First off, id like to say hello to everybody on the forum. i absolutely love my Cherokee, first SUV ive ever owned, and i dont plan on getting rid of it for some time. i have a couple questions though because i seem to have several problems.

-at night when i turn the car on, the lights outside and inside the car flash on and off for like 3-5 seconds then everything goes back to normal. i think, although i may be wrong, it has something to do with the lights being set on "auto"

-my rear differential is leaking slightly. is there a gasket or is it just silicone? is it a difficult job? what kind of fluid? 80w90?

-front driver side, there is a clunking sound almost like something is loose over bumps

the jeep is in very good shape, but with 162,000 miles on it, i just want to make sure i dont get stuck on the side of the road somewhere...

and is there anything else i should look for?

thanks guys

 

Welcome to the forum

I cant answer the first but I can the second and third.

Just some silicone will do for the gasket, that is what I used on mine and it has been good for over 30k (need to change it again). You should probably change both your front and rear diffs.

As for the clunk, my guess is your tracbar mount is loose (very common). Go under there and tighten it up as much as you can.

 

Manual recommends for rear to use SAE90 API GL-5 gear lubricant for normal operation. If towing use SAE75w-140 synthetic. You can get a gasket or just use Rv sealant, I used the black and so far after 2000 miles on leaks.
I have a 98 also but I never use the auto mode for the lights, try it without being in the auto mode and see if it still flashes the lights. I don't think it is supposed to do this. I have heard of people sitting in their house and seen the lights go on and off on there own,this is supposedly when the switch or sensor is bad. The clunking could also be the shocks. When I put my new ones on I installed Bar Pin Eliminators (BPE) and they really quieted down my front end.

 

thanks for the replies. one of these crazy days im going to take a look at everything. im probably going to be doing it next weekend. the differential sounds pretty easy to do and i hope i just have to tighten up the front end lol, i dont want it to be something i have to put alot of money into

 

Ya something is loose its just a matter of what. Diffs are very easy.