Episode 432 – 2.5L I-4 – History and Troubleshooting
This Week In Jeep:
Don’t Look Now – It’s a Recall – Right Behind You!
Over 300,000 vehicles from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles are subject to a new recall involving glitchy backup cameras, according to documents FCA filed with the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration earlier this month. The recall involves models from the Jeep, Ram, Dodge and Chrysler brands. The affected vehicles may house a software problem that causes the rearview camera feed to remain on the infotainment screen after the driver shifts out of reverse. Vehicles affected include the 2019-2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Wrangler, Renegade, Ram 1500, and 2500 pickups, Dodge Durango and even that damn Chrysler Pacifica is involved too. Unfortunately Certain 2020 Jeep Gladiator and Cherokee models are also included. The problem can occur with these vehicles when equipped with either the 8.4-inch or 12-inch infotainment screens only. The glitch puts each vehicle out of compliance with federal safety standards and the NHTSA says the “lingering rearview image can distract the driver” which increases the risk of a crash, which we all know can KILLL you. FCA will notify owners of the affected vehicles and owners will need to bring their vehicles to their local dealer. There, they will receive updated software to fix the issue. If you think your vehicle is affected, you can contact the NHTSA through their website, contact your local dealer, or just look for notices to start arriving in the mail May 22.
It’s Officially In Production – 1000HP Jeep Gladiator “Maximus”
To many of you Hennessey’s Maximus 1000 is old news. Afterall the announcement came in May of last year. (…”that’s like SO last spring!”….) But after nearly a year of testing the heavily modified, Hellcat V8 powered Jeep Gladiator pickup, the Jeep world got word this week that this beast is finally making its way to prospective owners. Oh, and Hennessey put together a sweet video showing just how extensive (and awesome) its “testing” really was. Apparently much of the testing was done in the desert where team Henneesey undoubtedly had a blast tearing around the dunes in a Jeep truck with supercar like power. The video is full of huge rooster tails, amazing drifts, and some insane jumps the likes of which you’ve not seen a Jeep do before. Yea, that’s right I said jumps, and I’m talking full on 100 mph desert race truck style jumps with sick hang time and this Jeep handles it like a pro. The video is simply not to be missed. The Maximus makes an eye-watering 1,000 horsepower and has an utterly unstoppable 933 lb-ft of torque to put all those horses to immediate use. It also sounds absolutely tremendous. Terrifyingly aggressive doesn’t begin to describe the exhaust note of this thing, and it’s something that will undoubtedly haunt your dreams for nights to come. Among other things, the completely custom stainless steel exhaust setup, a complete ECU re-tune, custom radiator, and race inspired fuel system were all added to help the supercharged V-8 reach the nearlyhyper-car level power it can produce with a flick of your toe. But thankfully, the people at Hennessey didn’t stop at the Jeep’s engine bay. The Maximus also receives a six-inch suspension lift with top of the line King shocks, Dana 60 axles front and rear with completely upgraded internals, and Hennessey-branded 20-inch wheels with BFG 37-inch KD Off-Road Tires. It also comes with a jaw dropping custom interior and a price tag that will have you clutching your chest. The Jeep Gladiator Maximus by Hennessey Performance will cost you $225,000 and is limited to 24 units. Four of those have already been delivered. For those balking at the price tag, It does at least come with a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty!…. That’s not bad for something almost completely aftermarket. http://hennesseyperformance.com/vehicles/jeep/gladiator/
Auto Industry Hits Sales Glut In First Quarter of 2020
Analysts expected it, but we finally have hard numbers to show a deep decline in automotive sales in the first quarter of 2020. While things hummed along through January, and mostly February, any gains were almost completely wiped out in March as stay-at-home orders and shutdowns swept over the US in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Sales of all FCA’s brands combined resulted in a 10% decline year over year. The automaker sold a total of 446,768 vehicles between Jan. 1 and March 31, compared to 498,425 vehicles during the same period last year. FCA noted “strong momentum” in January and February, but the figures for March weren’t enough to carry FCA into the positive. Chrysler sales slipped 5%, and even Jeep wasn’t immune to the slowdown. The crown jewel of FCA posted a 14% drop in sales. Dodge was down, too, with a 20% decline. Fiat saw a steep dive at 49%, while Alfa Romeo sales fell 14%. It wasn’t all bad news, though. Ram sales grew 3% overall, and Ram trucks, specifically, saw a sales rise of 7%. Despite my seemingly endless trash talking in the last week or so about the drivetrain components of the Chrysler Pacifica min-van, it’s sales grew 5% while the Chrysler brand as a whole was down 5%. Odd numbers for an odd time we’re facing right now. And with as much uncertainty as we are seeing currently, I think it’s safe to say that numbers for the first half of the second quarter will likely look similar at least to what we see here. Ultimately it’s up to the dealer networks though, to work together to standardize and streamline the concierge buying experience where the entire process is handled remotely or virtually and you take delivery of a sanitized new vehicle without having to shake anyone’s hand. It’s not my cup of tea, but I like to make people squirm in person, it’s just something I do.
