First time Jeep owner, have Q’s
09-23-2017, 10:51 AM
#1
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Model: Cherokee
First time Jeep owner, have Q’s
Hi all!! New Jeep owner!! 
. Finally! I bought a 2000 Cherokee Sport for my mom for winter, I’m sure I overpaid, but this is probably the nicest bone stock Cherokee I’ve seen, has the 4.0, and Auto (my mom). It’s undercoated, beautiful interior, new tires and 130k miles. Questions!!
-Dome light does not come on when I open the doors?
-With key out it appears it’s stuck in accessory mode. Windows work, radio works etc?
-Slight wine under light throttle, and Deccel from the rear end..
Anyone got any ideas? Just hoping I’m missing some button or have a sloppy ignition switch lol.
. Finally! I bought a 2000 Cherokee Sport for my mom for winter, I’m sure I overpaid, but this is probably the nicest bone stock Cherokee I’ve seen, has the 4.0, and Auto (my mom). It’s undercoated, beautiful interior, new tires and 130k miles. Questions!!-Dome light does not come on when I open the doors?
-With key out it appears it’s stuck in accessory mode. Windows work, radio works etc?
-Slight wine under light throttle, and Deccel from the rear end..
Anyone got any ideas? Just hoping I’m missing some button or have a sloppy ignition switch lol.
09-23-2017, 12:02 PM
#2
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Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: PA
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Year: 1996
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Welcome to the forum!
With the dome light, both my 91 and 96 have switches on the rear cargo light to override the dome light. Not sure about a 2000. Could always be the bulbs too.
If the key turns all the way back to lock but acc is still on, I'd guess the switch is bad. If acc is always on it might drain the battery too.
The whine could be a lot of things but start simple and check fluid levels and condition in axles, transmission and transfer case if you haven't already.
With the dome light, both my 91 and 96 have switches on the rear cargo light to override the dome light. Not sure about a 2000. Could always be the bulbs too.
If the key turns all the way back to lock but acc is still on, I'd guess the switch is bad. If acc is always on it might drain the battery too.
The whine could be a lot of things but start simple and check fluid levels and condition in axles, transmission and transfer case if you haven't already.
09-23-2017, 12:11 PM
#3
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Model: Cherokee
Welcome to the forum!
With the dome light, both my 91 and 96 have switches on the rear cargo light to override the dome light. Not sure about a 2000. Could always be the bulbs too.
If the key turns all the way back to lock but acc is still on, I'd guess the switch is bad. If acc is always on it might drain the battery too.
The whine could be a lot of things but start simple and check fluid levels and condition in axles, transmission and transfer case if you haven't already.
With the dome light, both my 91 and 96 have switches on the rear cargo light to override the dome light. Not sure about a 2000. Could always be the bulbs too.
If the key turns all the way back to lock but acc is still on, I'd guess the switch is bad. If acc is always on it might drain the battery too.
The whine could be a lot of things but start simple and check fluid levels and condition in axles, transmission and transfer case if you haven't already.
09-23-2017, 12:42 PM
#4
::CF Administrator::
Welcome to the forum...and the sickness of owning a Jeep, haha
So, before we get too far, I'd like to make a few suggestions, but I'll start with asking, do you plan on doing any repairs or maintenance yourself?
If the answer is yes, then do yourself a favor, and download a PDF of your factory service manual (FSM)...it is the best $8 you'll spend on your ride. You can get it here:
http://www.pacificcoastmanuals.com/j...e_manuals.html
Now that we have that out of the way, I highly suggest you start by going over the entire thing and seeing what works, and what doesn't. Make a list. Then you can tackle it on a case-by-case basis.
After that, I suggest changing all fluids and necessary filters, even if they said they did it before you bought it. This way you KNOW everything is fresh, because let's face it, sellers lie sometimes. Do the diffs front and rear, transfercase, trans, oil, and coolant. Pay attention for any flakes, color, smell, etc...take note, it may be important later.
Do an overall inspection of belts, hoses, rubber, etc... check your ball joints and tie rod ends for split/cracked boots, make sure they're greased, etc...
Inspect the brakes, check the soft hoses for rot/cracks, pads and rotors/drums for wear and grooving, and test the brake fluid, it should look clear amber, if it looks like cola, flush.
A basic tune-up never hurts. New plugs, wires, etc...
Doing all of this serves 2 purposes, it will bring you comfort in knowing these things are good to go, and gets you familiar with your new ride.
There's tons of other things to look at as well, like driveline and so on, but if you cover the basic maintenance items first, you'll have a good idea on how the Jeep was taken care of. If you don't see anything out of the ordinary, that's peace of mind. If you start seeing a pattern of things looking worn, and close to repair, you'll know you need to start diving deeper.
On that note, I'll ask this, what are your plans? Clean stock daily driver? Mild lift and such for light offroad? Trail rig? Overlander? Rockcrawler?
If you're planning on mods, the steps above are even more important. Better to have a solid base to start on.
Anyways, food for thought. Whatever your plans are, just know there's a huge knowledge base here. Certain folks here have strengths in certain areas. If you have questions, just ask.
Again, welcome!
So, before we get too far, I'd like to make a few suggestions, but I'll start with asking, do you plan on doing any repairs or maintenance yourself?
If the answer is yes, then do yourself a favor, and download a PDF of your factory service manual (FSM)...it is the best $8 you'll spend on your ride. You can get it here:
http://www.pacificcoastmanuals.com/j...e_manuals.html
Now that we have that out of the way, I highly suggest you start by going over the entire thing and seeing what works, and what doesn't. Make a list. Then you can tackle it on a case-by-case basis.
After that, I suggest changing all fluids and necessary filters, even if they said they did it before you bought it. This way you KNOW everything is fresh, because let's face it, sellers lie sometimes. Do the diffs front and rear, transfercase, trans, oil, and coolant. Pay attention for any flakes, color, smell, etc...take note, it may be important later.
Do an overall inspection of belts, hoses, rubber, etc... check your ball joints and tie rod ends for split/cracked boots, make sure they're greased, etc...
Inspect the brakes, check the soft hoses for rot/cracks, pads and rotors/drums for wear and grooving, and test the brake fluid, it should look clear amber, if it looks like cola, flush.
A basic tune-up never hurts. New plugs, wires, etc...
Doing all of this serves 2 purposes, it will bring you comfort in knowing these things are good to go, and gets you familiar with your new ride.
There's tons of other things to look at as well, like driveline and so on, but if you cover the basic maintenance items first, you'll have a good idea on how the Jeep was taken care of. If you don't see anything out of the ordinary, that's peace of mind. If you start seeing a pattern of things looking worn, and close to repair, you'll know you need to start diving deeper.
On that note, I'll ask this, what are your plans? Clean stock daily driver? Mild lift and such for light offroad? Trail rig? Overlander? Rockcrawler?
If you're planning on mods, the steps above are even more important. Better to have a solid base to start on.
Anyways, food for thought. Whatever your plans are, just know there's a huge knowledge base here. Certain folks here have strengths in certain areas. If you have questions, just ask.
Again, welcome!
