terrawombat

Words are wind and people like to boast bold claims, but the truth of the matter is that both the 2.5L and the 4.0L engine are only capable of so much, in terms of MPG, and I become extremely skeptical when that numbers creeps above the 25MPG mark.

Eh, then something is amiss. Else wise you have the most fuel efficient 2.5L AMC engine on the planet...and not even by a little bit, but by a long shot. I've seen plenty of people tossing around numbers in the 24-26MPG range from that engine, but 36...that's quite a jump.

I don't know how similar the 2.5L 4-speed is to the 4.0L 5-speed, but see the very end of this thread on my stainless steel braided clutch line replacement: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=28494&start=15 Total cost of the parts was roughly $60-$65. Might be a little high for what you're looking to do, but I wanted peace of mind knowing my clutch line wouldn't blow out on me when I was driving the truck back and forth to OCMD and NJ every weekend.

36MPH on the highway? Sounds like a hazard. Assuming you meant 36MPG on the highway, then I'm thinking your speedometer is reading very high, which is causing your presumed miles/tank to also be high. The only engine offered in the XJ/MJ that could possibly achieve those numbers would be the Renault diesel. To the OP - if you truly want to get better fuel mileage that will actually make a noticeable difference, you would need to turn your truck into a 2WD 5-speed with stock (or smaller) wheels/tires and the smallest gear ratio rear end you can find (3.07 or below). When I got my 2WD 4.0L 5-speed with stock rims, I averaged 23.5MPG on a trip from OH to NJ doing 65-70MPH. It was a lot of downhill driving so I'm sure that accounts for the higher than normal numbers. As soon as I put a slightly larger set of tires on the truck, my MPGs went down to 18.5/19 on the highway.

Love her! Husky mixed with collie?

Wow, this truck has some a long way in a short amount of time. Excellent work! However, this build is lacking in pictures of your husky.

I've got an account on VWVortex & TDIClub (same name as here on CC). So far I've found VWVortex to be geared towards the hardcore modifiers and fanboi wannabe's. TDIClub seems to be more dedicated to preserving any and all TDI's (much like CC) and squeezing every last drop of fuel out of these vehicles. Both sites seem to be equally useful to me as I plan on doing some light modifications to the cars appearance, plus I want to put some bolt-on goodies under the hood to bump the power a bit - hopefully without sacrificing MPGs. Just ordered the adapter to ditch the CD changer and get an auxiliary port for my iPod & cell phone. The CD changer kept giving me an error 3 code and I can probably count the number of CDs I own on one hand.

Yes, the bottom bolster has begun to sag. The previous owner was a rather large man so I'm sure that didn't help matters. Whatever coating VW decided to put on a lot of the plastic trim around the center console and the ash tray has begun to come "unglued." I saw the same thing happen in my sister-in-law's '01 Jetta. It seems to peel off to an extent, but then it leaves a nice, sticky residue behind.

Gotta love living where diesel and regular gas are only 15 cents apart. 11 gallons of gas for $40 will take me over 500 miles Previous owner put maximum legal tint all around. Makes it feel a bit cooler inside. Hello XJ Two small dents on passenger rear door. Only body damage I was able to find. Hopefully can find factory floormats in decent shape. Not a fan of the red trim. I initially only wanted leather in my TDI, but after looking at a couple I'm glad I went the cloth. It's a lot cooler for this time of year and it is a bit more comfortable.

Specifically what, exactly? I know there are heaps of electrical issues with the automatic transmissions where the shift solenoid wiring increases in resistance over the years causing weird shifting patterns and eventually puts it into a "limp mode" where it is stuck in 2nd gear. I chose to avoid that problem by picking up a 5-speed manual. I have also heard and had experience with the coil packs cracking, getting moisture inside and delivering a weak spark which would not allow the vehicle to start and run. I chose to avoid that issue by picking up a version of the Golf that does not have spark plugs :D Now, if you're speaking about all of the quirky things that can go wrong with interior goodies, then I can't imagine it being any more difficult than the plethora of issues I faced with my '98 Grand Cherokee 5.9L with every option that Jeep offered. My personal favorite was the memory button issue where the contacts inside of the power mirrors get dirty and cause all sorts of erratic behavior - like moving the seat all the way FORWARD while you are driving the vehicle. Or the sunroof that opens up, but then does not close because of a intermittent short in the circuit board, which requires that the entire headliner be removed to get at it. Another favorite of mine was the flickering headlight problem caused by the solder breaking away from the circuit board so that whenever you hit a bump, your headlights go out. Pretty fun when you're going 70MPH on the highway. I'm sure the other drivers around me appreciated my flickering headlights, too. I'm sure I'll face many of the common VW problems of this generation vehicle, but I did my research and determined the things to stay away from (like the ticking time bomb of an automatic trans) and found the things that commonly go bad and made sure they were already replaced prior to purchase (like the turbo charger and timing belt).