Radio Comm Tech:
This is Jon and on today’s radio comm tech I am going to discuss the last and frankly the best option for vehicle communication…ham radio. We have discussed it numerous times before and for good reason, it is far more capable than the other radio options however it is a little techy and does require a test. The license is also good for 10 years but unlike GMRS a ham radio license only covers a single individual. There are three license levels for ham radio, Technician, General and Extra. Depending on the license a ham operator can have access to frequencies from over 275 GHz to 135 kHz… that means very little to the majority of the listeners but let me assure you that is A LOT of frequencies. Most mobile vehicle to vehicle communication though happens on 2m or 70cm frequencies which is can be used by the entry level Technician licensee. The HF frequencies allotted to the General and Extra licenses are generally for the ham radio hobbyist though they could be used in more remote areas where repeaters may be sparse. You can get radios with only one band or range of frequencies or with multiple band capabilities. 2m and or 70cm antennas range from about 19” or so up to about 60” tall. HF antennas become larger and more complex. Some mobile ham radios can also track your Jeep and send text messages and emails. This is part of what is called APRS, check out Episode 196 where I dove more in-depth on APRS. Ham radio also has use of repeaters which can extend your range up to about 100 miles… or if they are part of a linked repeater system they can transmit your signal out over your state or multiple states. Some internet linked repeaters can put your signal out on the other side of the country or into different countries. Typically for off road or back country travel a single repeater or a local state linked repeater system is the most useful. Unlike the other radio service options, ham radio is frequency agile and not limited to set specific channels and as such ham radios generally do not come pre-programmed so you must program your repeaters of choice either manually or using a computer. Even if you use a computer it’s always a good idea to know how to manually set the radio in case you have to tune to a repeater you may not have saved. The test really holds people back from getting their ham radio license, even though it’s not hard some people either don’t want to put the time into studying or feel they shouldn’t have to take a test. For those people GMRS is a great alternative and very much like the 70cm ham band as they are quite close in frequency. But for those that want the ultimate radio comms for vehicle to vehicle over longer distances or to possibly reach out in case of an emergency then ham radio is for you. Now in a true life or death emergency when no other forms of communication are available someone may use any frequency they want to facilitate help even if they are not license, however it’s always best to have experience on the radio so that you know what you are doing should an emergency arise and this only comes from the experience of operating the radio under a valid license. Some previous episodes to check out are episode 132 – How to get your ham license and episode 153 – Ham radio saves lives. We have had many other ham radio discussions over the years but they may not be mentioned in the show notes so they don’t show up when searching the Jeep Talk Show archives. If you have any questions about ham radio or any other the other radio services I have mentioned go to jeeptalkshow.com/contact This is Jon….over and out.
