Eagle

We could tell you ... but then we'd have to kill you. Being a staunch conspiracy theorist, here's another thought that has occurred to me (yes, a thought ... they are rare, but they do occur): I hope all you are aware that the ECUs in new cars function much the same as the "black boxes" in commercial aircraft. If you are involved in a serious accident, the police can query the vehicle's "black box" to find out how fast you were traveling, whether or not the brakes were applied, and a few other tidbits of potentially interesting data. And, of course, the government is pushing to have the next generation of vehicle ECUs store and report even more data. Guess what? These so-called "clunkers" the .GOV is paying so lavishly to get rid of ENTIRELY are all old enough that their ECUs don't store and report that kind of data. That's just one reason why I intend to always keep an extra XJ and/or MJ around, as a replacement for if something happens to one I'm currently driving. Even if I have to keep putting Jasper engines in them, it's cheaper than buying a new car every few years at $30,000 a pop ... and I'll always have a bug-free vehicle to drive. I don't think it's entirely accidental that this program will "just happen" to eliminate thousands of "dumb" cars from the road, to be replaced by new vehicles that can be used to tattle on the driver.

My wife is from Chile. Her brother lives in Santiago. We just heard from him that banditos ripped off all four hubcaps (or wheelcovers, I don't recall what he had) from his pride-and-joy S-10 pickup. I'm not sure if he simply can't buy replacements down there, or if he's hoping the price here might be lower, but he asked if I could get a price for replacements here. He's looking for eight (8), I guess on the theory that it won't add much in shipping and, if they stole them once, they'll probably steal them again so he might as well be ready. I don't have any inside contacts at Chevie dealers. The part number is 15661129. The price I was quoted by the local dealer was $33.68 each. Do any of you have any contacts through whom I could beat that price by enough to offset the shipping charges? And does anyone know what these things look like and if a less expansive copy might be available from an aftermarket source? Your kind assistance will be much appreciated.

The auction doesn't scrap it. It isn't theirs to scrap. The dealer/owner scraps it, because he doesn't want to be bother repairing it. I have been to auctions where there's a corner for non-running vehicles. I have never herd of a vehicle that won't start and can't be driven through the lane described as "drivable."

Sam, I have attended real car auctions where they process 1000 vehicles in an afternoon. I have never heard of or seen any idiocy such as "Drive through does not necessarily mean the vehicle can be driven, or even that it will start." At the real auctions, if it doesn't start and can't be driven to the auction lane ... it doesn't get auctioned, it gets sold as scrap. IMHO 5 grand is a lot to pay for scrap. "Minor damage"? Look at the photos of the right rear corner.

What a bunch of maroons. Primary damage listed as left side, but the right side is completely destroyed. Translation: We'll tell you it drives, but we might be lying, and it's your problem if we lie to you not ours. Title status: Good title Except: Translation: See above

Yes, the front bumper, subframe, and brackets for an MJ are identical to an XJ.

Random thought: Would this truck have a column shift? If so, the linkage to the transmission is rather, ah ... "indirect." Don't recall if PARK has a brake interlock. Is it possible that nothing moved except the lever, and that the tranny was in PARK the whole time? When you shut it off, you may have somehow reset an interlock, so the next time you tried it the lever actually moved the linkage. As I said ... random thought.

Around here, they all generally need to have the wobbly head repaired so a JY mirror doesn't really solve anything. Most yards won't sell a mirror off a good door, anyway, so that narrows the availability considerably. Finding an XJ or MJ with a smashed door but a good mirror ain't easy.

If the stock bumper is solid, and if you attach the tow bar as close to the bumber mounts as possible, and if you drive gently (especially when accelerating), you MIGHT be able to do it. A friend and I towed an MJ from Massachusetts to Connecticut that way. But the MJ had no engine, so it was a bit lighter than stock. I have seen a few where attempts to tow with bolt-on tow bars ripped the front bumper apart. It would not be my first choice for how to tow an MJ.

Yes, you can block one of them off. There are probably half a dozen threads on this site discussing which one to block off and how to do it.

