New to Group!

Hi all, I'm new to this group, and I have been reading. Wasn't sure what the protocol was as far as introducing myself. So I'll just do it how I think I should. My name is Mary and I have a 94, 4 cyclinder, automatic Jeep that I adore. It is black. I live in the mountains of WV (near Gore if anyone is familiar w/ the Jeep tracks there) and I count on my jeep during the rough weather months. Well, my computer took a crap on me recently and so I took it to the Jeep dealership and they want $550 to put a new one in. But they had to order it, so like an idiot, I brought my Jeep back home to the mountain and now it won't start at all. :( So a dealer told my husband (he works in the auto industry for Get Auto/Auto Trader) that he could pull the computer off himself, get the numbers off of it, and just buy one and put the new one on. So we took it off this past weekend, got the numbers and Mike went on a search for a new one. Well, the only one he was able to find was out of Texas, from some dude's personal vehicle and he wants $175 for it. There is no guarantee that it would work once we got it (why would you sell the computer off your personal vehicle?) so we have decided to keep looking. I would appreciate any and all advice any of you could give me on finding a computer for this. Or maybe good websites or what have you. I really need to get her running before another snow. My other car is a Crown Vic police car and she's a beast. I do have chains which allow me to get out if I have to, but there will be no playing on the mountain in the snow in that car. We ride 4 wheelers too, but there's just something about the Jeep, you know, HEAT, music, etc, not to mention she'll go anywhere the 4 wheeler will go, that makes it fun during a snow.

Thank You in advance, and I hope I'm not remiss in how I jumped into the fray. I just need to figure out how to fix her! Mary in Hampshire Co, WV

Reply to
Mary
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Hi Mary, Welcome aboard. People line

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sell rebuilt computers for about $330 or so and should be able to help. However in most cases what is indicated as a computer failure is simply dirty contacts/bad ground strap. I'd try cleaning and reseating of the connectors first.

Reply to
jeff

Welcome to the group. It can get a bit loud now and then, but most folks are harmless... ;-)

How did they determine it was a bad computer? What are the symptoms?

Grounds are really sneaky on older Jeeps, so I may as well get my favorite fix suggestion out of the way. If the body loses it's ground, the computer won't work correctly. It can work sometimes when it steals some ground and die other times.

Usually the main body ground is a mesh cable from the engine head to the firewall or from the battery negative to the fender. I would verify these have clean connections before spending money.

A bad cell in a battery can also cause computer start up failure. The Jeep can still turn over, but if the cranking voltage drops below 10 volts, the computer might not turn on.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >
Reply to
Mike Romain

Hi Jeff, Thanks for the welcome! This seems like a fairly active group, so I didn't want to just jump in, plus I don't know a lot about the repair of Jeeps yada yada.

Do you have any advice on how to clean the contacts? I'm thinking just a soft dry cloth. What is the ground strap and how do I go about reseating the connectors? I do follow directions well, so I'll try whatever I can try.

Are the ones from ecudirect already programmed?

My husband seems to think (pessimist) that it's maybe not dirty contacts. He said everything looked pretty clean and nice, and he said the whatchamacallits were greased etc. (I'm a lot of help, aren't I?) BUT~ we will try it anyway. I'd love to hear her crank up again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for the fast reply and for the welcome, I do appreciate it! Mary

Reply to
Mary

Hi Mike, Thank You for the information. That is so helpful! Um, they determined the computer was bad by putting it on the computer at the Jeep dealership. Here's what it would do. I would try cranking it up, and it would crank fine, but the engine wouldn't turn over. Then I noticed at some point, that the check engine light wouldn't come on, wouldn't come on, and after about the 4th try, or 6th try, or whatever, I'd see it flicker. I knew once I saw it flicker, that it would crank up on the next try. So I was able to get it started for awhile. Then I found that if I kept the auxillary on, I could get it started because the computer didn't shut off. So I put it on a slow trickle charge to keep the battery charged, but then after a day it wouldn't start again. I was afraid I messed it up, and so then my husband just went ahead and took it off. But we will check into what you told us also before we spend the money.

