Episode 563 – Virago Jeep Girl and TPS Fixes

This Week In Jeep

What IS a Jeep? Don’t Ask Consumer Reports

Jeeps are not known for comfort. They’re not known for being quiet, roomy, or even the most reliable or fuel-efficient vehicles on the planet. But they are the most capable, and I’m pretty sure it’s not the creature comforts that led each and every one of us Jeepers around the world to buy or even keep our Jeep. So it’s with a grain of salt that I say the long-trusted foundation, known for telling us what’s good and what sucks, and having an excellent track record of accuracy, Consumer Reports… can go “F” themselves. They just gave the 2022 Jeep Wrangler a score of 28/100, putting it dead last. And not just last in its own class, but last for any and every other 2022 model year SUV out there. Hey, consumer reports…. Can you see which finger I’m holding up? If you’re having a spot of Deja-vu, you’re not alone. Last year they pulled the same steaming pile of nonsensical horse crap with the 2021 Wrangler, and low and behold, there were record sales numbers despite a global chip shortage. The Wrangler isn’t there to check any practical boxes. It’s not there to make you feel better about yourself or provide any degree of virtue signaling for some tree-hugging snowflake wearing the wrong sized pants and a knitted cap in the middle of August. It is there however to piss off Prius drivers, get you to where you want to go, and put a smile on your face when you do it, WHY? Because deep down you know that everyone else out there that isn’t driving a seven slotted, leaky, bouncy, boxy piece of shit like you are, can’t go to the places you’ve been or will go in that damn thing and that sense of superiority and confidence only comes when driving something so uneconomical, yet so incredibly fun and capable.

Smallest Jeep Recall Ever

Jeep hasn’t exactly been batting a thousand when it comes to software. Virtually every rollout of some new technology has been followed by recalls to fix the bugs that arise from launching something new like that. This time, bad software has led to the recall of a number of Jeep Wagoneers and Grand Wagoneers. The vehicles were made with a radio with suspect software that could prevent the backup camera from displaying when an owner shifts into reverse. According to documents from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), the recall affects the vehicles built between October 23, 2021, and October 26, 2021. In that period, there were just seven of these Jeeps made, that’s right. SEVEN. But they all were built with incorrect radio software according to production records. Without correctly operating cameras, these vehicles do not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) that require all new vehicles built after May 1, 2018, to have a backup camera… because apparently, people have lost the ability to turn their heads to look over their shoulders,  and look at their mirrors! Something tells me however that non-compliance with this regulation (that is creating a whole new breed of incompetent drivers) would be akin to ripping that tag off your mattress…. and will somehow constitute a federal offense that has never been enforced since I’ve been alive. Owners of the affected vehicles will notice that the display switch to rearview mode doesn’t happen when they enter reverse and will probably forget how to back out of their driveway at that point.

Fortunately for Jeep, the fix appears to be a relatively simple one, involving a software update performed by a dealer. The automaker says it will embark on a voluntary recall to fix all affected vehicles by reprogramming the radios. The automaker will perform the fix free of charge and will reimburse owners who have incurred the cost of repairing the problem on their own. Stellantis will notify its dealers, who will, in turn, begin notifying owners on or about February 9, 2022. Something tells me however that none of the seven owners of these six-figure Jeeps are the kind of rat bastards that listen to the Jeep Talk Show. If you are, well give us a call and let us know your experience in this matter.

Stolen Jeep Goes Airborne Crashes Into Eight Other Vehicles

Milwaukee Wisconsin had an interesting turn of events go down earlier this week when police tried to stop a Jeep that had been reported stolen in a carjacking the day prior. The driver had reportedly stopped to pick up a Lyft rider, a teen, and was promptly robbed at gunpoint. The Lyft passenger pulled the weapon and told the woman to get out of her car. When police saw the black Jeep Grand Cherokee (no not THAT Jeep Grand Cherokee) They tried to pull it over, but the driver of course refused and the chase was on. Lasting just two miles, but topping speeds that doubled the posted speed limits, all while posting it live on Facebook. The driver and the two passengers with him however won’t be posting anything else anytime soon. The stolen Jeep crashed violently in front of and into a used car lot.  The speeds that the Jeep was traveling were so fast, that the Jeep went airborne upon impact, cartwheeling over and into the front ends of eight other vehicles in the lot, before coming to rest in traffic. 5 people, including two other drivers, the 17-year-old thief, and his two passengers were all taken to a nearby hospital.  

