What are you doing to your rig - the continuing saga

[YELLAHEEP]

:shocked:
its amazing how the smallest things keep rigs parked for months...
glad to hear that was all, and its driving again!

No..... it was one small thing that couldn't be figured out, then another small thing that couldn't be figured out, then another..... and so on and so on..... compounded by the fact that '97's are the worst year XJ ever made...... compounded by the fact that certain '97 parts (TCU's specifically) are hard to come by...... compounded by the fact that the computers that comprise the buss system can only be for a '97 which means a '98 gauge cluster will send the ECU into a tail spin...... and so on and so on.......:banghead:

Once I thought I had it all figured out and started driving it again, she decided a month later that she liked to randomly stop running. Sometimes she'd start again with a quick flip into neutral and turn the key..... othertimes she'd cough, sputter, belch, puke and fart and need a 20 min. nap before she'd start again. When all that happened 8 times in a 4 mile drive...... she got parked........ and only then did she provide me with 3 engine codes to try to work with..... finally finding a low-volt issue with an aftermarket "performance" coil.......

But I digress......

nice. Way to go both of you! I want to wheel onemore time with you before the season is over. When is keifer coming over to finish the compensator?

We'll see. I'm gonna have to put lots of trouble-free drive time in before I risk taking her off road again.

I'm sure Kiefer is more than willing to come help with the Compensator...... I just gotta get some parts bought....... lots of expensive parts...... :doh:

 

[Kiefer316]

Only reason I wanted to swap it was to see if it was the problem. Take it for a nice long drive and then let's go Wheelin... How Many trails have you run this year troy? I'd like to wheel with ya again before ya sell the xj and get into lowered mjs and sonomas lol.

 

[YELLAHEEP]

Ha ha. Enough about my penchant for dropped mini-trucks.........

If she stays running..... might consider doing Cody's M&G and Eagle Rock run.......

Kinda depends on if in4aride's much more attractive half decides she needs me to fix and sell her an XJ before then....

 

[time2getdirty]

If you go, I gotta' go.

 

[Frank Z]

Redrilled the rear rotors to 5 on 5.5" and got the tires mounted on my new wheels.

Still not driveable though....fawking brakes are kicking my ass.

 

[XJtraveler]

and only then did she provide me with 3 engine codes to try to work with..... finally finding a low-volt issue with an aftermarket "performance" coil.......

What codes did it throw? I think I might have the same issue. Was the coil in the sterring wheel area? How hard was it to change the coil?

 

[YELLAHEEP]

What codes did it throw? I think I might have the same issue. Was the coil in the sterring wheel area? How hard was it to change the coil?

The clock spring assembly is in the steering wheel area. The coil I was talking about is the ignition coil that provides spark to the plugs. That's on the passenger side of the engine block and easy to get to.

I don't recall the 3 codes specifically by reference number....... sorry.

 

[in4aride]

Getting the battery wires re-ran today. They had been half assed prior so I decided to drill a hole in the firewall on the pass side to make the wiring cleaner and easier to hide. should look a lot better when I am done.
Rear main has been pulled out and replaced. Although after inspection it appears that in bashing my oil pan - I created a gap in the back between the motor and oil pan. So just need to pick up the pan Yella has for me and it will be good to go there.
Got all the steering sanded and painted. Led's abuse has bowed the tie-rod pretty bad but itll do for now til I can get another one built. Just waiting for the Steering box (THANKS OLD_MAN!!) to be rebuilt and tapped for the assist and I can get that system bled out. and ready to go. Rear perches, and the new heims should all be here tomorrow from ruffstuff. Then it is just a matter of getting the spool in the 44, the perches welded on - and the links being completed - and ill be ready to roll!!!!

 

[old_man]

Getting the battery wires re-ran today. They had been half assed prior so I decided to drill a hole in the firewall on the pass side to make the wiring cleaner and easier to hide. should look a lot better when I am done.
Rear main has been pulled out and replaced. Although after inspection it appears that in bashing my oil pan - I created a gap in the back between the motor and oil pan. So just need to pick up the pan Yella has for me and it will be good to go there.
Got all the steering sanded and painted. Led's abuse has bowed the tie-rod pretty bad but itll do for now til I can get another one built. Just waiting for the Steering box (THANKS OLD_MAN!!) to be rebuilt and tapped for the assist and I can get that system bled out. and ready to go. Rear perches, and the new heims should all be here tomorrow from ruffstuff. Then it is just a matter of getting the spool in the 44, the perches welded on - and the links being completed - and ill be ready to roll!!!!

