Masinistul
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Romania
Hey everyone,
I’m in the middle of restoring a 1991 2-door Cherokee XJ with the 2.1L Renault diesel engine. The whole thing is torn down—every bolt and nut cleaned up, engine in pieces, everything. Right now, I’m trying to sort out the A/C situation and could use some advice.
This '91 didn’t come with A/C, just a blower and heater. But during the project, I picked up a 1988 4-door Cherokee Limited (also with the 2.1 diesel) as a donor. That one had all the bells and whistles, including A/C. It was rust-free, but the interior was really worn, and I couldn’t get it to start—so I wrote it off as a non-runner and used it for parts.
I decided to swap the entire A/C setup into the 2-door. I pulled the dash, HVAC unit, lines, compressor, condenser—everything. But now I’ve hit a snag. The 1991 is a Chrysler-era model with a High Output (HO) wiring harness, while the 1988 is still AMC and uses a Renix-era harness. So wiring-wise, they’re quite different.
Here’s where I need help: if I need to buy new A/C parts (like a dryer, expansion valve, maybe even a condenser or evaporator), should I go with parts for a 1987–1990 model or for a 1991–1996? I want everything to work properly in the '91, but I’m using components from the '88.
For example, the evaporator probe from the '88 is the old type with a two-pin connector, while the Chrysler-era parts use a three-pin connector. I also have no idea if the ’91 even has wiring for A/C from the factory, or if the harness is different in non-A/C models. So far, I haven’t seen any unused connectors lying around—but all the wiring is out of the car at the moment.
Has anyone done a similar swap or dealt with mixing Renix and HO components for the HVAC system? What would be the best approach here?
Thanks in advance!
I’m in the middle of restoring a 1991 2-door Cherokee XJ with the 2.1L Renault diesel engine. The whole thing is torn down—every bolt and nut cleaned up, engine in pieces, everything. Right now, I’m trying to sort out the A/C situation and could use some advice.
This '91 didn’t come with A/C, just a blower and heater. But during the project, I picked up a 1988 4-door Cherokee Limited (also with the 2.1 diesel) as a donor. That one had all the bells and whistles, including A/C. It was rust-free, but the interior was really worn, and I couldn’t get it to start—so I wrote it off as a non-runner and used it for parts.
I decided to swap the entire A/C setup into the 2-door. I pulled the dash, HVAC unit, lines, compressor, condenser—everything. But now I’ve hit a snag. The 1991 is a Chrysler-era model with a High Output (HO) wiring harness, while the 1988 is still AMC and uses a Renix-era harness. So wiring-wise, they’re quite different.
Here’s where I need help: if I need to buy new A/C parts (like a dryer, expansion valve, maybe even a condenser or evaporator), should I go with parts for a 1987–1990 model or for a 1991–1996? I want everything to work properly in the '91, but I’m using components from the '88.
For example, the evaporator probe from the '88 is the old type with a two-pin connector, while the Chrysler-era parts use a three-pin connector. I also have no idea if the ’91 even has wiring for A/C from the factory, or if the harness is different in non-A/C models. So far, I haven’t seen any unused connectors lying around—but all the wiring is out of the car at the moment.
Has anyone done a similar swap or dealt with mixing Renix and HO components for the HVAC system? What would be the best approach here?
Thanks in advance!
