere underneith, front and center(ish). 6 days, 3 shops and $900 later it's still there. It's a rotational 'chunking' noise that only occurs under the following conditions: * Over 40MPH * during accerelation (take your foot off the gas and it stops) * In 2 wheel drive (4 wheel drive it's almost gone, barely noticible) Figuring it was in the drivetrain somewhere I took it to one of those national transmission places, the particular store said they specialized in 4 wheel drive. They were 90% sure it wasn't the transmission or transfer case...they suspected axel or wheel bearings which they don't do. Sounded a little like that but never had bearings that would only act-up during the above conditions...but whatever, it's a Jeep...my first.

They refered me to another shop that did that kind of work. During the second shop's inspection they noticed some rubbing of the brake rotors along the dust sheild. Although it had been 2 years since the rotors had been installed this was the only logical reason they could find without tearing down the front end further. They also could not explain why this only occured during the above listed conditions and not all the time. But their parts book (NAPA) showed two rotors were used on that model year, a die cast and a composite center rotor (with a slightly different depth), replacement based on the manufacture date (2-28-97 for my Jeep). Their book showed I should have the composite center rotor and the ones on the Jeep were die cast. Recomended I take it back to the brake place as they were under warranty.

Now on to the brake place. Their inspection and parts book showed the correct rotor was used. I saw the number stamped on the rotor and was shown their most recent book. In fact, the same rotor was spec'd for 94-2000 Wranglers...that's the after market, eh? But they concided the rotors were making some rings on the dust sheild so they attempted to make some adjustments. Their road test afterwards showed no change in the sound or when it occured. They said it sounded more like bad U joint(s).

Back to the second shop with that result. Took some parts apart. Front sealed bearing were leaking and the front outboard U joints showed some play. Bearings definately needed to be replaced and could very well have been the source of the noise...$300 each - OUCH. U Joints would be fine for another 20K, give or take, but replacing them with the bearings saved 2 hours of labor...and the parts were cheap. Other U joints tight and the back-end, center, all appeated fine. K, do it. Post test drive...noise is still there, uneffected and unchanged! Conclusion...I need the front differential rebuilt and they don't do that. They recommended another shop.

OK, hang on...stop and take a step back. I have spark, fuel, air...now what?

That's where I am now. Completely eliminate the rotor issue?

Move on to the fourth shop and look inside the differential?

Forget all that and take it to the Jeep dealer...the Jeep service expert who knows all about my Wrangle's qurks?

Or ask the Jeep Creep. I think you know that answer now.

Help?

Jim

Hi Jim,

You've got a puzzler. I'd be coasting in 2WD downhill to see if the problem goes away when the drive train is unloaded. If it does... then the problem is in the transfer case.

There still seems to be some issues locating it to the front axles. What's the noise sound like, such as metal on metal, thumping, etc.?

You say it's rotational, so does in increase/decrease with vehicle speed or with engine speed ( such as coasting downhill )?

LEVE

Hey LEVE,

Coasting in 2WD downhill the noise is non-existent.

Any time you take your foot off the gas (remove the load) it's quite. Touch the gas, even a little, and it's back. It doesn't matter how much of a load you are appling (ie: doesn't get loader/harder under heavy load vs light load). The sound increases/decreases with vehicle speed, not engine speed and it doesn't matter what gear as long as you are going over 35-40mph. It's hard to describe what it sounds like. I've even considered strapping a mic underneath and recording it give a better understanding. I might do it!

It's not exactly a metal to metal or a thump. More of a combo of both. That's why I call it a "Chunk". Also, the "chunk" does not seem to rotate as fast as the driveline or wheels.

I did suspect the transfer case in the beginning. I took it to Aamco, the store who said they specialized in four wheel drive. They believed the trans and t-case to be good and the problem to be a bearing somewhere. I have one Jeep wrencher who thinks it could be the double carden joint (since it's a common occurrence) and suggested I disconnect the front shaft from the differential yoke and secure it to the frame somewhere. Then take it for a test drive and see what I hear. No sound, suspect the CV joint. I haven't tried this yet...I may this weekend.

