What does a new to me TJ owner do first?

I was thinking the first thing to do is get on here , tell us where it's parked and how it's equipped , in case we need parts!

Seriously , they are simple , reliable and very fun vehicles .

Most any good shop should be glad to keep an eye on it ..find a shop where a mechanic drives one is what'd I'd tell my sister if she lived out of state.
 
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Hey Lucee, I have a 2005 tj unlimited with 270,000 miles all I have ever replaced is the water pump and I was able to do it myself. Although you should watch out for your heater coils to go bad oil yyTe in Daytona it shouldn’t stay cold to long wear a swig or a short time. I love my Jeep I’m hoping to get to the 500000 mark. All the best Frankie Z
 
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First thing I do when buying a new-to-me rig is baseline all the maintenance items. If the PO has receipts, that helps (understand there wont be any in your case). If none, then I assume it all needs to be replaced.

I change all fluids, even if the PO says they were changed last week. The one caveat to that is the tranny fluid, as that is a suspected problem creator in some TJs.

Then, I move on to the filters- all of them, then spark plugs, then serpentine belt. Longer term, I look to replace the starter, alternator, fuel pump, etc. Old but serviceable parts become spares.

I also spend the better part of a day underneath greasing everything, checking/ torquing all suspension bolts etc.

Doing the above helps to significantly reduce the risk of a remote breakdown, and also helps to familiarize you with your rig. Chances are you will know your rig better than your local mechanic by the time you are done.

BTW, I just serviced both axles on my new-to-me 2006 LJ. I HATE that job but didnt want to pay a mechanic to do it. The PO sold me the rig cheap because the axles were leaking, his mechanic told him that the shafts were bad (after he already replaced the seals twice and bought new rear chromolly shafts).

The seals looked like the PO's mechanic had installed them with a screw driver. They were seated in one side, torn in multiple spots and not seated on the other side.Very shoddy work. I'm no whizz mechanic, but the lack of knowledge/ skill/ caring is sad to see.

My point is dont assume because you take it to a "professional" that the work quality will be any better than what you can do yourself, for many common maintenance/ repair items. Youtube and this forum are your friend.
 
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Lucee said:
Alright I’ve had my tj for a month now and have put a few things in like leds and new head system. I do plan on lifting and linexing it early next year. But now what? What do I need to do to make sure its running at its best? I’m new to Jeep’s and working on vehicles in general so please keep that in mind when pointing me in the right direction. It’s a stock 05 sport in fantastic shape and is my DD and dog/beach mobile.
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Hi @Lucee
Welcome to the Forum!

All my devoted forum fellas offer all the good maintenance to be immediately done the new TJ owners work on to keep peace of mind and to keep the last real Wrangler alive for many more years to come running at its best. TJ Wrangler maintenance is DIY straight forward and quite simple as the products need it are widely available.

So my advise will be to get to know your Jeep, drive it around town, the beach, offroad (maybe) and how hot get inside for it when the top is on or off for your dog.

Be on the look for other TJ's on your area and how those rigs are equipped with Tires, rims, lift, tops, shades that will gave you an idea which products fit better the terrain around your area and will make the Lift and tire homework lot easier. TJ's with angry grills are OK to watch bit not to copied, LOL!

One cool thing I do when i got My first TJ was look for the different Jeep nights around town, Cleveland is way bigger on offroad than what I can imagine at that point and while I met lot of Jeep people I do learn about Jeep equipment used on that area.

I do wish you the best with your new to you TJ and remember that We are always here to help.
 
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Great idea Jorge. I’m always looking to fix my own vehicle myself, I’m sick of paying extra to have my car fixed. Person I asked today what would be the price to fix my fuel assembly looked at me and just came up with a number of $250 where I know it only cost probably less than one hour of labor to put in the device. If we can save by helping each other and the environment I’m in.
 
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hello from a fairly new tj owner from fla. most of our fla trails seem to involve mud not so much rock crawling. there was just a big jeep event in Daytona the end of april, did you get to it? ton's of jeep's and activities.these pics are from thee cracker ranch not far from Daytona where you could go 4 wheelin. This was 3 days after I got it home from the paint shop but still cant help but smile when I think about the fun and my little hitchhiker. as suggested start with the general maintenance items as jeeps are pretty basic ,good luck and enjoy
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Jorge Bolivar said:
Hi @Lucee
Welcome to the Forum!

