Hello Everyone,

Sorry for the length of the post(in advance) but i think some background and such is needed to understand or help let me know what my problem is.

I bought this jeep in jan of 2015 and had no problems for the first six months or so then started to seem to have every problem under the sun maybe the prior order rigged stuff up I am not sure. I've done a lot of work on my vehicles thanks to youtube and google and the forums here but some things i just can't do either physically do to physically unable, heat outside, etc and i get scared around digging too deep into a vehicles electrical systems (RIP my 1971or 76 duster)

vehicle information:
bought: 2015
year: 1996 grand cherokee limited
engine: 4liter i6
automatic transmission
2wd


Problem thats been fixed or at least hope has been fixed. my vehicle was not starting and stalling. replaced the crankshaft position sensor (mopar). vehicle ran good for a month then started to crank but wouldn't start. not sure why (not electrical) replaced a tension pulley and it started and ran perfectly for a day next day would crank but not start. replaced the ignition coil. vehicle ran great again for a day next day would crank no start. replaced the distributor cap, same thing great for the day next day no start. replaced the distributor ignition pickup (others call it the came position sensor) ran great next day still ran but had problems starting at first. replaced the rotor with the distribution cap and replaced all the wires. now its started for the last two weeks everyday i've tried was driving it today with no problem. sometimes it starts a little hard and before the wires was replaced stalled a couple of times but always restarted right away. had mechanics looking at it today of course the hard starting and such was no where to be found they said it was running really really well. so i am hoping thats done the trick for the no starts.

so now i am onto other problems, there's a few things to do the jeep obviously some more important than others some are schedule to be looked at but included just in case they lead to a solution for something else too.


ac compressor clutch is going bad, the jeep has ac (does not blow out like i think it should has an aftermarket blower motor so maybe not hooked up quite correct). if the bearings are going bad i wonder if that could cause the hard starting? seems rebuild kits are about 150 bucks give or take for it i can get a whole new compressor, tubes, drying etc as a kit for 300 bucks with a 50 rebate not sure how much the mechanics would charge to install it yet.


one of my big problems (there are two of them) is the headlights. for some unknown reason at night they will turn on and off by themselves. the light switch has been replaced did it with the old switch and the new so its not likely the switch. I have the switch set to off and not auto and its got the fog light option because the old one did not that i ever use them. this problem causes me to have to disconnect the battery or it will run down plus the neighbors do not enjoy the headlights shinning into their house at night i am sure (they've never said anything yet). I was told it could be the dimmer relay but try as i can i've not found anything under the dash that could be the relay.


my second biggest problem is a short. the dash lights and gauges go completely dead. at first had no idea why it was doing that did it off and on but recently a mechanic was doing stuff and needless to say he didn't put the over head console back on right. so by pure happenstance while the dash was out and I was kinda fuming/confused i decided to put the console back in place and bam the dash light up. move it and it goes out so i can repeat this at will. so somewhere there is a short in the console this is something that goign to be looked at others have said its likely to have a bare wire that might be touching the roof.

those top are my biggest problems unless someone things the below is a concern.

dome and courtesy lights don't turn off all the time if i don't lock all the doors and use the auto door lock button when i exit the vehicle. if i do that they shut off so i am not sure just being leds is the cause since you can get them to turn off if you do all those steps.

the auto door lock when driving engages (well you can hear it) but does not lock any door. also can not unlock any door this way either and the windows sometimes will roll up and sometimes won't sometimes the driver side will work and not the passenger side and sometimes none of them (reason why ac is so important being in Florida).

washer nozzles i think are clogged or bad. you can hit the button and you can see water come out but no force to hit the windshield just the little bit coming out of the nozzles.

most of my trim pieces are broken not sure where i can get new trim when i get more pressing things taken care of i'll hit the salvage yards off and on looking for them.

ac drain is possibly clogged and being a 96 has the short hose that sits in the frame and is straight.

passenger door needs new seal water sometimes drips in through the door to the inside of the vehicle.

one side of the hood at the back when closed is not level with the vehicle like the other side. its more of an annoyance than a problem.

the vehicle has a aftermarket blower motor i think its good but not installed right or doors or such are not cleared before it was installed i know its wiring was poor they left bare wire exposed. on high the air coming out of the vents is not strong like my last jeep (didn't have ac but had strong air force) feels like its maybe half as strong as it should be.

 

/with that many problems and no idea where to start, I'm surprised you haven't dumped this vehicle. A 21 year old car is going to have it's share of issues, as even the best designed items have a service life.

I believe that a "car payment" every couple months is better than a car payment every month. I also can fix the majority of my issues, so labor is free (except for the beers).

Sometimes the best thing to do is throw in the towel and move on. Especially when you are in over your head.

 

well as many as there is at this point nothing is stopping it from being driven.

just inconvenient to have to unplug the battery all the time.

 

You have GOT to do a parasitic draw test to find out what's drawing down your battery! I'm surprised you haven't done it yet! You aren't a newbie.

There are many videos on YouTube about how to do this, but the best one I've seen so far is from Bleepin' Jeep. He goes farther into finding the fault than most.

 

Sounds like you expect it to be a new vehicle and are complaining to the service department of a dealership.

 

not sure where you got i was expecting it to be like a new vehicle and was complaining, nowhere is anything like that stated.

i listed whats currently still wrong with the jeep and problems i had thats been fixed.

i listed everything in hopes it might lead to someone having some insights suggestions etc.

Dave1123 i do not even know what a parasitic draw test is but not sure what that would fix. i may not be new but electrical on anything bothers me.

i have two things it might fix?

not sure how it would fix the headlights coming on by themselves. i think we've determined thats a bad auto delay relay but i cant find that relay for the life of me.

the short is in the overhead console. might be real easy to pinpoint when its removed then maybe not.

its too damn hot right now for me to do any work on the vehicles.