Happy new Export KJ owner!!

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AlexKJ

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Hi everyone :D I'm a happy new Jeep owner and later I'd like to show you some pictures of my new (for me) KJ :cool:

It's a bone stock Export KJ (Cherokee) Limited born in May'03, although its commercial year is 2004.

POWERTRAIN: It has a 3.7 V6 engine, a Select-Trac transfer case, a Chrysler 8.25 rear diff with Trac-Lok and a 45RFE transmission (lucky me! :p ).

SAFETY: It has only two airbags, ABS but no ESP/BAS. It hasn't an anti-theft alarm (no panic button in the controller). The doors don't lock automatically (this setting isn't present in the EVIC menu). Since it has front and rear fog lights it also has two small reflectors in the rear bumper.

COMFORT: Tilt steering wheel, sunroof and power leather seats, not heated. It has all the other gadgets (A/C, cruise control, radio control on steering wheel, power steering, power windows, power and heated mirrors, etc.) I hasn't neither Infinity speakers nor 6-CD changer.

INFORMATION: It has a basic EVIC (no tire pressure monitor, no homelink).

TIRES: It has 235/70R16 Goodyear Wrangler SR-A All Terrain M+S rated tires (although they are just "All Season Highway" rated in Tirerack) from factory.

OFF-ROAD: It has the full Mopar armor (engine, transfer and gas tank skid plates. No yet available for the ****** at those years), and it hasn't any tow hook or trailer hitch (so I guess I don't have nither the Off-Road Package nor the Towing Package). I can't tell if it's a pre-lowered or not because I don't know how to verify it. I only guess that its a lowered one 'cause its born date. :confused:

FUEL CONSUMPTION: I bought it with 25.000mi (like 40.500km) and since I only used it in city at this time (and one with very heavy traffic) I only managed to get 13mpg (like 18 liters each 100Km). The U.S. gallon of 93 octane gasoline (the lowest octane grade available) costs US$4.64 (yes, 4 american dollars with 64 cents!!! :eek: the liter costs $620 chilean pesos). I still don't have a chance to jeep-it (take it off-road) or even drive it in a highway, 'cause my wife is really busy right now finishing her thesis work and I want to go out with her.

OTHERS: It has its antenna integrated into the glass in the rear right window and has two tiny turn signals in the place where the tree-wacker-antenna and the "Trail Rated" badge should be. Also it has a funny plastic device to hold the licence plate mounted on the spare wheel.

I have some questions about this car and I hoped you might help me :) :

¿How many chimes do you hear at ignition? If I get into the jeep, close and lock the doors, buckle the seatbelt, release the handbrake, insert the key and move to "start" I hear 5 dings. Then, I start the engine and the brake warning light turns on and off once and the chime also sounds once at the same time. Then, no more beeps. :confused:

¿How do I know if I have auxiliary cooling for the ******? If I look at the radiator, I see one large radiatior, another small one ahead and a tiny one in a side. :confused:

Thanks! :)
 

Marlon_JB2

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YES!!! ANOTHER MAY '03 KJ WITH THE 45RFE! :p

Welcome to JeepKJ!!!!!

Weird about that extra chime. You're only supposed to hear 5. Maybe check the brake fluid since the brake light flashes.
 

AlexKJ

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Thanks! :)

I'll check the brake fluid reservoir. If isn't the amount of fluid, maybe it has the wrong type of fluid, some sensor may be failing or other thing related idea.gif . By the way, I'm pretty sure that the brake pads are alternative parts instead OEM Mopar :(

On other related matters, this my shopping-wish list :p :

- Mopar Rear Wiper Blade P/N: 5066964AA
- Mopar Rear Lift Glass Pad P/N: 55360709AA
- Mopar "Trail Rated" Badge P/N: 55157106AA
- Mopar Rear Tow Hook P/N: 82206125
- Mopar Front Tow Hooks P/N: 82206124
- Mopar Transmission Skid Plate P/N: 82210003
- Mopar Light Bar P/N: 82206126AB

I'm waiting for the dealer to tell me the prices and how much time I'll have to wait for :confused: .
 

JeepJeepster

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hmm, youve got the skid plates but not the towhooks?

Ive never gotten 13mpg. 15-16 is the lowest I see and thats pure city.