Jeep Life:
Must Have in Your Recovery Kit
Last week’s Episode I shared two must have apps for Jeepers/Overlanders/Camperlife or just anyone looking to do some dispersed camping. I also shared some helpful tips on the different camping opportunities. The apps are GAIA a GPS app and I-overlander a place to find those off the grid camping spots. As I venture into a different realm of Jeep Life I have been discovering new little tidbits. On this new Jeep Life Journey I am learning something new every day. Sometimes more than just one thing. Wendy recently shared items to put in your recovery kit. I have done blog posts and videos on this too. There is always the basics but as we do more wheeling and more camping I am finding some what I call odd ball items. Here are my Top 3 Odd Ball items. Number 3 is from a couple years back when I banged my steering stabilizer and was unable to turn my steering wheel. This was an easy fix but at the time I was a little freaked because I didn’t know enough about steering stabilizers. We just needed to take it off and I was good to go. I didn’t realize you really don’t need the stabilizer…kinda like a gallbladder. To get the factory JK stabilizer off you need a 18 mm wrench. So that tool is always in my tool box. Then this past fall I tore my valve stem in Kingman Arizona. That torn valve stem let all the air out of my tire and I rolled the bead. My Jeep was in a precarious position so changing the tire was going to be difficult. We didn’t need to do that. There was a super easy fix. The colby valve. We just took the old valve out and screwed in the emergency colby valve, added air and Wah Lah. The tire was good to go. The valve is still in the tire. I finished the trail and another 5000 miles to finish the rest of the trip. It’s still holding up today. It’s my spare tire right now. So Number 2 the Colby Valve. Funny a lot of the old school wheelers didn’t know anything about it and were pretty impressed. The number one item I discovered I needed to add to my Recovery Kit is a file. No not a fingernail file but a ….. file. The YJ we were wheeling on our trip was having some axle wrap issues. The axle wrap tore up the bolt which beat up the pinion nut on the rear. As we were headed to Mojave Road on a super annoying washboard gravel road the bolt gave. We needed the file to straighten the threads on the end of the bolt. There were 5 Jeeps there and not one of us had one in our tool bag. Granted some didn’t bring all their tools since it was a super easy trail ride. But boy did we all go out and buy files when we were done. We would have been stuck on that isolated gravel road for a long time if it weren’t for a passerby in a pick up. The nearest hardware store was about two hours away. It so happens he had a file we used. Turns out he and his buddies were Clampers. We had no idea what clampers were but we do now. Order of E Clampus Vitus, a men’s fraternal organization with chapters scattered around Gold Country. a nonprofit historical organization. They take care of and erect historical monuments in Southern Cali. Normally this break down of sorts would have ruined my day because we were off schedule. Now I look at these bumps in the road as opportunities. Another lesson I learned last fall on my first adventure. We met some really cool guys and learned some history. We actually ran into them again the next day. I now relax and let the adventure lead me. It’s good to have a plan but also good to be flexible and to take advantage of those bumps in the road. They can turn into some amazing things. Next week I will share the best kept secret in the off road community.
Tech Talk With Jeep Talk:
1997 TJ – 2.5L Engine Troubleshooting Issues
We get a fair amount of emails coming into the show every week, and sometimes it’s hard to keep track of which one is for what part of the show. But I got one this week that stood out among the rest since it was addressed from a former coworker. At first I thought it may be spam, I’ve had friends and former coworkers, even family members’ old email accounts get hacked, and I’m suddenly getting spam from them. But this …wasn’t that. In fact, my former co-worker Charles (hey Choppy) had a buddy with a technical problem on his Jeep and thought we’d be the perfect source for some help. The email states that the buddy has a 1997 Wrangler with a fresh rebuild on a 2.5L Iron Duke. Says there’s a weird metallic sound or screeching noise when coming off-idle on the throttle and it bogs bad, but starts and idles just fine. He went on to say that another friend of theirs has the same problem after a rebuild too. So what could this be? Unfortunately I would have to be there in person to get a better understanding of exactly what is going on, but we’ll go over some things regardless and maybe help in the troubleshooting process. The Iron Duke engine (also called a 151, 2500, Pontiac 2.5, and Tech IV) is a 151 cu in (2.5 L) Straight-4 engine built by the Pontiac Motor Division of General Motors from 1977 to 1993. GM also began selling the engine to AMC, for use in their 1980 model Spirit, Concord and Eagle, and (as the Hurricane engine) in base-model Jeep CJs from 1980 through 1983 including the CJ-8, CJ-7, and CJ-5. The 151 is often called Jeep’s “Iron Duke”, but is actually a Pontiac engine designed to replace the Chevy “Iron Duke” I4 engine. This particular inline 4 was not very powerful, had almost no aftermarket support, and was generally considered to be gutless but economical. And it was that reputation for being relatively reliable and efficient that carried the 2.5L option into future years of Jeep models. In 1984 AMC introduced its own four-cylinder engine design with an even 150cu of displacement but carrying the same 2.4L moniker. In 1986, the AMC 2.5L four cylinder engine