9.0
really awful- Typical Repair Cost:
- $700
- Average Mileage:
- 182,050 miles
- Total Complaints:
- 2 complaints
Most common solutions:
- not sure (2 reports)
So I am a mechanic myself, and this car was brought to me for the same symptoms described here [ misfire, backfire, stalling, etc.] customer told me they had changed crank, cam sensors, ignition coil, oxygen sensor, two catalytic converters. I took the job in and spent three weeks trying to find the problem. then I remembered that three yrs. before I had worked on a similar case where obviously I didn't paid much attention for I didn't know this would be a gigantic problem. in that first case I had trace the problem to the computer and computer connectors, I replaced { at owners choice} a used PCM and bought the matching connectors, the car worked for about those 3 yrs. until while I was working on this new case the lady from the first case called me to tell me the problem was back. so now I had to jeeps in my shop with the same problem. I decided to focused on the new case and solve the second one with the same solution. This time I went straight to the PCM connector and yes there was the fault reproduce. If you wiggle the PCM connectors the car will die. I used zip ties for testing purpose pulling the connectors upwards and it worked for some time, enough to give it to the customer until I found new info. Customer called in two weeks frustrated and asking me if I knew of someone who would be willing to buy it in those conditions. so I thought hey I am a mechanic right? I'm suppose to be able to fix it at the end...right? so I became a hero and bought. soon enough I had figured how to drive just to misfire every now and then until one day I heard this big explosion and now I had a real loud sound from under the car. the muffler had cracked open like if it was made of paper. muffler was replaced and soon it blew it again, the last event on this was an explosion and my car slowing down like if the transmission had your given up on me. I looked for fluid on the floor but there was nothing, and yet no power to move the car. I suspected a clogged catalytic converter but it checked ok. I spend 700 on rebuilding the transmission put it on and........ same problem! so yes even this mechanic had to suffer with this jeep piece of shhhtuff. So my advice if you are here for the first time looking for answers is, DO NOT spend money on sensors, or mufflers or anything else if at the first signs of wiggling the PCM wires the car shuts off. My must logic explanation is: The PCM is loosing intermittently or permanently the electrical signal to one or more spark plugs [hence the misfire] allowing the injector to store unburned fuel and when the signal is recovered.....puffff blown muffler or converter or melted oxygen sensors. I bought all three PCM connectors and replaced them with no change. therefore I believe the problem lives in the harness and per the dealer it is now obsolete.
SO I say, where is the brave person that will make a letter and gather all of our signatures to contact jeep to get some solutions about our jeep's, cuz all I see is us complaining but that's it, our jeeps are collecting dust. or has anyone found an open case on this?
Well that's that and good luck to you all.
- zumo, Dallas, TX, US
Issue has been ongoing for several months. Sometimes runs fine, other times shuddering and shaking and stalls. The key here is that while this is happening, if I shift back to park or neutral (if moving at the time) she soothes out and runs fine, but put back into gear and no go.
I have changed wires, plugs, rotor button, distributer cap, coil, all O2 sensors checked and replaced all fuses pertaining to ignition and emissions.
Three different shops have looked at it and cannot figure it out, One said they think it's transmission related, another said "torque converter" and the other said computer; however, the computer was just replaced a year ago.
Died on me again yesterday and I finally broke down and had it towed to the dealership where they have told me they don't get any codes due to the year of the vehicle - so they're diagnosing the old fashion way.
I'll update if they find the problem...
- rockcrawler, Palm Bay, US