Just Bought a 1997 Country Edition w/Issues and Thinking Of...
10-17-2009, 01:52 PM
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Year: 1997
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Just Bought a 1997 Country Edition w/Issues and Thinking Of...
Hello second time Jeep owner here and new to the site. I have a 97 Country Edition with a few issues and concerns and I sure would love anyones opinion. It's an automatic 4.0 with 106,xxx miles. Here's what's going with it:
Issues
- Check engine light stays on about 85% of the time. Sometimes it isn't on at all. There is no difference in the ride and start up. If it weren't for the light being on, there doesn't seem to be a problem.
- Drivers door panel the only one that works for all the windows. The individual doors themselves don't roll windows down. The passenger door is the only door that locks/unlocks all the doors.
- The previous owner was in a slight accident and the rear bumper is a little bent. Also, the muffler is bent down and is loose. When driving over bumps, getting in and out of the truck and when sitting idle you can hear it squeaking. The gas mileage is still pretty good, getting about 16.5 mpg in the city. Do I need to replace the muffler or just have it secured into place?
Wants
- Since this is my daily driver and weekend cruiser, I'm thinking of doing an oil change switching/using Amsoil 0-30 and the Amsoil filter as well. From what I've heard this considerably improves gas mileage and is just better for the truck overall.
- I'll have to get a new rear bumper and have it painted to match. I can't ride around with a bent bumper, lol.
- I have my eye on a cold air intake with K&N filter on Ebay or Rusty's Off Road (they have a cheap kit). Again, this is for performance and better fuel econ.
Other than everything, I'd like to leave it stock. I love my Jeep and know it last a long time. I look forward to years of riding nice...Thanks in advance for your replies!
Issues
- Check engine light stays on about 85% of the time. Sometimes it isn't on at all. There is no difference in the ride and start up. If it weren't for the light being on, there doesn't seem to be a problem.
- Drivers door panel the only one that works for all the windows. The individual doors themselves don't roll windows down. The passenger door is the only door that locks/unlocks all the doors.
- The previous owner was in a slight accident and the rear bumper is a little bent. Also, the muffler is bent down and is loose. When driving over bumps, getting in and out of the truck and when sitting idle you can hear it squeaking. The gas mileage is still pretty good, getting about 16.5 mpg in the city. Do I need to replace the muffler or just have it secured into place?
Wants
- Since this is my daily driver and weekend cruiser, I'm thinking of doing an oil change switching/using Amsoil 0-30 and the Amsoil filter as well. From what I've heard this considerably improves gas mileage and is just better for the truck overall.
- I'll have to get a new rear bumper and have it painted to match. I can't ride around with a bent bumper, lol.
- I have my eye on a cold air intake with K&N filter on Ebay or Rusty's Off Road (they have a cheap kit). Again, this is for performance and better fuel econ.
Other than everything, I'd like to leave it stock. I love my Jeep and know it last a long time. I look forward to years of riding nice...Thanks in advance for your replies!
10-17-2009, 03:01 PM
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Year: 1998
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Welcome to the forum! Your check engine light is on due to a code being thrown. Take it to autozone and they'll scan it for free. You might get lucky like me on my 01 and it will tell you faulty gas cap, if not it's probably a faulty sensor, ussually inexpensive fixes. The muffler, if you dont have an exhaust leak just replace the hangers or have an exhaust shop do it for you. As far as your wiring problem I'm not sure where to tell you to start here, my experience tells me the only thing you can do is dig, keep going through wiring determining whats not wrong and eventually you will find the problem. Hope some of this helps. Have fun with your new Jeep and be prepared to become addicted!
10-17-2009, 06:10 PM
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Since you already got a very good answer to your "check engine" light question, I'll try to answer your questions about the other issues.
Door switches.............Chrysler used some very cheap junk inside their doors, and they go out quickly. There is a cheap fix for the window problem, which is created by the switch for "window lock". That switch opens the circuit to the individual door switches that control the window in a particular door. The easiest fix, unless you really need to keep a child from operating windows, is to jumper out the "lock" switch. In other words, electrically speaking you will be removing the switch that comes before all the other window switches. Not difficult really, but do yourself a big favor and pick up a Haynes manual for your Cherokee. Haynes has some very good electrical drawings, and they are generally accurate as to color coding of the wires. AutoZone keeps them on the shelf, and they go right at $20. Well worth the money.
