New KJ in the forum.. Q re wire on underside of hood…

[Boueux]

Spent a couple of minutes under the hood this afternoon in attempt to familiarize myself with the engine. Can someone please fill me in on the purpose of the wiring running to the underside of the left side of the hood ( near the support arm.) It terminates where it joins a little silver cylinder about the size of a AA battery but a bit shorter. Or perhaps it’s not stock, the cylinder is mounted in a rusty clip, so it’s been there for a while.

This is just the beginning of my appreciation of the hive mind. Many thanks. I see now I should have taken a photo.. Hindsight and no b/u cam installed yet ; )

 

[Deb'nKJ]

Yup, a picture might've helped, 'cos I'm pretty sure mine doesn't have one. Sounds like it might be a mercury switch for underhood light.

 

[04Liberty]

Hood switch for remote start. Looks like this?

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[Boueux]

Well, yes, thank you. In that it looks like a wire going to a small silvery thing. AND I did see a remote start warning sticker on the fan shroud… but the vehicle came with only a regular lock/unlock/panic key and a second little presumably garage door/gate opening widget..

So what does OEM Remote Start thingamabob look like? Is is something we can replace if we didn’t get one? I need to get home and shoot a pic of it, but your shot is certainly similar. Thanks for your kind response and photo, I look forward to learning more o lllllll o

 

[Deb'nKJ]

Must admit that looks nothing like I imagined - also explains why I didn't recall seeing one on mine.

Unless we're in the realms of "if it's there I want it to work" I suggest 1st question OP asks himself is "Do I have a need for remote start?"

 

[Boueux]

Well, OP has asked herself and doesn’t really need remote start, but. There’s always a chance it may come in handy... say, some sort of emergency? I dunno, I‘ve always been in the realm of, “ it‘s one of the bells and whistles and my M.O. is to maintain things to showroom stock condition with as many small modernifying upgrades as possible,” plus, if anyone tells me I have an added feature, I’m always interested in how and whether it works.

I’ll have to check the build sheet again, for some reason I also remember reading there were heated seats and I haven’t seen any evidence of those yet, so.. you know, just scoping things out. Topping my list is the fine tooth comb.. pulling a tape and sussing out the suspension..Shocks and springs.. But first.. Faint smell of exhaust in the cabin so, looking for any exhaust issues Is number 1. There‘ve been several recalls that show completed but I want to make sure those were done.. um, removing and replacing the Goodyear Wrangler SRAs with.. what? Mickey Thompsons? Sourcing an impossible to find OEM cargo mat?!? Not really into the slippery leather, so, seat covers, but those are the little things, like, what’s that wire connecting with?

Thanks for your response.

 

[04Liberty]

Well, yes, thank you. In that it looks like a wire going to a small silvery thing. AND I did see a remote start warning sticker on the fan shroud… but the vehicle came with only a regular lock/unlock/panic key and a second little presumably garage door/gate opening widget..

So what does OEM Remote Start thingamabob look like? Is is something we can replace if we didn’t get one? I need to get home and shoot a pic of it, but your shot is certainly similar. Thanks for your kind response and photo, I look forward to learning more o lllllll o

The second little widget, small and square-ish, like so?

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If so, then your vehicle has the Mopar add-on remote start kit. I installed one of these on a 2006 Charger. Push the button twice and see what happens.

 

[Boueux]

Thanks heaps, @04Libeety Hmmm.. Nice share, do we match, you think?

I say. I’d push the button twice but when I turned the key this morning I got the ticky grind Ive heard before from a dead battery…

My H and I left an OBD sensor in it the other night, tired and cold after installing a roofrack. We both walked away from it so will share the onus. When we ran it for codes it had a few, including low voltage, if we’d only paid attention.. but it’s hard to believe a BlueDriver draws enough to have taken it down, I’d think.

it had just come to us on a rollback, and had some shop work done right prior to that, so perhaps they’d disconnected the battery and bunked it up as discussed brilliantly here https://www.jeepkj.com/threads/06-l...-on-after-alternator-and-battery-change.79034

that makes me leery of doing what I’d no have done anyway, which is.. put a brand new battery in it— for fear it’ll just get drained again before I’m to drop it off for its fine tooth combing appt next week. I recently put. glass mat battery in another toy and wonder if it’s worth throwing my purse at whn there may be a nano vampire at work here? Perhaps hooking the battery that came with it to a charger on the bench overnight and seeing if any juice will stick to it again so the cause can be determined before draining a second one..

this reminds me of the Iomega Zip drive
“click of death” .. where one disk could pass the problem on to numerous drives..a literal hardware virus. Here it looks like removing the battery also has the potential to screw the cable which can then drain ensuing batteries. Yee. I sure am glad I read that post, whether that’s at play here or not.. good to know. I’m in a fresh new hell Funny thing is, when i started it the first day it didn’t even need the pedal and ran a charm..

