Any Jeepers out there?

[MMR]

Not bad?

I'd say pretty darned nice, especially for being 21!

The 4.0L was a great engine.  Maybe it's a bit long in the tooth and archaic by modern engine standards, but it has always been a bulletproof workhorse engine.  I don't believe I have ever heard of a 4.0 failing- it always seems to be a transfer case, axles, transmission or other component around it, but the engine itself seems to go forever.

Great rig!

Def

I believe you...because even with 320.000 km on it, it still runs like Swiss clockwork!


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[MMR]

Changed the interior lights out with LEDs

I hated that ugly orange / yellowish light the factory halogen bulbs give, these LEDs gives a nice white light without being too bright either.

Also considering the previous owner installed an ugly bright blue LED light in the back...this is a huge improvement.



And it looks like I also managed to take a crappy blurry picture of it at the same time



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[Grant Lamontagne]

Be careful with the LED replacements- I picked up an LED replacement kit for my Jeep shortly after I got it and I really liked the white lights instead of the old dull yellow ones.  Some time later I noticed that I was having issues with the map reading lights coming on unexpectedly, and after an expensive trip to the dealership for what I thought was a warranty issue, it turns out that the heat sink on the rear overhead light was making contact with the metal housing it was contained in and causing the Jeep to think the doors were open when they weren't.

Now I have two LED's in the front and an incandescent in the back because of it.  I suppose I could go back to the LED and insulate it a bit with electrical tape so it doesn't happen again, but it has never been that much of an issue.

Def

[MMR]

Be careful with the LED replacements- I picked up an LED replacement kit for my Jeep shortly after I got it and I really liked the white lights instead of the old dull yellow ones.  Some time later I noticed that I was having issues with the map reading lights coming on unexpectedly, and after an expensive trip to the dealership for what I thought was a warranty issue, it turns out that the heat sink on the rear overhead light was making contact with the metal housing it was contained in and causing the Jeep to think the doors were open when they weren't.

Now I have two LED's in the front and an incandescent in the back because of it.  I suppose I could go back to the LED and insulate it a bit with electrical tape so it doesn't happen again, but it has never been that much of an issue.

Def

I appreciate the feedback and advice, so thank you for that

Mine is a 1998 ZJ, the mod has been done by many people on jeepforum and Jeepz.com and I have seen several YouTubeees do it on their ZJs too, so far I have yet to see anyone report any issues with the mod.



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[MMR]

Better pictures of the finished install





Installed a new alternator today too




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[Grant Lamontagne]

Very cool!

I like the cargo separator behind the front seats.  That must make hauling larger things (and dogs!) much easier!

Def

[MMR]

Installed some much needed new tailgate bumpers today


Before:



After:



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[MMR]

Very cool!

I like the cargo separator behind the front seats.  That must make hauling larger things (and dogs!) much easier!

Def

It’s what we call a “van registered vehicle” here in Europe. Basically rear seats removed and the whole back turned into one big trunk.

There are several tax benefits of this, but I also need it because I use it as my work vehicle, even though mine is registered for both private and commercial usage.






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[MMR]

New oil cap arrived today



BEFORE:



AFTER:



If anyone cares; it’s made by a company called “Gates” - Part# 31118





This is what was left of the old oil cap, I bought the Jeep with it like this, I have never seen an oil cap snap in half like this before:








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[Grant Lamontagne]

It seems a bit common around here- I have seen a few oil caps like that in my time.  They work just fine, they are just a pain in the butt to take off.

Good idea replacing it!

Def

[MMR]

It seems a bit common around here- I have seen a few oil caps like that in my time.  They work just fine, they are just a pain in the butt to take off.

Good idea replacing it!

Def

It’s a small price to pay for something that could potentially be the cause of major engine damage.

Also I specifically ordered this one from Gates because it’s made from one solid piece of polymer and not two pieces of ABS that are either glued or pressed together.


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[Grant Lamontagne]

Yes, my first car, a 1986 Pontiac Firebird was an excellent example of what happens when you run a car without oil.   

A one piece unit does seem like it would hold together much better than the two piece units.  I think those are the ones I usually see broken in half.

Def

[MMR]

Yes, my first car, a 1986 Pontiac Firebird was an excellent example of what happens when you run a car without oil.   

A one piece unit does seem like it would hold together much better than the two piece units.  I think those are the ones I usually see broken in half.

Def

Really? ..hmm...well we will see how will it lasts. it's not something one should over tighten anyway, just needs to sit snug, the o'ring holds it in place when its just snug on there   

But if worse comes to worse, it wasn't that expensive a part to replace anyway 

[MMR]

Installed new headlights today:


Before:



After:




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[Grant Lamontagne]

Much nicer!

I had an HID kit installed in my Jeep for a few years but it was an inexpensive one and the ballasts burned out, so I switched back to standard headlights.  I miss my bright beams, but I see the prices have come down and the technology has improved so one of these days I will probably get around to doing it again.

