Howdy!
I have my '02 X with the 4.0 and 5-speed manual, just over 190k on it now. It is essentially stock, I just have 31's.
I bought the Jeep almost exactly 2 years ago and it has been great. Now that it is starting to really cool down outside, my check engine light is coming on almost every other time I drive it (and it is my daily driver). I had to codes ran again today and my engine is staying too cool for too long. I had this issue at the end of the winter season, but completely forgot about it when my CEL turned off for the whole spring and summer.
Before this, I owned a '96 Cherokee, so I am in the habit of watching my gauges religiously. My Jeep hasn't ever overheated (knock on wood), and I have never noticed a leak, so replacing the thermostat or addressing the cooling system in general hasn't been a concern until my CEL became so persistent.
I've been reading up on how to replace my thermostat and flush my coolant, but I am also reading that it may be worth it to completely replace the major parts of my cooling system (considering the year and mileage of my Jeep). While I'm not jazzed about spending the extra money, I am pretty on board with the long-term, proactive approach.
Here's the rub: My registration expired in October, and I have been playing this game of trying to get it to pass emissions in between CEL's. I let my Jeep warm up before I drive it to work each morning, and eventually the CEL turns off, but I haven't been able to put enough miles on it to pass before the CEL comes back on. I need to weigh what is the best, quickest way to address my cooling issue so that my Jeep can be registered and I can begin to proactively replace other parts in my cooling system.
Sorry for the novel, but my jist is: What is the quickest way I can approach this, that is also going to be the most beneficial for my Jeep in the long run?
I have my '02 X with the 4.0 and 5-speed manual, just over 190k on it now. It is essentially stock, I just have 31's.
I bought the Jeep almost exactly 2 years ago and it has been great. Now that it is starting to really cool down outside, my check engine light is coming on almost every other time I drive it (and it is my daily driver). I had to codes ran again today and my engine is staying too cool for too long. I had this issue at the end of the winter season, but completely forgot about it when my CEL turned off for the whole spring and summer.
Before this, I owned a '96 Cherokee, so I am in the habit of watching my gauges religiously. My Jeep hasn't ever overheated (knock on wood), and I have never noticed a leak, so replacing the thermostat or addressing the cooling system in general hasn't been a concern until my CEL became so persistent.
I've been reading up on how to replace my thermostat and flush my coolant, but I am also reading that it may be worth it to completely replace the major parts of my cooling system (considering the year and mileage of my Jeep). While I'm not jazzed about spending the extra money, I am pretty on board with the long-term, proactive approach.
Here's the rub: My registration expired in October, and I have been playing this game of trying to get it to pass emissions in between CEL's. I let my Jeep warm up before I drive it to work each morning, and eventually the CEL turns off, but I haven't been able to put enough miles on it to pass before the CEL comes back on. I need to weigh what is the best, quickest way to address my cooling issue so that my Jeep can be registered and I can begin to proactively replace other parts in my cooling system.
Sorry for the novel, but my jist is: What is the quickest way I can approach this, that is also going to be the most beneficial for my Jeep in the long run?