Have you checked the airfilter and/or changed it? Sparkplugs could need changed but they are usually good for 30k.

Welcome to jeepkj!
 

K Dje Ryu

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I'd check with jparts.com for that stuff on your wishlist. I'm sure they have at least some of those things cheaper than the dealer but, I don't know what you'd have to pay for shipping. Worth a look, anyway. Welcome!
 

AlexKJ

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Have you checked the airfilter and/or changed it? Sparkplugs could need changed but they are usually good for 30k.
Hi jeepjeepster. I'd recently performed the 40.000Km service. I replaced myself the air filter for a Mopar part. And yes, I been thinking in change the spark plugs soon.

And about the light/chime at ignition... well, the things are becoming worst... It's the ABS light that was turning on sad2.gif Now I'm really worried about... I don't wanna go to the stealership... The owner manual says about this the following:

If the light comes back on immediately or comes on during driving, it indicates that the Anti-Lock portion of the brake system is not functioning and that service is required, however, the conventional brake system will continue to operate normally provided that the BRAKE warning light is not on. Also, a chime will sound if the light comes back on.

If the ABS light is on, the brake system should be serviced as soon as possible to restore the benefit of Anti-Lock Brakes.
I've found in http://www.asashop.org/autoinc/august97/service.htm the following:

Though ABS is relatively new, the rest of the brake system is not. The overall system - shoes, pads, wheel cylinders, calipers and assorted hardware - works the same way it always did. Experience has shown that maintaining and repairing these traditional components correctly takes care of most problems.
Many warning lights are triggered by non-anti-lock components. Problems in the regular brakes can cause ABS problems. The needed repairs are often straightforward and involve worn or mismatched pads; worn linings or grease on linings; a bad rotor surface; low brake fluid; or a bad alternator or battery.
Well... I guess I'm gonna see if I can do something on my own before go to the stealership... See ya :)

PD: ¿Do you know if every KJ must go to recall 'cause the lower ball joint issue? I don't see my country Jeep dealerships give any signals about. :confused:
 
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AlexKJ

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ABS and Brake Warning Light at ignition

Well, finally I went to the stealership. The chief mechanic let me try 2 KJs: A '03 and a '05.

When I move the key to on in the '05 everything was like I expected. First 5 chimes and a lots of lights, then all lights went off except for the oil warning light and the check engine light. When I turned the key to "start" position, those lights also went off.

Then I get into a red Limited '03 born in May. At this point I was absolutly sure that I maked my point about this matter (the ABS light). So, I turned the ignition key to "on" position and all the lights went on and the 5 chimes start to sound... Then, only 2 were still on: the oil and the engine lights... So I turned the ignition key to "start" and... :eek: Absolute shock! The freaking KJ was doing exactly the same as my KJ does: Both, the ABS and Brake Warning lights went on and a chime sound once, then both went off.

So, at this point I have only two choices:
a) My Jeep it's healty :)
b) The other '03 it's also sick (blarg)

So, can somebody help me telling me what is the right behavior of a '03 KJ please! :eek:
 

AlexKJ

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Ive never gotten 13mpg. 15-16 is the lowest I see and thats pure city.

Well, I just found that my cheap-o-US$2-tire-pressure-meter was saying 35PSI when actually was only 28PSI on the tire! :eek:

That may be the reason why I was getting poor fuel economy...
 

AlexKJ

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The dealership anwser me about the prices of my list.

- Mopar Rear Lift Glass Pad US$31.00
- Mopar "Trail Rated" Badge US$73.59
- Mopar Rear Tow Hook US$239.60
- Mopar Front Tow Hooks US$303.78
- Mopar Transmission Skid Plate US$149.75
- Mopar Light Bar US$1476.11

Well... What can I say?... Nothing, but :eek:
 

Marlon_JB2

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Well, I just found that my cheap-o-US$2-tire-pressure-meter was saying 35PSI when actually was only 28PSI on the tire! :eek:

That may be the reason why I was getting poor fuel economy...

Was it one of those tire pressure gauges that looks kinda like a pen? If so, that's why. Those are horribly inaccurate.
 

AlexKJ

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Yes, it's exactly one of those, fully plastic!... Well, I think I'm going to look for a US$10 clock style gauge... Those seems to be better.
 
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