Hello all,

I recently purchased a 2001 Jeep Cherokee. 4.0L, AW4, 4x4.

Here are some pics of it:





I bought it from a used car dealership and probably paid too much for it. Anyway, when I bought it the salesman informed me that it needed a new ABS module, and the XJ had the ABS light and Check Engine light on. The salesman told me the bad ABS module was what was causing the lights on the dash. They had already ordered the part and said they would install the new ABS module when it came in. The Jeep stopped just fine (as far as XJs go anyway) and I wasn't worried about it.

Well, the part came, and the dealership installed it. The Check Engine light is now gone but the ABS light is still on. And now the brakes barely work at all. The brake pedal goes all the way down and I have to pump it a few times to come to a complete stop.

It feels to me like the brake fluid is leaking out and there is air in the system. However, the brake fluid reservoir is full, so I'm stumped.

I've contacted the dealership and they are going to take another look at it next week. The mechanic did say he had some trouble with the new ABS module, but did not really go into detail.

Does anybody have any suggestions for what I should check? If it's a straightforward fix, I'd consider doing it myself before the Jeep goes back to the mechanic, as I am impatient. I have to drive it around before then anyway and it's pretty sketchy at the moment.

Thanks in advance!

 

They'll have to use the DRBIII to cycle the ABS module to bleed the air. It's not terribly involved, but it takes time and proper tools to do it right.

Most people ditch the ABS system and remove the ABS warning light bulb. I guess I sorta applaud you for trying to keep it?

And yeah, you bought it from a dealership. You definitely overpaid.

 

Gotcha. Thanks for your response. Is there a way to bleed the module at home or is the DRBIII the only way to do it?

I'm keeping the Jeep stock for the moment, but I may indeed ditch the ABS in the future. Time will tell.

Yes, I definitely over paid. I was just in a bind and needed a vehicle, and I found this one mostly rust-free in an area where everything else is rusted out.

 

Being a 2001 from a used car dealer, I would highly recommend looking through the fill cap and see if you have a cracked head. There are some estimates that 10% of the heads ended up cracking between the 3/4 cylinders allowing coolant to seep into the oil.

 

I don't think the XJ abs module can be bled without the DRB. The pump has to cycle fluid through it as you bleed any trapped air out. There *might* be a way to fool the unit to run, but I don't know. If it's not right, make them make it right.

 

Well the XJ was worked on yesterday by the dealership I bought it from. Now it actually has brakes, which I am grateful for. However the ABS light is still on, which confuses me. Should I hound the dealership some more?

 

Nothing to be confused by, it's not fixed . You refer to this place as a dealership, it's some used car place.
​​​​​​If it's your vehicle and the abs light is on, it's your decision if you care but you just paid for the thing. It needs to go to a Chrysler dealership.

If you do take it back to the used car place to get the light issue fixed when you get it back make sure the abs light comes on when you first turn the key.

Note: when I bought mine in a private sale I knew the abs system was messed up; I removed it. But that was my decision and I knew when I got done what had been wrong with them

 

You are correct. I bought it from a used car lot, not a dealership. I used the wrong terms.

Forgive my ignorance, but why does it need to go to a Chrysler dealership? I'll be happy to take it there if that's what it needs.

This ABS issue is really the only thing wrong with this Jeep and I knew that when I bought it. It has just been trickier to fix than I expected. Otherwise this thing is solid.

 

If you want to be sure the abs system is working correctly it needs to go to someone who knows what they're doing. Obviously the place you have been taking it doesn't.

 

Haha fair enough.

Would I be better off just deleting the ABS? I don't want to pay someone to fix something that doesn't necessarily need to be done.

 

That one is up to you

 

I've never understood the mindset behind "delete the ABS". It has been standard on every car for years now, if not a few decades. Maybe in a few off road situations would you want full lock up but in my opinion it is there for a reason and should be kept. I would just look into a Jeep/Chrysler dealership to properly fix it.

 

Don't get me wrong; ABS is fantastic.

When it works.

And it works great when it's been maintained. And most ABS systems (brake systems in general, for that matter) don't get properly maintained. And when they need repair, they're expensive. And they require special diagnostic tools to bleed properly. So THAT'S why people bypass or delete the ABS. It's great, but not worth the hassle and cost to fix.

I was under the impression it WAS purchased at a dealership. Regardless, if they agreed to fix it and it's not right, hold them to it.

An ELM327 Bluetooth code scanner with the right app can actually read ABS codes if you want to try it. The Bluetooth adapter is like $10-15 and the full version of Torque is somewhere around $5.