Tech Talk with Jeep Talk

TOPIC/QUESTION: Diagnosing a Bad Throttle Position Sensor

Got a Bad TPS? Let’s Figure it out. But before we get too deep into this, I want you to go back and start listening to the Tech Talks in Episode 535. This is where I begin a new series on the fuel systems of Jeeps. This will bring you up to speed on some of the terminologies that I may breeze through in this segment. So, the questions I am going to answer for you are what a Throttle Position Sensor (or TPS for short) IS,  what it does or is supposed to do, and how to diagnose one that may be on its way out. 

A throttle position sensor is used to measure how open the throttle valve is and therefore helps control the amount of air that can flow into the engine’s intake manifold. Technically that specific job is done by the butterfly valve, a disk-shaped flap in the throttle body that is connected to the throttle cable, which is in turn connected to the gas pedal. When you press the gas pedal, the butterfly valve opens and more air is sucked into the engine, more gas is applied, and this makes the Jeep go faster. More or less. The TPS monitors all this and tells the computer what your skinny pedal is doing. 

The TPS is mounted on the throttle body, right inline with the axle of the butterfly valve. Throttle Position Sensors are basically variable resistors, meaning they are a resistor whose resistance or value changes with a mechanical function. This varying value of resistance is what provides the computer, the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) with an input signal (in the form of a change in voltage) that represents the position of the butterfly valve in the throttle body. In other words, it tells the computer how hard you’re pushing the gas pedal. Since the sensor is connected to the throttle blade shaft itself… as the position of the throttle blade changes, the resistance inside the sensor changes.

With changes of the resistance INSIDE the TPS, the voltage coming OUT of it also changes. The PCM supplies approximately 5 volts to the entire sensor family in OBDII vehicles. This will vary in an approximate range from .26 volts at minimum throttle opening (idle), to 4.49 volts at wide-open throttle…. and it is this sweep between those two specific sets of numbers that I am going to teach you how to read. 

That’s right You are about to learn how to troubleshoot and test your OWN Throttle Position Sensor issues like tech at the dealership would. Almost all Jeep engines have a TPS, and a lot of them have a three-wire setup. This is true for any 4.0L equipped Jeep regardless if you have a TJ, a YJ, an XJ, a ZJ, or even an MJ …you get the idea….  

All you will need, to do this simple procedure is:

A voltmeter (even the cheap ones from harbor freight will work)

A paper clip, Aaaand a buddy, girlfriend, or a small child who can sit still for a few minutes and take instructions. If you are alone that’s fine too, I’ll cover how to do this by yourself too. Unfold the paper clip halfway, and insert the long pokey end into the space between the middle wire and the plug going into the TPS. What you’re trying to accomplish here is to get the paperclip to make contact with the center wire, or the contacts of the center wire inside the plug. And Yes…the TPS has to remain plugged in and attached to the Jeep for this to work. Once you are confident that you’ve made contact, grab the negative probe of your Multimeter, and wedge it into the braids of the ground strap or find a good secure grounding point where you can get good contact without holding the probe. Turn the ignition to the on position, but do not start the motor. Turn your multimeter on, and set it to read DC voltage at a range where 12 volts will display.  Using the positive probe of the meter, make contact with the paper clip. You should see the lower range of the specs I mentioned above. You should see a reading of less than one volt or around 1/4 of one volt, or .25 volts, give or take .10.

If you’re reading nothing, then double-check your connections, the worst-case scenario, wedge the probe into the center wire itself to ensure continuity, just don’t break anything. With the throttle at rest (or idle), you should see less than 1 volt, and at wide-open throttle, you should see less than 5 volts. If you are out of spec, then you my fellow Jeeper have just been diagnosed with a bad TPS.  Go to the dealership, and get yourself a replacement, swapping it out is easy, it’s just two T25 Torx screws from the back holding it onto the throttle body. Now, why do I say go to the dealership? Why would I want you to spend what could be three times the price for that off-brand generic universal version you can get at the parts store? 

One word. Reliability. Here’s another. Longevity. Aftermarket Throttle  Body Sensors, or really any sensor in the OBDII family or not, anything like a speed sensor, oil pressure sending unit, coolant temperature sending unit, you get the idea…. any sensor like this should be an OEM or Original Equipment Manufacturer. Not only will they be calibrated better, but they will also last longer, and you can be assured to get a good one out of the box the first time every time. Ok, so how would one know if the TPS is going bad in the first place? Because this isn’t a test you would perform for no good reason, right? Here are some examples of what a Jeeper might experience if their TPS is on its way out…

You may have an unexplainable bucking and jerking in the vehicle as you go down the road. You may hear or feel sudden surges at the idle speed. The engine may stall without any apparent reason. Hesitation while accelerating is another very common symptom. The Jeep’s speed while driving down the freeway may suddenly surge up and down. You may even see the check engine light come on and off.  The Jeep may not shift right or have difficulties in changing gears, and you may even experience a drastic drop in fuel economy. If any or all of these are happening to you or somebody you know, this TPS test is what you should do about it.

