2005 LJR Flame Red

[DeltaNu1142]

I did a two+ hour round-tripper yesterday, and Reds performed just fine. Man, I love cruising around topless. I did wake up to the return of P0133 for O2 sensor slow response, and a new one P2096 for post-cat fuel trim too lean. I reset those and they returned during the drive. I need to find the time to chase those down.

The oil leak might have slowed after the oil change... or it might be wishful thinking. This morning's puddle seemed a little smaller than usual.

The front end looks like it's sagging a bit more than before with the added weight of the bumper. I'll definitely not be adding a winch until after the lift springs go in.

 

[DeltaNu1142]

I'm mulling over taking the LJR north with me on vacation. It's a 700-mile round-tripper and I have no top... so, counting on good weather. I have a trail cover for parking... another Marketplace find.

To prep for the trip, I've installed the OEM carrier back on the MORryde tailgate plate so I can carry a spare tire. Of course, it wasn't as simple as throwing the carrier on there... the snubbers didn't reach the spare due to the added thickness of the MORryde plate, so I had to cut up some spare snubbers as spacers:

They're a little thicker than they need to be. With the lug nuts tightened down, they're squeezed quite a bit. No worries about the spare moving around, that's for sure. I'll need to remember to put the OEM jack & stuff back under the passenger seat. I topped off the coolant. With all that done, I think it's good to go.

I might move the rear view mirror button up so I can see better. I got a Gentex 341 mirror from a scrap yard and it arrived in less-than-great condition. I got a refund, but I might test-wire it on the "bench" (i.e., someplace on the garage floor) with a 12V power supply to see if it works. If so, I may install it while I try to find a replacement. BUT, even without any functionality the 341 sits way higher than what's on there now (OEM, probably), and so even if I don't wire it up or move the button I might run it on this trip.

I also hosed off the Jeep at a manual car wash. Last time I'll do that... I think it was $1/minute. Lucky I had a big stash of quarters. Ridiculous.

 

[DeltaNu1142]

Got a wild hair... couldn't let the rear view mirror thing go after I started thinking about it.

It's not wired in yet, but it's sitting tall... and finally centered. From what I can tell in the comfort of my garage, visibility is vastly better. It'll be good to have garage door buttons once I get the harness done.

 

[DeltaNu1142]

Did a 700-mile round-tripper recently for the holiday. The LJ did great. I really do need a top, though, as I've been caught in two storms and both the rearview mirror and the windshield get coated on the inside. It makes visibility pretty bad.

I've had a clanging noise from the front end going over bumps. The sway bar end link bushings were in a bad way, so I found replacement end links on Rock Auto. This morning I had some spare time (thanks Microsoft) and figured it'd be a 15-minute job... but apparently, two months of Jeep ownership have taught me nothing.

Lots of heat on the fasteners was required to loosen things up. The driver-side stud really didn't want to come out of the bar. I whacked it and mushroomed the top enough that, when it finally did break free, it didn't want to come out of the sway bar mounting hole. I punched it through and got the new one torqued down... this time with my good friend anti-seize. It's improved, but I still have a bit of noise from the driver side. I'll need to investigate.

A few days ago, knowing full well I'm not doing the duck thing, my son pranked me with this by leaving it on my dash in my own garage:

I was at least 30 seconds wondering how I got the LJ home without noticing it. And then he started giggling.

 

[DeltaNu1142]

8/2/2024
149,274 miles

I ran an errand with the LJ because the weather was great... but my luck with the brake lines ran out. The driver side front caliper locked up on the way home. I pulled over on the highway once or twice to free it by bumping the line and letting it cool. I've got an appointment to get the lines replaced. I do a lot of my own work, and I even have a brake bleeder, but I've always managed to mess up brakes if it's anything beyond pads & rotors. The minute fluid gets involved, I'd rather have someone else do it.

 

[DeltaNu1142]

8/17/24
149,314 miles

Busy few days with the LJ, and none of them great.

Thursday, checked the radar, and no rain in the forecast for the next 4-5 hours. Left around lunch for an errand, and hit a storm 5 minutes in. Sheets of water. And me, with no top of any kind. What I've learned:

1. I need a top. Any top. Bimini, soft top, tarp with some clothesline. Whatever, I've got to stop analyzing and start buying.
2. BedRug is not waterproof. I don't care what the marketing says.
3. The radio doesn't take well to being drenched.

I've driven topless in rain before, but I've never had to park in a downpour. I found a spot under a bunch of trees and hoped for the best. The radio stopped responding on the ride home... no buttons responding at all. Volume still works. It's been a few days, and some of the functions have come back for a minute or two, and then they stop working again. My stereo replacement might be bumped up a bit.

I had the front brake lines done Friday. There was still air in the lines when I picked up, but I brought it back and they sorted that out. Brakes feel good, lines look good. And they told me the slow oil leak is coming from the valve cover (hell yeah, I'll tackle that some weekend).