I'd probably go with LED lights this time.

Def

[MMR]

Much nicer!

I had an HID kit installed in my Jeep for a few years but it was an inexpensive one and the ballasts burned out, so I switched back to standard headlights.  I miss my bright beams, but I see the prices have come down and the technology has improved so one of these days I will probably get around to doing it again.

I'd probably go with LED lights this time.

Def

The thing with LED lights is that on reflector headlights they usually just send the light all over the place without focusing it, the only time I have heard good things about LED kits is on projector style headlights.

My Jeep has the reflector style headlights, so I am just running a pair of upgraded halogen bulbs, they are an equivalent of Osram night breakers that I bought in BilTema (a large auto parts retail chain in Scandinavia)


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[Grant Lamontagne]

The current model Wrangler comes from the factory with LED lights, so I will probably see if they can be fit to older models.

Def

[MMR]

The current model Wrangler comes from the factory with LED lights, so I will probably see if they can be fit to older models.

Def

That would be a cool mod! ...please share what you find out


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[MMR]

More car parts arrived today.





- New user manual
- New wiper motor
- New wiper blade

....and THE MIGHTY CLEAR wiper arm..




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[Grant Lamontagne]

Nice haul!

I need to put new wipers on my Jeep- I am terrible when it comes to replacing wipers.  They clean the window okay, but they make such horrible noises...

Def

[MMR]

Nice haul!

I need to put new wipers on my Jeep- I am terrible when it comes to replacing wipers.  They clean the window okay, but they make such horrible noises...

Def

I have gotten into the habit of replacing them once a year (or twice if needed).

I usually just buy the cheapest ones they have, those high end ones from Borsch I have found to be a total waste of money. They don’t clean the windows better and I have found them to only last about 6 months more than the cheapest ones, and at €80 vs €5 a piece it really doesn’t make sense to get the high end ones.

The only time I have seen a huge difference, is in extreme cold weather, the cheap ones flexing mechanisms tend to freeze and get stuck, so they don’t wipe the window fully. The high end ones doesn’t seem to have this problem

But that’s just my opinion


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[MMR]

I used a patch from a company called MastaPlasta to patch a giant hole in my drivers seat.

Not sure how I feel about the result, but it’s better than before regardless


Before:


After:




There was also a wear hole in the door cart that I used the remaining on.

Before:



After:



I am no interior guy, and I don’t care to spend 1000+ dollars / euros on a reupholstery on a Jeep with 325.000 km on it that I paid around €1200  for.

This patch was €20 with shipping, and it’s way better than before now.

Let the hate begin!




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[Grant Lamontagne]

Looks perfectly fine to me.   

Great job!  If anyone else doesn't like it, feel free to have it properly reupholstered and send them the bill!

Def

[MMR]

If anyone else doesn't like it, feel free to have it properly reupholstered and send them the bill!

Def

Amen


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[MMR]

Installed a new wiper motor and wiper arm today ...and removed the ugly and fainted dealer decal and license plate frame


I don’t have a proper “Before” picture, but you get the idea:


After:



And don’t worry; I will do something about those ugly and dated 80s looking auxiliary reverse lights, I have a set of LED reverse lights in the mail.

...and yes I know my Jeep needs a wash




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[kottskrapa]

Installed a new wiper motor and wiper arm today ...and removed the ugly and fainted dealer decal and license plate frame


I don’t have a proper “Before” picture, but you get the idea:
(Image removed from quote.)

After:
(Image removed from quote.)


And don’t worry; I will do something about those ugly and dated 80s looking auxiliary reverse lights, I have a set of LED reverse lights in the mail.

...and yes I know my Jeep needs a wash




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Nice progress! And it's a jeep.. It's to clean

[It's not failure if you learn something from it]

[MMR]

Installed some LED license plate bulbs and front side marker bulbs





Hard to take a picture of, but this is the closest to how it looks irl:



I am not sure how I feel about the blue’ish light they give in the front marker lights....I might swap them for some yellow ones instead...idk we’ll see




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[MMR]

Nice progress! And it's a jeep.. It's to clean

[It's not failure if you learn something from it]

It’s actually a lot dirtier IRL that it looks in the pictures


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[MMR]

Replaced the tired and dated looking 1980s auxiliary reverse lights with some more  discreet LED lights.

Before:


After:



Close ups:




Can’t wait to test them out later when it gets dark, they seemed extremely bright on my test bench, so hopefully they will perform well on the Jeep...


....otherwise FML!!!


UPDATE:





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[Grant Lamontagne]

Very cool!

I need to upgrade the reverse lights on my Jeep.  I upgraded the reverse bulbs in the tail lights to LED's but they aren't bright enough.  I would eventually like to put some recessed LED lights into the rear bumper, but I will wait until I have a new bumper to do it in.

Def