gained throttle body injection in the XJ Cherokee applications. This same engine in the Jeep CJ models used a carburetor. The YJ Wrangler application of the 2.5L, introduced with the 1987 models, came with TBI, making this feisty little engine the first use of fuel injection in a Jeep. From 1997 to 2002 it was marketed as the “Power-Tech I4”, and was produced through 2002 for the Jeep Wrangler, as well as for the Dodge Dakota pickups. Choppy’s friend’s Jeep has been around now for the better part of 23 years, and likely has a couple turns on the odometer too. Although we got indication that this engine has a fresh rebuild, it’s unclear as to whether that was done at a shop or over the course of a couple weekends while the music plays and the beer flows. Was it just a top end rebuild? How much checking was done afterwards? How’s the compression after the rebuild? Were the new rings installed properly? Was the head gone through by a machine shop and fully rebuilt too? There’s just too many questions we need answered to really dial down the exact issue this Jeep engine is having. What we can do is look at some common issues that COULD cause the symptoms we’re seeing here. If it starts and runs fine, then chances are the timing and ignition are all fine but it wouldn’t hurt to verify. We can also assume that there is adequate fuel getting to the engine, but I would put a gauge on it and make sure that it’s getting 50PSI (± 5psi) under load to rule out any problems with the pump or regulator. Even though the gas might be getting TO the engine, we don’t know if it’s getting delivered properly to each of the cylinders. So we’re going to need to see what sort of condition the injectors are in, and whether or not they’re operating as they should. The exhaust is another area I would look at. The engine might be fresh, but what about those O2 sensors? And what’s the condition of the catalytic converter? Faulty o2 sensors can send bad info to the computer in a 97 wrangler causing all sorts of power loss, but this would generally throw a code and illuminate the check engine light in the dash. The same can be said for the results of a plugged up catalytic converter. If the exhaust can’t freely flow, then the engine can’t breathe well enough to make power under load. There could even be an issue with the throttle position sensor not sending the right info to the computer. Again the engine may be freshly rebuilt, but do we know how old the sensors are? As far as the screeching noise coming off acceleration goes, this too can be all kinds of things, and the tone, pitch, and what sort of changes the noise goes through with various other factors at play are all things we need to know. Does it still happen after it’s warmed up? Does the sound change at all with speed, rpm, temperature, or direction? Does it happen in reverse too? Is the sound even coming from the engine? could it be driveline, axle or transfer case related? Maybe it’s just that somebody forgot to put the mounting bolt back in the distributor lock down tab. Did someone lose an earring or a 10mm socket in the distributor cap? Or maybe the fan shroud is looser than your mom on a saturday night and every time you take off it moves into the fan. Maybe there is something wrong with the clutch fan or the fan itself. It might be that the belt tensioner or water pump pulley is going out. There could literally be a hundred different sources for that noise and all we can do is guess. I like troubleshooting, it can be fun sometimes if you go about it like a treasure hunt, since once you find out what’s going on it’s like finding treasure. Granted, in this case it’s the kind of treasure that ends up COSTING you money than providing it, but still. Unfortunately for my former coworkers friend, I just don’t have enough information to provide anything but the vaguest of guesses. I’ve got their contact information and I plan on reaching out in person since these guys are somewhat local to me, and we’ll see if we can’t get things a little more narrowed down for them. In the meantime, good luck guys, and honestly, I hope you’ve already figured it out and it was nothing major.
Newbie Nuggets:
When you are new to jeeping, one of the questions you might have is “who else has a jeep and how do I connect with them”? There are lots of avenues to find other jeepers, you just have to start looking. Since we all have some extra time on our hands, what a great opportunity to search for ways to connect with other jeepers once we are free to move about the planet. I’m talking about jeep clubs, groups or meet-ups and events. Now hear me out, there are some good things about these options that you may not be aware of. I know some of you may be thinking – “yeah but I don’t want anyone else along”, or “I can do it by myself”. And that’s OK, but when you are new, you may want to find a group, club, or event to attend so you can gain more knowledge. Half the battle of being new is finding good info and good mentors to learn from so that you can become the jeeper you always wanted to be. OK I kind of stole part from the Army recruiting commercials, but you get my point. Let’s start with exploring Jeep Clubs. Now for those of you already in a club, you may agree that the first time you attended a meeting, it was a bit uncomfortable because you didn’t know anyone and you may have felt a bit out of place. But after a while it was comfortable and you have made some great friends in the process. – Jeep clubs can be a good source for learning and expertise – One thing I prefer is being around like-minded people. We all want to jeep in some form and it helps you gain confidence. Our local jeep club has everyone from brand new drivers, to years of experience, to stock jeeps off the showroom floor on up to heavily modified