cruiser54

I've got a longbed bedliner with no tailgate cover I'd like to get rid of.

Remove the distributor cap and cut a "window" into the side of the distributor cap at the #1 spark plug wire post . The "window" should be large enough to allow easy visual inspection of the position of the distributor rotor at the #1 spark plug wire post. Reinstall the distributor cap. Install a ¾” wrench or socket onto the vibration damper retaining bolt. Rotate the engine in a clockwise direction until the #1 cylinder is at top dead center. Align the timing mark on the vibration damper with the "0" degree mark on the front cover timing scale. The tip of the distributor rotor should be near the #1 spark plug wire post. Disconnect the distributor electrical connection. Remove the distributor holddown clamp, holddown bolt and distributor. Remove the distributor cap and rotor. Place the distributor housing upside down in a soft jaw vise. Scribe a line 1/2 inch from the end of the distributor locating tab. Cut the distributor locating tab at the scribed line with a saw. Remove any burrs and metal filings from the distributor. Reinstall rotor. If necessary, using a flat blade screwdriver, turn the oil pump gear drive shaft until the slot is slightly past the 11 o'clock position. The oil pump gear drive shaft is accessible through the distributor mounting bore in the engine block. Visually align the modified locating tab area of the distributor housing with the holddown clamp bolt hole. Turn the rotor to the 4 o'clock position. Lower the distributor into the engine block until it seats. The rotor should now be very close to the 5 o'clock position. Reinstall the distributor cap with the cutout "window". Rotate the distributor housing until the trailing edge of the distributor rotor tip is just departing from the #1 spark plug wire post terminal . Reinstall the distributor holddown clamp and bolt.. Reinspect the position of the rotor to the #1 spark plug wire post to insure that it has not moved. Install the new distributor cap, reconnect the distributor electrical connections. Revised 07/03/2012 I have a photo of the dizzy cap mod but don't know how to upload it for you.

That has never really caught on. I think it's because the oil filter ends up getting punctured by engine movement/bracket interference. And that seems to happen while wheeling and being real far from a new filter and oil.

Let this be a lesson to all of us that slowing down and using a piece of paper to draw a diagram on, and labeling wires with masking tape is a real time saver.

Renix Jeep C101 Connector Refreshing The C101 connector on 1987 and 1988 Renix Jeeps was a source of electrical resistance when the vehicles were new. So much so that the factory eliminated this connector in the 1989 and 1990 models. The factory recommended cleaning this connector to insure the proper voltage and ground signals between the ECU and the fuel injection sensors. We can only imagine how this connector has become a larger source of voltage loss and increased resistance over a period of almost 25 years. The C101 connector needs to be cleaned at least once in the lifetime of your vehicle. Chances are it’s never been done before. Almost every critical signal between the engine sensors, injectors, ECU, and some to the TCU, travel this path through the C101 connector. The C101 connector is located on the driver’s side firewall above and behind the brake booster. It is held together with a single bolt in it’s center. To get the connectors apart, simply remove the bolt and pull the halves apart. You will find the connector is packed with a black tar like substance which has hardened over time. Take a pocket screwdriver or the like and scrape out all the tar crap you can. Follow up by spraying out both connector halves with brake cleaner and then swabbing out the remainder of the tar. Repeat this procedure until the tar is totally removed. This may require 3 or more repetitions. Wipe out the connectors after spraying with a soft cloth. If you have a small pick or dental tool, tweak the female connectors on the one side so they grab the pins on the opposite side a bit tighter before bolting both halves back together. Revised 07-17-2012

