05 TJ OPDA Questions

[Bowhunter]

Hello All,

I’ve been searching for a Jeep for about a month or so and found one at a dealer that is willing to take my UTV on trade.

It’s an 05 4.0 with 152,000 miles manual (I believe it has the somewhat less desirable 6 speed) Because it is for sale at a dealer, it is unknown if the clutch, transmission or engine has been rebuilt (not so worried about the 4.0). Is has very little rust on the frame and frame looks to have original paint so I don’t think they’re trying to hide anything. pics attached

But my main question is the OPDA. Attached is a picture, not sure if we can tell if it is the stock OPDA or not? And how big is the OPDA problem on this year?Replacing doesn’t seem to difficult but I don’t want to buy a motor that has been potentially damaged by a malfunctioned OPDA.

When the motor was running, I didn’t notice any abnormal sounds but I’ve near heard a bad OPDA. this jeep will strictly be for off-roading, I will trailer it to places when the drive is further than 30 min. What’s everyone's thoughts?

 

[Bowhunter]

Additional info: It does also have what looks to be some short arm lift (see picture) and Dana 30 in the front and 35 in the back and 33”s tires. I have no desire to go any larger on the tires of lift

 

[1904-06LJR]

Your OPDA answers are just around the corner:

https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/how-to-change-your-opda.79/

 

[Bowhunter]

Your OPDA answers are just around the corner:

https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/how-to-change-your-opda.79/

Thank you. Is it safe to assume that if it’s not squeaking now and motor sounds ok, that it hasn’t gone bad yet and hasn’t caused any damage?
If I do end up buying it, it sounds like I should change it very soon and avoid waiting until it starts squealing from reading that page you attached

 

[1904-06LJR]

You are correct. Plenty of YouTube videos on the subject as well. Good luck with the purchase.

 

[Bowhunter]

Anything else to watch out for on this era of wranglers? It drove well, for a lifted Jeep, at 65mph.

the hard top rear glass window is not held in by the rear gate door, is it missing a trim piece that holds the glass in place?

 

[Bowhunter]

Looking at it again today, bump for any other thoughts or thinks I should watch for.

Info: 05 with148k miles, 4.0L, manual very little frame rust, Dana 30 front, Dana 35 rear, newer 33”s, lift kit, steel front and rear fenders for $9.5k. From a small local dealership so past knowledge of maintenance is very limited

 

[Chris]

Honestly, from what I can see, that frame looks to be darn near perfect. That is hands down the most important thing to look for.

With 148k and limited maintenance history, realizes that you're likely going to need to overhaul the cooling system (see here: Jeep Wrangler TJ Cooling System Overhaul FAQ) and replace all of the O2 sensors (see here: The Official Jeep Wrangler TJ Oxygen (O2) Sensor Thread), as well as change all the fluids (see here: Wrangler TJ Fluid Capacities), and change the spark plugs (see here: What are the best spark plugs for my Jeep Wrangler TJ 4.0?)

So there will be some maintenance involved, but nothing major as these engines are mostly bulletproof.

Drive the transmission though and feel how it shifts. Sometimes the manual transmissions on these things can be a bit rough.

 

[taylormade73]

Looks pretty clean. Frame and body mount integrity are most important. Don't sweat the OPDA issue-widely overblown and easy to fix. Really only other concern for 05-06 would be the PCM issues, but Wranglerfix has that covered for a reasonable price. I say, as good as that frame looks, I would just focus on typical used car buying inspection for leaks, noises, and how it drives. Male notes of any issues not disclosed and use as a negotiating tool.

 

[Bowhunter]

Honestly, from what I can see, that frame looks to be darn near perfect. That is hands down the most important thing to look for.

With 148k and limited maintenance history, realizes that you're likely going to need to overhaul the cooling system (see here: Jeep Wrangler TJ Cooling System Overhaul FAQ) and replace all of the O2 sensors (see here: The Official Jeep Wrangler TJ Oxygen (O2) Sensor Thread), as well as change all the fluids (see here: Wrangler TJ Fluid Capacities), and change the spark plugs (see here: What are the best spark plugs for my Jeep Wrangler TJ 4.0?)

So there will be some maintenance involved, but nothing major as these engines are mostly bulletproof.

Drive the transmission though and feel how it shifts. Sometimes the manual transmissions on these things can be a bit rough.

Thank you for the info! Exactly what I want to be taking into consideration when looking to buy. A lot of great info in this threads!

