She Killed The WJ!

[xj287]

Here's how I get to spend my weekend off....like jeep mechanics ever realy take the weekend off

Becky's broken jeep - Vermont Jeep Association

 

[IOPort51]

OK I have to ask.
How in the world do you break a battery terminal? Or was it a clamp? How do you break a clamp??

 

[essexmo]

|You may have to reset the computer in it the neighbors wife put too much gas in her new car and it shut down the computer she had to get it towed back to the dealer to reset it i guess theres a gas sencer too in the new vehicles

 

[mylittlecj5]

So I get to spend my weekend yanking the wiring harness, checking every circuit, every relay, every fuse and every modual on the jeep.

SO instead of actually troubleshooting the problem, (I know, that takes a NASA computer nowadays) you are going to rip the harness apart until you find the problem?
Id start with why the terminals melted, then maybe look at the computer (No I don't know anything about that networking thing or newer vehicles...)

OK I have to ask.
How in the world do you break a battery terminal? Or was it a clamp? How do you break a clamp??

My last race last year, I didn't have time to prep it right (Came home the night before from a deployment out of state). My wife was first to race, and everything looked fine. Got 20 Ft down the bog, and the truck shut off. Nothing worked. Got her out of the pit and found the battery terminal had melted down due to the new CDI ignition (I figured anyways). Changed the terminal and the battery, and sent it back out for another round. Didn't do much better that time either, but didn't melt the terminal...

 

[xj287]

terminal just coroded off, when through the whole computer system last night......deffinetly not as simple as resetting it. The problem is there is no class2 comunication between the PCM and BCM, deffinetly an open circuit. Not a big deal, but deffinetly a lousy way to spend my weekend.

 

[BrockGrimes]

Quick question, How did you check the fuses?
Grab a multimeter and touch it to each side of the fuse itself to see what power is flowing thru the fuse.
I've seen some that would light up the little fuse checker, but be burnt almost in half and wouldn't provide the needed power to the computer.

 

[xj287]

I use a test light for a quick check, but ALWAYS verify the "relivant" circuits with a multi meter. The problem here is I've lost class 2 serial data to the transmition, BCM,SKIM, and MIC. It wont be hard to sort out, just a pain and something I'd rather not be waisting my day off on.....Essecialy on a 200k mile jeep the little wife wants to trade in for an older, stripped down CJ anyway.

 

[TDHofstetter]

Ocham's Razor.

What's the simplest thing that could've happened?

Can you identify a single-point failure mode?

 

[xj287]

Well, after spending most of the weekend working on it, tracing wires and running diagnostis, what I came up with was a shorted serial bus....of couse who knows what else I'll find wrong with it after that is relaced.

As it turned out my brain dead son-in-law tried to jump start it.....back-wards......with the key on at that. The over load fried the class 2 serial data ciruits all the way back to the dash. It will cost more to fix then the jeep is worth. Esspecialy scince she'd be happier with a CJ or a wrangler anyway.

 

[TDHofstetter]

Oh, that DOES blow. Ah, well... time to shop for a round-headlight Jeep with a flat grille.

Ain't no serial cables in one ANYwhere.

 

[xj287]

i dont know 'bout that...my 85 cj came from the factory with a diagnostic link under the hood....but that one still works at least!

 

[dave123]

Every now and then, I get the bug to replace my CJ with a new JK, then I read a thread like this and the feeling passes. I know very little about electrical work, but my 75 CJ is fixable by me. Yours, I would have to take to the dealer and get fleeced on the bill...