Renix Ground Refreshing The Renix era XJs and MJs were built with an under-engineered grounding system for the engine/transmission electronics. One problem in particular involves the multiple ground connection at the engine dipstick tube stud. A poor ground here can cause a multitude of driveabililty issues, wasted time, and wasted money replacing unnecessary components. The components grounding at the dipstick tube stud are: Distributor Sync Sensor, TCU main ground, TCU “Shift Point Logic”, Ignition control Module, Injectors, ECU main ground which other engine sensors ground through, Oxygen sensor, Knock Sensor, Cruise Control, and Transmission Sync signal. All extremely important stuff. The factory was aware of the issues with this ground point and addressed it by suggesting the following: Remove the nut holding the wire terminals to the stud. Verify that the stud is indeed tightened securely into the block. Scrape any and all paint from the stud’s mounting surface where the wires will attach. Must be clean, shiny and free of any oil, grease, or paint. Inspect the wire terminals. Check to see that none of the terminals are crimped over wire insulation instead of bare wire. Be sure the crimps are tight. It wouldn’t hurt to re-crimp them just as a matter of course. Sand and polish the wire terminals until clean and shiny on both sides. Reinstall all the wires to the stud and tighten the nut down securely. While you’re in that general area, locate the battery negative cable which is fastened to the engine block just forward of the dipstick stud. Remove the bolt, scrape the block to bare metal, clean and polish the cable terminal, and reattach securely. Another area where the grounding system on Renix era Jeeps was lacking is the engine to chassis ground. There is a braided cable from the back of the cylinder head that also attaches to the driver’s side of the firewall. This cable is undersized for it’s intended use and subject to corrosion and poor connections at each end. First off, remove the cable end from the firewall using a 15mm wrench or socket. Scrape the paint off down to bare metal and clean the wire terminal. Reattach securely. Remove the other end of the cable from the rear of the head using a 3’4” socket. Clean all the oil, paint and crud from the stud. Clean the wire terminal of the cable and reattach securely. A suggestion regarding the braided cable: I prefer to add a #4 Gauge cable from the firewall to a bolt on the rear of the intake manifold, either to a heat shield bolt or fuel rail bolt. A cable about 18” long with a 3/8” lug on each end works great and you can get one at any parts store already made up. Napa has them as part number 781116. A further improvement to the grounding system can be made using a #4 cable, about 10” long with 3/8” terminals at each end. Attach one end of this cable to the negative battery bolt and the other end under the closest 10mm headed bolt on the radiator support just forward of the battery. Napa part number 781115. If you want to upgrade your grounds and battery cables in general, contact Jon at www.kelleyswip.com. He makes an incredible cable upgrade for a very reasonable price. Revised 11-28-2011

Not left hand threads. Use a longer cheater.

Napa carries them. Give them the factory number to cross over.

I wouldn't be super concerned about the fuel pump right now. If it starts getting louder, replace it. The steering wheel will not become disconnected like it is. That said, it's not gonna get tighter on it's own, just loosen up more. Here's my TPS instructions. They are more precise. RENIX TPS ADJUSTMENT Before attempting to adjust your TPS be sure the throttle body has been recently cleaned. It's especially important that the edges of the throttle butterfly are free of any carbon build-up. IMPORTANT NOTE: With the Key OFF, and using the positive (red) lead of your ohmmeter, probe the B terminal of the flat 3 wire connector of the TPS. The letters are embossed on the connector itself. Touch the black lead of your meter to the negative battery post. Wiggle the wiring harness where it parallels the valve cover and also over near the MAP sensor on the firewall. If you see more than 1 ohm of resistance, or fluctuation in your ohms reading, some modifications to the sensor ground harness will be necessary. The harness repair must be performed before proceeding. I can provide an instruction sheet for that if needed. MANUAL TRANSMISSION: RENIX manual transmission equipped XJs have only a flat three-wire TPS mounted on the throttle bodyand it provides data input to the ECU. It has three wires in the connector and they're clearly embossed with the letters A, B, and C. Wire "A" is positive. Wire "B" is ground. Key ON, measure voltage from "A" positive to "B" ground by back-probing the connectors. Note the voltage reading--this is your REFERENCE voltage. Key ON, back-probe the connector at wires "B" and "C". Measure the voltage. This is your OUTPUT voltage. Your OUTPUT voltage needs to be seventeen percent of your REFERENCE voltage. For example: 4.82 volts X .17=.82 volts. Loosen both T-20 Torx screws attaching the TPS to the throttle body and rotate the TPS until you have achieved your desired output voltage. Tighten the screws carefully while watching to see that your output voltage remains where it is supposed to be. If you can't achieve the correct output voltage, replace the TPS and start over. Sometimes, after adjusting your TPS the way outlined above, you may experience a high idle upon starting. If that happens, shut the engine off and reconnect your probes to B and C. Start the engine and while watching your meter, turn the TPS clockwise until the idle drops to normal and then rotate it back counterclockwise to your desired output voltage. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION: RENIX automatic transmission equipped XJs have a TPS with two connectors. There is a flat three-wire connector, same as the manual transmission vehicles have, and it is tested the same as the manual transmission equipped vehicles, as outlined above—FOR ALL ENGINE MANAGEMENT RELATED ISSUES. However, the automatic TPS also has a square four-wire connector, clearly embossed with the letters A,B,C, and D. It only uses three wires and provides information to the Transmission Control Module. THIS SQUARE FOUR WIRE CONNECTOR IS USED FOR TRANSMISSION/SHIFTING RELATED ISSUES ONLY. Key ON, measure voltage between "A" positive and "D" ground. Note the voltage. This is your REFERENCE voltage. Back-probe the connector at wires "B" and "D". Measure the voltage. This is your OUTPUT voltage. Your OUTPUT voltage needs to be eighty-three percent of your REFERENCE voltage. For example 4.8 volts X .83=3.98 volts. Adjust the TPS until you have achieved this percentage. If you can't, replace the TPS and start over. So, if you have an automatic equipped XJ your TPS has two sides--one side feeds the ECU, and the other side feeds the TCU. FOR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION RELATED ISSUES: Check the square four-wire connector side of the TPS. If you have ENGINE ISSUES check the flat three-wire connector side of the TPS. For those with a MANUAL TRANSMISSION--the TPS for the manual transmission XJs is stupid expensive. You can substitute the automatic transmission TPS which is reasonably priced. Revised 09-22-2012

What turn signal wiring was it? Any specifics?