 

[Bowhunter]

Looks pretty clean. Frame and body mount integrity are most important. Don't sweat the OPDA issue-widely overblown and easy to fix. Really only other concern for 05-06 would be the PCM issues, but Wranglerfix has that covered for a reasonable price. I say, as good as that frame looks, I would just focus on typical used car buying inspection for leaks, noises, and how it drives. Male notes of any issues not disclosed and use as a negotiating tool.

thanks for the info. How prevalent is the PCM issue? I looked at his website and the manual PCM is nearly $1k, thats a pretty good chunk of change after spending a fair amount on the Jeep itself

 

[taylormade73]

thanks for the info. How prevalent is the PCM issue? I looked at his website and the manual PCM is nearly $1k, thats a pretty good chunk of change after spending a fair amount on the Jeep itself

You're welcome. Not as prevalent as the internet will have you believe. Neg issues are always reported but rarely does someone mention how well things are going or no issues. Actual percentage of affected is unknown, but just look at how many 05-06 were produced and it puts it into perspective. Plus its mostly an automatic issue. I wouldn't worry about it.

Edit: wranglerfix is a fairly verified fix unlike all other companies thus far offering fixes. Read all the feedback on wranglerfix vs others and the choice is clear. I have an 05 and have had zero issues but don't worry about it. If I do I'll just get a wranglerfix com if it happens. Plenty of jeepers on here and every other forum with no PCM issues with their 05-06.

 

[B252]

X2 on the above. Maybe a few hours of maintenance. That looks like a good purchase.
Go for it!

 

[g.hayduke]

PCM issue to my knowledge is just on the auto tranny versions. The 6 spd is not necessarily a negative. If it shifts OK now, and you treat it kindly, you'll probably have no issues.

On the OPDA, if it has 150K on it and it's not throwing codes, you probably have a good OPDA and sensor which is a good thing. If you choose to replace the OPDA, be sure to use your original sensor, assuming you can get it out of the old OPDA without breaking it. I would plug in a code reader and see if there are any codes that may not have triggered the CEL yet. If it is throwing codes, it might have cam damage which would require replacing cam & lifters, along with the OPDA. This all assumes you care about having no CEL and want to avoid ending up in limp mode.

I have an '05 I bought with ~80K miles on it. It was throwing codes related to the OPDA. I replaced the OPDA but could not get the old sensor out of the original OPDA without breaking it due to corrosion. It stopped throwing codes... until the weather got cold. End result, after trying multiple new sensors that all threw codes when cold, I purchased an original OPDA with original sensor off eBay (from Israel!). After 2 winters, no codes thrown. The new sensors all seem to suck.

 

[MutantNinjaTJ]

The OPDA won't effect the manual tranny, and whoever said the "6 speed is un-desirable" doesn't have one!

 

[Chris]

Thank you for the info! Exactly what I want to be taking into consideration when looking to buy. A lot of great info in this threads!

No problem at all, you'll find the TJ Resources and TJ How-to Guides sections to be of particular use

 

[Bowhunter]

Spent the last few hours reading into the OPDA and going down many rabbit holes.
I have the part and seems like a fairly easily fix but am concerned with some people reportedly following the YouTube video instructions and getting CEL codes fo motor being out of time.

is it safe to assume that if it’s currently not throwing CEL codes in regards to the OPDA or timing, that I can simply line up the housing hole and the wheel hole in the new and old OPDA (with the pin) install and it will be timed correctly? Or do I need to take the belt off and make sure the notch in the harmonic balancer is in line with the 0 mark?

 

[Plumber1]

No pictures of the body or interior ?

 

[Bowhunter]

No pictures of the body or interior ?

Body and interior are pretty clean, if I end up getting it I’ll post up some pics. The frame is really clean, especially after looking at a few other wranglers.

Right now deciding if I want to buy it and tackle the OPDA issue... some horror stories out about not perfect alignment and CEL codes and limp modes probelems

 

[TJ2]

Thank you. Is it safe to assume that if it’s not squeaking now and motor sounds ok, that it hasn’t gone bad yet and hasn’t caused any damage?
If I do end up buying it, it sounds like I should change it very soon and avoid waiting until it starts squealing from reading that page you attached

You are so over worried on the OPDA. I have the '05 manual trans now at 237,000 miles and mine does not have any OPDA issue whatsoever. Besides, it is very easy to swap another one (1 hour max) $86 from Amazon. Why worry about it?