Greetings from the Palouse. This month brings us the anniversary of 9/11. I hope you all take a few minutes out of that day to ponder the meaning of what has happened to America only a five short years ago. While you are pondering include what is happening to our Armed Forces and their mission. What ever your stance on the War on Terror, I would hope you are solidly behind the Armed Forces fighting in your behalf to keep you and yours free. Four about the last month and a half it's been fire season here in Eastern Washington. We've had one day of clouds and little rain. There have been more days of dry lightening starting fires. These fires range from Washington to Montana and all the smoke seems to be wafting to the Palouse. You look out over the land and there is a blue haze hanging in the air. It makes it hard to breath. I have always wondered how those with asthma and COPD cope with the bad quality of the air. We, on the Palouse, are waiting for the fall rains to come and put out the fires. We will all breath a little easier. This last month I both was glad I was not driving in a Jeep, and wished I had been. While coming back from a family reunion I turned onto a freeway on-ramp. Proceeding me on the ramp was a dump truck towing a full sized tracked excavator on a trailer. I turned onto the ramp and sped up to catch up with the truck. As I did so I saw the trailer tilting to the left. Then the right tires lifted off the road and the trailer bed rose even higher. The excavator started to slide. The chains and binders broke and the excavator came off the trailer landing in front of my car on the ground. By this time the trailer had broken free from the dump truck and was going it's merry way blocking any way around the wreck. I had to stop and turn quickly to avoid the wreck. Had I been in the CJ7 I would have rolled the Jeep by making such an evasive maneuver. The short wheel base would not have tolerated such a maneuver. The rear of the Jeep would have broken loose from the pavement, started to come around and finally I would have tested the roll-cage. The only bright spot would have been the speed would have been rather low. However I was driving the wife's Buick. It is a good road-car with good civilized road manners and turned without a problem. That was a good thing as my 83 year old Father-in-law was in the back seat. Something tells me he would not have enjoyed the experience in the Jeep. The, just last week I was driving home and at 55MPH a deer hopped out of nowhere in front of the Dodge Caravan. There was nothing to do but hit the deer and suffer the consequences. The impact on the Caravan was squarely in the middle of the grille. The shoulders took out the radiator and fan, and the hips took out the AC condenser and fan. The front cross member was pushed back, the deer neck and head was snapped back and took out the hood. If you look closely at the AC condenser you can still see the deer hair stuck in the condenser fins. At the same time the front cross member failed, that permitted the hood latch to fail. The hood came up and slammed against the windshield, breaking the windshield. That was exciting. Somehow I was able to get the Caravan to the right side of the road while the deer was tossed to the left side of the road, 200 feet behind me. The Caravan was totaled. That was the bad news. The good news was that Caravan had 270,000 miles on it and it has earned it's eternal rest. The insurance company totaled it. I'm waiting to find out the final finacal results. I may just buy it back from the insurnace company and rebuild it. Time will tell. Had that same deer collision happened while I was in the Jeep there would have been no problems. The deer would have impacted with the front bumper. That 1/4" steel rail, tied to the frame and holding a winch. While talking to one Jeeper about the collision, he said I would have lost control when the deer went under the front wheel of the Jeep. I have to disagree that control would have been lost. I've never lifted the Jeep. Had the Jeep been lifted then control would have been an issue. The Center of Gravity (COG) would have been raised and unsprung weight shifted. That can be a problem with lifting a Jeep. Road manners go to heck in a hand basket. If you've read this column for any length of time you all know I don't like lifts and I practice what I preach. What's this got to do with Jeeps? A whole lot. If you want to drive a Jeep then you've got to assume the risks if you buy an older Short Wheel Based Jeep, like mine. If you decide that a Short Wheel Based Jeep is not for you, then the Jeep becomes more stable on the road. Look at all those Full Sized Jeep, Cherokees and Grand Cherokees that are all out on the road. They all have more stability and great road manners. If you decide to lift them, all bets are off. You change the geometry of the front end components if the mechanic is not careful. That tends to make the Jeep wander while going down the road. What is a Jeep owner to do?