The high idle may be fixed. TPS ground can affect it, along with a bad or maladjusted TPS. Can you hear the pump when inside the cab? Or is it only when you're standing near the rear of the truck?

TPS. Is it still doing it?

Loud is a relative term. You are a female who plays music. I'm an old guy who has been around heavy equipment, loud cars and tools, and has shot large caliber guns without ear protection. Is it a hissing sound to you, or a loud hum? Can you hear the noise in the cab? The ballast resistor is a white ceramic thingy mounted on the driver's side inner fender near the air cleaner. Has a wire at each end of it. It's purpose was to reduce voltage to the fuel pump so it wouldn't be noisy. 87 and some early 88s didn't have it.

Oxygen sensor screws into the exhaust manifold. It's not far from the CTS actually. Loud fuel pumps can be caused by a bypassed fuel pump ballast resistor or failing pumps.

Your oxygen sensor may be bad causing the idle fluctuation. This will help you with the tilt fix. http://www.elcaminocentral.com/showthread.php?t=27192

I'm confused. What are the CTS wires doing near the alternator in the first place? They're originally on opposite sides of the engine.

Could be as simple as this. And did you adjust that new TPS? Renix Ground Refreshing The Renix era XJs and MJs were built with an under-engineered grounding system for the engine/transmission electronics. One problem in particular involves the multiple ground connection at the engine dipstick tube stud. A poor ground here can cause a multitude of driveabililty issues, wasted time, and wasted money replacing unnecessary components. The components grounding at the dipstick tube stud are: Distributor Sync Sensor, TCU main ground, TCU “Shift Point Logic”, Ignition control Module, Injectors, ECU main ground which other engine sensors ground through, Oxygen sensor, Knock Sensor, Cruise Control, and Transmission Sync signal. All extremely important stuff. The factory was aware of the issues with this ground point and addressed it by suggesting the following: Remove the nut holding the wire terminals to the stud. Verify that the stud is indeed tightened securely into the block. Scrape any and all paint from the stud’s mounting surface where the wires will attach. Must be clean, shiny and free of any oil, grease, or paint. Inspect the wire terminals. Check to see that none of the terminals are crimped over wire insulation instead of bare wire. Be sure the crimps are tight. It wouldn’t hurt to re-crimp them just as a matter of course. Sand and polish the wire terminals until clean and shiny on both sides. Reinstall all the wires to the stud and tighten the nut down securely. While you’re in that general area, locate the battery negative cable which is fastened to the engine block just forward of the dipstick stud. Remove the bolt, scrape the block to bare metal, clean and polish the cable terminal, and reattach securely. Another area where the grounding system on Renix era Jeeps was lacking is the engine to chassis ground. There is a braided cable from the back of the cylinder head that also attaches to the driver’s side of the firewall. This cable is undersized for it’s intended use and subject to corrosion and poor connections at each end. First off, remove the cable end from the firewall using a 15mm wrench or socket. Scrape the paint off down to bare metal and clean the wire terminal. Reattach securely. Remove the other end of the cable from the rear of the head using a 3’4” socket. Clean all the oil, paint and crud from the stud. Clean the wire terminal of the cable and reattach securely. A suggestion regarding the braided cable: I prefer to add a #4 Gauge cable from the firewall to a bolt on the rear of the intake manifold, either to a heat shield bolt or fuel rail bolt. A cable about 18” long with a 3/8” lug on each end works great and you can get one at any parts store already made up. Napa has them as part number 781116. A further improvement to the grounding system can be made using a #4 cable, about 10” long with 3/8” terminals at each end. Attach one end of this cable to the negative battery bolt and the other end under the closest 10mm headed bolt on the radiator support just forward of the battery. Napa part number 781115. If you want to upgrade your grounds and battery cables in general, contact Jon at www.kelleyswip.com. He makes an incredible cable upgrade for a very reasonable price. Revised 11-28-2011

C101 was 87 and 88. 89 and 90 REnix Jeeps didn't have it. Can't hurt to clean the EGR but at this point, I'd wait to see how everything else does. Did you ever pull the IAT and clean it?