I looked at buying brand new - Chevy Cruze, Sonic, Ford Focus, Fusion, VW Jetta, Golf TDI. I really didn't NEED another vehicle as I have three perfectly capable Jeeps that get me around just fine, so with that in mind, I needed to cap my budget on a new vehicle and keep it in in the four digit range, or less. What that ultimately meant was buying a used vehicle. And since I've always wanted a diesel and something that gets ridiculous MPGs, I figured this would be a good time to do it. BTW, I finally picked it up today. A 2002 VW Golf GLS TDI in reflex silver with 158K miles. It has every option available except for leather seats. It was formerly a business owner's vehicle and, as such, had some decals on the side for advertisement. Once I get those off and get the car cleaned up, I'll snap a few pictures. It is in exceptional condition and the amount of maintenance done to it in the past year is more than I paid for the car.

I agree, mileage isn't everything, hence why I am holding onto my 5.9L supercharged MJ. Gotta keep the fun vehicles around :D

As-is with NJ title: $3,500 After I get it titled in MD and through MD inspection: $4,500 194K miles, new ball joints, tie rod ends, steering gear, water pump, tires (all four), front brake pads/rotors/calipers About 10K miles on rear brake pads/drums/cylinders, windshield I keep records using software called AutoVIP so I can go back and reference that. Issues I don't care to fix: dings all around, dent by gas tank Issues I'll likely be forced to fix for inspection: Rear washer motor broken, clunk in driveline (narrowed down to transfer case), sagging headliner, pressure regulator drains back over 3-4 days of not driving and causes a hard start condition (cycling key off-on-off-on-start fixes problem).

I looked at a CRD Libby that popped up about 30 min from me, but it was too nice of a specimen and its owner knew it. Priced at $13.5K it was outta my budget. Not sure what I'm doing wrong, either, but it's likely my driving style. I normally cruise around 70-73MPH on highway trips and that nets me 17.5-18.5MPG. I just did 300+ miles going to a wedding last weekend in NJ and I was doing 80-85 trying to keep up with traffic on the Turnpike and I was able to pull 19MPG out of that trip. I just replaced all four tires and am interested to see if that has any effect. If I could get consistent 20-22MPGs out of the thing, I'd likely keep it.

Probably should have just PM'ed this directly to Rob.

Money is tight over there. It was probably restored and recommissioned.

In my quest to find a diesel vehicle, I stumbled upon one of these for sale in my area. It was a bone stock model that some guy spent a lot of time and money restoring and was asking 15K. Before that ad, I had never really knew what that vehicle was all about, but it does have some interesting history. A version of that vehicle was once the "Popemobile"

If I could pull out the 20+ highway MPGs that some XJ owners claim, I probably would just stick it out since my commute isn't too bad (25 miles round trip), but I've only been able to accomplish that feat once, when I was traveling mostly downhill from NH to NJ. I would probably also just hold onto the vehicle if I were still back in NJ with my virtually unlimited storage space and land, but down to .5 acres with a 2-car garage so hoarding Jeeps quickly becomes an eyesore and a potential fine from the city. Any other TDI owners out there?

I'm going to be joining a new cult pretty soon - that of the Volkswagen TDI. In an effort to join this illustrious club, a massive blow will come to the Jeep fleet as I attempt to free up finances and physical space. Up on the chopping block will be my 1998 Grand Cherokee 5.9L, my 2001 Jeep Cherokee Sport and one of my Jeep Comanches. Tears will be shed at the departure of my children, but if I were able to turn those tears into diesel fuel, I'd be able to drive down to Florida and back in my new(ish) ride. There's no replacement for displac...err, fuel efficiency! That's how that old saying goes, right?

Tire on the camper looks a little low on air. Looks great! Enjoy your weekend.

The chrome has gotta stay. This is an XLS package so I believe the chrome was standard? I'd still prefer it to have the stock, unpainted rims if it were my rig. I feel like everybody and their brother paints paints their rims black. I can look past the rims if you promise to take the clearance lights off ASAP :D

Rob I can scarcely look past the abomination of an exhaust, the painted rims and the tractor trailer roof lights that are on the thing right now. This thing must be brought back to its purest form. I thank the heavens every morning that Rob was the one to obtain it.

I was hoping it was an advertisement for something and they were getting paid to drive their truck like that....but....nope, they actually enjoy the way it looks...

They're bringing the NAME back, not the vehicle. It is built on an entirely different platform that can actually pass today's emission and safety standards. They are using the name because, 1) they're not creative enough to think of something new and 2) it's a marketing scheme to get the old loyalists to give the Jeep brand a second glance. The XJ will not return, but the Cherokee might. You won't recognize it and it will share very few similarities to the Cherokee we all know and love. They might put a modern version of the grille back on, but that's about it. The XJ was outdated and way past its prime. If you so desire to own a "new" XJ, I would recommend applying for jobs in China because that is the only place I know of that still produces them.

Hmmm...logic and reasoning was used to make an informed decision rather than just following the crowd and assuming things will work. I applaud you, sir. Oh, I like the build, too and I especially like your rim/tire combo choice. I'm a sucker for stock components.