If you want the CJ/YJ/TJ experience then you will have to buy the newer TJ and Unlimited Jeep. The 2007 Four Door Unlimited has a longer and wider wheel base as well as embedded electronic stability control (ESC). For off-road wheeling the wider stance can be a plus. But you can not travel some narrow trails with a wider stance. The ESC can be a problem if it's not fully selectable, after all that's what lockers are for! Also, if you decide to buy a new Jeep be prepared to pay for it. It' will be fancier, more plastic and full of electronics. Many aspects of that Jeep will be monitored by onboard computers. Yes, I said computers.. there will be more than one. When you buy that Jeep, you will also assume the risk of fixing it. How are you with sensors, electronics, wiring and computers? If you can say you are pretty handy with these items then you can fix your own Jeep somewhere down the road when it breaks. If you are not familiar with these items then you have just placed yourself, your Jeep and your bank account in the hands of the dealer and the shop. It is a huge decision. I have made mine. I will keep the CJ7 and drive a little slower and a little wiser. The moral of this story, is that you'll have to make your decision and then live by/with it. Know what your getting into. Now it's on to this month's Jeep Mail Bag. LEVE Note: I get a whole Jeep load of SPAM and virus loaded Emails each month. So I filter 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 grammar or spelling ..I can barely correct my own! As I've said so many times before, I read each Email I receive, but I can not answer them all. I try. So, may I suggest you join a Jeep oriented forum on the Internet? There are many out there in cyberspace. I keep links to about seven in my favorites folder and one as my home page.. guess which one! Yep, it's ORC's Short Wheel Base Jeep Forum. So may I suggest you join in a forum? Try starting here: Off-Road.com Main Forum Page i have a weird question for you. i have a nitrous bottle that i want to use in my Mitsubishi lancer evolution viii (the car in the new movie f&f Tokyo drift) as a intercooler sprayer using co2, but i also want to be able to use it as a co2 tank to fill my tires and use tools on the trail. i believe the bottle can be used for the evo without anything being done to it except filling it with co2 cause the nitrous and co2 sprayers use liquid co2 while the bottle for off-road uses the gas. would it be as easy as changing the valves on top that have the tube going to the bottom of the bottle thanks what can i say i love all cars imports and jeeps as well as building a 68 camaro for the misses
Hi Josh,
I don't see a problem. It saves bucks for other upgrades.
LEVE LEVE Note: Off-road wheeling and drifting... whew, that's the first time I've ever seen such a mix of hobbies. A Camero for the Misses? She's a keeper! I have a 2000 grand cherokee limited, that the check engine light is on
almost all the time, more when it is hot out.
Problem, when its started, it revs up to 3k, then you have to wait for it to
spin down before putting in gear or it stalls. Also when we are at say 20-50
mph it jerks like the trans is undecided. Then at stoplights, it sits there
and revs from 500 to 2k, making the whole vehicle sway back and forth like
it being pushed from the side. And at times when we are at low speeds it
stalls, cutting out the power steering making almost impossible to turn
until we get it started again.
Trying to avoid expensive dealer costs.
We have had it diagnosed several times, seeing a misfire on one occasion,
and unknown on another. Does this sound like a trans problem?
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated
Regards
Mark
Hi Mark,
It is too early in the diagnostic process to rule in, or out, the transmission as the problem. Usually when the engine will rev up high there is a problem with the idle speed control motor (ISCM). That, to me, is the first clue. I'd be pulling apart the throttle body and cleaning it up with some Wal*Mart TECH carb spray and scotchbrite- paying attention to the ISCM and the hole it mates with on the throttle body.
