Category: Jeep

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Taking Care of Your Jeep Cherokee

If you have ever heard someone say Jeep Cherokee’s are tough, they are. Talking to friends and family about their Jeep Cherokees and routine maintenance It was quite interesting to learn how tough they are.

My best friend Mike owns a 1991 Jeep Cherokee Laredo that has over 350K miles on it. Engine and transmission are the originals. However, he informed me it has been close to a year since he changed the oil… He doesn’t even remember the last time he did a tune up either. So the other day he asked me to order a tune up kit from Crown Automotive.

Early in the Spring I ordered a tune up kit from Crown for $45 w/shipping. It comes with six spark plugs, spark plug wires, distributor cap & button, fuel filter, air filter and an oil filter.

Last week I had to order another tune up kit for a friend of mine who owns a 1999 Jeep Cherokee Classic with over 280K miles on it. She and I had spent most of the summer together traveling to Texas then to Michigan into Canada, New York and to Dearborn, Michigan. Between the two trips we put on close to 6K miles in 4 weeks time!  She too couldn’t remember the last time her Cherokee had a tune up.

As you can see from the photo below it obviously been awhile.

Spark Plugs from a 99 Jeep Cherokee Classic

What I usually do during routine maintenance is change the oil, air filter if it is needed. I then check the brake fluid, antifreeze, power steering, transmission fluid, battery and go over the belt and connections. Every other time I will clean the throttle body/idle air control valve. With the tune up kit from Crown Automotive you cannot go wrong. It’s a great way to remind you to get all of the typical maintenance out of the way at one time.

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Jeep Cherokee Summer Adventures

Summer 2012 has gone by fast and now school is starting in my area. That means it’s time for my Jeep to get “back to work” and be the taxi for all three of my kids. Half the summer though she sat parked under trees at my best friends house while I traveled over 8,000 miles, most of it in a friends 99 Jeep Cherokee Classic.

Shortly after school ended for the year the plan was to head down to Santa Fe, Texas (and Galveston to the beach) to take my oldest son to my dad’s house while I was working The Great Race. Originally the plan was to rent a vehicle from Enterprise rent-a-car. However, after adding up the costs of adding me as a driver, plus insurance and a $150 deposit, we couldn’t justify spending over $500 to rent a car for a week. So my friend outright said lets take her Jeep instead. Besides, we had just prepared it to go on The Great Race as soon as we got back from Texas.

Round trip we drove 2,000 miles, 860 miles to get there plus running back and forth from Galveston for our daily dose of the beach (and our hotel was there too) which is approximately 40 miles round trip each time. There were days we did it twice…

Enjoying Sunny Beach in Galveston, Texas, Summer 2012

Plus I don’t take the way Google Maps says I should. There are tolls the way it says I should go and I don’t care for traffic. Besides, my kids always look forward to the Bolivar Ferry Ride each year, which is free. It also gives us a chance for one last restroom break and stretching our legs until we make it to our destination.

On the Bolivar Ferry heading to Galveston, Texas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank goodness we were in the front of the line although it was quite unnerving when they let the front gate down!  My son (seen in pic) always enjoys getting out of the vehicle to go upstairs and view everything around him. During the daylight you can see dolphins swimming around.

 

Our Jeep summer adventures didn’t stop in Texas though.

Less than a week later Janice and I were on our way to Traverse City, Michigan to begin working The Great Race, a vintage car rally that went from Traverse City, MI into Canada and around the Great Lakes that ended in Dearborn, MI. Each day we traveled anywhere from 200-300 miles during the actual rally. We were checkpoint workers so we had the opportunity to sit for nearly two hours watching 80-90 cars go by while we take their times. Some days we were lucky enough to get lunch at their lunch stops. The best part though was that since one of our overnight stops was in Buffalo, New York, Janice and I planned ahead that we would travel to Niagara Falls.

Enjoying Niagara Falls on the Observation Deck after a ride on Maid of the Mist

The Great Race  trip total was two weeks long and 3,600 miles. Add that to the Texas trip and JeepGirl nearly did 6,000 miles in four weeks! That put her total mileage at 280K.

Let’s just say it was definitely time for an oil change and a nice tune up after all the adventuring we did…

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Tracking Down Jeep Engine Stumble

For the past four months my Jeep Cherokee has been plagued by random stumbling/bucking issues. I’ve lost count as to how many times the fuel pressure has been checked at this point. I’d even added a can of Sea Foam to at least say I tried that. Every time though it reads normal. So the next step was to do a tune up, stumbling and bucking was still lingering. The next step was to change the throttle position sensor, which we did twice (one was a spare and the latter one is new). Still the stumbling lingered. We cleaned the throttle body, connection to the crankshaft position sensor and the stumbling/bucking lingered. It had even gotten to the point that at random times it would also just die on me. So Mike and I changed out the distributor, which showed some wear. We drove the Jeep over 100 miles in one day and it did perfectly fine. The next day the stumbling returned Sigh…

 

I ended up buying a crankshaft position sensor since my Jeep friends suggested that I replace it. My best friend drove it to work the following day and it ran smoothly—for the day. I go to take it home and halfway home the stumbling returns. This time though I caught the tachometer fluctuating.

 

After enjoying a trip to Atlanta to the 4 Wheel Drive Truck & Jeep Fest and to Summit Racing in McDonough, Georgia, I was in the mood to pop open the hood and inspect as many wires as I could and clean the idle air control valve and the ECM connection. It’s day three and so far the Jeep is doing well. In fact, she seems perkier now.