All my devoted forum fellas offer all the good maintenance to be immediately done the new TJ owners work on to keep peace of mind and to keep the last real Wrangler alive for many more years to come running at its best. TJ Wrangler maintenance is DIY straight forward and quite simple as the products need it are widely available.

So my advise will be to get to know your Jeep, drive it around town, the beach, offroad (maybe) and how hot get inside for it when the top is on or off for your dog.

Be on the look for other TJ's on your area and how those rigs are equipped with Tires, rims, lift, tops, shades that will gave you an idea which products fit better the terrain around your area and will make the Lift and tire homework lot easier. TJ's with angry grills are OK to watch bit not to copied, LOL!

One cool thing I do when i got My first TJ was look for the different Jeep nights around town, Cleveland is way bigger on offroad than what I can imagine at that point and while I met lot of Jeep people I do learn about Jeep equipment used on that area.

I do wish you the best with your new to you TJ and remember that We are always here to help.
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Thank you so much! Everybody in here is great. This is where I am picking up so much information. Also the links for products are invaluable as it lets me feel better in knowing that a Jeep amateur like me has ordered the right parts. I will admit there is an angry grill in a corner of my garage that will never make it on my Jeep. I don’t know what I was thinking. Please don’t judge me ;) I’m too embarrassed to even sell it on Craigslist.
 
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59 wagon man said:
hello from a fairly new tj owner from fla. most of our fla trails seem to involve mud not so much rock crawling. there was just a big jeep event in Daytona the end of april, did you get to it? ton's of jeep's and activities.these pics are from thee cracker ranch not far from Daytona where you could go 4 wheelin. This was 3 days after I got it home from the paint shop but still cant help but smile when I think about the fun and my little hitchhiker. as suggested start with the general maintenance items as jeeps are pretty basic ,good luck and enjoyView attachment 57646 View attachment 57648 View attachment 57645 View attachment 57644
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Now that looks like a good time! I’ve been around for Jeep week at the beach as a bystander. Now I get to participate as an owner!
 
Lucee said:
Thank you so much! Everybody in here is great. This is where I am picking up so much information. Also the links for products are invaluable as it lets me feel better in knowing that a Jeep amateur like me has ordered the right parts. I will admit there is an angry grill in a corner of my garage that will never make it on my Jeep. I don’t know what I was thinking. Please don’t judge me ;) I’m too embarrassed to even sell it on Craigslist.
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Sell it! Crazy how fast they sell, and that funds the better Jeep parts!

Welcome to the forum and Jeep ownership!
 
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Lucee said:
Alright I’ve had my tj for a month now and have put a few things in like leds and new head system. I do plan on lifting and linexing it early next year. But now what? What do I need to do to make sure its running at its best? I’m new to Jeep’s and working on vehicles in general so please keep that in mind when pointing me in the right direction. It’s a stock 05 sport in fantastic shape and is my DD and dog/beach mobile.
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Looks like your on Atlantic Coast, I drive @ OBX Have a ton of fun driving on our beaches but never drive inside the high tide line. The salt is a car killer,ask your car wash to hit the under carriage with water wand. Have fun in the sun.
 
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Congrats on your new TJ. Sounds like you can do some of your own work and if so, you'll find it very satisfying and beneficial to the budget as well. Best of all, you know it was done right. A new TJ owner needs to spend some time browsing the hundreds of articles at stu-offroad.com. It was made specifically for new and experienced Jeep TJ owners. Congrats again on your TJ.
 
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59 wagon man said:
hello from a fairly new tj owner from fla. most of our fla trails seem to involve mud not so much rock crawling. there was just a big jeep event in Daytona the end of april, did you get to it? ton's of jeep's and activities.these pics are from thee cracker ranch not far from Daytona where you could go 4 wheelin. This was 3 days after I got it home from the paint shop but still cant help but smile when I think about the fun and my little hitchhiker. as suggested start with the general maintenance items as jeeps are pretty basic ,good luck and enjoyView attachment 57646 View attachment 57648 View attachment 57645 View attachment 57644
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That was me several months ago!
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I didn’t take many glamor shots in the water because I was alone and was certainly not in the mood at the time lol. But it looked great after! I was smiling for days when people would ask me what color my jeep REALLY was :D
 
Welcome
I don’t think I saw transfer case fluid. I’d change that too. There is a thread here somewhere on which plug to NOT loosen when changing it ant to make sure you can get the fill plug loose before draining. I had no troubles, it was all easy.
Take a close look at the front axle universals out near the wheels, mine were shot.
Brake fluid is pretty important and not hard to do.
 
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