The Grand Cherokee runs absolutely perfect. It seems to actually keep itself in the center of the lane with shifting, steering, suspension, brakes as though it just came off of the showroom floor. No issues at all -- well, except the dead wipers, signals, sunroof and signals that come and go.
The illumination at the HVAC controls, overhead display, shifter and odometer is dead too. The more I study the wiring layout, the more I am convinced that there is a common source for the problem.
The signals/flashers come and go as before, and I think the problem here, is separate.
Ground, ground, ground.
I have a steak dinner wager with a friend, (families included), that it's all going to be traced to a grounding issue.
An old geezer I knew years ago in the service once told me, (with particular gravtas in his eyes and tone), that all automotive wiring problems should begin with a ground confirmation -- especially the simultaneous failure of multiple functions.
I can't count the times he first determined if the vehicle had had any panel replacements/collision repair. He would take a minute to check every body panel -- even the doors with an ohmmeter. Then he'd confirm the presence and contact at all ground straps -- and he solved many problems right there.
Get this: Last night, after poking around with some careful exporatory surgery, I inadvertently left the flasher button in the on position -- and today the flashers were blinking all around.
Weird, eh?
The signals had (magically) returned and I fired it up to charge the battery.
I always leave the wiper switch on too, to be aware if I poke it in the right place. No luck yet -- but I am confident that when the wipers come alive, so will the windows, sunroof and various lighting.
On another (yet related) matter:
A (different from above) friend of mine makes a wide variety of claims that qualify him for nearly superhero status. When I reveal the ground problem(s) with this Jeep, he'll provide some reason that he was wrong -- but his self-proclaimed genius rating will remain unaffected.
Most importantly, he claims to be a certified ASE mechanic.
He maintains that tires pressures should be set at the figure on the tire, showing max pressure. I know it's indicated on each vehicle's placard.
He didn't know that a Jeep's (Dana) live axles had a rubber filler plug in the covers.
He was not aware that the Jeep transfer case, (along with other makes), uses standard tranny fluid.
After using a scanner, he informed me that I should avoid a 2001 Maxima because it needed so many sensors and such, that it had a burned valve, (he withdrew the assessment later), that the ECM was bad, (nope, not that), and that the timing chain was worn out.
I bought it anyway and made about a grand on it after some detailing.
Turns out, two or three sockets were corroded, and the scanner was not getting the info correctly. The timing chain was well within limits and the sockets/connectors were cleaned/replaced. It now runs perfect.
He maintains that any vehicle should be ran hard (jackrabbit starts, routinely to the floor), in order to "keep it clean". That the (especially) engine, tranny, suspension, steering and brakes are "designed to take it. That even the electronics and sensors stay in better shape. That a comparison with a identical vehicle with the same mileage would reveal no difference -- or that the one that was ran hard will have a cleaner induction system and cleaner engine internals.
Comments?