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[Luke]

One easy step… replacing those SRA’s with literally any other tire and you’re ahead of the game

 

[Boueux]

Yep, as is my intent thanks!

 

[Luke]

Sorry for stating the obvious… I just get a little PTSD when I see “SRA”

Damn things almost killed me the first week I owned my KJ!

 

[Boueux]

But first I have to get it to look good somewhere other than just in my driveway..

 

[Boueux]

I believe it was your post I read when looking at what others have done for tires. Tires aren’t inexpensive… I’ve invested in MTs before. We’ll see what I can afford after getting the engine to turn over and getting the codes cleared. What’d you buy? Coopers? Sorry I can’t remember. But. We do both share code PJT! I LOVE it. Feel so fortunate to have found one.

 

[Luke]

I’ve had a set of Silent Armours and Duratracs on the KJ and currently KO2’s on my beast who shan’t be named.

All good choices from my perspective

Flat hood FTW! I still miss her…

 

[Boueux]

So.. dare I ask.. what is it with the SRAs? lack of traction?

 

[Luke]

Yes… specifically on wet pavement… or damp … or dusty … or

I was reading elsewhere that the Duratracs have been updated…. now with more everything!

https://www.goodyear.com/en_US/tires/wrangler-duratrac-rt/24913.html

 

[KJowner]

Remote start is nice but I'd like a diesel engine preheater like the Land Rovers have, sadly I don't think there is space under the bonnet to fit one.

 

[04Liberty]

Thanks heaps, @04Libeety Hmmm.. Nice share, do we match, you think?

I say. I’d push the button twice but when I turned the key this morning I got the ticky grind Ive heard before from a dead battery…

My H and I left an OBD sensor in it the other night, tired and cold after installing a roofrack. We both walked away from it so will share the onus. When we ran it for codes it had a few, including low voltage, if we’d only paid attention.. but it’s hard to believe a BlueDriver draws enough to have taken it down, I’d think.

it had just come to us on a rollback, and had some shop work done right prior to that, so perhaps they’d disconnected the battery and bunked it up as discussed brilliantly here https://www.jeepkj.com/threads/06-l...-on-after-alternator-and-battery-change.79034

that makes me leery of doing what I’d no have done anyway, which is.. put a brand new battery in it— for fear it’ll just get drained again before I’m to drop it off for its fine tooth combing appt next week. I recently put. glass mat battery in another toy and wonder if it’s worth throwing my purse at whn there may be a nano vampire at work here? Perhaps hooking the battery that came with it to a charger on the bench overnight and seeing if any juice will stick to it again so the cause can be determined before draining a second one..

this reminds me of the Iomega Zip drive
“click of death” .. where one disk could pass the problem on to numerous drives..a literal hardware virus. Here it looks like removing the battery also has the potential to screw the cable which can then drain ensuing batteries. Yee. I sure am glad I read that post, whether that’s at play here or not.. good to know. I’m in a fresh new hell Funny thing is, when i started it the first day it didn’t even need the pedal and ran a charm..

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They weren't factory installed, you had to buy the parts and install it. You didn't mention what year you have but this is the kit from the 2005 (earliest available) parts book.

 

[Boueux]

Fantastic. Thanks so much for the research, your time and kindness. By the clip it’s mounted with, I’d say it’s been there since the Oughts. I’ll be investigating this soon as I get the battery off of the charger. Interesting it died as soon as the Liberty arrived, but not before we could see how easily it started and how smoothly it ran. But looking, it’s a one year Interstate that was purchased in 20, so there’s little wonder, it’s time for a new one. It’ll be interesting to see if the remote starter is still functional. Hoping this post can stand to answer these same questions for future Liberty lovers!

 

[turblediesel]

Remote start is nice but I'd like a diesel engine preheater like the Land Rovers have, sadly I don't think there is space under the bonnet to fit one.

Sasquatch (Weeks) makes a battery box for the 2.8 CRD that can mount a Webasco diesel pre heater underneath, and a bigger battery on top.