Jeep Talk Show Interview

Tara Reitz

Instagram model and Jeeper “ViragoJeep_JKU”  

Go Fast Girls: https://gofastgirls.com/blogs/ambassadors/tara-reitz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/viragojeep

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/viragojeep_jku/?hl=en

Must-Have Stuff Pick-of-the-Week for your Jeep!

Ka-Bar Tactical Spork    $6.99   https://amzn.to/3Hr1Xzd

Got manifold beans but no way to eat them?

Tactical Field Spork from Ka-Bar… yes THAT Ka-Bar

Made from high-quality, polymer plastic material means it’s durable and long-lasting.

Modular design locks in the hidden serrated knife in the spork handle, making this a 3-in-one tool with a knife, spoon, and fork all in one. Pretty inexpensive at less than 7 bucks! Food and detergent safe. Overall length: 6.875-inch, Extremely lightweight, Made in the USA.

Jeep Life – With Jeep Momma

Top 5 Confidence Builders

In the past, many, many years ago, it was rare to see a woman behind the wheel of a Jeep on those off-road trails. Nowadays the number of women off-roaders has grown. Sometimes it can be intimidating to hit the trails with a group of Jeepers especially if you have never wheeled with the group before. I remember those first couple of years on the trail. I was intimidated by being in a world made up of mostly men. I remember going to Rausch Creek those first couple of times and it was probably 95% of the wheelers were me. Fortunately, I always had a very positive experience, and everyone was so helpful and patient with me. But that is not always the case.  As a Jeep Girl, you can be your own worst enemy. Here are some tips to help build your confidence on the trail so you don’t ambush yourself.  This first one is a biggie. Know Your Jeep! There was one time I hosted a trail and a new Jeep Girl joined us. Someone else had been working on her Jeep and trailered her Jeep to the trail. Once off the trailer, she got behind the wheel and we headed out. Not too far into the trail, her Jeep ran out of gas. She had no extra gas, nor any Jeep supplies like recovery gear or tools. Nothing. So, It’s important to know you’re your own Jeep. Make sure you go over your Jeep before each trail ride to make sure it is trail ready. It is your Jeep. You should have knowledge of your Jeep. Another biggie is being prepared with the proper gear. If you don’t know what you should have, ask around or you can check out my other videos that will help. I have videos like Must Have Recovery Gear, must-have tools, and more. On my Blog, I have a comprehensive list of Off-Road Basics as well. There will be a link in the show notes.

http://www.jeepmomma.com/p/basic-tips-always-travel-in-groups-of-2.html

It can be overwhelming, and you don’t need to have everything at once but at least get the basics. We all need help on the trails, and we help each other on the trails, but you shouldn’t be totally helpless. This same Jeeper was unaware of the trail etiquette as well and created some bad situations for the group. Know the “rules” of the trail, at least the basics like the role of the trail guide, always follow the trail guide, and don’t go off by yourself.  Always check your rear-view mirror so you know if the others behind you have stopped or might be in trouble. You don’t want your group to be separated. Those are just a few. That Off-Road Basics has more tips for you and I posted a video a while back on Trail Etiquette, Check out Episode 556 where Wendy shared some tips as well.

http://www.jeepmomma.com/2015/05/off-roading-trail-etiquette-unwritten.html

Confidence to do your own modifications. Now you’re not going to attempt an engine swap or lift your Jeep right off the bat. You can start small with a headlight swap or add basic sliders to your Jeep. Don’t be overwhelmed and don’t let the modifications intimidate you. You will be surprised what you can do by yourself. Usually, the companies of the Jeep parts are very helpful, and you can call them for help, or you can reach out to some Jeepers in a local group.

Respect. Don’t sabotage your own respect by disrespecting yourself by posting those half-naked pictures with your Jeep. Post with dignity and you will be treated with dignity.  If you are new to the Jeep life or having trouble fitting in…  these Top 5 confidence builders might help you get a good start. If you ever find yourself struggling feel free to reach out to me I would be happy to help you. Next week on Jeep Life… I take on a whole new terrain with my Jeep and I will share some life-saving tips for wheeling on this terrain so you don’t die!

 

Links Mentioned in this Episode

NEXEN Tires USA https://www.nexentireusa.com/

Trails 411- POWERING Your Adventure https://www.youtube.com/user/backcountrydriver

The 4×4 Radio Network http://4x4radionetwork.com/

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Rat Bastards Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/ratbastard

Rat Bastards Webpage https://ratbastard.lol

Looking for Amazon products we’ve talked about on the show? https://jeeptalkshow.com/amazon

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