This morning, I decided to wire up the Gentex 341 mirror. The upper windshield trim came off easily enough, but...

...note the lack of mirror button. Yeah... I knocked the whole assembly off the glass when the trim came off. Awesome.

Bob's Automotive documentation was great, and along with what I found on this forum I got it wired up quickly.

However... while fooling around with the soldering iron, I noticed that the carpet was way more damp than it should be after sitting for a couple of days. I didn't smell mildew until I started pulling the carpet up. There was water under the carpet, as well as under my insulation. I ripped out most of the front floor pan insulation to get to the moisture and soak it up. Yep... I'll probably replace the tunnel insulation, but I'm not going to put it back in the footwells. It's just too low, and there's no way I can keep the water out. I was extra careful with the aluminum tape during installation, and there was still lots of water under there.

I dried everything out and then took a run to Napa for the mirror adhesive. Now I'm waiting for it to cure for reinstallation. I tested the harness, and everything seems to work: temp, compass, map light. I'll program the HomeLink after I get the mirror back on.

So... brakes (probably) fixed, interior drenched and dried out, mirror broken off & reinstalled, oil leak identified but not addressed. Subpar week overall, but hard to complain when it's almost all self-inflicted.

 

[Apparition]

8/17/24
149,314 miles

Busy few days with the LJ, and none of them great.

Thursday, checked the radar, and no rain in the forecast for the next 4-5 hours. Left around lunch for an errand, and hit a storm 5 minutes in. Sheets of water. And me, with no top of any kind. What I've learned:

1. I need a top. Any top. Bimini, soft top, tarp with some clothesline. Whatever, I've got to stop analyzing and start buying.
2. BedRug is not waterproof. I don't care what the marketing says.
3. The radio doesn't take well to being drenched.

I've driven topless in rain before, but I've never had to park in a downpour. I found a spot under a bunch of trees and hoped for the best. The radio stopped responding on the ride home... no buttons responding at all. Volume still works. It's been a few days, and some of the functions have come back for a minute or two, and then they stop working again. My stereo replacement might be bumped up a bit.

I had the front brake lines done Friday. There was still air in the lines when I picked up, but I brought it back and they sorted that out. Brakes feel good, lines look good. And they told me the slow oil leak is coming from the valve cover (hell yeah, I'll tackle that some weekend).

This morning, I decided to wire up the Gentex 341 mirror. The upper windshield trim came off easily enough, but...

View attachment 551379
...note the lack of mirror button. Yeah... I knocked the whole assembly off the glass when the trim came off. Awesome.

Bob's Automotive documentation was great, and along with what I found on this forum I got it wired up quickly.

View attachment 551380

View attachment 551381

However... while fooling around with the soldering iron, I noticed that the carpet was way more damp than it should be after sitting for a couple of days. I didn't smell mildew until I started pulling the carpet up. There was water under the carpet, as well as under my insulation. I ripped out most of the front floor pan insulation to get to the moisture and soak it up. Yep... I'll probably replace the tunnel insulation, but I'm not going to put it back in the footwells. It's just too low, and there's no way I can keep the water out. I was extra careful with the aluminum tape during installation, and there was still lots of water under there.

View attachment 551382

I dried everything out and then took a run to Napa for the mirror adhesive. Now I'm waiting for it to cure for reinstallation. I tested the harness, and everything seems to work: temp, compass, map light. I'll program the HomeLink after I get the mirror back on.

View attachment 551383

So... brakes (probably) fixed, interior drenched and dried out, mirror broken off & reinstalled, oil leak identified but not addressed. Subpar week overall, but hard to complain when it's almost all self-inflicted.

A Trektop NX in safari mode with a trail cover is how I handle summer. If it’s really dry then just the trail cover.

 

[FarFire70]

8/17/24
149,314 miles

Busy few days with the LJ, and none of them great.

Thursday, checked the radar, and no rain in the forecast for the next 4-5 hours. Left around lunch for an errand, and hit a storm 5 minutes in. Sheets of water. And me, with no top of any kind. What I've learned:

1. I need a top. Any top. Bimini, soft top, tarp with some clothesline. Whatever, I've got to stop analyzing and start buying.
2. BedRug is not waterproof. I don't care what the marketing says.
3. The radio doesn't take well to being drenched.

I've driven topless in rain before, but I've never had to park in a downpour. I found a spot under a bunch of trees and hoped for the best. The radio stopped responding on the ride home... no buttons responding at all. Volume still works. It's been a few days, and some of the functions have come back for a minute or two, and then they stop working again. My stereo replacement might be bumped up a bit.

I had the front brake lines done Friday. There was still air in the lines when I picked up, but I brought it back and they sorted that out. Brakes feel good, lines look good. And they told me the slow oil leak is coming from the valve cover (hell yeah, I'll tackle that some weekend).

This morning, I decided to wire up the Gentex 341 mirror. The upper windshield trim came off easily enough, but...

View attachment 551379
...note the lack of mirror button. Yeah... I knocked the whole assembly off the glass when the trim came off. Awesome.