VERIFY the oil pressure with a gauge before doing anything else! The later XJs were notorious for having pi$$ poor oil senders. Answer Eagle's question about oil filters. What brand did you put on at the oil change.

Rear main seals don't have any effect on oil pressure. Only leakage.

Renix Vacuum Harnesses The vacuum harness that attaches to the front of the valve cover and includes the grommet/fitting, and is called the front harness, is Napa part number BK 715-1367 http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?R=BK_7151367_0269070623 The vacuum harness that is closest to the air cleaner, EGR etc, and is called the rear harness, is Napa part number BK-715-1366. http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?R=BK_7151366_0269070622 The tube from the rear of the valve cover to the intake manifold is part number 715-1365. http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?R=BK_7151365_0066877355 Revised 09-11-2012 The CCV hose to the rear of the valve cover is available as part of one of the vacuum harnesses. The orifice that fits into the grommet is critical to proper engine idling BTW.

#1 may be a TPS connector for the auto trans you don't have. #2 looks like the washer bottle level sensor terminal. I'd like the part number for that throttle body to MAP sensor hose, please.

MJ- Check your TPS after cleaning the throttle body. RENIX TPS ADJUSTMENT Before attempting to adjust your TPS be sure the throttle body has been recently cleaned. It's especially important that the edges of the throttle butterfly are free of any carbon build-up. IMPORTANT NOTE: With the Key OFF, and using the positive (red) lead of your ohmmeter, probe the B terminal of the flat 3 wire connector of the TPS. The letters are embossed on the connector itself. Touch the black lead of your meter to the negative battery post. Wiggle the wiring harness where it parallels the valve cover and also over near the MAP sensor on the firewall. If you see more than 1 ohm of resistance, or fluctuation in your ohms reading, some modifications to the sensor ground harness will be necessary. The harness repair must be performed before proceeding. I can provide an instruction sheet for that if needed. MANUAL TRANSMISSION: RENIX manual transmission equipped XJs have only a flat three-wire TPS mounted on the throttle bodyand it provides data input to the ECU. It has three wires in the connector and they're clearly embossed with the letters A, B, and C. Wire "A" is positive. Wire "B" is ground. Key ON, measure voltage from "A" positive to "B" ground by back-probing the connectors. Note the voltage reading--this is your REFERENCE voltage. Key ON, back-probe the connector at wires "B" and "C". Measure the voltage. This is your OUTPUT voltage. Your OUTPUT voltage needs to be seventeen percent of your REFERENCE voltage. For example: 4.82 volts X .17=.82 volts. Loosen both T-20 Torx screws attaching the TPS to the throttle body and rotate the TPS until you have achieved your desired output voltage. Tighten the screws carefully while watching to see that your output voltage remains where it is supposed to be. If you can't achieve the correct output voltage, replace the TPS and start over. Sometimes, after adjusting your TPS the way outlined above, you may experience a high idle upon starting. If that happens, shut the engine off and reconnect your probes to B and C. Start the engine and while watching your meter, turn the TPS clockwise until the idle drops to normal and then rotate it back counterclockwise to your desired output voltage. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION: RENIX automatic transmission equipped XJs have a TPS with two connectors. There is a flat three-wire connector, same as the manual transmission vehicles have, and it is tested the same as the manual transmission equipped vehicles, as outlined above—FOR ALL ENGINE MANAGEMENT RELATED ISSUES. However, the automatic TPS also has a square four-wire connector, clearly embossed with the letters A,B,C, and D. It only uses three wires and provides information to the Transmission Control Module. THIS SQUARE FOUR WIRE CONNECTOR IS USED FOR TRANSMISSION/SHIFTING RELATED ISSUES ONLY. Key ON, measure voltage between "A" positive and "D" ground. Note the voltage. This is your REFERENCE voltage. Back-probe the connector at wires "B" and "D". Measure the voltage. This is your OUTPUT voltage. Your OUTPUT voltage needs to be eighty-three percent of your REFERENCE voltage. For example 4.8 volts X .83=3.98 volts. Adjust the TPS until you have achieved this percentage. If you can't, replace the TPS and start over. So, if you have an automatic equipped XJ your TPS has two sides--one side feeds the ECU, and the other side feeds the TCU. FOR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION RELATED ISSUES: Check the square four-wire connector side of the TPS. If you have ENGINE ISSUES check the flat three-wire connector side of the TPS. For those with a MANUAL TRANSMISSION--the TPS for the manual transmission XJs is stupid expensive. You can substitute the automatic transmission TPS which is reasonably priced. Revised 09-22-2012

CCV tube.

They bought them in 1987 and began phasing the two together after that. AMC had contracts with parts suppliers that they were obligated to fulfill.