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C101 Worries


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Some of you have already seen this craigslist ad from another of my threads, but i had another concern about the truck if I were to buy it. Since the truck is an 87 i am pretty sure it will have the c101 connector. Which makes me quite nervous, having dealt with extremely bad electrical problems on my current MJ which did not have the c101, buying another that has such a severe electrical stumbling block makes me very uneasy.

 

From the pictures you can see the truck is in pretty darn good shape (looow miles, 4x4, auto) , plus the guy just had both the headliner and bench seat reupholstered. Considering all the factors, price not included, would a comanche with a c101 connector deter you from getting this truck? Or any other truck for that matter?

 

http://knoxville.craigslist.org/cto/3613398681.html

 

ftpiercecracker

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Some of you have already seen this craigslist ad from another of my threads, but i had another concern about the truck if I were to buy it. Since the truck is an 87 i am pretty sure it will have the c101 connector. Which makes me quite nervous, having dealt with extremely bad electrical problems on my current MJ which did not have the c101, buying another that has such a severe electrical stumbling block makes me very uneasy.

 

The alleged C101 problems, IMHO, are vastly exaggerated.

 

Back around 1990 the dealer from whom I bought my '88 Cherokee had gone out of business. I took the XJ to another dealer for some minor service, and the service manager mentioned a TSB on the C101 connector that he claimed would cure all sorts of problems. So I told him to go ahead. The TSB was to cut out the C101 connector and splice all the wires -- it cost me several hundred dollars, and after all that the result was that it didn't accomplish ANY of the improvements he had said it would. I mentioned that the next time I was there, and the lying [bleep] then claimed he never told me it would improve anything.

 

Needless to say, I never went back to that stealership.

 

Meanwhile, I have an '87 MJ and two '88 MJs that all still have the C101 intact, and there have been no problems with any of them that can be attributed to the C101.

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What were the MJ years that the C101 connector was used? Only the Renix years? My 91 has a similar firewall connector, but it was completely redesigned for the 92 models.

 

EDIT: Never mind, Just read Cruiser's Renix tips, 87-88.

 

Actually, the early 89s had it, too. The elimination of the C101 connector was a running change midway through the 1989 production year.

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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

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