How to kill an XJ in one easy step!

[Ford Prefect]

best way, in my opinion, to do that would be to simply drop the tank. Then you can empty the thing, clean out out while it is out, and then use some of that stuff that takes all the water out of the tank for sure. Older vehicles are likely to have some sediment in there, may as well get it done while you are at it.

A floor jack works well for lowering the tank BTW.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Yep.

I've been toying with trying some of those roll-on or paintable heat and noise dissipating coatings. IIRC ceramic stuff. Haven't looked at it recently since I still run a full interior.

I have used the peel and stick fiberglass fabric with a foil outer layer in the past and it worked ok. I installed in on the OEM rad fan motor on my Focus because I had the turbo sandwiched between the block and rad. The red hot turbo was about 1" away from the plastic rad fan motor housing. It worked for a few years, the fan housing didn't melt, but eventually the heat cooked the adhesive and it fell off. In a less severe application, it might work better.

I can tell you in the OEM engineering world, the best heat shielding is simply stainless steel foil, multi-layered, with an air gap between the layers. It's the most effective and long-lasting heat shielding possible. You get all three methods of heat transfer protection, radiative, conductive and convective. You could simply buy some SS foil from an industrial store, crumple it up, stretch it back out, make 2-3 layers, shape it how you want, and mechanically fasten it. Just the poor man's way of creating the multi-layer waffled SS foil shielding.

When I drained it everything looked fine but I haven't driven it yet. If I do have to replace it I might think about doing an AX15 instead of an automatic.

Good. And that's what I'm doing. Got water in mine, it destroyed the clutches (which happens almost instantly, though it lasted for a little while after). I'm not putting a manual in. I'm not a fan of autos.

 

[Black Dog]

Does anyone know the exact way to get a diagnostic code to display on the digital odometer of a 99 Cherokee? I am still having absolutely no luck getting my jeep to start and I am thinking I may have fried my ECU because that is the only logical thing I can think of right now. I want to see if I can get it to return a trouble code to me so that I can have a better idea of what is going on, but in my internet research I am finding people that say to turn the key on and off slowly three times, some say five times, some say to do it fast, and some even say to turn the key left-right three or five times in either the passenger door or the rear hatch. Lots of conflicting information here. If I can't get it to show any codes at all then I'll go ahead and assume I fried the computer.

 

[Jeff H]

The way Ive always done it was turning the key On-Off three times. I know certain years it didnt work. Im trying to remember if it worked on my '99 Wrangler..

 

[SWbySWesty]

Can you borrow a code reader from Autozone? I think they do that for free....

 

[BigAl]

on/off 3 times, then you get a "1" and then "2" flashes (12), that is the start sequence, next come the actual codes. Count them. 2 flashes, followed by 3 flashes is a "23". You are looking for 2 digits. Last you get 5,5 that is the end sequence.

 

[Root Moose]

Unfortunately I don't think that'll work on the OBD-II Jeeps. A cheap code reader can be gotten from Wally World for under $100. It's worth having in your boonie box.

 

[Black Dog]

I'm not sure where the nearest autozone is, the nearest Oreily's is 65 miles away and a napa 20 miles away. And Napa didn't have any loaner or rental code readers.

So I turn the key to the on position, go off-on-off-on-off-on, and read the code, right?

 

[BIGdaddy]

I'm not sure where the nearest autozone is, the nearest Oreily's is 65 miles away and a napa 20 miles away. And Napa didn't have any loaner or rental code readers.

So I turn the key to the on position, go off-on-off-on-off-on, and read the code, right?

obd-I diagnostics (key on/off process) was only available until the body style change in 1995-96-97-ish, I think.

Yours is likely a OBDII system necessitating a code reader like they're saying above.

My 92 is a OBDI, (neener) and I think it started the year before mine.

Before that it was a Renix-brand setup that was not yet OBD-anything if I remember correctly.

 

[alosix]

Unfortunately I don't think that'll work on the OBD-II Jeeps. A cheap code reader can be gotten from Wally World for under $100. It's worth having in your boonie box.

Worked on my 1997 (ODBII).

Needs to be ACC to ON 3 times, under 5 seconds IIRC. If you do it right, it feels like you are going to break something.

 

[Maximus Ram]

on-off-on-off-on
wait -watch-count
obII yes..do it with my 97 Dodge all the time....

 

[purdueXJ]

That worked on my 04 srt-4 it displayed the code on the odometer, even said how to do it in the owners manual. I've never had to do it in my jeep so I don't know if it works or not.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Just get a code reader. They're like $20 at Walmart, and they're good to have. Should allow you to clear the codes too, which you'll need to do anyway.

Interestingly, I helped dewater my first engine on the weekend. A guy on a Kawasaki PWC sunk it. It was floating with just the nose out of the water. They had no idea what to do. It was full of water, in the airbox, the engine, probably the crankcase, and exhaust. We eventually got it going.

 

[Black Dog]

I'll probably be heading into town this weekend so I'll stop by wally world (grrr) and get a code reader and see what I come up with. This is getting to be an expensive project.

 

[Black Dog]

Ok so here is the update, and it is good. I got the code reader and everything checked out fine. My parents were up for a weekend a couple weeks ago and my dad tinkered around with the jeep for a while and actually managed to get it running!!!:wings: It was running rough and we decided that it had some vacuum leaks and I got all those fixed, and I've run some bottles of Heet through it to make sure water is cleared out of any lines in the fuel system. Now it runs at idle perfectly. I do have some electrical problems, one is annoying and the other is costly. The annoying one is the electric locks, they unlock but do not lock. I can live with that, its only a minor inconvenience. The other is something that needs addressed to ensure engine life, the electric radiator fan is toast. We had the engine running and were revving it up to keep engine rpms going and next thing we knew there was a nasty smell and the electric fan was smoking. Brand new that fan is around $120 plus shipping which is robbery as far as I'm concerned so if anyone has one that will fit a 99 XJ with a 4.0 I'd be willing to make a deal with you. Also if you would happen to have the plastic fan shroud that goes over the mechanical engine fan I need to replace that too because it has been busted and a laceration hazard for a few years since I broke it wrestling around with installing a new alternator. I checked local junk yards but have been coming up empty handed so far.

So I think as soon as I get that fan replaced I'll be ready to take it for a test drive! :smiley_drive: w0ot!