Make a Comanche more garage friendly?

[NC Tom]

I have a hard time finding a good mechanic to work on my 88 with reliable results. I enjoy doing what I can myself. Time is the issue. I've been through three garage monkeys. Seems like they just don't know how to work on the Renix error, I mean ERA, jeeps.

 

So, can an old-@$$ MJ get un-Renixed to help future repairs be done more reliably, or do I have a better chance of finding Sasquatch?

[Comanche SS]

You can HO swap it, or 97+ swap it.

But truthfully, the renix is pretty easy to diagnose, without any special tools, if you can work a voltmeter, and know what you are looking for. 

The HO & 97+ swaps are also good options, but a lot of work, and both have pitfalls of there own.

[89 MJ]

I was going to say the same thing as Comanche SS. You can do the OBDI 91-95 HO swap, but I don’t think you’re gaining much over a Renix truck because the diagnostic tools don’t really exist for those either. At least for Renix, the REM exists. A 97+ swap gets you OBDII, but you’re still dealing with 25 year old parts. And in either case, you are rewiring most of the truck. 

[Pete M]

REM.

 

renix has pretty much all the same basic components as later years of XJ, and a lot of the same issues now that they are all quite old.  you just need to test things with a multimeter (or an REM) rather than more typical modern methods. 

 

what specific issue are you tackling?

[ghetdjc320]

Agreed on the REM. Problem is many mechanics rely on their scanners and not their skill sets. Kinda like going to the auto parts store and then asking what vehicle you’re working on when you ask them for a relay socket. You need the guy that knows where their reference books are. An OBD2 swap in an MJ is not a straight forward swap if done correctly. Cruisers tips and an REM are the way to go. But as mentioned, the wiring from headlight to taillight is now getting old and all the connectors are getting corroded. I’d note that MJ’s weren’t really built to a high standard . I still love these trucks but it is what it is