We really don't mind spending the money much (although if I had my way, I'd trade her in for a 6 cylinder w/ a little lift, and coil shocks, I hate HATE leaf suspension) but we just moved into this house we built, and there are some more things we want to do to it, and so we're trying to save money. This is the BEST place to live if you own a jeep though. I'll have to post some of my pics to the web, it's just beautiful here, and the riding is great!

Thanks Again!!!!! Mary

Reply to
Mary

Those symptoms could very well be a bad connection.

There is one other computer ground point. I am not sure on the 4, but on the 6 near the dipstick is a bolt on the block. Off this bolt are some small black wires. These might need a clean too. The last one you might have is a small black wire on the emergency brake pedal frame down under the dash. This would be the fuel pump ground.

Some emery paper or a wire brush is good for cleaning the ground connections. They have to be unbolted though.

I sometimes take a booster cable and run that from the battery negative to a metal spot or bolt on the firewall somewhere to bypass the grounds as a test. I also put it on the engine block and the frame just to see if the no start stops.

Mike

Mary wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

The best thing to clean contacts is an "electrical contact cleaner" available from any electronics store (Radio Shack, etc)

WD40 can be used in a pinch if the proper stuff isn't available.

Reply to
billy ray

welcome aboard!

Reply to
J. Sprauer

Welcome to the group...

Exact same problem that I had with my Daughter's Jeep. It also is a 94 with the 2.5L. The computer from the 94 is the only one that will work on it too. No other years are compatable. I replaced the computer in the Jeep with one I purchased from Fisher Auto parts, their price was the best, $200.00. I went through all connections and grounds first, with no success. The new computer fixed the problem that you describe.

Paul in VA

Reply to
PM

Hey Paul in VA! Thanks for the advice. $200 will sit way better than $550 right now! One question I have for you, you said that I can only buy a '94 as the other years aren't compatible, but did you have to have it programmed, or did it come already programmed? The dealer that was going to install one for us said it had to be programmed w/ the proper number (found on the outside of the computer box) for it to work correctly. So I was curious about that.

Thanks again! Mary in WV

Reply to
Mary

Welcome to the group, Mary.

Tom

snip

Reply to
mabar

Right out of the box, 4 bolts and tighten down the connector. The one I bought was ready right out of the box. Had the Jeep running just like new in about 10 minutes after I got the computer home... Remember to disconnect the battery prior to installing the new one.

Paul in VA

Reply to
PM

Reply to
L.W.( ßill ) Hughes III

Welcome!

Fellow WV resident

Reply to
JimG

Welcome, can't wait for the pics!

Seahag

"Mary" wrote:

Reply to
Seahag

Welcome to here, Mary. These guys know what they are talking about, and I enjoy this group as a daily lurker and occasional poster. Just by reading everything I have learned so much from here, and have applied it to my TJ and my former YJ. Even the rare acrimony is entertaining .

Good luck with your problem and pay particular attention to what Mike says. Tomes

Reply to
Tomes

Ditto what he said... Joe Carroll

2K-TJ

There are some simple truths...And the dogs know what they are." Joseph Duemer

Reply to
Joe Carroll

Hi Mary! Welcome! I am a newbie here too for the most part. I am the redheaded step child, I drive a Libby. BUT It still has JEEP branded on it's rump, so I guess they will learn to tolerate me LOL

Hope you get your rig fixed and still ahve enough money to go play with it afterwards.

KJKate

2O|||||||O5 Liberty
Reply to
KJ.Kate

Uhmmmmm... oh nevermind,, it seems way to easy..

Snow...

Reply to
Snow

LOL! Wicked! Wicked! Shame on you for ten minutes.

KJK

Reply to
KJ.Kate

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