You think this is a valid test?

Foot note...I haven't done any off-roading lately that could have started this. I did drive through some high water shortly prior but the f/r dif and t-case fluids were changed right after. Does this help at all?

Jim

***So while I'm sittin' here scratching my head trying to figure out this problem... Jim E-mails me... and he's go the darn thing fixed! So much for LEVE being useful!***

Hey LEVE,

Got this problem solved. It was the front and rear pinion bearings...about $1,200 to repair at a local driveline shop. Ouch...

Isn't it odd to have these ware out so soon? Less than 70K miles with almost no off-road miles.

Is there some maintenance I should have been doing? Besides the Jeep manual stuff like replacing the axle fuild.

Thanks for your help!

Jim

Hi Jim,

Did the shop say why the bearing failed? It does seem premature to me!

LEVE

Nope, not yet. It's in the process of being fixed now. I told them to hang on to the bad parts and to double-check the price quoted on the parts. Front axle bearings bad?

OK...sh*t happens to the best of us. But the chance of both rear and front bearings failing? Only if I let the axles run dry, which isn't the case! My thought at least. I haven't found anyone who is aware of pinion bearings failing on a Jeep with those miles w/o abuse. I change the fluid every 30K and the level is checked at each oil change. So we'll see on that diagnosis.

Unless the shop that does my oil and dif fuild check/change has been screwing me. Of the $1,200 I mentioned the breakdown is $600 labor ($300 each axle which is about right for Atlanta) and $500 for 2 "bearing kits" for (each axle). I researched the part cost as that sounded really high to me, knowing bearings are 20 something bucks each. I couldn't find a bearing kit for much more than $80 (complete with inner/outter pinion and 2 dif bearings, plus seals, etc.)

I couldn't find a master install or overhaul kit for much more than $100, which has a bit more stuff than the bearing kits. For $250 I could get a complete ring and pinion kit...gears, bearings and related parts. But I don't need all that. So I've questioned them on that as well. I'll let you know what happens once this is done with. Let me know what your take is on the parts. Am I right that the parts quote is out of line?

Jim

LEVE Note: There is a history of the Yoke seals failing on the transfer case. So... replacing with aftermarket ( I favor NAPA ) seals should take care of the problem.

Hello LEVE,

My name is Matt and I'm a high school senior in South Lake Tahoe. My rig is a 1997 Jeep TJ with basically everything stock: motor, tranny, transfer case, axles, gears. I am running a 4.5 in. suspension lift w/ one in. body lift, and 35" tires. I have a Dana 44 in the rear, Dana 30 up front w/ 3.73 ring and pinion. For my senior project I will be replacing the ring and pinion. My question to you is, what ratio should I go with? I've been pondering either 4.56 or 4.88. I don't drive far now, mostly to school and to friend's houses, no freeway travel (Tahoe is very small). Although next year I might go to college where freeway driving is a daily event. I want good gas mileage, but I also power to be at least back to stock. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I also wheel the Jeep too, it's not just a road warrior / disco Jeep.

All the best, Matt (Aspiring Jeep Creep)

Hi Matt,

Just remember that the higher the ratio, the more fragile the R&P becomes. So, if you're even thinking about difficult off-roading the R&P will eventually grenade on you. If your travels are mostly on highway, go with the 4.88 gearing front and back. It will keep the power band in the correct RPM range as well as help with MPG... which for any student is a concern.

LEVE

LEVE,

Thanks for the response, but you left me a little confused.

Can you explain the the Ring and Pinion Grenading?

I thought the higher the ratio (numerically) the stronger they become because they turn the tires easier. Also, could you recommend any particular brand of gears?

Lastly, what exactly do I need concerning shims, bearings, seals, (installation kits) etc. to do the installation properly.

