2004 JGC 4wd NOT for dirt, per dealer

This bears repeating. The extended warranty is a kind of insurance, that is to say, a lottery. The only people who regularly and predictably lose the lottery, are those who buy tickets. Statistically, you are better off buying neither. When I bought my Wrangler, in 1994, they asked me, "What are you going to do, without the extended warranty, if the computer fails?" I guess I would have been out the cost of a computer, much less than the $1,500 extended warranty, wouldn't I? Well the computer didn't fail, neither did any other assembly, and I kept my money. The transmission didn't fall out, the engine didn't blow, the rear end didn't grenade, the axle didn't slide out, the air conditioner compressor didn't blow, because it doesn't have one, etc. This is the usual experience, with a new vehicle, that is in its seventh model year. Get it?

I you have to buy one of these confidence schemes, at least bargain the price down. Like everything else attached to a new vehicle, it is subject to (ridiculous) dealer markup.

Earle

Earle,

What you are stating here is your personal opinion. And you are making a generalized statement that may not be support in fact. (comparing an EW to a Lottery?) So you were indeed lucky your computer did not fail. I will grant you that the extended warranty is at best an insurance policy and not particularly good one at that. (However, I'll bet you have fire insurance on your house, although it is very unlikely you will ever experience a fire due to strict building codes! But you do it anyway because should it happen, it would be expensive to replace or repair.)

I also have a 98 Cherokee I bought new and I did not buy the extended warranty, because I researched the reliability of the Cherokee and the cost of replacing some of the most expensive parts on it and decided that it would be cheaper to pay for repairs rather than get an extended warranty. So far at 60,000, no major repairs.

If I bought a wrangler I would not buy an extended warranty as they tend to be a little more reliable than the GC. In fact the nice thing about a wrangler is its lack of expensive ammenties that would eventually have to be repaired. I have a 99 wrangler and so far the worst thing that has happened is replacing the radiator at 30,000 six years later at a cost of $312.

The GC is a whole other issue. It has expensive and sophisticated components that any one of which would fail could be expensive. I remember the many problems that 99+ GCs had from reading this list back in those times, failing transfer cases due to some new manufacturing process, noisy drive lines, etc, etc. Considering the sharp depreciation of the value of the GC in the first few years, it is possible that some repairs might even cost more that the vehicle is worth. BTW I have had to use the extended warranty a couple of times.

So rather than make blanket statements that an extended warranty is really a lottery, do some research on the vehicle before you buy it. Some vehicles might not need it and some might.

Larry Greenwood

The house is assessed at $290k, and is probably worth half a million. It was built in 1894. What was that you said about strict building codes? I looked underneath, before I bought it. ;^)

What I have stated about the Jeep is my experience, not my opinion. The computer did not fail, the rear end did not grenade, the axles did not fall out, etc., etc. I won, as far as that vehicle went. I could have bought another Wrangler for spare parts, with the money I have saved by not buying extended warranties, on anything. If you bought a GC with the extended warranty, and didn't use it, you lost. How can you call this not a lottery?

Statistically, the customer loses on these things, because they are always priced to make a profit. If you don't believe in statistics, that is fine. If you don't believe that the manufacturer, or the extended warranty writers, are in business to make a profit, that is fine too. But those are the facts that I use to support what I have said. Few would dispute them.

Earle

Yup, anything else is called "lying".

Dave

Earl,

You need to lighten up a bit. Jezz. Obviously you didn't even bother to read my post. You are just shooting from the hip. As I said, if I bought a wrangler I wouldn't feel the need to take out an ew. If you buy a GC and don't buy an ew then fine, but just don't assume that everyone has the resources you have in case there expensive repairs.

If you have fire insurance and your house doesn't burn down, then have you "lost" that "lottery". In your way of thinking, all insurance is a lottery. What about life insurance isn't it the greatest scam of all?

Obviously you and I are never going to agree about this. So just don't buy an ew. But some of us don't have the resources you have and so we have to protect ourselves against possibility of expensive repairs.

