Hello, this is my first post and I just wanted to take a couple sentences to thank everyone here for saving me thousands of dollars over the years...but more importantly, making it so that another man has never had his paws all inside any of my Jeeps. The detailed posts have made it easy for even a "stoopid" non mechanic like myself to get through most jobs. I used to have an entire fleet of ZJs that I got for my guys to use when my company was up and running. Now I'm down to just two and am in the process of consolidating them. I'm sick of my neighbor driving around in his 2017 Lexus SUV all high and mighty like. When I'm finished there will be two luxury trucks on my block. If things go right, one of my 95 Grand Cherokees could be worth upward of four figures. Four figures in American USDs! Suck it, neighbor.
So for the sake of this post I will be referring to the two ZJs as "keeper" and "goner". Keeper is obviously the one getting the good parts. The goner is actually the better of the two trucks but I made a mistake and registered it out of state during a lengthy job and now it would cost too much to get it registered in CA again.
1. Front passenger door lock actuator: Reading this forum had me scared of this job, but it actually wasn't that bad. The one in goner worked prefectly and it now works perfectly in keeper. The problem is, the one I put back in goner now WORKS after I cleaned it really well...but now the door doesn't open from the outside. What could I have done wrong? I hit the three door bolts lightly with an impact driver and cracked the door a tiny bit. Could that be the problem? It's just the goner but I'd still like to get a few bucks for it.
2. A.C. compressor: The guys at the auto store told me that keeper was full of refrigerant so the compressor was probably the issue since my fan clutch worked. I pulled the compressor out of goner but when I went to pull the compressor from keeper it was bone dry. I'm a little upset that I trusted the auto parts store. I put in 24 of the recommended 28 oz. and now keeper blows ice cold. My question is, now that I put goner's compressor back in it... are there any steps I need to take or am I okay to just throw in the refrigerant?
3. Power windows: Both rear power windows not working in keeper and stuck rolled down . i replaced all of the switches and the master control and i spliced the three wires that were broken in the door opening... and they still don't work. I know there's a million posts here on what to check but I don't have the knowledge or patience to deal with an electrical problem. I'm just verifying that to get the windows up manually I just need to loosen those two bolts then pull it up... right?
4. Liftgate hatch: only works intermittently. I have to pull up on it about twenty times to get it to pop open. Once open, it works perfectly until I lock and unlock it again. There are a bunch of threads here explaining how to get a stuck liftgate open, but I haven't seen any with this problem. Is this just a simple adjustment or should I put the functioning one from goner on there and deal with different keys?
5. Interior carpet: Keeper has no carpet. Does anyone have some creative ideas on something quick and easy I could do to get it looking presentable? What do you think about rock paint on the floors (that stuff for truck beds)?
6. Side trim: Side trim fell off of keeper. Am I okay using that E6000 industrial glue on the clips and just popping it back on?
7. What am I missing?: I'm almost finished with this project, but feel as though I'm overlooking some things I could be switching out. What are some things that an idiot like me may have overlooked?
Well, thank you very much to everyone who took the time to read this and answer on any of the miscellaneous issues.
I've read through the FAQ and think I did everything right, but if I screwed anything up I'm sorry.
Welcome to CF! Sounds like it's about time you posted!
Tell your neighbor he just has a Toyota he paid too much for, LOL!!
What kind of transfer cases do these jeeps have? The np242 is the most reliable and the np249 is the most troublesome. Just my opinion there.
There is a threaded rod link that connects the rear hatch handle to the lock mechanism. Try shortening it a little and see if that helps. If it does, lock the adjusting nut in place with a little household glue, something that can be easily removed.
The power window motors are permanent magnet motors are can run either way depending on polarity. Pull the plugs and try hotwiring them to see if they work. There are thermal overload breakers in them that pop if they get hot and close when they cool. They may be burnt out. Usually the problem with the window mechanisms are the plastic gears that the motors drive or the cables. On some there are pulleys that the cable runs over. These can be bought at a hardware store, made for window blinds.
Bedliner would work on the floors, but you'll have no insulation or sound deadening. Of course, you can get creative on that. Cover the center with carpet and use WeatherTech floor mats.
The A/C system needs to be pumped down to vacuum before you recharge it. That way you get all the air and moisture out of it, otherwise it can freeze in the orifice to the evaporator.
How are the seats in both? Radios? Trailer hitches? Radiators?
Ten minutes after seeing your suggestion to hot wire it, they were up. If anyone has a similar issue and you're like me and need things spelled out for you like you're five years old, you can test your window motor and roll it up and down by simply hooking up some jumper cables, unplugging the window motor, then putting a wire into each plug and touching it to the other end of your cables.
In the middle of trying to get them working I was actually able to get the down switch working, but that left me with my window all the way down instead of just cracked, so seeing your post when I did really was a life saver. I've already got the most desirable vehicle in the neighborhood so having a completely open window really was putting a target on my back
And unfortunately for me I wasn't just joking when I called myself stoopid, and I have no idea what transfer cases I have...but now that you ask I will definitely find out.
And I've already changed out the seats and radio. I love the carpet and mat idea!
The transfer case is the 4WD system underneath the the Jeep, unless your Jeep is only 2WD.
Look for the extra lever to the left of the main shifter lever. 2WD won't have the extra lever.
You see? You learned something already! You're just ignorant, not stupid!
Sorry about that. I ASSUMED they were 4wd. Here's stupid; my company bought a Chevy Suburban back in 75 for the express purpose of being able to pick up executives at the airport in heavy snow storms. They bought a 2wd! Duh! They compounded the error by putting snow tires just on the back after they realized their mistake. Turning corners was fun in the snow! They asked me to make a pickup at the airport once and since I drove a 4x4 pickup truck, I was the likely candidate.