Thanks, Matt

Hi Matt,

Ok, let's look at this for a second logically. First, the differential/carrier is a specified size. You can't adjust it without throwing the whole axle away and getting a new one. So, you've got to figure out a way to cut more teeth and mesh them in the same space. The only way to do that is to make the R&P gearing thinner.

The thinner the material the more likely it is to fracture, break and scatter stuff in the differential.

The gears don't turn the tires any easier, as the same torque is still applied to the tires from the engine.

The problem is that that same torque is now applied to bitterly smaller gear faces. As the ratio goes up, the torque/teeth gearing surface area goes down. It's an inverse proportional ratio. So, if you apply too much torque (like getting up that hill, or spinning a rear tire and all of a sudden it grabs) then something's got to give.

See, simple as eatin' pie!

You should be able to get the shims from the company providing the new gears. You'll need a good dial guage and some pattern grease to set the mesh. That's about it... Be careful when you set the mesh pattern. You'll only get about one chance. If you don't do it right the gears can be overheated and destroyed in a few miles.

LEVE

Thanks LEVE.

So no burnouts?

Matt

Hi Matt,

Nope... the best pictures, and diagrams you can get will be with the specific gearing kit you are going to install. That's all model specific stuff that needs to come from the manufacture of the kit.

In general, here's what you're in for if you decide to do the job yourself:

http://www.drivetrain.com/ringpinioninstal.html

LEVE

Dear Jeep Creep,

I have a 93 YJ with the 4 banger and Ax5 transmission. My transmission grinds on nearly every 1-2 and 3-4 shift and it's nearly impossible to down shift with grinding em' up unless you let the rpm's come way down. I'm aware that this transmission is notoriously weak and I believe my synchros are probably shot at this point.

My question for you is, Do you believe that this problem is due to worn synchros and Could a weekend warrior with no previous transmission experience change these out if I bought the manual?

Also, I will probably be selling this soon and upgrading to a 6 cyl YJ, so I don't want to spend a lot of money fixing this, but I'd like it to run well. Should I buy just the set of synchros, or are there other parts or kits I would need as well? Thanks for your help, this website is a great resource for the do-it-yourselfer.

Christopher

Hi Chris,

Bad news.. You're in for a dime, in for a dollar. Get a whole rebuild kit... rebuild the whole transmission and sell the Jeep. You'll be money ahead.

Yes, you could do the work it a couple of weekends. Bare in mind the AX5 is a fragile transmission, so you'll be doing it again, and again, if you keep the Jeep with this transmission.

LEVE

LEVE,

Would I need to by the 5 synchros and the rebuild kit? It seems like most of the rebuild kits don't include these. Thanks again for all the help, I know quite a few people have had this same problem.

Christopher

Hi Chris,

You'll really not know till you get into the transmission.

The kits are made up to take care of 99% of the problems. Other parts can be obtained via the dealer ( cough ) or a local transmission parts house. I seek out the local parts houses and do business with them when I rebuild my own transmissions. The guys there have knowledge I don't...

LEVE

The Jeep I am looking for some info on is my '97 TJ. I have done so many mods and have one left that I really would like to do. I have the OEM A/C unit on the belt and never use it (a waste for this Jeep) and would LOVE to convert it to a functional on-board air compressor. I know that I will need to mount a tank or two in my frame rails and all, but I need your help in finding the right parts and pieces to convert it over. Any info on this would be very much appreciated! By the way some of my mods are; 4" Rough Country lift, 33" Mickey Thompson Baja Claw Radials (great on and off road!), 4.56 gears with rear locker and larger axel shafts, 6" Bushwhacker fender flares, ARB snorkel, Warn XD9000i winch (synthetic rope just put on), Warn front and read Rock crawler bumper, 15x10 Rock Crawler black steel wheels, windshield mount pro-comp 6" lights, Sony Explode 51/4 in dash and 6' in speaker bar and head unit, steel glove box, neoprene seat covers front and back and quite a few others.