jeeps and we even have a few jeep racers in our club. Lots of options to gain knowledge from everyone at some point. – Clubs generally have runs each month. Some offer multiple runs each month and others may offer fewer depending on the size and experience level of the members. Our club offers runs in all three levels, green, blue and black diamond. We try to offer one easy run and one more difficult each month. I love seeing a new member or new driver gain confidence and then start to lead runs. So amazing to see their journey. – Clubs offer ways to help maintain trails. I mentioned in a previous episode that trail etiquette includes maintaining the trials. Our club participates in the adopt-a-trail program in So. Cal. and we manage/maintain three trails in the mountains of Big Bear. What a great opportunity to help clean up, shore up and fix broken and damaged trails. – Clubs usually do charity work – our club has a scholarship program where we donate $$ to a deserving graduating high schooler that will be attending a trade school. The money we raise throughout the year through various events gets donated to this program. Other clubs may offer other types of charity involvement. – Clubs usually have a monthly meeting – mostly around a dinner – and clubs generally have a requirement to “join”. Like attend three meetings and participate in a run, or one club I know of has their criteria to include an overnight run. That club wants to make sure the members are active jeepers. Depending on what type of jeeping you want to do, there are lots of clubs out there and I’m sure you can find one that fits your style. You can research jeep clubs on the web and check out their individual websites. See if what they are doing lines up with what you are passionate about. Another option besides clubs are groups, or meet-ups – this is usually a group formed by other jeepers (or off-roaders) and may consist of all vehicles equipped for off-road, not just jeeps. This is a great way to get out on the trails and meet other jeepers. You can find them on Facebook, in chat rooms, etc., and a simple google search will turn up all sorts of options for you to check out. As an example; We have several local groups in the So. Cal. area. One is the So Cal 4×4 Trail group that offers runs all the time. Some are with large groups, others are smaller. The runs and difficulty is listed and you decide if you want to join the run or not. Another group is the So Cal Jeeps and they offer runs as well. One other that is more specific is the High Desert 4×4 Recovery. They are a group that helps others that get stuck or stranded on highways- not just jeeps. There are groups out there specific to certain vehicles, like wranglers only, or Toyotas. Others may be specific to a region, or type of wheeling. It’s really fun to research what groups are in your area. You might be surprised at what you find. And there is generally no club to join. You show up for the run and have some fun. Another option to consider is Events. These are typically a gathering by an organization, trying to raise awareness of the trials, conservation, or maybe doing a fundraiser for a charity event. Events can be found by googling your town’s visitor page, posters in local shops, or FB. Attending an event and participating is a great way to see what it’s all about. Whether you go to buy something you just got to have for your jeep, or can’t live without, or you want to support that charity, events are a great opportunity for those in the jeeping world. Vendors at events love to share their info and what better way to spend a day learning things you didn’t know you needed to know – or maybe you did want to know. The experience at an event can also open the door to clubs, groups, and other events that may be of interest to you. For Example, Josh mentioned on a previous episode about Tread Lightly that is committed to recreation access in many regions. It’s a fabulous organization with lots of information about preserving and maintaining our trails. I wanted to thank you Josh for bringing that up. Perfect example of sharing info; Josh shared this information and I didn’t know that it existed. That’s how the jeep thing works, we all share something and we all can learn something. Tread Lightly link is in our show notes https://www.treadlightly.org/ Realistically, being new can be a little lonesome at first – kind of like what we are experiencing now with self-isolation and waiting for the day we can get out and wheel again. If you have a buddy who helped get you into jeeping, then you already have some suggestions and ideas to follow. But if you are new and navigating this alone, reach out to us and let us know what information you’d like help with. I’m sure between all of us we will find an answer. Tony, Josh, Tammy what clubs, or groups do you belong to or follow. As always you can view some great videos on our YouTube channel Jeep 4-1-1 (https://www.youtube.com/user/backcountrydriver) with lots of tips, tricks & techniques. The website info is in the show notes.
Interview with:
Josh was recently interviewed on The Conversation with Stu about Jeeps and the Jeep Talk Show!
Links Mentioned in Episode 432:
Hennessey Performance 1000 HP Gladiator “Maximus” For Sale $225k https://youtu.be/wC05xDPQIpk http://hennesseyperformance.com/vehicles/jeep/gladiator/
Clampers (E Clampus Vitus)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_Clampus_Vitus https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-clampers-history-20171110-htmlstory.html
Josh Appears on Other Podcast
“The Conversation” With Stu” Link to Josh’s Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9L6n0MD42U
The Conversation With Stu YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrKqJ3JdKaPDck6zWbspIKQ
TreadLightly!
Jeep 4-1-1: