97 Cherokee..are problems connected?

The squeal could be the idler pulley and it could have started because a new belt is speced to be cranked pretty tight - several pounds tighter than a used one. It could also be the "new" water pump bearing - at least the mechanic seems to be concerned about doing right by you.

Welding the manifold (I assume he meant the exhaust) is not likely to hold up very long so weigh the cost of welding vs. replacing it.

The starting and loaded stall (or just loss of power) sounds fuel related - the more it's loaded, the more fuel it needs. Have the fuel pressure and flow rates checked. The Crank Position Sensor - either the sensor itself or the connections - will also cause this.

Thanks for all the great info, Will. You're right about my mechanic. He's a local guy with a great rep for just that reason. I'll talk to him more about the squeal on Monday. I'll also ask him to check out those fuel issues while he has the car in the shop. Unfortunately, my hubby's time is more limited than his wallet right now.

Regarding the manifold (and, yes it is the exhaust manifold), my husband's thoughts were the same as yours on that one...he just wants to replace it.

Interestingly enough, as I drove home from my son's soccer game this morning, I heard a new squeal. This was the kind of sound you sometimes get when you are turning real sharp...except I'm getting it as I drive straight, at slow speed (driving through the parking lot, pulling up to the curb in front of the house, etc.) It appears to be in rhythm with the rotation of the tires and sounds like it's coming from the back.....when it rains it pours!

The good thing is, we bought the car new and this is the first time we've had any problems whatsoever, except for the recall on the fuel sending unit and the lousy CD player that we finally just replaced.

Thanks again, Lynn

AH, HA! A real soccer Mom (my are all past that stage and doing it for their kids now ).

Two thoughts. First, you are going to hear a lot more squeaks and squeals now that you are atuned. Second, there are a number of non-critical reasons for squeels from the rear end. Probably the most common are dust in the brakes or damp weather. A firm application of the brakes will quiet a lot of the noise but pulling a wheel and checking the brake linings is a cheap bit of PM - I try and eyball all my cars at least once a year.

I don't remember if the 97 had discs or drum brakes in the rear, but either one will chirp under the right conditiions when the lining/pad is just barely touching the metal. Get it going in a straight line then apply light braking. If the noise stops as soon as you get a little pressure on it then it's brakes - have them checked but don't get panicy about it. You can also further isolate rear end noises by noting whether they are affected by speed, whether you are accelerating, decelerating or no load (put the transmission in neutral). I wish my wife would pay more attention to those noises - she just turns the radio up...

Talk about stereotypes: soccer mom and SUV and neither of 'em know anything about what they drive.

-Bill (remove "botizer" to reply via email)