Thanks for listening and I hope to hear back soon!

Oh... do you know where to find a programmer to change the on board computer for the gear and tire changes I made???

Regards,

David

 

Hi David,

Nice Jeep, I'm jealous.

Look here for the TJ Gearing swap to correct the speedometer.

http://www.stu-offroad.com/speedo/speed1.htm

As for the OBA Parts the best place is: www.onboardair.com

If you're not interested in a kit I like:

http://www.jeepshots.com/tech/sfair.html

Let me know how the upgrade goes.

LEVE

LEVE Note: I hate mud! Look at that bow wave starting to move infront of that TJ. Something tells me that David is going to need that winch. How many of you'd do this to a TJ?

Dear Jeep Creep-

I hope you are reading this because i have no clue what is supposed to be in the subject line. It was blank and I looked everywhere to try and find out what was supposed to be there. I am having some nasty problems with my Jeep and so far, yours is the most informative site I have found. You give good, easy to understand answers and since I am a stupid girl, I need the dumbed down answers.

I have a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. It has 72,546 miles on it. It's a V6, 2WD, 4.0L and that is all I can tell you about it besides the color and how much I hate it right now.

About 3 weeks ago I was driving along completely innocently when I felt something funny go on in the Jeep. Less than a second or two later, I had to brake for a light and as soon as I did, the Jeep died. The feeling that I got was very strange. It was kind of like everything just stopped. The only thing I noticed during the funny feelilng was that the RPM gauge dropped down to zero. Anyway, after it died I couldn't get it to start back and I had to have someone push me out of the very busy intersection. After about 10 minutes it started again. Since that time, I've had all sorts of trouble. I have died in a turn, sitting still in a turn lane, withing minutes of starting the engine, right after I back out of my driveway and even going 55 mph down a busy stretch of road! All together I think it has died on me about 20 times in the last 3 weeks. Usually it dies about 3 or 4 times a day then works fine for about a week. It normally starts up within five minutes or so after it dies.

Today was the final straw. It died 6 times before I got to the end of my road which is about 1/2 a block. It took almost fifteen minutes to get it started again and just as I was pulling back into the driveway, it died again. I have had my husband check it out several times. He's had some funny little gauges to read pressures and all kinds of things but all those tests he did seemed ot turn out fine. He has narrowed it down to an electrical problem. He won't have time to work on it until Wednesday as he is trying to get ready to go back to school and working full time. I have borrowed my mother's extra car for the time being. But I want my Jeep back! I don't know if I gave you good enough information or not. I hope I did. I was hoping that you might be able to give my husband an idea of where to start looking for this problem. He is pretty knowledgeable about this stuff but he is frustrated, short on time and stressed because he hates to see his pretty little wife upset.

Thank you in advance for any information you may have for me.

Mrs. Mills

Hi Tonya,

First, your not stupid... you married Mr. Mills, that says something!

I think you're on the right track thinking it's an electrical problem. Have your husband try the following: Check for spark AND fuel pump running when trying to start the Jeep. If neither spark or the fuel pump is running then the problem may be the CPS sensor/harness and it's connectors.

Let me know when Mr. Mills has time to check it out.

LEVE

Dear Jeep Creep-

Thank you for your speedy response!

Between the time that I wrote to you and you had time to write back, my sweet husband and his dad had hooked the Jeep up to some more gauges and ran some of their own tests. They determined ( and I don't know how ) that the problem was a cam shaft position sensor. We bought the silly little $55.00 sensor and replaced it. Jeep ran good for one day; yesterday. It didn't die or act all crazy. We didn't figure we were out of the woods yet considering how inconsistently it acted up to begin with. We were right! Today it has died no less than 10 times! Besides being really disappointed, we don't really know where to turn now. Our local Jeep dealership has a bunch of crack heads for mechanics and they charge almost $100.00 just to test it. And who knows if they could diagnose the problem even after they rip us off like that. Anyway- We are thinking that our next option is to replace the crank shaft position sensor.

