Hello! I'm new around these parts...

cartisdm · **Joined:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 7:52 am **Posts:** 23

**UPDATED WITH PICS BELOW**

Hello LostJeep! I just purchased an 08 KK and proud to finally be a member of the Jeep community (I can say that safely here, right? No wrangler guys are going to swoop in and call me out?)!

My friend had a Jeep in college and we spent countless hours off-roading and working on his old Cherokee. Mine is an 08 with 76k miles but fully loaded with all features except navigation (which I'd like to add). The previous owner must have had a serious case of OCD because the interior/exterior look brand new

My bank gave me the Route 66 warranty for practically nothing which gives me peace of mind for potential issues because it's essentially everything except "wear and tear". Right now there are a few quirks but I'm beginning to research them now. I'll post them below but please know I've had the KK for 3 days now and still looking into them:

- If dashlights are on (like at night) and I turn the RIGHT blinker on, all the dashlights dim. Soon as blinker clicks off, all goes back to normal. Does not happen turning left. I'm assuming grounding issue?

- Engine light came on this morning. I'll pull the codes after work today. No idea what the issue could be there

- SUCKS gas like a mule. At the moment I'm getting 14mpg and I'm driving it like a granny (on purpose). I know these have bad fuel economy but 14 seems poor. I say this because I'm purposely driving it like a feather. I'm still feeling it out though...

- Gas spits out when I fill it up. I'm looking into the TSB thing and I'm assuming my warranty should get this taken care of
People can bash on the KK all they want. I knew what I was buying and this serves my needs PERFECTLY. It's shiny and looks great in my driveway and I look professional arriving at my job. Interior with the leather and chrome trims gives off a great look. Plus, I can throw in my bike or fishing gear and hit the trails (I have no desire to "off-road").

Sorry for rambling! I'm just excited to be a new owner!

LKWJeeper · **Posted:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 9:06 am

First off.. Welcome to the forum and congrats on your KK purchase.

If your gas mileage is that terrible. The first thing I would do is replace the spark plugs, replace the air filter, and run some STP fuel cleaner. That should help out some, if not cure the issue. I'm seeing 17MPG and I have a heavy foot.

The "fuel burp" issue was issued a TSB and you need to go to any local Jeep dealer and have them fix the issue. The way gas pricers are, you should get it fixed right away.

by the way POST SOME PICTURES! haha :pepper:

Pierocksmysocks · **Posted:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 9:10 am

I'd say you ended up in the right place and welcome to the boards. If a wrangler guy does swoop in and bashes you, just pull up a couple pictures from this forum and settle it over a beer (I remember when the KK first came out, and it wasn't well received - had to pay its dues just like all the others).

FYI the fuel burp issue has been solved. They issued a recall for the gas tanks, and ever since mine was replaced no further issues. That info along with codes, etc can be found in the tech section.

Hope you didn't buy it for the gas mileage... And best of luck keeping it stock. I lasted 4 years but I've finally given in. Just started fund raising for my build (much to my wife's dismay).

Cherrie 274 · **Posted:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 9:11 am

Gas spew is covered.
Poor gas - spark plugs ever been changed.
Check or change all lubes, axles might have been missed.
Dimming lights worn/ stripped spot on wire?

Cherrie 274 · **Posted:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 9:13 am

Wow we all read and replied about the same time!

Pierocksmysocks · **Posted:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 10:44 am

Cherrie 274 wrote:

Wow we all read and replied about the same time!

That's what I get for replying on my phone when I first wake up. But on another note, I suppose great minds think alike? :dizzy:

cartisdm · **Joined:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 7:52 am **Posts:** 23

Thank you all for the warm welcome and FAST responses!

JeeperSC wrote:

If your gas mileage is that terrible. The first thing I would do is replace the spark plugs, replace the air filter, and run some STP fuel cleaner.

Quote:

Poor gas - spark plugs ever been changed.

I'll check on this. I'm a big DIYer but never done spark plugs. Should be easy so I'll knock that out and start recording all my maintenance in a notebook (should help warranty claims easier)

Quote:

The "fuel burp" issue was issued a TSB and you need to go to any local Jeep dealer and have them fix the issue. The way gas pricers are, you should get it fixed right away.

Quote:

FYI the fuel burp issue has been solved. They issued a recall for the gas tanks, and ever since mine was replaced no further issues. That info along with codes, etc can be found in the tech section.

Quote:

Gas spew is covered.

Do I even need to bother with my extended warranty or can I just show up at Jeep dealership and say "fix this"?

Quote:

by the way POST SOME PICTURES! haha :pepper:

Updated with pics!

EDIT: I forgot to add one other. My e-brake works as well as a used tampon. I have a steep driveway so I am going to need to tighten this up. I'm assuming it's as simple as other vehicles but I'll google for a guide

Gageraid · **Posted:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 11:36 am

Welcome aboard! What state are you from? Your KK looks great and I'm jealous of your interior.

You will be very pleased how easy the spark plugs are to change, but feel free to ask if you have some sort of problem. Stick with a regular copper plug and only use regular fuel. You can also clean the throttle body very easily since it's probably a little dirty by now.

There is a writeup here somewhere on how to do the e-brake. I believe it requires taking the driver's side wheel off and maybe one other thing if I remember correctly.

Once again, don't be shy here, but please read as much as you can since just about every problem has been talked about here.

