Hello Fellow Jeepers. Dose anyone know what year the grand Cherokee got remote door locks? When i bought my ZJ it didnt come with a key phob. It was built 12/95. Is there anyway to tell from appearance?
Thanks in advance for any and all help and information.

 

I'm just guessing here, but if it has power door locks, I would think it has remote access. My 97 did.

 

Thanks dave1123, From what i understand the would be a small dome comming out of the dash. I beleave it to be the antenna.

 

You can find a new remote at www.keylessride.com for about 50 bucks. It will come with instructions on how to program it. A word of warning though. The factory IR type of remote system really sucks. It's a line of sight system and you have to aim at that little black dome. You can find aftermarket keyless entry systems on Amazon for around 35 bucks, but you will have wire it into the factory system. Stereo shops can do it pretty quick.

 

Thanks Bustedback, I checked the dash but i am not seeing anything that looks like a antenna dome on or around the front passenger area.
Thanks for your time and advice, jon

 

It should be on the overhead console toward the rear, just behind the front seats.

 

Go to Jeep and get a copy of the Build Sheet it will tell you everything that came on it, that's how I found out my XJ had keyless entry.

 

All I remember about my 97 was the key fob worked very well and there was only a small blinking LED on top of the dash in front of the driver when the alarm was set. My overhead console had a place for a garage door opener that I put my sunglasses in. Or maybe it had 2 little doors, IDK.

 

If you have power windows, you have power locks. Every ZJ with power windows also had power locks. The only difference is the shape of the remotes. The '93-'95 had a trapazoid-shaped keyfob with a single red LED light, operated on Infrared (IR) frequencies, only had Unlock and Lock buttons, and the receiving "dome" was located in the overhead console near the front interior lights, or in the front interior light module in the headliner if you didn't get the overhead console.

The '96-'98 had the square-shaped keyfob with three buttons: the unlock button, the lock button, and a red panic button, and was Radio Frequency (RF)-based. The module for it is probably the same module as the power door locks, and unfortunately, I don't know where that is.

Regardless, though, your Jeep DID have keyless entry, as ALL '95-'98 ZJ's came STANDARD with it... you just need to purchase the remote, but I think it has to be programmed by a dealer or a locksmith.

Good luck!

-Vince

 

I didn't do any investigating but I see True Value Hardware now sells remotes.

Also, I've never seen a ZJ with hand crank windows.

 

Whilst we are on the subject of key jobs. I have read conflicting write ups, here and on other sites regarding ones ability to program a Wj fob. Some articles and posts come with instructions on how to do it and testimonials from people who succeeded. Others say dealer only. I chose to believe that I could do it and bought a fob off the net and followed each instruction that I could find. I was not successful. So regardless of what you read , WJ
Fobs can only be programmed to your vehicle by a dealer. Mine wanted a hundred bucks with a 2 month wait. The fob seller confirmed that before I purchased it , but I believed otherwise .

 

Autozone definitely has the remote cases for '99-'04 WJ's like mine, but I think they can special order any remote you need.

 

On a '99-'04 WJ, I know that if you have two original keys you can program a third yourself. In terms of a remote, my '02 WJ only came with one remote, and I'm thinking of getting a second since my Jeep came with more than one key... I'm trying to figure this out as well so I don't have to pay a locksmith or dealer to do it for me... the only remotes for sure I know you can program yourself are the ones for the '93-'95 ZJ's, even if you don't have any working remotes... on my old '94 ZJ I programmed the remote myself even though I had no remotes at all before I bought one for it.

 

Hi Bustedback, I checked the dash and the overhead console. The only place that i found where it could be that i could find. The overhead console at the very front centered closest to the top of the windshield. However there is what appears to be a medium Phillips head screw.

 

Hi Bustedback, I checked the dash and the overhead console. The only place that i found where it could be that i could find. The overhead console at the very front centered closest to the top of the windshield. However there is what appears to be a medium Phillips head screw. Nothing i can find towards the rear.