jeep ... posssible problems

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rock n roll kid

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had my 01 grand cheroke on the interstate yesterday for a trip of bout 50 miles . was on cruise control at 65 mph. after driving bout 30 miles , i noticed the rpm's take a sudden speed up an thought the engine revved up a bit . took it off cruise and ran for bout 5 miles . put it back in criuse and within 4-5 miles it happened again . all gauges are reading normal but the engine check symbol is on .
returning home the same distance apprx 2 hours later on the interstate , i DID NOT use the cruise control and all was fine . tranny shifted fine and tried passing gear a couple of times , all completely normal. it has the straight inline 6 motor and has 178 k on it . had it thru the last 2 winters and everything has worked great. could this be the cruise control that is causing the problem ?
thanks
 
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I drive a 99 JGC.... Put a tester on it and see if any codes come.
You can buy those testers cheap now,about $30. or $40... Mine wouldn't idle down after driving,code came up with a serious problem, but after i Googled the code i found a bad vacuum line. The 4.0 str. six has lines on the drivers side of motor and they get real sloppy over time. Cost me $.99 to fix it.
I'm not saying thats whats wrong with yours,but those lines can mess a lot of stuff up and give false readings. Just check them for the heck of it..There hard plastic lines with rubber boots on the end where they connect, piece of fuel line fits over the plastic line after you cut the boot off
... I'm just one of those shade tree mechanics
 
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I think in this range of years, you can still access the codes by turning the key on and off a certain number of times.

Drove a similar critter round trip central WI to Omaha once.
Simple code access was the only positive mark I have to give it.
For the volume of gas consumed, I demand enough performance to invoke a smile that a cop can't beat off your face with a night stick.

some people love these things though ... I just don't understand why.
 
The 2001 GC My wife drove was the WORST Jeep I've ever owned and I've had 6 of them. Hope and pray it isn't the lousy Chrysler 42RE automatic tranny they put behind the 6 cylinder. Her tranny went TU at around 150k - almost all of them do. Cost $2400 for a rebuilt with a 3yr warranty.

Less than a year later the heater core started leaking - and replacing it cost around a grand - because you have to remove the steering wheel and ENTIRE dash just to replace the paper-thin, flimsy, aluminum, heater core.
 
I would start with reading the code and work from there. Most chain auto parts store will rent you one for free but ask for returnable deposit. O'reilly's will do it for you (at my store).

Also, do BigBill says; check linkage. Cables can become frayed or stretched over time. Next check all hoses at the cc unit.
 
Our 2001 was the worst CAR we have ever had. Stopped dead on the freeway. Limped into a gas station (on a Sunday) and it wouldn't start. Pushed it out of the way and waited. Tried it again and it started. A full tank got us home. Later that night, the alarm started and wouldn't turn off. I asked the wife to tally the repairs and they came to $300 MORE THAN THE CAR PAYMENTS DID FOR THE PREVIOUS YEAR! Traded it the next day for a 2001 Pathfinder. Not a problem until this year when the belt gave out (at 110K miles).

Dump it!
 
When my 02 started kicking in and out of overdrive on the interstate with the cruise control on, it ended up being the throttle position sensor was going out. Found it by running codes and was a cheap and easy fix.

SWCA #1834
 
Sounds to me like your cruise control is gone, and needs to be replaced. Happened to me on a Buick years ago, same way. stuck in acceleration mode. From the comments, I am glad I've never owned a Jeep.
 
Well, FWIW, and just to clarify. I have owned SIX Jeeps and still own two. Other than the 01 Grand Cherokee they have all been great. The 5 good ones have all been "regular" Cherokees (not GRAND Cherokees).

The regular Cherokees with a 4.0l 6 cylinder and an automatic have an Aisin Warner AW4 transmission. GREAT transmission - darned near bulletproof. I have one with over 300k on it that is still going strong. Its just the GRAND Cherokees that got the lousy Chrysler 42RE tranny that had that problem.

Regular Cherokees are a great vehicle. They are the last Jeep designed by AMC. Too bad they quit making them in 2001 - worst decision they ever made.
 
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It sounds like the TPS, but you need to throw on a scan tool to retrieve any thrown and pending codes.

If you are in NW IN, feel free to PM me about getting you one.
 
info appreciated ....

got my fix it guy coming to my house in 45 min. i mostly only drive the jeep in the colder months , mid - late nov. to bout mid or last of april .

taking in all the negative comments and thinking i havent had quite this bad of luck with mine. maybe because of the limited use . put new tires on . have had the serp. belt replaced , all new hood & hatch shocks , new winshield wipers front & rear , an alignment job , and the iginition re-keyed . will replace the power steering pump soon .
the body and interior are in excellent condition. even with the 178k on the motor , oil useage is sparse . has over 2000 on the last oil change and its not down 1/2 quart . to this point , no tranny or engine problems .
wish me luck .
was thinking about trading or selling it because of the lousy gas mileage .
i am retired and dont quite have the need for the 4 wheel capability as i did a few years ago .
 
If you've got 178k good miles out of it I'd say its time to trade it - before the tranny or something else expensive goes out. I've been a Jeep guy for close to 15 years and I'm not kidding when I say that just about EVERY one of the 42RE trannies goes kaput somewhere between about 125k and 175k. In my experience you're already on borrowed time - unless someone had already rebuilt it.

There were two other spendy little things that hers had problems with. A failed driver's side window regulator - $150 or so for the part, but it would have been another couple of hundred to have it put in if I hadn't been able to do it myself. The other was that both tail light assemblies failed and had to be replaced. They actually have electronics built into the assemblies and when they go bad you have to replace the entire assembly - to the tune of $100 a pop. I mean, really? Electronics in the tail-lights? Seriously?

I'm a big fan of the regular Cherokees - but the Grands? Not so much....
 
not so bad news....

he put the checker device on it ... looks like a small part that goes on the outside of the transfer case , he commented about how it works somewhat like a magnet . easy to change according to him . not sure of the cost yet.

when he returns in a few days , he will install the power steering pump & water pump , along with the other piece .
is there a way to tell which tranny my jeep has ? it works smoothly ....does it give any warning before it starts to die ?
since i have put so many new parts on it , i may try to sell it , taking into consideration which transmission it has ! like stated before it is in really good condition .
i appreciate all the help rock
 
Between me and my wife we have owned 9 Jeeps since 1968 and all of them had 150k plus when traded on a new one .. Last Rubicon I traded for my Unlimited I got 65% of what I paid for it after 7 years .. Resale very high on the Wrangler Model ..

Sounds like a module on the Cruise Control is going bad ..
 
From your description, it sounds like a reluctor for the VSS (vehicle speed sensor).

Super-easy fix: literally one cable to undo, then R&R the sensor.



Edit: It looks to be a ~$35 part.
 
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rock n roll kid said:
...is there a way to tell which tranny my jeep has ? it works smoothly ....does it give any warning before it starts to die ?
Click to expand...
You said you have the inline 6 cylinder which means you have the Chrysler 42RE - the same as my wife's - one that didn't hold up. That's the only tranny they put in the 6 cylinder in 2001.

As for warnings, my wife's gave almost NONE. She was driving it one day and it started making a noise like a washing machine full of marbles. It went about another 20 - 30 miles of light driving around town and it was DONE. Fluid never looked or smelled bad until it just went KAPUT.

If you had the V8 it would be the 46RE - a much better transmission.
 
That sounds like the torque converter lock up failing. It can be either a bad solenoid or the transmission fluid has "gone soft".
 
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