Newbie just joining... could use some direction

[MacTavish]

Hey members,

I just joined this forum after buying my first Jeep. Down the road I would love to lift it up and mod the hell out of it, but first I need to fix everything the previous owner XXXXed up. Here are my specs and then the issues:

- 1999 Jeep Cherokee Sport (Green/Tan)
- 4WD.
- 4.0 liter.
- Automatic transmission
- ???Transfer Case???

Ok, I've had this car for only 3 days now, but I've already noticed some things that aren't in working order. The PO had installed rear subs/speakers and then removed them when he sold it. There is loose wiring on the floor around the sides of the car and I am guessing this guy was more of a noob than I am. Here are the facts:

1. The rear ceiling speakers do NOT work. At all. Faulty wiring? or did he just not reconnect them. Any wiring experts?

2. The power windows will only open/close from the driver's side controls. None of the other door controls respond. I've searched on here and read some conflicting reports. Some say I need to replace the wiring contacts and others say I simply have to replace the window lock button. Advice?

3. When opening the driver side window, right before the window disappears, with about 1 inch of glass showing, there is a verbal and physical "THUNK" almost as if the window is bumping over something. I'm not sure about this one.

4. The front speakers will cut in and out depending on the position of the 2 front windows.

5. The PO installed a third party Clarion radio/CD player that blows imo, but it works... but it could be causing all these problems. Btw, any recommendations on 3rd party radio installs?

Ok, thats all I've noticed so far. Mainly its the wiring that is the problem. Now I am a super NOOB when it comes to jeeps. I have never owned one before. And I am an uber noob when it comes to car mods as I've never done any before either. I am good with my hands and confident that I can fix these problems with just a little guidance. So, I'm hoping all you experts can shed some light on my problem.

I would appreciate any comments/advice regarding my situation and I will try to be tentative in responding. Additionally, if there are any newbie friendly reading material, threads, or websites that you think would help a new Jeep XJ owner, please post them here as I am determined to turn this car into a sweet rig. Thanks for reading if you made it this far!

MacTavish

 

[snail]

heres something to get you started: check out the wiring to the headunit itself. this may be able to give you a jump off point to tracking down the problems with the speakers etc.

the bezel piece that surrounds the radio/hvac controls is a single piece. grab each corner at the bottom and pop it out. work your way up and pop the entire thing off. then remove the mount that holds the headunit. i believe the 2 screws have a 3/8 head if i remember correctly. check out the integrity of the wires back there. this will help:
http://www.the12volt.com/installbay/stereodetail/1213.html

if you have doubts about if the PO hooked up the wires correctly, search for the wiring diagram for that headunit and check it against the one i linked to. good luck. and welcome to the site, theres tons of info on here. if you want a good piece of literature for many basic xj mods check out eric zappe's builders guide

 

[whatever]

???Transfer Case???

heres your answer to this

np231-

np242-

 

[MacTavish]

Alright, thanks for the responses "Snail" and "whatever". Here are the updated specs on the car then:

- 1999 Jeep Cherokee Sport
- 4WD. 4.0 Liter. 6 cylinder engine.
- np231 transfer case.

So, as it happened, when I read your post, snail, I was sitting at a Border's Bookstore already and they had eric zappe's builders guide on hand so I picked it up. Thanks for the recommendation.

Any other good XJ beginner reading material?

Also, I've run across some other problems besides the wiring. The driver side door hydraulics won't hold the door open anymore.. it will swing about and close of its own free will. I've added it to my to-do list.

Thanks for the input so far guys, much appreciated. Any idea on the power windows issue? I looked online for a replacement window lock button and I could only find a full button set for everything in the car... at like $200+. Is there a good retailer out there that is specific to XJ's that you could recommend? Thanks!

 

[cracked-butt]

first off, welcome to the site Mac!
now as for "replacement parts" insrtead of hittin your local parts store check your local junk yards (i.e. 'yard, j.y., u.p.i., etc.) it will save ya a small chunk of change (specialy for those hard to find/realy expensive stuff). some times you can get your part/s for almost nuthin if the counter person doesnt have a clue

 

[snail]

The driver side door hydraulics won't hold the door open anymore.. it will swing about and close of its own free will.

there actually arent any 'hydraulics' in the doors. the only thing that comes close are the gas struts which hold the rear hatch up. take a look at your "check bar" & pin on the door that swings freely. if thats missing or broken that could be your problem. as cracked-butt said, junkyards can be your best friend for parts. for example, if youre missing that check bar, a yard will probably give it to you for next to nothing. otherwise teamcherokee.com has a ton of random OEM parts that sometimes you may not want to buy used elsewhere.