Your door locks are the same, probably a bad switch. You can try finding a good one at a junk yard (not really a place for most girls) but typically they won't be much better than what you have. I don't think Chrysler/Jeep dealers can even get you those switches anymore, and even if they could, they would likely be cost prohibitive. You might try being really inventive and adapt switches from another brand (GM has some pretty good electrics, although being a Ford guy, it pains me to admit that) out of a junk yard. Bottom line is that if you plan to use the door locks and windows, you will have to replace those crappy switches that Jeep gave us. My Jeep is also a 97 Country, and my plans are to install manual window cranks very soon. I didn't want all that power junk anyway, but the Country only came that way. The advantage is that you got the 29 spline Chrysler 8.25 inch rear end, which is a real plus.
On to the oil issue.................
You said the Cherokee has 106,XXX miles, so unless you can document that the previous owner(s) used nothing but the very best oil, don't waste your money on Amsoil. If however you CAN document that all previous owners used the highest quality oil, then just throw in a quart of a good brand of engine flush, to get the crud off of everything, run the flush (do not drive the Jeep with the flush in the motor) about 20 minutes with the old oil that you're going to drain, and then use a high quality filter and a good brand of off the shelf oil. Changing your oil is the best thing you can do for any vehicle, and always remember that oil is cheaper than steel. Never mind all that liquid gold that the snake oil salesmen are selling. Your engine was designed to thrive on high quality off the shelf oil. Use the viscosity that is recommended for your climate, probably 10W-30, and all will be well.
One thing I can tell you for sure, is that if your engine has NOT had high grade oil used, there is a product that is very effective for getting rid of varnish, sludge and not quite yet loosened particles of carbon crud that all engines have inside. I don't sell anything, I don't work anymore for anyone, and I never did sell automotive anything. I just know this stuff works well, and I'll share that info with you. It's called Auto-RX. It's expensive, at $17 for a 12 ounce bottle, but it does what it's advertised to do, which is kind of rare anymore. It's a procedure that takes two bottles to complete one time. They tell you how to use it, and if you do as they instruct, it will quiet your motor, and clean all the crud out of the insides. It's even been known to stop some seal leaks, which is a huge plus. You can check it out online at www.auto-rx.com Bear in mind that I'm just a customer of theirs, not any other association.
Air intakes and fancy filters are a waste of money. I'll tell you about my personal testing of a K&N filter system on my race bike years back, if you e-mail me. Plain and simple! Don't fall for all of that manure about mileage claims etc. If it's all about fuel economy for you, dump the Cherokee and buy yourself a good GEO. A Cherokee will never net you high MPG, get over it or get rid of it.
Tell ya what.....................the stock intake box on that Cherokee is about as efficient as it needs to be, and a good air filter, changed at the proper intervals for your driving conditions, will do everything you need done. Wix probably makes the very best filters on the market, and they are available at NAPA stores as their house brand, under the name NAPA Gold.
Now on the other hand, if your plans include 8000 rpm passes down your local quarter mile, then obviously you need some help with induction, but I didn't get the impression that was what you had in mind. Stick with what made that motor live a long life and you'll be just fine. Keep your money for going to lunch with your friends! Hope this helps you a little.
Bob
Door switches.............Chrysler used some very cheap junk inside their doors, and they go out quickly. There is a cheap fix for the window problem, which is created by the switch for "window lock". That switch opens the circuit to the individual door switches that control the window in a particular door. The easiest fix, unless you really need to keep a child from operating windows, is to jumper out the "lock" switch. In other words, electrically speaking you will be removing the switch that comes before all the other window switches. Not difficult really, but do yourself a big favor and pick up a Haynes manual for your Cherokee. Haynes has some very good electrical drawings, and they are generally accurate as to color coding of the wires. AutoZone keeps them on the shelf, and they go right at $20. Well worth the money.
