Really like my 2000 cherokee limited but...
 

If I can't get this recirc door to default as on, I'm not buying another jeep! I really hate sucking exhaust from other cars on the road and this recirc door won't close the vent until after the car has been running for about 5 minutes. This fills the passenger compartment with outrageous smelling gagging fumes from other cars on the road, it's disgusting! Is there a way to set this recirc actuator to never open the vent door? If this function can't be controlled by a computer setting, is there a manual hole on the outside of the car that can be sealed? The outside vent is so efficient at sucking in exhaust fumes is it located somewhere near the front grill? I would have never thought the grill around the wiper-blades/windshield could be so effective at sucking in other tail-pipes.

You either have a really sensitive nose or the worst polluting cars on the planet in your area. Check your vacuum lines and the vacuum reservoir behind the bumper endcap on the passenger side and make sure you don't have any leaks. That door should be controlled by a vacuum actuator(the whole HVAC system on a Cherokee is controlled with vacuum for the most part). If you can't find any leaks then check the vacuum actuator itself.

I would also check for any exhaust leaks under the hood. My Patriot has an issue where I think the exhaust manifold has a small crack or leak in the gasket. When I first start the thing, no matter what with my vents running it stinks like exhaust for the first 10 minutes. After then the odor goes away once it warms up.

I would say you have a leak in the vacuum line that comes out the firewall and goes to the intake manifold, but check it all as stated... if the actuator itself is bad you pretty much need to pull the dash... I have also seen some stuff on the web where people just manually fixed the recirculation door above the fan so it cant move. I personally have never used recirculated air, & never smelled exhaust fumes so that is some other problem you have...

Diesel pickups are the worst to get behind, especially when the vehicle ahead starts climbing a hill on the highway or freeway. There are usually no smells in the car until I get stuck behind another car and am moving down the highway or freeway and I always use the 2 second rule while driving. My heater box has electro-mechanical actuators, there is nothing to plug a vacuum line onto. My jeep is the Limited model with the large v8 engine. Holding the recirc button down accomplishes nothing until the computer decides to obey. When the car is cold this can take about 5-10 minutes and after I get busy with driving I often forget to close the vent until i get behind a stinker. The default mode for the computer seems to be "vent" is open. How can this be altered to make default mode is closed?

The only time I have ever smelled exaust fumes are when my manifold was cracked, I hardly ever put it on recirculate.

Are there any makers of software for these Cherokees other than Jeep? Third party replacements that allow for customer choices on what the computer does? The stock choices seem somewhat limited.

The computer doesn't control the HVAC system in anyway so if that's the route you are trying to go then you're wasting your time.

What computers are installed on the XJ do limited things, Namely control the engine and transmission and provide some gauge cluster info. Pretty much all other systems on the Jeep are controlled via switches, relays, knobs, cables and vacuum. These were designed and built during a time when computer control of a car was pretty much all centered around engine management and maybe transmission control and even then mainstream use of electronic fuel injection was just starting to become mainstream. It was not built with a lot of electronic doodads in mind.

I'm not driving an xj. I have electro-mechanical door actuators that default with vent on recirc off. These actuators are operated by a computer located elsewhere in the car. I'm trying to find out if there is a non-chrysler computer available that has user features that chrysler doesn't provide. Namely a feature that closes the vent by default!

Your model is listed as "Cherokee (XJ)" and your thread title is "REALLY LIKE MY 2000 CHEROKEE LIMITED BUT....".

Just saying thought maybe you posted in the wrong area of the forum but apparently you posted with the wrong title and model listed.

So what kind of Jeep are we dealing with here? Year, and model? I'm guessing the limited part is accurate? Without the other info we're shooting at a moving target in the dark blindfolded while being spun around to make us dizzy. Either way I doubt you're going to find what you are looking for.

The main header of the "post questions here" says "Stock Grand Cherokee Tech". I started the thread with "2000 Cherkee Limited". I don't see the use of XJ anywhere that describes my car. My car again is a "Stock Grand Cherokee": year: 2000, model: Grand Cherokee Limited, Eng: 4.7, 4WD. Most comfortable driving getaround I've had in decades! Rides like a land yacht Lincoln Continental Mark V, well almost, yet climbs hills and turns on a dime.
Please point out where I should have posted my question and I'll post it there.

On the left side under your name is a tag that says "Model", next to that is the words "Cherokee (XJ)" which is not a Grand Cherokee (ZJ or WJ). Cherokee and Grand Cherokee are two different vehicles.

You posted in the right forum but your title (there is such a Vehicle as a 2000 model Cherokee (XJ) Limited) and vehicle info under your user name caused some confusion on my part as I thought we were talking about a regular Cherokee (XJ) not a Grand Cherokee their HVAC systems were a little more advanced than the simple old XJ which is all vacuum controlled.

Anywho, I know of no one that makes any kind of aftermarket ECUs or BCMs, or anything else of the sort for Cherokees or Grand Cherokees that would allow you to control the HVAC system in anyway other than what the panel is already setup for.

Suggestion:
Go into your UserCP and update your signature with something similar to what 00t444e and I have in ours describing what you have and what it's equipped with, this will allow anyone who is looking at your thread to know what kind of vehicle we are talking about without you having to put that info into the thread everytime you start a new one.

downs: Until you mentioned it, I was unaware such a place existed. Problem with the car descriptions options, my car isn't there so i chose a grand cherokee i've never heard of.