Larry

The house insurance payment is about $400 a year. Compare that to the cost of the house. It comes with a million dollars liability and a bunch of other goodies too. Sure I will never use them, but they are cheap. Like a lottery ticket. Your lottery ticket, and you know it is one, is a lot more expensive, compared to what you expect to get for it. How much is an extended warranty these days?

One calculates the real value of a lottery ticket, by the expected reward, times the probability of winning. Now, I couldn't afford to replace my house, if it burned down. (Well, actually I could, but let's just say, for the sake of argument, that I couldn't.) That makes the expected reward, basically infinite. That is why I buy the house insurance. Oh, and the bank makes me get it too.

But car repairs? Heck, if you have budgeted properly, you can afford them. And if what you said about the GC is true, that it is not reliable, and will stick you with repairs that you cannot afford, then it is still a lottery. And the real people who win, are the ones selling the tickets. They are not selling policies, that are costing them money, just so guys like you can drive a luxury vehicle. This is a fact. These people are collecting money, on average, not paying it out. Otherwise, they would not be selling the extended warranty at all! Statistically, this means that the GC is probably a lot more reliable than you think it is. Think about it. The sales people tell you how great the vehicle is. Actually, they don't have to. You are in the show room, drooling all over it, telling your wife and kids how great it will be. At the Dodge dealer in Bellevue, WA, they let the customers drive the vehicle off the showroom floor. King for a day. Then the finance guy tells you how expensive repairs could be. Better buy the policy, just in case.

Earle

Here is the latest information and action taken:

My Dealer, Don-A-Vee Chrysler, Jeep, in Placentia, California agreed to replace the canister, at no charge.

I asked to view the disassembly so I could understand the failure mode. I was able to do this:

The air inlet tube is mounted vertically behind the right rear wheel well. There is and end cap with a star channel for airflow. The tubing, evap pump, & canister are contained on an ell shaped bracket which exposes everything to the elements.

Everything was covered with dust. The mechanic blew out the lines and inlet trap. Dust everywhere! There is no protection- at all! I am surprised that there isn't a large volume of GC owners having the same problem. History does not reflect this. The service manager is contacting the Chrysler technical support group to obtain any more information.

This system cycles for several minutes when the vehicle is started, then it is powered down during operation. I cannot see how this assembly can be protected from dust (while parked) and dirt, or debris while in operation.

A flow test was performed by the mechanic when the pump was replaced. It showed the system was blocked by dirt, or dust. Therefore, the cansiter was replaced.

Under these conditions, I can only conclude that the air inlet must be altered with a tubing extension (to; somewhere?) and replace the inlet cap with a pre-filter or trap. Then check and clean it every month, or so.

Any help on the amount of failures, or modifications would be appreciated.

Regards, Dick Anaheim/Phelan, CA

Isn't there a seven year warranty on emissions controls? I would postpone modifications, until that warranty runs out. Just keep an eye on it, try to keep the area reasonably clean, and bring it back to the dealer every time the check engine light comes on. It also occurs to me that your proposed modifications would violate federal emissions control laws. I realize that you are trying to correct a defective design, but your inlet filter could be seen as a restriction.

Earle

Your comments make sense!

I plan to check with the dealer in the desert area to see if they have had complaints and how they resolved the problem. I am still baffled with the lack of massive customer complaints. Dust/dirt/mud is everywhere; am I the only one to have this problem?

Thanks.

So far you appear to be the first with the issue.

I sure would be thinking about my own filter for the compartment too....

Is there no replaceable filter on the canister now?

The 'old' ones have a replaceable $2.00 filter on the bottom of them designed exactly for your issues.

Mike

Thanks! I would have thought more GC owners would have had this problem by now. Anyone using a GC on a dirt road should get the same "dusting". Does a duck get water on its feathers if resting on a pond?

No, I watched the mechanic replace the canister and there was no other filter in line. He blew out the hoses and dust went everywhere!

I wish!

Thanks for your comments,

Dick.

-- Russ Panneton snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com Nederland, CO "Too bad ignorance isn't painful"

I've seen one off road, with me driving it.

Yes, they are posted on Imagestation from my two camping trips to Canada last summer.