Why I love the JEEP name.

[maddmaxjack67]

Today on my way to Corpus Christi, TX from Brownsville, TX (3 hour drive) my Blue Demon (97 XJ) told me that she wasn't feeling to good, and this was well before the Border Patrol check point, which is roughly 60 miles in. I patted her on her dashboard and gave her words of encouragement. She patiently waited in the ridiculously long line at the check point and roared down the highway at a seemingly confident 70 M.P.H. Once we arrived at our destination (what we now call home) she gave out. This is the second or third time a Jeep has held up for me and definitely solidifies my belief in the name JEEP.

My so called "mechanic" told me she had a problem with a fuse, which I now believe is a lie. I've narrowed the problem down to a ground coming off of the alternator. (isn't charging the battery)

Now I'd like to hear some stories from y'all from when your JEEP has held up and gotten you there when you needed it.

Cheers,

Maddmaxjack67

Currently drinking Shiner Octoberfest, which is delicious I might add.

 

[Recce01]

I got one for ya, I drove my Jeep all the way from San Diego to Moab Utah for Jeep week last year. It started making a wierd clicking noise about 200 miles from Moab. When we arrived in town we stopped at the grocery store for supplies. When I started the vehicle the clicking noise got worse and worse. I decided to drive across the street to the NAPA anticipating needing some parts. As I was pulling into the NAPA driveway, the clicking ended with a very loud squeal followed by a bang and a pinging sound and finally no power steering. The idler pulley had smoked the bearing and backed the bolt entirely out and spit the pulley on to the top of the motor. The belt had fallen off and was laying in the road. This all happened as I coasted into the NAPA parking lot where the salesman awaited my arrival and happily helped me find the parts and hardware to make the repair. If that had happened earlier, I would have been SCREWED. Thank you Jeep!

 

[maddmaxjack67]

That's a great story! I'm glad you had a parts store so close and once again, JEEP steps it up and gets you to where you need to be. I've driven on a cracked radiator for 600 plus miles and when I finally got home she kerploded in my driveway. I think it goes to show that even though we "Just Empty Every Pocket," it's worth it!

 

[jeep-N-montero]

"Kerploded", I love it!

 

[The Swiss]

Not that dramatic of a story but two/three years ago when we had the fuel shortage here in the Southeast and all gas stations were running out of fuel, I was on my way home from the airport one late a night, about an 80 mile drive. No fuel available on the way, I calculated that I might have to park the Jeep and walk the last couple miles home. But nope, we made it all the way home and I parked her in the driveway. Next morning, she would not even start anymore until I put a couple gallons in she was so out of fuel. Good girl

 

[bluejeep]

My son and I drove the 97 TJ from Dallas to Moab, wheeled all week, when a strange intermittent clicking starting around the next to last day. Couldn't find it, and it wasn't constant. Drove all the way back to Dallas, and a few days later was picking up my mother-in-law at the airport when suddenly "no go"! Motor was running fine, no oil spilled anywhere, drivetrain all in place (externally anyway). Put it in front wheel drive (I have a twin stick setup) and got me and 'Mom' home.

Popped open the rear diff and all the ring gear bolts had backed out and dropped out! Most were completely ground to powder (aka 'clicking noise') while a few were well on their way to being completely disintegrated. Brought it back to the shop that had installed the new gears and they fixed me up - they also informed thier new tech that new ring gear means new bolts. Don't reuse the old ones.

 

[Utah KJ]

I was towing all of my belongings from FL to UT. Somewhere around Grand Island, NE, I noticed black specs all over the front of the trailer. I thought "well, that can't be good". I got out and saw this:

All that oil is supposed in be in the engine I think. The entire vehicle was soaked with oil from the engine back. Lame. I went to NAPA and bought a case of 0W40 oil, fulled the engine and drove the rest of the way to SLC topping off the oil as I stopped for diesel. It turned out that the source of the problem was the oil line going to the turbo.

 

[BIGdaddy]

I was towing all of my belongings from FL to UT. Somewhere around Grand Island, NE, I noticed black specs all over the front of the trailer. I thought "well, that can't be good". I got out and saw this:

All that oil is supposed in be in the engine I think. The entire vehicle was soaked with oil from the engine back. Lame. I went to NAPA and bought a case of 0W40 oil, fulled the engine and drove the rest of the way to SLC topping off the oil as I stopped for diesel. It turned out that the source of the problem was the oil line going to the turbo.

Turbo-diesel jeep, huh?

One of these is not like the other.

Or is this a turbo'd CRD libby or grand?

 

[Utah KJ]

It was a KJ... the new owner is currently selling it.

 

[wonderfulremark]

are you guys thanking your jeep for breaking down..? (just yanking ya..)

 

[haddix]

These all seem like reasons to NOT like the jeep name.

 

[thexjthatcould]

These all seem like reasons to NOT like the jeep name.

point is, a jeep will get you home, but a yota, will leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere

 

[bob91yj]

There was a time when my YJ was also my tow rig, used it to tow a small Coleman pop up camper. Here's the catch, I'd tow my camper to Johnson Valley, run some Hammer's trails, then rely on my Jeep to be able to tow myself and the trailer home. It gets better, my YJ has 4.88 gears in a Dana 30 front axle and an old Currie HIGH PINION D44 in the back, rolling on either 35" BFG MT's or 36" Interco TSL's. I've never been accused of being overly intelligent!

One trip we ran Sledge Hammer and were headed for Outer Limits when I noticed a clicking noise in my drivetrain. Pulled over, some investigation revealed it was coming from the rear axle. For once, I made a good decision and headed back to camp. Popped the diff cover off, found my pinion gear had some chipped gears...great! Put it back together, minus the chips, and decided to hope for the best.

This Jeep has never had a full top since I owned it, half doors with uppers and a full length bikini top (or Mexican blanket and duct tape:sombrero is all it's ever known. It is noisy as all get out going down the highway, in my head every one of those noises was the rear end coming out of it for the 200 mile drive home, towing the trailer. We made it!

A couple of Hammer's pics/quick video.

SledgeHammer (not my junk leaking on the rock)

Top of Wrecking Ball

Outer Limits (different trip)

 

[Karma]

HI All,
I bought my completely stock '89 YJ in 2000. It didn't run but otherwise was in pretty good shape. After six months of working on it in my garage it was ready for its first trip to the Chile Challenge in Las Cruces, NM. I had fixed every problem I knew of trying to bring it back to new form. The list of items that needed work ran to over 40 items. The PO had not taken good care of this Jeep. But it showed promise. And it had no rust.

On the Las Cruces trip the more subtle problems started to show up. The front axle u joints started to go out. I made it home though and replaced the u joints. Then, one night the headlights blinked out on a twisty mountain road. That was a bit scary. But I made it home, barely, and cleaned the contacts on the headlight switch. Problem fixed and it has stayed fixed.

Then my YJ developed a bad habit of the engine dying randomly. It would always restart if I waited for a while but that was a pain in the ***. Eventually traced the problem to an intermittent ignition control module. Since then, in 2001, my YJ has been perfect. I am very happy with it. Of course, since then it has been heavily modified but the reliability has been excellent. Almost all the problems were caused by a previous owner who had completely ignored the vehicle. With the tender loving care I gave it, it has been a good vehicle to own and love. Believe me, I had my doubts for a while.

I suspect I will own this Jeep until I die. It's just too much fun to dump.

Sparky

 

[haddix]

point is, a jeep will get you home, but a yota, will leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere

:xxrotflma :xxrotflma :xxrotflma :xxrotflma
I can't even take that comment seriously.