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Jeep Grand Cherokee Maintenance and Repair

5134 messages,  Last post on May 20, 2013 at 1:06 PM

You are in the Jeep Cherokee and Jeep Grand Cherokee Forum.

What is this discussion about? Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Cherokee, SUV

    

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Messages Page 463 of 515

#4613 of 5134 Re: 1998 grand cherokee purchase/ Now what? [lrh2] by trek87

Dec 04, 2009 (2:41 pm)

Replying to: lrh2 (Dec 04, 2009 2:22 pm)
If you have a trusted local mechanic that you use, that's probably OK as long as they use the proper fluids and fill them to the proper level. This is critical, as you will cause premature wear and promote malfunction otherwise.
 
This will probably trigger a flood of polar anti-dealer sentiment (which I do not share), but I prefer to get anything beyond basic maintenance done at my dealer. They have all the right parts/fluids on hand, and experienced Jeep mechanics who are more likely to know your vehicle best. But I have a great relationship with my Jeep dealer --- they have always been very fair, it is where I bought the car, and they charge me a very reasonable price for everything, so maybe I'm in the minority. It is a good idea to try a few places and see what the pricing is, because some dealers and private mechanics will rip you off and try to get you to do jobs that aren't necessary. You can get a good sense of what people get done to their Jeeps on this forum, too.
 
My recommendations come from what I've done to my Jeep in the last 50K to extend the life of my vehicle and keep it running it top condition. As for your drivetrain, I would continue to keep fluid changed and your differentials serviced every 30K from now on. Sure, you can get by with less, but if you're planning to keep the vehicle, it will save you headache in the long run.

#4614 of 5134 1989 inline engine is sparking?? by redrat34

Dec 06, 2009 (7:36 pm)

I have a inline six-banger in my jeep and I have noticed a interesting phenomenon happening in the dark...sparks!!! It's been happening on the front of the Crankshaft Vibration Damper and I have no idea why it's happening? Could it be the timing is off? or is it something else? It started as just a "click....click......click....click" type of noise and speeds up as the engine accelerates. Also i have noticed that starting the engine takes a quite few seconds (about 5-8) before the engine cranks. I don't think it's normal for the engine to be doing this, it's a recently bought jeep from a used lot. But it wasn't doing this until now... help?

#4615 of 5134 Re: Sick Mileage [tidester] by redrat34

Dec 06, 2009 (7:53 pm)

Replying to: tidester (Nov 26, 2009 1:31 pm)
Well it seems I may have been overreacting a bit after checking out the numbers, I think I'm getting pretty realistic mpg's for driving this Box with Wheels in the Windy City. But I've taking advice from the others and checked the air filter---clean as a whistle, with a lil grime. Next up was a full driving inspection...the guy we bought it from had to take the valve cover off (not told the reason why), and instead of replacing the gasket, his mechanic just used a silicone gasket sealer around it and put it back on, so not only does it leaks oil, it also makes everything smell like burning rubber. And from my new post it raised another question that I discovered while fiddling around outside at night under the hood..... Thanks for the response, I also soon realized that everyone is right about driving this type of truck, be easy on acceleration-coast as much as possible to maintain speed- brake easy and not too hard. Found that the mpg's improved by not much but more than the first week of driving so didn't have to fill up as quickly as before.
 
Thanks Everbody here
The Red Rat

#4616 of 5134 Re: Sick Mileage [redrat34] by tidester

Dec 06, 2009 (10:11 pm)

Replying to: redrat34 (Dec 06, 2009 7:53 pm)
Thanks for the report and I'm glad it's working out for you!
 
