XJ Guru

February 16, 2021March 9, 2021

Stumble Trouble Shooting

My 1991 Cherokee started stumbling at traffic lights. Shifting to neutral would calm it down some but it was getting annoying. Then it started to die and was hard to restart. So no more daily driving until I got it fixed.

I pulled the codes with the key trick and got only the 12 and 55. codes. I hooked up my Actron scan tool and all the readings looked normal. I could see the injector pulse width and O2 readings changing just like they should. Occasionally the O2 voltage would go to zero just as the engine died so I began to suspect a fuel problem.

January 30, 2021February 18, 2021

XJ Coolant Leak

While driving in traffic, I heard my electric fan kick on. This is unusual for my Jeep even in traffic. I looked at the gauges and saw the temperature was running much warmer than usual.

I switched on the heater and rolled down the windows. The temperature started to drop slowly. As soon as I started moving again, the temperature dropped back to normal. But each time I stopped, The temperature would rise quickly.

January 29, 2021February 18, 2021

Jeep XJ Drag Link replacement

Correcting the steering on my Renix era Jeep Cherokee with a new drag link tie rod.

After replacing my track bar, I still had play in the steering. The next worst spot was the drag link. I noticed this was loose when I was trying to center the steering wheel after changing the track bar.

January 27, 2021February 18, 2021

New battery for my XJ

Troubleshooting a slow start on my Renix stroker.

I have been experiencing some odd behavior when starting my Renix Cherokee lately. While the starter sounded like it was spinning fine, the engine would not fire up. Often it would fire just as I let go of the key.

January 24, 2021February 18, 2021

Jeep Cherokee front bump stop replacement

How to replace the front bump stops on a Jeep Cherokee XJ.

I was noticing some noise in the front of my Jeep Cherokee when I was braking and turning at the same time. While I had the wheels off for a tire rotation, I noticed that the bump stops were worn.

So I ordered these:

January 24, 2021February 18, 2021

Chasing Death Wobble

Changing parts to reduce wheel shimmy

After a recent tire rotation, I noticed that the steering had a small shake. Over time that shake got worse and worse. Then one day, I hit a bump, and there it was full-on Death Wobble.

I immediately ordered a track bar. https://amzn.to/2YTnvPT Because almost every Jeep that has come through my shop with death wobble, the problem was the track bar.

January 23, 2021February 18, 2021

I have been working with Jeep Cherokees ever since I bought my first Jeep Cherokee XJ in 1986. It was a two-door with a 2.5L four-cylinder engine. I later upgraded to a 1990 Four-Door with the Renix 4.0 engine. I then traded that for the 1991 shown above. I have been driving that one ever since. The odometer stopped working at 444,444 miles. I have lost track of the actual mileage on this XJ due to having to swap the cluster a couple of times to get one that worked reliably.