SWMBO Wants a WJ

[summerinmaine]

Well, maybe.

 

We're getting rid of the leased Highlander Hybrid, and need a replacement vehicle. Simple commuting and kid haulage needs, fuel economy is desirable, but not a deal killer (short commute). For various reasons, another SUV is the vehicle of choice.

 

SWMBO is considering a Grand Cherokee, and likes the looks of the WJ much better than the ZJ. I've looked over some of the GC sites, and will continue to do so, but wondered if anyone has general opinions about the desirability of various WJ alternatives, such as V8 vs. I6 or 2WD vs. 4WD (obviously not a real necessity for the intended use), any particular problems to watch out for, and desirable year model within the 1999-2004 range, etc. etc. etc.

 

All opinions welcome, and taken with the appropriate dosage of NaCl. :brows:

[Sir Sam]

Its not a Jeep without 4wd.

[summerinmaine]

Its not a Jeep without 4wd.

 

I agree, but it is gonna be a chick car, after all. :rotf:

[Sir Sam]

Its not a Jeep without 4wd.

 

I agree, but it is gonna be a chick car, after all. :rotf:

 

Then it sounds like it needs to be as idiot proof as possible = 4wd.

[Eagle]

1999 was the first year for the WJ. DO NOT buy a 1999 WJ. Learn from my error, and remember the adage that you should never, ever buy a new vehicle in the first year it's available.

 

Mine had the 4.7L V8 and the full QuadraDrive II system. When it worked, QuadraDrive was awesome. Problem is, it didn't work very often. The transfer case kept binding up. The factory kept trying different lube formulations, none of which solved the problem. Meanwhile, in 14,000 miles I went through three brake jobs (under warranty) because the front rotors liked to warp. The rear axle (the infamous aluminum "Dana 44") developed a howl, apparently because the diff housing warped. It wasn't abuse, because I never took it off road. I had my '88 XJ for that. That axle is just trash.

 

In the end, the thing died in the middle of a state highway and had to be towed to the dealership where they gave me the good news and the bad news. The good news was, they knew what the problem was: bad cam sensor. The bad news was: the part to replace it wasn't in the system, so they couldn't fix it. Not today, not tomorrow, not next week or even next month.

 

Fortunately, because Jeep had already wasted so much of my time and money, the factory had agreed to buy it back (to stop me from filing a lemon law case, which gets recorded in some Federal database), and the replacement (a 2000 XJ Classic) showed up abut the time the WJ died. So I just handed them the keys and wished them good luck with it.

 

It drove well and rode very comfortably with the Up Country suspension. The much-touted 4.7 V8 had NO power or torque under 3,000 RPM, but over 3,000 RPM it took off like a rocket. In other words, a passenger car engine rather than a Jeep engine. The Chrysler automatic tranny was also junk. It always made various annoying clunks and bangs that the dealership assured me were "normal" (but which I had never heard any other vehicle make).

 

I would suggest getting a 2001 or 2002. I don't think they had the bugs worked out even in the 2000 production. And, unless your wife really likes to use the power, I would stay FAR away from the V8 and get the 4.0L engine with the old stand-by 242 transfer case. If you get that configuration, there's a possibility you might get a Dana 35 axle. Yeah, yeah, I know. But ... the Dana 35 in my 88 Cherokee has 270,000 miles on it, has been off-roaded somewhat extensively, and is still going strong. The "Dana 44" in my WJ had to be rebuilt under warranty at 10,000 miles, and the rebuild made the problem worse instead of better. The good old Dana 35 is actually better than the POS aluminum "Dana 44."

[90eliminator]

I have been looking for one as well. I second all that info about the 4.7, avoid it... Go with a Laredo package straight 6. the old familiar 4.0 high output, and they are everywhere....and usually with the right searching 4.5-5k which I like.... No leather, but all the power options.... Never driven one, but this seems like the way to go...

[summerinmaine]

1999 was the first year for the WJ. DO NOT buy a 1999 WJ. Learn from my error, and remember the adage that you should never, ever buy a new vehicle in the first year it's available.

 

 

Thanks for the write-up Eagle.

 

That must have been painful, to re-live all those memories.

[aemsee]

I've had a 2004 and currently have a 2001 (well, botht the wifes.) Both 4.0 liters, w/242 case. I happen to disagree with the others though. I think both the 4.7 and the 45rfe trannys are very good components. And with the 45rfe you should be able to flash it to a 545rfe. You can find the 4.7 with the 242 case instead of the AWD. For where you live that would save on gas and tire wear for the fronts. The AWD seems to eat front tires. I do agree that the alum D44 is one of the biggest pieces of crap ever made. I would take a D35 any day of the week over one of those. Watch for leaking rear axle seals. Very common. As are loose tie rod ends. And if it has ATC look under the dash at the connector for the Blower Power Module. They tend to melt when the power module is going bad. Also make sure the A/C works and the blend door moves. Door lock actuators honk like a duck when bad, so be sure to lock and unlock the doors a couple of times. OTHER than that. I highly recommend them. I think they are the last good Jeep product besides the TJ's.