Your door locks are the same, probably a bad switch. You can try finding a good one at a junk yard (not really a place for most girls) but typically they won't be much better than what you have. I don't think Chrysler/Jeep dealers can even get you those switches anymore, and even if they could, they would likely be cost prohibitive. You might try being really inventive and adapt switches from another brand (GM has some pretty good electrics, although being a Ford guy, it pains me to admit that) out of a junk yard. Bottom line is that if you plan to use the door locks and windows, you will have to replace those crappy switches that Jeep gave us. My Jeep is also a 97 Country, and my plans are to install manual window cranks very soon. I didn't want all that power junk anyway, but the Country only came that way. The advantage is that you got the 29 spline Chrysler 8.25 inch rear end, which is a real plus.
On to the oil issue.................
You said the Cherokee has 106,XXX miles, so unless you can document that the previous owner(s) used nothing but the very best oil, don't waste your money on Amsoil. If however you CAN document that all previous owners used the highest quality oil, then just throw in a quart of a good brand of engine flush, to get the crud off of everything, run the flush (do not drive the Jeep with the flush in the motor) about 20 minutes with the old oil that you're going to drain, and then use a high quality filter and a good brand of off the shelf oil. Changing your oil is the best thing you can do for any vehicle, and always remember that oil is cheaper than steel. Never mind all that liquid gold that the snake oil salesmen are selling. Your engine was designed to thrive on high quality off the shelf oil. Use the viscosity that is recommended for your climate, probably 10W-30, and all will be well.
One thing I can tell you for sure, is that if your engine has NOT had high grade oil used, there is a product that is very effective for getting rid of varnish, sludge and not quite yet loosened particles of carbon crud that all engines have inside. I don't sell anything, I don't work anymore for anyone, and I never did sell automotive anything. I just know this stuff works well, and I'll share that info with you. It's called Auto-RX. It's expensive, at $17 for a 12 ounce bottle, but it does what it's advertised to do, which is kind of rare anymore. It's a procedure that takes two bottles to complete one time. They tell you how to use it, and if you do as they instruct, it will quiet your motor, and clean all the crud out of the insides. It's even been known to stop some seal leaks, which is a huge plus. You can check it out online at www.auto-rx.com Bear in mind that I'm just a customer of theirs, not any other association.
Air intakes and fancy filters are a waste of money. I'll tell you about my personal testing of a K&N filter system on my race bike years back, if you e-mail me. Plain and simple! Don't fall for all of that manure about mileage claims etc. If it's all about fuel economy for you, dump the Cherokee and buy yourself a good GEO. A Cherokee will never net you high MPG, get over it or get rid of it.
Tell ya what.....................the stock intake box on that Cherokee is about as efficient as it needs to be, and a good air filter, changed at the proper intervals for your driving conditions, will do everything you need done. Wix probably makes the very best filters on the market, and they are available at NAPA stores as their house brand, under the name NAPA Gold.
Now on the other hand, if your plans include 8000 rpm passes down your local quarter mile, then obviously you need some help with induction, but I didn't get the impression that was what you had in mind. Stick with what made that motor live a long life and you'll be just fine. Keep your money for going to lunch with your friends! Hope this helps you a little.
Bob
10-26-2009, 10:20 AM
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Wow, thanks for the advice guys. I greatly appreciate it...For now, I'll look into replacing the door switches and see what happens. I'm used to my previous Cherokee having manual windows, so to finally have power and not even work sucks...Also, I'll look into the website you've forward me to Bob. If Amsoil and an intake, will be a waste of money then why bother, right? Please PM me about your experience with K&N when you have time. Thanks!
10-26-2009, 04:47 PM
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Year: 1998
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Engine: 4.0 HO I6
The window thing can be fixed with a paper clip jumped across a connector. The connector can be found down low on the side wall/under the carpet down on the driver's side under the A pillar. I don't have pictures from when I did mine, but I found a write-up over on the Naxja forums. It's a quite common occurence in the newer XJ's. I'm sure a search over there would bring it up pretty easily.
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