Need Help - Dashboard Replacement and Adding A/C

[VintageJC]

Hi there - I'm a new owner of an '88 Comanche Pioneer (Though I've owned an 85 CJ7 for over 10 years). I'm also new to the Comanche Club and love that I found it! Two things:

 

1. My dashboard (grey) has some cracks (not the bezel but the top by the windshield). Can't seem to find a replacement online and was looking for some tips on where to find one (or repair it). 

 

2. I was also thinking that while I'm replacing the dash, would be a good time to add A/C. The interior controller has A/C options but there is no compressor under the hood. Does anyone have a good webpage or YouTube video that would help walk me through this. 

 

Thanks in advance!!

 

Josh

[jdog]

Does the vehicle have any other ac components?

As far as dash they are the same as a xj I dunno about replacements but either a good upholstery shop or car part. Com

Welcome

[eaglescout526]

God damn that is gorgeous. We need a build thread

[Greentoy]

God damn that is gorgeous. We need a build thread

This^^^


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[Minuit]

Post some pictures of the front grille and passenger side firewall. If it has A/C controls on the inside installed, there's a good chance it's actually an A/C truck but just doesn't have all of the parts installed.

 

The dashboard is shared with 84-96 XJ Cherokees. The grey interior color was used from 1988-1996. In approximately 1994, a minor change to the dash eliminated the crotch vent. Other than repairing the dash you've got, finding another one is your option. I haven't had good luck repairing even very minor damage to these vinyl-over-foam dashes, but that's probably just me.

[VintageJC]

Thanks for the feedback so far. I will post some pictures of the engine bay tomorrow once I have some light. Regarding dashboard, was hoping an upholstery shop may be an option. Been search for moth Comanche and Cherokee dashboards. Lots of bezels but haven't found any of the vinyl/foam dashes. Thx again - excited to be part of this community .

[VintageJC]

Here is a picture of the interior control panel and also of the engine bay, with a close up of the left side firewall as Minuit suggested. What do I got here A/C wise? 

 

(Sorry engine pictures are upside down - this program is orientating that way no matter what I do)

 

 

[jdog]

Yeah it's the site and they haven't figured out why it loads em upside-down, it looks like all you have is the controls panel and nothing else

[eaglescout526]

You’ll probably need the wiring harness but i don't know if it’s already there with the 4.0L. You’ll need the compressor, lines, condenser, dryer, new air box that fits the evap and expansion valve. I think that’s all. 

[jdog]

The harness is not there on the engine side. It's a separate harness.

[jdog]

And a electric fan and radiator fan switch

[VintageJC]

This is all really helpful. Thank you! Sounds like a big project. Will probably move it a bit down the list.  

 

While I have the attention of some masters, trying to figure out why my horn doesn't work. If I'm gonna let my son drive this, I should have some basic safety elements in place, right. When I push the steering wheel horn button I hear a click so the switch is probably working. I went to go test the horn itself and couldn't find it. It's an easy replacement but finding the wires for it may be harder. On my CJ7 that has the exact same engine the horn is mounted on the right side of the frame, kinda near where those two orange wires are on the picture below. Any help locating the wires on the Comanche?

 

 

 

Also trying to figure out what this in and out wiring does. Not sure why those wires would leave the harness and go right back into it?

 

[eaglescout526]

So for the horns, they are located behind the bumper, one or two can be had. One on each side of the Jeep. They are mounted up a ways behind the headlamps actually. There should be a signal Packard 56 connector floating around on both sides. The drivers side has two wires going into it and the passenger is one wire. 
 

 

That thing in the drivers did fender from left most to right is the EGR purge solenoid and the truck the fuel pump ballast. You can bypass that since all it does is “quiet” down the pump but that was more applicable to the XJs. 

[Pete M]

@VintageJC  out of curiosity, are you using a phone or a laptop to upload?  if phone, apple or android?  were all the pics taken with the phone/camera in the same orientation?

[VintageJC]

Hey Pete - I'm taking the pictures with Android. They then back up to Google Photos. Then once there, I download them to my PC (Windows 10 / Chrome). When I upload to the forum, they are in the correct orientation, but then get rotated. For the pictures that are upside down, I actually rotated them upside down as a test then uploaded thinking the software would then rotate them right-side-up, but it kept them upside down. Didn't make sense. Software has a mind of its own. 

[VintageJC]

EagleScout...thx for the excellent info on the horns and nice to know about the EGR purge solenoid. For the horns, this seems like a good thing to fix when I upgrade the bumpers. Much appreciated!!!

[Pete M]

6 minutes ago, VintageJC said:

Hey Pete - I'm taking the pictures with Android. They then back up to Google Photos. Then once there, I download them to my PC (Windows 10 / Chrome). When I upload to the forum, they are in the correct orientation, but then get rotated. For the pictures that are upside down, I actually rotated them upside down as a test then uploaded thinking the software would then rotate them right-side-up, but it kept them upside down. Didn't make sense. Software has a mind of its own. 

 

if you alter them in any way on a PC they should upload correctly.  meaning you double bluffed it on the ones you rotated upside down because now it uploaded them correctly, but they were upside down.  

[eaglescout526]

1 hour ago, VintageJC said:

EagleScout...thx for the excellent info on the horns and nice to know about the EGR purge solenoid. For the horns, this seems like a good thing to fix when I upgrade the bumpers. Much appreciated!!!

 

No problem! Hopefully youll get it all straight.

 

1 hour ago, Pete M said:

 

if you alter them in any way on a PC they should upload correctly.  meaning you double bluffed it on the ones you rotated upside down because now it uploaded them correctly, but they were upside down.  

Funny you say this. The photos I took of the inside of those two gas tanks kept uploading upside down and I had no idea why. I did not edit them in any way and sent them straight to my onedrive from my phone and uploaded them to the post. I had to actually go and rotate them, save it and rotate them again to get them to upload correctly.