Mark says that we need to check it with some kind of ohm meter or something before we run out and get this new sensor. My problem with this is that, at least in my mind, if it is a sensor problem it should be throwing a code. The car should recognize that there is a problem and alert us somehow. But the Jeep just acts oblivious to the fact that it malfunctions to the point that I want to drive it into the Arkansas River! If this sensor doesn't work, we are thinking (Mark is thinking) that we should try the coils. Considering I don't know what any of this is or what it could mean, I have to take his word for it that this is the best route. But to be quite honest, I think he may be grasping at straws here. Mark is quite a genius at older vehicles and he has even rebuilt the engine in his '85 Ford that he refuses to get rid of. But the newer, computer-controlled vehicles have so many silly, frustrating and confusing elements that Mark just isn't familiar enough with, I am worried that we could be at this forever. In my mind, you are the foremost authority on Jeeps that I can talk to personally.

You don't stand to profit from diagnosing "problems" like the dealership does. You just like to help people and I assume that you love automotive work. Therefore you can be trusted while the sleazy mechanics cannot. So whatever information you may have or any suggestions you can send my way are greatly appreciated and held in the highest regard.

Thank you so much for your help. It's great to have someone like you to turn to and the internet to let us converse so quickly!

Sincerely,

Tonya

Hi Tonya,

Aw shucks Mam, them's mighty kind words... That said I hope I can live up to 'em.

The problem with the CPS sensor is that if it's flaky, it can still kind of, sort of, maybe work. It sends the pulses... but they're not timed correctly, so everything else is out of time. Since a pulse, even a poor one, is sent to the computer, the computer thinks everything is wonderful and never throws you a code. If the sensor dies completely, that's another story, then a code is thrown and the MIL lamp comes on. This can be a case of GIGO, garbage in, garbage out.

The Crankshaft Position Sensor, when faulty can also cause the Camshaft Position Sensor to seem faulty to the computer because if the timing code is wrong... then the time the Camshaft Position Sensor should report a pulse, it's late, early or not there and the computer freaks out and throws codes. The code is correct, but the initiation of the system is faulty... thus the code. Try putting the Camshaft Position Sensor back in the Jeep.

I'd bet the same symptoms would occur.

Check the connectors to each sensor, and the wiring harness to make sure it's not melted on the exhaust, etc.. Let me know what's up!

LEVE

Do you know the weight of the 1981 or 1982 grand jeep wagoneer - top of the line - fully loaded?

We have one in storage and need to tow it about 400 miles.

Thanks,

Clarissa

Hi Clarissa,

Check the 8th letter on the VIN code:

• If it's an A, the Gross Vehicle Weight is 3,750 lbs.
• If it's a E, the Gross Vehicle Weight is 4,150 lbs.

LEVE

Mr. JeepCreep,

I have a 2004 wrangler and wanted to know if you had knowledge on the installation of the engine block heater. I bought an OEM part and the dealer wants $110.00 to install it. I know that it only takes 35 minutes but that is a little ridiculous. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Hi Mike,

What type of heater? If it is installed in the lower heater hose, then it's a matter of cutting the hose and putting in the heater. If it's a freeze plug heater then it's a little more involved, knock out the plug and install the heater in it's place. The hardest part is to thread the AC cord up to the grille so it's not burned or hung up in any belts/pulleys. Either install can be done quickly.

The Dealer is quoting from an install book... and you'll find that price almost anywhere.

If you're handy with tools you can do the job yourself with a few hand tools and some time.

So, you're in Laurel Mt?

Give my best to the Burger King and the Gas Station across the street from it... With 5 kids to feed on cross country trips between Wisconsin and Seattle, that Burger King was a lifesaver. They'd always have Whoppers for a buck... I couldn't steal 'em for that!

LEVE