I worked on all three boxes today. They would have been done but I went to shoo a fly away from my face and I broke the tap. Will pick one up at lunch tomorrow and hope to have them done Tuesday.

 

[riverfever]

Damn dude. How many feet of extension chord do you need?! :laugh:

 

[in4aride]

no rush, and thanks again sir!!!

 

[jeepfreak1020]

Only reason I wanted to swap it was to see if it was the problem. Take it for a nice long drive and then let's go Wheelin... How Many trails have you run this year troy? I'd like to wheel with ya again before ya sell the xj and get into lowered mjs and sonomas lol.

WEll IF you sell it I may be interested. Lots of good parts on that thing I could use

 

[planefixer]

Kiefer apparently got sick of it sitting around and volunteered to swap out the potentially malfunctioning coil. He removed it and went to install the used replacement I had and found.... once again..... that there's just some things they did differently in '97. Added to the list: Coil harness connector. Same as '96, different from '98..... which is the year the donor coil came from.

So I cut and spliced in a '98 connector.

Drove it for the first time in months........ not so much as a hicup. (knocking on everything wood right now..... )

Hmmmmm.Maybe I need to try that (replace the coil) because my POS is running like crap again.After changing out the TPS, trans output speed sensor, VSS, cleaned the IAC & Throttle body, replaced the fuse for the O2 heater circuit, and one bad O2 sensor (the other is fine) it ran fine, other than the speedo needle bouncing around, for about 3 weeks.Saturday it randomly started having the same issues as before:Idles fine at a full stop but as soon as you give it gas it bogs down hard and stalls.Now its also ruinning crappy while going down the road (it used to run fine while under load,driving normal).There's no CEL and I dont think its throwing any codes so I'm stumped and ready to punt.I need this bitch running since the Eclipse is down for a while with a blown head gasket.

Damn '97s. :gonnablow

 

[Fred]

Hey, I just scanned the Mitchell wiring diagrams That Highland Auto gave me. Send me an email and I'll send them to you and Troy if you want them.

Don't forget, I have a box of pull off parts from Zac's 97. Since the real problem was the lack of grounds, they should all work.

 

[DaJudge]

Last few weeks:

Flat Style Flares
GC fan clutch
136AMP alternator from a 2000 Dodge Ram

Wheeled it in CO.

Needs: rebuild the flex joint in the trackbar, waiting on the parts!
Paint (but that will probably wait until it actually completely falls off since nothing rusts here!)
Still waiting on my Tailbone from Detours!

 

[YELLAHEEP]

Jeff,

My experience with coils is that they either work right or not at all. For your rig to run crappy and then ok seems sympotomatic of something else. My rig's earlier crappy running issues appears to have stemmed from a bad TCU, coupled with my trying to convince the '97 buss system to work with a '98 gauge cluster...... once I put a known-good TCU and '97 cluster back in it, it ran as good as I could remember........ for a month.

Then it started doing the run/won't run thing. This continued for weeks during occasional driving to it finally running/shutting down 8 times in a few miles. That's when it finally set the code for low voltage at the coil. Not sure if that meant that the ECU was shutting the ignition down because of low spark voltage, or if the coil was not getting enough electricity to run..... :dunno:

Just remember, if you do swap out the coil with a used one, get the wiring pig tail with it. The '96-'97 coil harness connector is different than the '98+. Wire colors are exactly the same so splicing is easy.

 

[ColoradoRaptor]

Note to self .......... NEVER EVER CONCIDER A 97' as an enjoyable Cherokee to drive.......

 

[planefixer]

Changed the coil- didn't make a difference (at least I have a spare now )



I think I'm only 1 or 2 troubleshooting steps away from implimenting explosives as the final solution. :explosion :wierd:

 

[YELLAHEEP]

I think I'm only 1 or 2 troubleshooting steps away from implimenting explosives as the final solution. :explosion :wierd:

Welcome to the '97 XJ Haters Club. It's like Groundhog's Day..... and you're Bill Murray......

 

[jimgrms]

Troys don't run cause the same gas has been in it since he got it