Aloho - I'm Robin 'Roblimo' Miller, writing from Bradenton, Florida.

I just bought a brand-new 1996 Cherokee -- and traded in my beat-out old 1994 Cherokee (which I bought used in 2000) on it. W00T! And I just joined the Cherokee forum, and I will say hi with a question and an answer. The question: What is this round red thing at the front of the inside roof between the visors?



That's my question... now an answer. My solution to the chronic cupholder problem -- two pics.



This is a cupholder I bought at West Marine. Here it is without the cup or the red "cozy" -



URL for cupholders - http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...5#.UU086xzCZ8E

That cupholder exactly fits in that unoccupied plastic space below the narrow A/C vent. I had a factory side-of-the-console 2-cup holder in my older Jeep, but a fat friend broke it. Grrr..... and I glued it back a few times and got another one and IT got broken after a few years.... so I decided to find something I really liked for my shiny new Jeep:



That was the least intrusive cupholder spot I found, and the most practical cupholder. One #12 X 3/4" Stainless screw holds it well.

Other mods I plan? The fog lights are gone but the wiring and switch are there. So fog lamps. And the front parking light lenses don't match, so a matching pair of those. And the left tail light lens is cracked, so replace/match. 55/65W Silver Star halogen heads; halogen bulbs for brightness elsewhere, too, and maybe add-on back-up lights if I can't get brighter bulbs than the mopar-style little ones.

Suggestions always welcome.

Thanks!

- Robin

 

Well, darn. I thought the photos wouldn't show. Small HTML flaw. fixed.

 

Welcome.

The photos show up just fine for me.

I believe that little red dome is a GPS spy tracker that the CIA uses to monitor and locate foreign spies that have come to destroy the United States.

Or it's for your key fob to remotely unlock/start the vehicle.

Pick whichever you think sounds cooler and run with it.

 

Welcome to the forum! The overhead is a keyless entry I wanna say....not entirely sure

 

Beat me to it by mere seconds

 

Damn me too! Lmao

 

Wow. That's fancy. Keyless entry. Who would have thought? My 94 had no such thing. No power locks or windows, no power anything. By moving up 2 years I have suddenly gained a luxury car.

Thanks for the answers!

And I knew it wasn't a GPS; the NRO (not the CIA) tracks me through the GPS in my Android phone, not by which car I'm in.

 

Hi and welcome from across the pond Robin, clean jeep.
I would think the overhead round object is for remote locking/Alarm.

 

Also welcome to the forum. New XJ owner myself.
And i was also wondering about that dot on the roof. But mine did not come with keyless remote.
But hey good idea for cupholder. I put a cheapy walmart 2 cupholder thing tht slides between seat and center console.

 

Mine didn't come with the keyless remote, either -- but they're out there, not killer-expensive: https://ikeyless.com/vehicles/jeep/C.../1996/1004084/

Good to see other "new" Jeep owners. Welcome to the world of low gas mileage, extreme vehicle durability, and as much owner fanaticism as you'd see at a Porsche owners' conference, except on a much lower budget.

Plus you can now be a 4X4 snob:

Friend: "I just got a Buckaroo Ninja 7200 SUV with retractable mudflaps. It is the coolest off-road vehicle EVAR."

You: "I have a Jeep. You have a knockoff." (Nose in air.)

Owning a Jeep is like owning a Ferrari, except you can drive out in the swamps (I live in Florida) and the guy with the Ferrari can't.

Welcome to the cult... err.... club.

 

Welcome to the site

 

Hey guys! New member here. Just acquired my first jeeps recently. A 2005 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

 

Yep Keyless entry, but it's close to useless. Range sucks and the remote needs to see that little dome, works just like a TV remote. Remote was a small cube lookin' deal about an inch wide and long, i think i still have it. Mine worked for a while, when it died i just tore it out and used the cut in the liner to clip my garage remote and police scanner in. It's dependent on the trim level, mine's a Sport so it has a few fancy toys :P

Also, i had the same idea for the cupholder! (Pardon the mess) and welcome to CF!

 

Welcome to the forums

 

Ah, senor Mustang..... thanks for the downcheck on the keyless. You just saved me $40 and some screwaround time. Great.

And on the cupholder.... As the saying (almost) goes, "Great minds think alike -- and so do ours."

After owning Jeep Cherokees as my daily drivers for over 13 years, I would have to say the location you and I lit upon for our cupholders is the most convenient and practical one in the vehicle. We have different cupholders, but they will both hold a can, a water bottle or an insulated coffee cup within reach while NOT getting in the way of our passengers or our emergency brakes.

You have a CB; I probably won't ever get one since I live in an area with pretty good cell coverage and while I'm driving I'd rather listen to music than talk.

So you know: I envy you your stick shift. I'd like to have one, but I often drive (from Manatee County, FL) to Miami, Orlando, and even Atlanta to cover computer-type conferences since I'm a (mostly retired but still freelancing) IT reporter. And when I do, I tend to take my wife's 32 MPG Hyundai and leave her the low MPG Jeep. My wife *can* drive a stick, but the whining isn't worth the little bit of extra control and increased gas mileage. So automatic I am, I am.

There's a song in there...

Automatic I am
As through the swamps I slam
I slam I slam I slam
My rifle's in its place
I am no mental case
As in my Jeep I slam
Automatic yes I am
I am I am I am.

(Don't worry; I'm not quitting my day job.)

Take care, all! Work beckons!