Also, since there is a check engine light on, get the Jeep scanned. Just take it to an auto parts store or a place like AAMCO. They offer to scan for free, and can reset the light with the diagnostic too. After all, they want to sell you parts and service! Sometimes free IS good. If the problem that is tripping the MIL light is the same one causing the idle speed problem you're ahead of the game. Otherwise, it may be a case of two, or more, problems cropping up to bite ya in the cedar end.
Let me know what you find.
LEVE Thanks man, much appreciated, I'll have to delve into the manual, as Im not
real handy with cars.
I found a post regarding this, and they had a lot of the same issues...
Does this sound like a potential fix?
He disconnected the EGR valve (where I live they do not check emissions on
that year vehicle so he didn't go to the expense of replacing) and put a
screw in to block air from entering the line. It ran great!!!
Thanks again for your wisdom.
Is pulling apart the throttle body difficult?
Mark
Hi Mark,
If you disconnected the EGR that could be the reason for the high idle and the MIL. Try pulling the EGR off and cleaning it. If it's not closing then the vacuum is fouled up and can cause a problem with the idle. Hey, it's a free fix, give it a try. What do you have to loose? I'm all for doing the simple things first and then if they don't effect a fix work your way up to the more expensive stuff.
Removal and cleaning the throttle body is very simple. You just have to be careful to not induce a vacuum leak when you put it back on or the engine will race at 3000 rpm when you start it back up. Though not exact, this site will give you an idea of what you can do with a little time and effort:
Cleaning the Throttle Body
LEVE LEVE NOTE: Mark is keeping things simple. He says that he doesn't know much about repairing a car, but he's doing a fine job. He is doing his research first, and then doing the repair/refurbish one job at a time. I couldn't do a better job myself. Hello I already read the previous 2" lift on 1999 WJ and you say all
set to run 31" tires. Do you think I could run 31" x 12.50 super
swamper ssr without too much rubbing on turns with just a 2" spacer
kit. Thank you for your time.
Mike
Hi Michael,
It should work... the worse that you would have to do is buy new rims
backspaced differently.
LEVE hi Leve, Yea thats what I was thinking. Do you know anywhere I can get New front
calipers for the 1999 wj as the stock ones are off center and junk (keeps
warping rotors). Or maybe another year that will bolt on. Also have you
heard of the headlights getting nasty on this year. Do you know of any quick
fix for that. Thanks again
Hi Michael,
All plastic lenses can get foggy, chipped/scraped, etc.. To recover clarity you can get a Permatex Headlight Lens Restoration Kit. It works, and is about $14. I've used it on my Caravans. Before I restored the lenses you could not see the bulb. Now you can see them clearly.
There's no real good answer for the brakes..you may be interested in this site:
WJ Brakes
Jeep Grand Cherokee Brake Settlement Website
LEVE LEVE NOTE: No company is perfect, some are less that perfect. I owned a 1972 Pinto and it was a precursor to the Ford Exploder. When a company puts out a product, it should never be ashamed to improve it, make it better and sell a new-updated-better product to the public. On the other hand, a company should never abrogate its responsibility to those who already own a product, defective or otherwise.
Hi Jeep Creep,
I wrote to you once before about my 1983 Jeep CJ7 missing, it turned out that when we dropped the gas tank there were two crimped gas lines. Now for my new question, I have been looking at Fiberglass Body Tubs. J C Whitney has one for $1100, Quadratec has a Kentrol for $1820 and 4wd.com has a Kentrol for $1800 and $1820. How do you know which one to buy? Do you have a particular brand or a vendor that you think is better? Thanks for any insight you might be able to offer! This is a big investment for me right now. The current body is bondo-ridden.
Here is my website where I have her pictures if you would like to look. I have a lot of work to do.
The Hussie!
Later alligator,
Linda
Hi Linda,
Wow, I wish my 83 CJ7 had been in that good shape when I bought it! Yours is rust free compared to my ol' CJ.