[summerinmaine]

Thanks for the comments.

[Eagle]

1999 was the first year for the WJ. DO NOT buy a 1999 WJ. Learn from my error, and remember the adage that you should never, ever buy a new vehicle in the first year it's available.

 

 

Thanks for the write-up Eagle.

 

That must have been painful, to re-live all those memories.

Heh ... If I stopped to reconstruct the full history, what I gave you was just the tip of the iceberg.

 

How about an "auto disengage" feature for the cruise control? Pretty neat, huh? It was especially appealing in heavy traffic with a semi on my bumper.

 

Or the panic alarm. It had a "random self-test" feature built in. It would go off whenever it felt like it. They didn't believe me at the dealership. Finally, after the shop foreman had taken a test drive to evaluate one of the other problems, we were standing outside the shop (me, the foreman, the service writer, and a tech or three) and the alarm went off. "There," I said, "that's what I'm talking about."

 

"You did it," said the service writer. "Yeah? Mike [the foreman] is still holding the keys."

 

"Oh."

 

Oh, yeah. If at all possible, DO NOT get one with the optional Sentry Key (or whatever they call it). That's the key with the sensor or transmitter or whatever built in, so the engine won't start unless THAT key is in the ignition. Home Depot or locksmith copies won't work. You'll want to be sitting down if you ever ask the price for a replacement key. And they can't make 'em at the dealership -- they have to special order them from Chrysler.

[BLHTAZ]

The 4.7L is a great engine as I have it in my 2002 Ram and love it, but you don't want the '99 model WJ as Eagle has stated. The engine was not the problem in '99...but, most everything else was and there are a lot of things that are quite hard to get for them as they were only made that one year and then changed to fix the bugs of the new model. I can't count how many times ai tried to find things for the '99 WJ while I was at the dealership and ran in to discontinued or back-ordered issues.

[summerinmaine]

Oh, yeah. If at all possible, DO NOT get one with the optional Sentry Key (or whatever they call it). That's the key with the sensor or transmitter or whatever built in, so the engine won't start unless THAT key is in the ignition. Home Depot or locksmith copies won't work. You'll want to be sitting down if you ever ask the price for a replacement key. And they can't make 'em at the dealership -- they have to special order them from Chrysler.

 

Yeah. I'm somewhat familiar with that problem (though fortunately not from FHE).

 

One of my Ducs has that "special red key" that helps you re-program a replacement for the black key.

 

Need a new black key (with the RF sender)? $75.

 

Oh, you lost the red key too? That's be $1,200 (because you need to replace the entire ECU/wiring harness/RF receiver).

[summerinmaine]

The 4.7L is a great engine as I have it in my 2002 Ram and love it, but you don't want the '99 model WJ as Eagle has stated. The engine was not the problem in '99...but, most everything else was and there are a lot of things that are quite hard to get for them as they were only made that one year and then changed to fix the bugs of the new model. I can't count how many times ai tried to find things for the '99 WJ while I was at the dealership and ran in to discontinued or back-ordered issues.

 

Thanks.

 

So the distilled wisdom to date appears to be to stay away from the 99s, the D44, and maybe the QuadraDriveII, and beyond that just check things pretty carefully as you would any routine used vehicle.

[aemsee]

[Oh, yeah. If at all possible, DO NOT get one with the optional Sentry Key (or whatever they call it). That's the key with the sensor or transmitter or whatever built in, so the engine won't start unless THAT key is in the ignition. Home Depot or locksmith copies won't work. You'll want to be sitting down if you ever ask the price for a replacement key. And they can't make 'em at the dealership -- they have to special order them from Chrysler.

 

Sentry key is standard on the WJ. Whoever told you that they cannot "make" them at the dealer is full of it. They order the key blanks, cut them to your Jeep,, then they need to be programmed with either the Scan tool or with two good keys. Or if you really wanted to, you take the one good sentry key, attatch it to the inside of your column cover near the module antenna, then you can use any normal key cut to your ignition code to start the Jeep.

[Windowsrookie]

4.7 is the way to go on the WJ's, they are too heavy for the 4.0. Quadra-Drive II doesn't exist (at least on WJs) WJs were offered with Quadra-Drive, Quadra-Trac II, and Select-Trac. Quadra-Drive is Quadra-Track II, but with limited slips front and rear. Select-Trac is the 242 Transfer Case.

 

Quadra-Drive is a great system, I have it and love it. Yes, it will bind up in sharp turns once and a while (particularly when it's very cold out and the fluids are thick) but is nothing to worry about. The limited slips front and rear work together with the Quadra-Drive transfer case, making it possible to send 99% of the power to one wheel with the most traction. All of this is done mechanically with no sensors to fail. The limited slips in WJs are also a different design, with a pump that allows for almost no wearing of the clutches.