Cherrie 274 · **Posted:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 11:38 am

Gas tank is covered by Chrysler. Take it to dealer or call in vin number to check.
I got my KK used but I got the notice.
It's posted up here or KJ Country.
Spark plugs are easy.

cartisdm · **Joined:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 7:52 am **Posts:** 23

Gageraid wrote:

Welcome aboard! What state are you from? Your KK looks great and I'm jealous of your interior.

Residing in the great state of North Carolina! Charlotte to be specific although I spent most of my life in various parts of Virginia.

Thanks everyone for the pointers. This weekend I'm going to start knocking out the immediate items to fix since I'll have the time. None of them except the fuel related items are particularly pressing matters but I'm just itching to play with my new toy

Bmxer524 · **Posted:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 2:00 pm

Welcome, and great looking KK!

Alright, a lot has been answered, but I might as well help too lol.

The gas "burp" is fixed, the dealer should take care of it for you.(as mentioned)

Gas mileage, the KK isn't known for. But you can try changing spark plugs(oem copper is best), and try being a little heavier on the gas. Sometimes it helps to drive it like you stole it a bit to blow the cobwebs out.

Definitely get the codes. It might be the cause of the gas mileage as well. Who knows.

As for the lights, I don't know electrical that well so I can't help there, sorry :oops:

Either way, enjoy the Jeep!!!

cartisdm · **Joined:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 7:52 am **Posts:** 23

Hey all, I stopped by auto zone and had them pull my codes

"Evaporated Emissions System Leak Detected. P0456"

The guy said it was probably due to a loose gas cap. I doubt that's the case since the gas caps are pretty idiot-proof and only require one click. My guess is the overflow/burp thing triggered it. Or maybe something to do with my poor gas mileage?

cartisdm · **Joined:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 7:52 am **Posts:** 23

Update:

I disconnected my negative terminal then put the ignition in ACC for 20 minutes. While I waited I removed the gas cap. It looked pretty new but I greased it up and coated all the rubber well.

Started it back and just drove for 45 minutes around the city (lots of stop and go)

Gageraid · **Posted:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 11:11 pm

cartisdm wrote:

Update:

I disconnected my negative terminal then put the ignition in ACC for 20 minutes. While I waited I removed the gas cap. It looked pretty new but I greased it up and coated all the rubber well.

Started it back and just drove for 45 minutes around the city (lots of stop and go)

How many miles did you travel on your "average mpg"?

cartisdm · **Joined:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 7:52 am **Posts:** 23

Gageraid wrote:

How many miles did you travel on your "average mpg"?

Not much, probably only about 25 miles but that's about the exact driving conditions as my earlier trips and I could immediately tell something was wrong before.

I'll continue to monitor and see if my MPGs start dropping drastically. It has at least postponed the problem for right now. I'll work on getting that fuel tank issue resolved with the dealer this weekend too if they think they can have it ready before Mondauy

Gageraid · **Posted:** Sat Aug 10, 2013 10:09 am

Not sure what else could cause that code. Does it lack power? How does overdrive feel around 55-60mph?

cartisdm · **Joined:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 7:52 am **Posts:** 23

Well that initial 18mpg didn't hold firm very long. It quickly started to drop down to 14.1-14.9mpg, even with about 30 highway miles. I had some free time this morning so I took a trip to autozone and purchased:

The old cabin filters looked like gray bricks so I did away with those immediately. The air filter wasn't too bad but it needed to be changed and it's a quick fix and I was already at autozone. The old spark plugs looked WORN. The gaps all measured over 0.075+

I put in the new plugs, gapped at 0.044 and just returned from a test drive of about 40 miles, 30 of which were interstate. Interstate gave me 19.8mpg and city was about 17.5mpg. I'm sitting at a steady 19.2mpg and will continue to keep an eye on it. So far so good!

Thanks for the tips everyone. I'm still getting adjusted to Jeep. The prior owner had some serious OCD about the interior but it looks like they neglected some standard maintenance. Next on the list to fix: slow leak in one of the tires! Every 2 days I'm down to 27psi and the alarm goes off :roll:

Gageraid · **Posted:** Sun Aug 11, 2013 2:00 pm

Let us know if the check engine light comes back on. The Lucas stuff is the only thing I use. I buy it in the second largest size for around $12 or so from Walmart. When is the last time the oil was changed?

cartisdm · **Joined:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 7:52 am **Posts:** 23

Gageraid wrote:

Let us know if the check engine light comes back on.

Will do. I'm keeping a close eye on it

Quote:

The Lucas stuff is the only thing I use. I buy it in the second largest size for around $12 or so from Walmart.

This was my first experience with it. It was on sale for $1.99 for a single treatment so I gave it a shot. Glad to hear other people use it as well

Quote:

When is the last time the oil was changed?

Note sure. Next weekend I'll try to change the oil. I don't have any maintenance history on the vehicle. I started up my log today and will be recording everything I do from here forward.

Gageraid · **Posted:** Sun Aug 11, 2013 2:27 pm

The oil change is really easy to do. The oil filter is in a little bit of a trick spot, but I've been able to get my hand in there to loosen it.

Some say "babying" the engine creates bad mpg which holds some truth, but I'm a pretty laid back conservative driver and get 19 mpg city. The worst mpg I've ever gotten was 16.5. It's good every now and then (in a familiar and safe location) to go full throttle a few times to "clear the cobwebs out." You can take it to redline without any harm.

Try to eliminate any excessive idling. If you go to a fast food joint, walk in instead of going to the drive-thru and avoid "warming the engine up" and just drive it as soon as you start it up.

Hello! I'm new around these parts...

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