I like 4WDH kits. I have one on mine! Would that be a good enough recommendation? I bought mine used for $1500. That bought me the fiberglass tub, hood, fenders and grille. 4WDH has a good reputation in the marketplace. I have heard where owners weren't pleased when they received a 4WDH tub that had mold twist problems, but 4WDH took care of that. It is a concern, so ask the what they'd do if/when a problem with the tub was found AFTER it was deliver it to you.
You can sometimes find them used, on ebay, and on other sites. Often an owner will loose interest in a project and you can pick up the tub for cheap. It's worth looking into.
LEVE LEVE NOTE: I have no problem recommending 4WDrive Hardware as a vendor for Jeep parts. They've always treated me well. They even gave me a credit for an $80 part that I had ordered wrong. If you order via the Internet, you will not go wrong with Four Wheel Drive Hardware. Hi, I have a 90 Jeep YJ. I want to lift it, and I have been looking at doing a SOA conversion. I know they are a lot of work and cost a decent amount of money, but the Rubicon Express kit seems to have everything needed, except for the SYE and CV driveshaft. What are your thoughts on these types of lifts?
Hi AJ,
I don't like lifts... they're a money treadmill that you're going to get on... Why do you want a lift? I'd consider that question real hard before I'd commit to any type of lift.
LEVE LEVE Note: AJ never answered my question. If I send you a question, it's not to ridicule your idea. I'm searching for your logic and for your reasoning. When you send me an answer I can better answer your questions. AJ may have a real need for a lift; he may not. I'll never know. The more information you give me, the better answer I can give you. I have a 1996 Cherokee Sport. It tends to run hot, and almost overheat during really hot days. I took it in to get fixed, and they said it was the water pump, so it was replaced.
About a week later I heard something sort of snap and it overheated really badly on the highway, worse than it had ever done before I fixed it. The coolant leaked out somewhere, and I managed to get it back to the shop. They have had the car more than a week, given the holiday it still seems like a long time. Anyway they aren't sure what's going on but claim it will be at least a thousand dollars to fix. I'm just wondering if that's reasonable? He thinks maybe the coolant leaked into the engine.
I just don't know, but I'm sort of going nuts here.
From your description, there's not much to go on... but... I'm not sure, at this point, of why the Jeep overheated the second time. But when it did, the heat shot up and caused either one of two things: Head Gasket leak Head Crack
These failures can cause coolant to leak into the engine's combustion chambers or the engine oil. In both cases the repair could easily cost $1000 for parts and labor. I'd think they'd pull the head off, replace the gasket, check the oil for coolant and have the head re-conditioned and reinstall the head. That's several hours labor and a couple of hundred dollars in parts. As for the time in the shop, he may be juggling several cars at the same time to keep costs down, or waiting for parts. But it's still no fun waiting for a car to be fixed and then get a big bill for your waiting. The big question, as I see it, is what broke and caused the overheating the second time? The head problem could be a result of the overheating, and it could be the cause. I'm wondering what noise you heard when the problem started. LEVE I contacted you about a month ago regarding my jeep. Below is our email exchange.
After nearly 6 weeks, I finally got the car back, they said it was a cracked head, then the piston was bent. It cost a total of $1700 because they didn't charge labor since it took so long.
Here's the problem: I got the car back today and it's still running hot, the thermostat is nearly in the red, and I'm not sure what to do. They told me to bring the car back in a week and get the oil changed, I wonder if I should seek out another mechanic, explain the situation and go from there? Do I take it to a dealer? Is it normal for a car with a new head to overheat at first?
This is by far the worst car mess I've ever been in.
Hi Colleen,
Give the mechanic a chance to fix the Jeep. Is this a normal problem? No, it's not. Also, make sure that the cooling system is working fine. If it is now overheating a second time I'd be looking at the cooling system, the fuel ratio and exhaust systems. There is a reason for the problem. It's now a process of elimination to find it.
LEVE LEVE NOTE: ALWAYS give the shop a chance to make good the problem. If you don't you get into a situtation where you have very little knowlege or power. If you have no power, you will loose. There is just no way around it. |