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Top Ten Reasons You Should Own A Jeep Cherokee

Ever wonder why someone you know has a Jeep Cherokee or why they would decide to buy a vehicle that is no longer made? Here are a few reasons why:

1) They keep going.

In the collection of Jeep Cherokee’s between my best friend, his family and mine we all own 13 Jeep Cherokees collectively. One has surpassed 350K miles, one is within 20K miles of surpassing 300K miles and another is over 250K miles and all are still daily drivers.

2)They are tough.

Late last year my mom’s 93 Jeep Cherokee Country caught fire in the engine compartment. Most people including her insurance, wrote it off as beyond fixing. With some donor parts and a few new parts it was good as new. A friend of mine I go off roading with rolled his modified 92 Jeep Cherokee three times a few years ago. After turning it right side up and letting it sit for a few minutes, he added the needed fluids and cranked it up.

3)You’re not limited.

A four wheel drive Cherokee can do some amazing things, even as a stock vehicle. The first time I took mine off roading I was completely stock. One of the trails I went on everyone was having trouble getting up. It did take me three times and some tire rubber to get up the trail but I did it. Now, I have been known to go over curbs and over ditches if that’s the only way for me to keep going.

4)Easy to work on.

If a lady can do it then most people can. It’s easy to change out a radiator, change the oil, the air filter, battery and even the drive shafts. Of all the vehicles I have owned (from Fords to Hondas) this has been the easiest one to work on.

5)Locating parts.

Majority of the parts are easy to locate whether new or used. Parts stores, junk yards and Ebay will have them.

6)Affordable.

I bought mine for $850 off of Ebay and traveled to Florida to pick it up and take a mini vacation in Daytona Beach. My mom bought hers for $1,500 and I’ve been told by people I meet they have paid less than $1,000 for theirs and fixed minor things.

7)Popularity.

Jeep Cherokees are still quite popular. They are known for there reliability and durability and because of those things most people hold on to theirs until there is absolutely no life left in them.

8)Fun.

Jeeps are fun vehicles. You can take them places most vehicles cannot go.

9)Adventurous.

Jeeps are adventurous vehicles. They love to go off roading, climb over rocks, play in the mud and go through the woods.

10) Easy and affordable to modify.

If you are thinking about doing some serious off roading adventures, Jeeps are easy to modify. If you are on a budget like me, I was able to get some basic modifications done in a years time. A lot of parks recommend a rig have at least a 3″ lift and if possible 33″ tires. Even when I had less than 33″ tires I still could do some things with the bigger rigs.

Lift kits are affordable and for a reasonable price you can purchase bigger tires for off roading. I purchased my 3″ Rough Country one five years ago for about $150.

My first set of off roading tires were the Maxxis Buckhots, 31″ mudder tires that I paid $460 for. Compare that to regular street tires where you will pay close to the same. My next set I upgraded to the Dick Cepek Crushers that cost $850.

Late last year I purchased a custom made drive shaft off of Ebay by a well known long time in business company for under $200. Compare that to purchasing a new regular drive shaft.

 

So with this being said, if you are an outgoing, fun and adventurous person a Jeep Cherokee may be for you. Of course in my situation I am in the dilemma of all three of my kids fighting over who will get my Jeep Cherokee…

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The Rough and Tough Jeep Cherokee Part II

Several years ago at the annual Fall Crawl I attend in Harlan, Ky one of the guys in our group gave us all a wake up call to the dangers of off roading.

Adam and “Red” had been riding the trails together all day. The group had been at a section known as the Lower Rock Garden at the Black Mountain Off Road Adventures Park. It’s a popular area that our group goes to nearly every time we are there in the Spring and the Fall.

This time though while most of the group had been playing at the LRG, Adam and Red decided to venture off to a trail nearby. My best friend and his daughter in law had ventured off too going on a trail up on the mountain overhead. As the group finished up playing in the LRG and started to head out to our next adventure we all heard something over the two way radios each rig had that no one ever wanted to hear.

The crashing and clanking of metal, tools and two guys screaming was horrifying. Those in our group frantically started running towards the trail Adam and Red had been on (which has since been closed). As I got to the trail my heart sank. Adam’s 1992 modified Jeep Cherokee was upside down. Two of the tires were off the beadlocks, his tool box, tools and some clothing strewn everywhere. Adam and Red were both sitting on rocks with bloody, busted up heads as some of the guys assessed their conditions. Both were okay, just extremely shook up. For that matter, all of us were shook up.

Neal, our usual trail leader worked with some of the guys to determine what to do about Adam’s rig. Mike decided that they would use Neal’s air compressor to air up the tires while it was still upside down so they could get them to seat back on the beadlocks much easier and without damaging them. Once that was done, they started to winch Adam’s rig right side up to assess the damage to the top. Luckily for Adam, he had chopped the top of his rig off and built a roll cage.

The only visible damage was that his windshield was shattered and his tailgate that used to be a hatch was busted up. They rolled the rig down to the bottom of the trail where there was a flat area and they checked the fluids and let it sit there for awhile. Scrounging up enough engine oil and transmission fluid, they filled up what was needed and then started it.

Amazingly it started just fine and even with a little smoke (from the fluid that had leaked out) it was running fine. Adam was able to drive it back to camp for the time being. He dreaded taking it home and his wife seeing it. A lot of us thought that would be the last time we would get to see Adam driving his rig. Not so much though. The next time around he had fixed the damage and added more things to his rig, including a helmet.

The group learned that Adam and Red were nearly to the top of the trail when his rig began rolling. Apparently it had rolled three times before being stopped by a tree. Jeeps are tough cookies.