Bob's Automotive documentation was great, and along with what I found on this forum I got it wired up quickly.

View attachment 551380

View attachment 551381

However... while fooling around with the soldering iron, I noticed that the carpet was way more damp than it should be after sitting for a couple of days. I didn't smell mildew until I started pulling the carpet up. There was water under the carpet, as well as under my insulation. I ripped out most of the front floor pan insulation to get to the moisture and soak it up. Yep... I'll probably replace the tunnel insulation, but I'm not going to put it back in the footwells. It's just too low, and there's no way I can keep the water out. I was extra careful with the aluminum tape during installation, and there was still lots of water under there.

View attachment 551382

I dried everything out and then took a run to Napa for the mirror adhesive. Now I'm waiting for it to cure for reinstallation. I tested the harness, and everything seems to work: temp, compass, map light. I'll program the HomeLink after I get the mirror back on.

View attachment 551383

So... brakes (probably) fixed, interior drenched and dried out, mirror broken off & reinstalled, oil leak identified but not addressed. Subpar week overall, but hard to complain when it's almost all self-inflicted.

Been busy for your for sure! Glad you took a positive turn and worked on an upgrade to keep energy up while things are tough.

You won't keep water from getting below the carpet without a top. Nothing would. Hope your radio comes back but unlikely. I didn't realize you were in Maine until this lasted post — something tells me you'll need a top if you want to drive the TJ more than a few months in the year.

 

[DeltaNu1142]

A Trektop NX in safari mode with a trail cover is how I handle summer. If it’s really dry then just the trail cover.

This is exactly my plan. I have the BestTop trail cover and it’s awesome. I need to just pull the trigger already on the NX.

EDIT: Did it. Small discount on it though AMZN this morning didn’t hurt.

Been busy for your for sure! Glad you took a positive turn and worked on an upgrade to keep energy up while things are tough.

You won't keep water from getting below the carpet without a top. Nothing would. Hope your radio comes back but unlikely. I didn't realize you were in Maine until this lasted post — something tells me you'll need a top if you want to drive the TJ more than a few months in the year.

Yeahhh… I drove this thing home a few months ago with a hardtop on it and a ratty OEM soft top in my chase vehicle. I’ve since sold both—but it was always the plan to keep this as a summer vehicle and store it as soon as the snow flies anyway.

But it was also the plan to buy a slant back softie as soon at the hard top sold. I’ve been clinging too tightly to the idea that I can just run a mesh top in the summer and avoid the rain. The hour-plus I spent sopping up smelly green water this morning has convinced me otherwise, though…

EDIT: So… the radio. Funny thing about that is there’s a burned CD in there with some kind of southern hip/hop mix the PO left in there. One B-side Kid Rock song and the rest, I don’t recognize. I was pressing buttons yesterday to see what worked; for a minute or two, the FM preset buttons came back and I thought I was in the clear. I pressed the Mode button and the CD started playing… and then the buttons stopped working again. So now the CD is playing and the only control I have over it is to turn it all the way down. I would almost prefer AM static over this crap.

 

[DeltaNu1142]

Programming the HomeLink isn't working with either the learn button or the remote. I have HL in our daily drivers and they work fine. Can't get these buttons to do anything. I checked out some early 2000s HL videos, but I'm not learning anything I should be doing differently.

 

[DeltaNu1142]

Yesterday I put in Husky front floor mats. Rears are on the way.

Today my TrekTop NX arrived and I put that on. It installed pretty easily. I don’t plan on putting the side or rear panels on.

 

[TRevs]

The Fairchild tailgate seal arrived today. I'll get that on as soon as I can get the old gummy adhesive off.

You mentioned the Fairchild tailgate seal; is that the lower seal for the metal gate? All I see from rockauto and fairchild is a seal that says “upper tailgate hardtop seat” part number D4084.

I need the lower seal that wraps the gate itself; which one did you purchase?

 

[DeltaNu1142]

I need the lower seal that wraps the gate itself; which one did you purchase?

Yes, that’s what I got. Order this one:

 

[TRevs]

That should do it; it wasn’t showing up on my search for 2006 Wrangler because it’s listed 1997/2005 for whatever reason.

Thanks!

 

[DeltaNu1142]

My radio buttons are working again! At least, some of them are. I've arrived at the FM station I listen to most and I'm afraid to touch anything else.

My reverse lights stopped working suddenly. The fuse is good, and the 12VDC at the fuse switches when shifting in & out of reverse... so it's got to be wiring from the firewall back, or a ground? It's both lights, though... and I noticed because I really needed them last night. I was backing up a hill in the pitch black because I couldn't go forward. I made it out fine, but just squeaked by an obstacle on the passenger side.

Need to look into that.

 

[DeltaNu1142]

The reverse lights worked just fine last night… can’t explain that at all. I don’t like intermittent issues.

The weather is getting colder at night. I may have to start thinking about putting the Jeep up for the winter.