 

The only disadvantage of the Quadra-Drive Transfer Case (247) is that it requires a special fluid from the dealer (ATF+4 isn't "Slippery" enough) The 1999 WJ's were filled with ATF+4, and that is what caused most of the problems on that year.

 

The 1999 models were just fine, not much was changed actually in the newer models. And almost everything that was is pretty easy to swap in. (Brake calipers, front drive shaft, etc.)

 

Remember, the newer the WJs got, the less features they had (Budget cuts). Things like the under hood lamp, courtesy lights on the doors, rubber protection strips on the roof, etc. were removed in the later years.

 

Sentry Key was standard on all WJ's except for the very base models in 1999. It'll be hard to find one without Sentry Key. But as long as you have two keys, you can program a large amount on your own (I forget the exact number).

 

Also, around 2001 the 545RFE transmission was introduced (6 forward speeds). The 45RFE (5 forward speeds) offered in the earlier WJ's is exactly the same, just with older software that didn't use the 6th gear. The newer software update is available at the dealer.

 

The 545RFE has 5 gears it normally uses, and a special 6th gear between 2nd and 3rd for passing on the freeway.

 

2002.5+ WJ's have the newer brake system. The newer system included more efficient calipers (that do not warp the rotors, like older WJ's calipers) and a slightly more powerful Booster. The calipers are sold as an upgrade package for previous year WJs too.

 

Also, the D44A is a fine axle, much better than the D35. I have only had to replace 1 axle seal on my D44A (130,000 miles on it) and it's a very simple process on the D44A. There are no C-clips, so you don't even have to open the differential. The only time the D44A is weak, is if you slam it into a rock. The D44A is on all 4.7 WJs.

 

4.0 WJs had 3.55 gears

4.0 Tow Package 3.73 gears

4.7 3.73 gears.

 

4.0: Electric fan (relay is common failure)

4.0 Tow package: Electric + Mechanical

4.7 through 2001: Electric + Mechanical

4.7 2002+ Hydraulically powered by Power Steering pump.

[Sir Sam]

[Oh, yeah. If at all possible, DO NOT get one with the optional Sentry Key (or whatever they call it). That's the key with the sensor or transmitter or whatever built in, so the engine won't start unless THAT key is in the ignition. Home Depot or locksmith copies won't work. You'll want to be sitting down if you ever ask the price for a replacement key. And they can't make 'em at the dealership -- they have to special order them from Chrysler.

 

Sentry key is standard on the WJ. Whoever told you that they cannot "make" them at the dealer is full of it. They order the key blanks, cut them to your Jeep,, then they need to be programmed with either the Scan tool or with two good keys. Or if you really wanted to, you take the one good sentry key, attatch it to the inside of your column cover near the module antenna, then you can use any normal key cut to your ignition code to start the Jeep.

 

2nd.

[jtdesigns]

Who the heck is SWMBO ??

I've cpme up with this..

Super Wade Must Be Ovulating

Seriously Wild Man Bought O'nudder-one...

Shameless Woman Made Binding Offer

Sabotaging Wookies Marauded Boba-Fetts Office

Sexy Waitresses Mindy Binding Over

Sadly We Must Bounce Off

Stimulus Woes Mf'n Barrack Obama

Really I have no Idea...

 

Edit: She Who Must Be Obeyed?

[BLHTAZ]

Who the heck is SWMBO ??

 

Edit: She Who Must Be Obeyed?

While I think all of them are hilarious...I think this is most likely it :thumbsup: . Good work JT :yes:

[Wildman]

Who the heck is SWMBO ??

I've cpme up with this..

 

Seriously Wild Man Bought O'nudder-one...

 

Really I have no Idea...

 

Edit: She Who Must Be Obeyed?

 

 

:yes:

 

Yea, that's what it means :rotf:

[summerinmaine]

Who the heck is SWMBO ??

I've cpme up with this..

 

Seriously Wild Man Bought O'nudder-one...

 

Really I have no Idea...

 

Edit: She Who Must Be Obeyed?

 

 

:yes:

 

Yea, that's what it means :rotf:

 

Yep. For the H. Rider Haggard fans among us. The term was appropriated by John Mortimer and famously used by Leo Kern in the BBC series "Rumpole of the Bailey" as a sotto voce reference to his wife.

[cocco78]

I had a 99 WJ limited and it was fantastic, the 4.7L V8 was a great motor. I would hands down take the 4.7L over the 4.0L in the WJ, it had plenty of power in the lower rpm band. But just like all motors made today, the small displacement V8's make a ton of power high in the rpm band. I had the dealer flash my trans to get the extra gear. I towed my wrangler a few times with it and it had no problem getting it all moving. I consistantly got over 20mpg with it on the highway, can't say that for the 4.0L powered ZJ that I had before. My quadra-drive tcase worked just fine but I think the limited slips were a little wore out. Only issue I really had was the blend doors on the hvac system were starting to fail, everything else was perfect. I traded it in at 98k miles on a truck though.