99 Cherokee sport N00B
 

Hi boy and girls,
Just scored a 99 sport for $1k..
Body and interior in good shape, and new good years on it. I think it was a good buy, the tires are worth half what I paid. It's got 182k miles on it.
It has some issues I need to figure out to get it road worthy, for our camping trips in upstate NY. Currently in Indiana.

1st thing it is burning rich, really rich, got black tail pipe, black smoke on take off, and horrible gas mileage. Check engine light is on, but haven't had it scanned yet.

2nd issue, is it bucks when you ease up on the gas pedal, give it a bit more gas and it smooths out, but let up on the gas a bit, to maintain speed, and it'll buck.

3rd issue, is it has a knock, I'm pretty sure it's not lifter tap, sounds like it's coming from the front and center of the engine. It's not a tap, slap or click, it is a knock. I haven't pulled the oil pan to look for a broken piston yet, but Youtube, and Google, and these forums, has me convinced, that a piston skirt, is most likely the problem.

4th issue is, my air bag light is on.
I disconnected the battery to try to reset. It reset the engine light, and the air bag light does go off now, but comes right back on. Before it just stayed on. Now it goes off, for a second and comes back.

5th issue, no air coming out of the vents, I think there is a dead squirrel in the duct blocking the air.. :( Not looking forward to digging that out.

And the last issue, is front brakes grinding. But, that's no big deal.

So, I have my work cut out for me, but I think it's worth it. I'm not a mechanic, I have never pulled an engine or anything like a lot of you have, but I am pretty handy with tools, and can fix most anything, if I can trouble shoot it, to see what needs replacing.

So with all that long introduction, and information, where do I start?
First things first...

Welcome to the addiction

Like killabrew said, the search function is handy and provides many answers in minutes. Even dragging up old threads by commenting on them can bring swift answers.

Welcome!

FSM would come in handy.

GL

Flying Spaghetti Monster? FSM?

Factory service manual... Want a link for it? Private message me.

LOL

x2 :headbang:

http://www.haynes.com/products/?sear...rokee&x=12&y=8

Thanks for the welcome folks.
Gonna be a fun project.. I bring the laptop out in the garage for tunes, and to look things up as I run into problems..
This forum has already been a HUGE help..
Just got the front tires off, looks like brakes, rotors and calipers are in order..
Mainly just the passenger side, but might as well get them all..
One less thing to worry about.. Was shocked how cheap rotors are..
Anyways, thanks guys!

Welcome. The first thing you need is to either borrow or purchase a code reader or scanner. If you are throwing codes, you need to know what they are so as to be able to key into the offending circuit or system. Otherwise, troubleshooting the issues will be difficult at best and throwing parts at a problem rarely shows the results one would like to have.

The manual is another essential piece of ammunition that is needed. Chiltons and Haynes manuals have their place, but I've already found errors with the Haynes manual I bought when I started owning XJs. Both are not as complete as an FSM, but are better than nothing.

Noises with the 4.0 are not uncommon, as are for most all straight 6 engines over the years. I never saw one from any manufacturer that did not get noisy to some degree with some miles on it. With some engine noises, make sure that the torque converter bolts are not coming loose. This is common on the 4.0 with it's mated AW4 transmission to happen. To fix, open the inspection plate located at the bell housing on the driver side, turn the engine slowly at the fan with a breaker bar, and tighten the 4 bolts as they come into view. This stops some engine noises.

As to the airbag light, it could be anything from a sensor to the airbag itself. Most likely it is a damaged or bad sensor located in the front of the vehicle.

Good luck with the project. Sounds like you have a decent starting point and not for a lot of money either.

Welcome to the list.

Searching for Shop Manual got me this great post with several good links for information.

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/shop-manual-96332/

FSM manual download for $7.99 Pacificcoastmanuals.com

I have a 2000 Sport. I have replaced the crank and rod bearings, oil pump, water pump, t-stat, all 4 ball joints, all 6 u-joints, shocks all the way around, 1 O2 sensor, exhaust from the cat back, both front hub bearings, AND the head. (it was cracked) Oops, forgot to mention that I replaced the lifters. They were bad, no top end lubrication, and they were very noisy.

All in the past month. It's all doable. This forum, and my FSM, have been huge.
I have a code reader that ties to my Mac on the way.

Good luck to you. It's a good vehicle. Worth the work.

I'd start with the squirrel...it will make the rest of the tasks a little easier to deal with.