Female that knows nothing about vehicle needs advice
 

I do not know anything about vehicles and cannot afford to take it to a mechanic. I have a 98 Jeep Cherokee and I had a local backyard mechanic change my struts. When I started the vehicle afterwards, my a/c does not blow and my radio does not get a signal. Of course, the "mechanic" has no idea what is wrong. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Check the fuses in the under hood fuse box.

if you have a manual check the location of the specific fuses in question...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3409/...ab3917.jpg?v=0

The Blowr Motor Resister (BMR) and the connection to the antenna are both under the glove box - anyone out there think that could be it (if not the fuses)?

OP - when you say "struts", are you referring to the shock absorbers? XJs do not have struts, I want to ensure that you are not referring to the hatch telescopes. Thx.

I would bet fuses for sure being that there near the area of interest.... if your in cali (orange county) I know people who could fix it for super cheap...

Thanks ya'll! It was a fuse - I now have brake lights! It must have been the shock absorbers that I had replaced and not struts! LOL

That's what everyone is here for, and cheap fixes are firsts fixes, and usually work out for the better. Glad to hear you got your problem solved. Keep coming back with other questions, we are a group dedicated to not taking our Jeeps to the mechanic as much as possible, and instead DIY. :laughing:

InTack, stick around!
 

InTack, stick around! If you have any interest at all in learning about your Cherokee, you can pick up a ton of information on here. There are many maintenance jobs that even an inexperienced owner can do, if you are interested in saving money. Preventative maintenance (like changing oil, greasing the chassis, checking brake pads, etc.) can save you hundreds of dollars in bogus mechanic overcharges. If you just have a basic set of tools and a Cherokee manual for your year vehicle you will be miles ahead.

Best of all, preventative maintenance can head off problems when they are small and easily fixed instead of having to deal with it when the vehicle finally breaks down from neglect. Pennies put into service and maintenance will save you dollars in repairs.

Step One: Go buy a CHILTON REPAIR MANUAL for the year bracket that includes your year and model of Cherokee. You can usually buy them at good auto parts stores. They cost somewhere around $25. You probably won't understand everything at first, but after you read the chapter pertinent to your auto problem, you come on here and these guys will graciously explain the details and make suggestions. (Right guys? Graciously, right?)

My mother always said "Brush your teeth twice a day and floss them once. Only rich people can afford to neglect their teeth."

This is true for Jeep owners too! Hope you stick around.

Instead of a chilton manual, buy a Haynes manual for a dollar more. It has pictures as well as better described step by step instructions:) its easier for people like me and you with hardly any mechanical experience lol

Either one is good for the inexperienced owner. Once you do start getting the feel and understanding your vehicle as well as just plain tired of getting overcharged, I would recommend an actual service manual for your vehicle. Definitely the manual for more in-depth information. Cheaper to go with an online buy of a PDF file ($10), than the actual hard copy book ($100).

V/r,
-Gray.

I agree that the Factory Service Manual is the way to go. Way more comprehensive than Chiltons/Haynes and all of the information is specific to your year XJ. Not so with the others.

Here is a good inexpensive source for an FSM online. Licensed/legal.

http://www.pacificcoastmanuals.com/F..._cherokee.html

I actually bought mine from there last November. Unfortunately, I haven't had the time to look at it and do any big project due to nursing school. Time will come where it will definitely come handy, all for $10!

V/r,
-Gray.

Learning more about your vehicle is a good idea and I'm surprised nobody mentioned that unless it's been modified, your '98 XJ doesn't have struts.