 

[cracked-butt]

thanks snail, i couldnt remember the name of the check bar lmao (hence why i didnt add it to my post)

 

[MacTavish]

Thanks for the warm welcome and the advice everyone. I'm going to be taking some pictures of my problem areas so I can give you guys a visual. I'll be the first one to say that I know NOTHING about cars... so I hope you guys will be patient with me.

 

[cracked-butt]

I'll be the first one to say that I know NOTHING about cars... so I hope you guys will be patient with me.

says the grasshopper to the masters.:wierd:
:roflmao:

 

[smiler82]

2. The power windows will only open/close from the driver's side controls. None of the other door controls respond. I've searched on here and read some conflicting reports. Some say I need to replace the wiring contacts and others say I simply have to replace the window lock button. Advice?

Window lock button?

4. The front speakers will cut in and out depending on the position of the 2 front windows.

Bottom of window is probably hitting the wiring in the doors. It is typical for the drivers side speaker to go out since it seems that the factory wiring is a bit short going through the grommet there. The PO may have extended or put in new wiring, but may not have secured or insulated it very well. Time to pull the door panel....

 

[sjx40250]

I have a 98 green/saddle. Windows did not work except from the drivers door.
1. Remove the panel from the door
2. Remove the control module from the panel
3. Remove the buttons for the windows. They must be pulled straight up and they are difficult. They may pop out of site so be prepared. The mirror contorls do not need to be removed.
4. Remove the screws and gently take the module apart.
5. Solder the pins next to the lock switch. I had one that had a broken solder joint.
6. Reassemble - you can check by pluggin in the module before assembly to verify that you fixed the problem.

 

[MacTavish]

Thanks for the step by step, Sjx40250! Very awesome! I'm going to break it apart tomorrow. I don't know exactly what I'm looking for so I'll probably post some pics of the process. Until then!

 

[sjx40250]

Note the two pins on the left of the bottom left switch. The lower one looks good. The one above has a crack in the solder.

 

[MacTavish]

Here are some random pics of the shoddy wiring job the PO did. Although, I guess it's ok because he left behind this BOSS power adapter.

Anyway, random pics incoming:

So yeah. Those are just some visuals on the wiring job that I've been dealt. Does my battery connection look ok? Not too corroded? Any comments/advice welcome.

 

[orange]

231 is PART TIME ONLY . Do NOT use on dry pavement.

Takes DEX 3 ATF.
Be sure top fill plug removes BEFORE pulling bottom drain plug.

 

[BlackHammer]

I would recommend removing all of the wiring from the previous owner. A faulty ground / or short could potentially cause some strange electrical occurrences.

As far as the speakers are concerned, I would pull the receiver and look at what's going on behind there, and pop off the grills of the rear speakers and check the connection. The same colored wiring should be seen behind your deck, and at the connection of the rear speaker. It is possible he had aftermarket rear speakers, and then just popped the oem back in without connecting them.

:confused1

 

[MacTavish]

231 is PART TIME ONLY . Do NOT use on dry pavement.

Takes DEX 3 ATF.
Be sure top fill plug removes BEFORE pulling bottom drain plug.

What...? You're saying I shouldn't be driving my car on... any paved road?! I've done a good 500 miles on "dry pavement" just driving to and from work. Please elaborate!

Also, Dex 3 ATF? I've been using 10W-30 oil so far. Is this ok?

 

[4WDlifeform]

What...? You're saying I shouldn't be driving my car on... any paved road?! I've done a good 500 miles on "dry pavement" just driving to and from work. Please elaborate!

Also, Dex 3 ATF? I've been using 10W-30 oil so far. Is this ok?

He means do not run your jeep in 4wd on paved road. Wouldn't use it on a rainy day either. Even on lose trail, I leave it off. Making turns with your 4WD engaged (the part time and Lo) will laterally explode your transfer case. Use it as needed!

As for the Dex 3 ATF, he means for the transfer case. 10w-30 is good for the motor. I realize I am speaking for "orange", but im pretty certain I know what he was talking about :thumbup:

Going back to your wiring issues, I think your CD player is probably OK. You have 99, so just pull the rear speakers down, and look to make sure 1 there is even a speaker there, and 2, they are connected. IF 1 and 2 are true, then I would get an ohm meter (usually typical voltage meters have this option) and measure resistance from connection at stereos head connection harness to the speaker connection. Do this for each wire. You will probably have to extend your meter probe to make the reach from end to end. IF your wire is un-interrupted, meaning that when you measure this resistance, it comes close to zero resistance, your wires are OK. Then there is likely a problem with your stereo head output. BUT! that is assuming the speakers are in working order!!

Electrical bugs are usually a PITA. But, as long as you understand basic circuitry, you will find them. Best of luck! :cheers:

 

[MacTavish]

So, the 231 TC isn't good for offroading then? laterally explode, eh? That doesn't sound good...

 

[Powersmokein]

sounds like VERY bad times