Sooner or later many of you will have need of a first aid kit. If you're a former Boy Scout, like me, you practice "Be Prepared!" If you participate in organized trail rides, the sponsoring club may (like NAXJA) require a first aid kit in your vehicle. If you head out on your own to see where that dirt roads leads beyond the horizon, it only makes sense to have a first aid kit. What brings this to mind is that, in cleaning up some piles of old papers in my home office, I stumbled across printouts from the web site I found when I was organizing NACFest events for our chapter of NAXJA. That web site is no longer functional but I got curious and went surfing. Finally found another site that sells the same kits. There's a wide variety on here, with a good range of prices. You can find everything from a $3 or $4 pocket/glovebox kit with a couple of Bandaids and some disinfectant to professional-grade "First Responder" kits suitable for equipping an ambulance or rescue truck. So, before I lose the info again, here's the link. I suggest you bookmark this page: http://www.first-aid-kit-company.com/consumer.htm After a lot of comparing what comes in the various kits, I settled on the FA-134, which I supplement with a couple of CPR face shields and exam gloves. Happy (and safe) wheeling P.S. I see they offer a discount for multiple kits. If enough people are interested and can agree on which kit suits their needs, perhaps a group buy might be appropriate. (Although the saving of a couple of $$ per kit may not be enough to cover postage for reshipping from wherever the bulk shipment goes.)

One line provides proportioned rear braking under normal conditions. The second line is a bypass, so if the front brakes fail the rear brakes get full pressure with no proportioning. It's a common misconception that the second line is a "return" line. I don't know where that came from, but it's what I was told and I believed that for several years ... right up until I actually investigated how the front metering block and rear height-sensing valve work.

A '98? Cheapest I've seen any new-style XJ for around here was $2,975, and I just spotted that one this evening when we went out for dinner.

Looks great. Keep us posted on progress. Your daughter is a lucky gal, I hope she realizes that.

Normally. Lots of them are bloody loud. With the door open you should be able to for sure. But "listen fast." If the system is working, the pump stops once the rail comes up to pressure. That may take from two to five or six seconds, depending on how long the vehicle sat before you activated the fuel pump. When the pressure gets to where it should be the pump shuts off.

Awhile ago on NAXJA there was a post showing how to repair the gimbel inside that gets wobbly over time. The author suggested using a hair dryer to soften the adhesive, then carefully prying the glass off. I have several floppy mirrors that are in need of this repair, but I have not yet summoned sufficient courage to attack the glass with a hair dryer. Please let us know what you find out -- whether it works, or doesn't work.

Whatever he hit (or whatever hit him) hit HARD. The roof is buckled, which means the entire unibody is bent.

Man, you guys are tight. The last time I priced XJ Dana 44 axles the going price was $500 to $600. There aren't more of them now than there were then, so how'd the price get cut in half over the course of a couple of years? I did find one about four years ago for $75 -- it was 150 miles away, cost me a full day and a tank of gas to go get it.

Just to be sure I'm reading correctly -- it was NOT engaging in any of this before you tried to splice in power for the fog lights, correct?

$500? That's a STEAL. Frankly, if I were the owner and I had said I'd take $500 for the complete vehicle, if you came back and tried to get me down I would throw you off my property. Why do so many Jeep people go out of their way to be insulting? Get real. The axles alone are worth $500. The tranny and transfer case alone are worth $500. Look up some prices for parts on a new body style Cherokee on www.car-parts.com.

Yeah ... Taylor. They won't insure a vehicle you drive regularly, and they won't insure a 4-wheel drive. That was as of three years (or so) ago. If they have changed their policies (no pun intended), please let me know. http://www.jctaylor.com/

Good luck in college. Remember, studies come before the MJ (as much as it pains me to write that), but check in here when you can.

Well, now. That's really ... different.

I know exactly what the operation entails, and in my personal, not-so-humble opinion it's a very BAD idea. Of course, I am old enough to have experienced brakes failing due to a busted circuit when crossing mountains. My guess is that you haven't had the pleasure, or you might not be so cavalier about how important an intact brake system is. I'm also old enough to have seen numerous examples of just how fragile older steel brake lines can be. I stand by my advice that it's much better,safer to leave the steel lines anone and do it right by replacing the rubber flex hoses with longer ones. NEW longer ones.

If it's a Renix (1986 thru 1990) the ECU is under the dashboard, right over the driver's right foot. There's a bunch of wires in/on the steering column. If they hot-wired it when they stole it (which is what usually happens), that's almost certainly the problem. Keep in mind that the key does NOT operate the ignition switch. The actual switch is down at the base of the steering column. The key operates a linkage rod, which in turn operates the actual switch. If either the key mechanism (not the lock cylinder itself, but the bits that the cylinder turns) or the operating rod got mangled, the rod may not be turning the switch on when you turn the key.