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

#4617 of 5134 Re: Sick Mileage [loosenut] by redrat34

Dec 06, 2009 (10:51 pm)

Replying to: loosenut (Nov 28, 2009 2:14 am)
Thanks Loosenut, Yeah it isn't in bad shape at all!!! air filter---clean, had a tune up with plugs changed and all the rest, I'm thinkin of changing them again to splitfires with the wires to match. Just bought brand new tires three days after I bought the truck and I don't put cheap gas in any of the cars I own, if anything, I'll spend a lil extra to drop in fuel injector cleaner or marvel mystery oil in the tank whenever I can or have the money on me. But you struck a itchy spot I can't reach right now----THE EXHAUST!!! I definately want to do something about it, I noticed a bit of a drip (gas/water) coming out the tailpipe, which is also VERY COVERED inside with soot!!! Thought to myself the thing just ain't breathing right! The converter is silent...so not good huh? This thing is starting to show it's neglect from the previous owner, and now we got a snow storm headin our way. I'm more worried if she'll even start tomorrow now.
Thank you for the feedback, I appreciate it
RR

#4618 of 5134 Re: 1989 inline engine is sparking?? [redrat34] by rwengr

Dec 07, 2009 (8:31 am)

Replying to: redrat34 (Dec 06, 2009 7:36 pm)
I think your high energy ignition system has a problem. Its the only think I know that can generate a big enough voltage to create a spark
 
 Inspect your ignition wires for cracks in the insulation. Make sure plug wire is firmly seated to top of plug. Replace the whole set if you see anything suspicious or you don't know how old they are. Inspect your spark plugs for a broken plug. It won't be obvious, try to wiggle the top of the plug with low-medium force. If it moves any at all, replace it. It should be rock solid. If the whole plug wiggles, then it is not threaded properly.
 
If a wire was somehow left resting on a part of the motor, over time the heat will damage the insulation
 
If plug is broken or insulation compromised, energy from the iginition could be shorting to the engine instead of reaching the plug. The short may not be where you see the spark. The spark you see is where the energy finally reaches ground. It is suppose to reach ground at the bottom of the spark plug. If somebody incorrectly pulled a spark plug wire they may have damaged it. You can slide it back on; it looks connected; but it is not.
 
Another possibility is a broken electrode at the bottom of the plug. If its missing you'll notice it looks funny.
 
If your inspections yield no results, there is an inexpensive tool you can buy that connects to the spark plug so you can verify each wire is properly delivering spark to the plug. Make sure battery is fully charged, remove fuel pump circuit breaker, and have someone try to start the engine while you observe results. You test each wire 1 at a time.

#4619 of 5134 Re: Still Waiting For Surging Fix [howie56] by sallz77

Dec 07, 2009 (7:19 pm)

Replying to: howie56 (Mar 14, 2008 5:21 pm)
YES! I have the same problem. I bought mine 2yrs ago. It had 64K on it. Ever since I got it, it surges on smooth, flat roads along with going up hills. It seems to get worse at slower speeds( 30-35mph) while traveling up hills. We have tried a torque converter, tranny, plugs, wires, etc......and it still does it! It drives me crazy! Have you found anything else out since your post?

#4620 of 5134 Re: 1989 inline engine is sparking?? [rwengr] by redrat34

Dec 08, 2009 (9:53 am)

Replying to: rwengr (Dec 07, 2009 8:31 am)
Thanks I'll check it out, also,do you think the splitfire spark plugs and wire set is a good purchase? I wanted to buy it but never thought that they really did any better than regular spark plugs, some people on here swear by them. Might as well go through the whole system and replace any of the other components while I''m at it. Hope my bank doesn't think I have a drug problem taking out so much money every other day.....

#4621 of 5134 2000 JGC - Original spark plugs? by deratristar

Dec 08, 2009 (10:03 am)

Does anyone know what the original spark plugs were in the 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee? Mine is the 4.0L engine, but I suspect they are the same for the 4.7L also.

#4622 of 5134 Re: 2000 JGC - Original spark plugs? [deratristar] by tuggajb

Dec 08, 2009 (10:59 am)

Replying to: deratristar (Dec 08, 2009 10:03 am)
plug type RC12ECC gap at .035 think they use ac sparkplugs

Messages Page 463 of 515

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