Well, at the risk of upsetting my good friend Tony I feel I may have unlocked the mystery of this phrase and would like all current and past Jeep owners to check my findings.....

Does "It's a Jeep thing...." mean:

choice a) that this vehicle is costing me almost as much as a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud and going wrong at every opportunity and in more ways than could possibly be imagined? It has the resilience of papier mache and the build quality of a Lada, Fiat and Alfa Romeo all combined? I wish I had shelled out the extra money on a Nissan in the first place.

Or

choice b) expect infrequent hassle from this fine robust sand eating vehicle? It is really a fine beast.:smiley2:

What's happening with your Jeep, Jeff?

I find that the key to success with an older car is how you prep it just after you buy it, and before components start going bad. I wouldn't assume the previous owner has done any maintenance at all, and would start with a thorough overhaul: replace all fluids and filters - all: brake, clutch, coolant, diffs, transfer case, gearbox, engine, fuel filter, air filter, tranny filter, etc. Then look at al rubbers, replace those with any sign of wear. Then continue with a check of all systems, one by one. Open it up, give it a good clean and re-pack with fresh grease, new bearings if any, or just a good blow Only then take it on a drive.

If you buy an old car and assume it's been properly taken care of, you're then just waiting for something to fail. This "year zero" policy works wonders. I've crossed Wagan - Hameem with a truck as old as 1983, with full confidence, because I knew I had covered everything. Plonk down 2-3k at the start in preventative maintenance, and be worry-free. It's important especially when driving out in the sands where a break-down can be a real hassle. Older trucks are rock solid and can take far more abuse than their newer electronically-dependent cousins.

Let me know if I can help with anything on your Jeep. You got a Haynes Repair manual? BTW, this year zero overhaul thing, best do it yourself, not taking it in to a mechanic: good to get intimate with your new ride and to learn how things work 8) Plus, you can make sure things are done right.

Good points there PR.

Let me add this about Jeep:

I have witnessed a number of roll-overs out there on the sands, and my obeservation is that Jeeps, especially Wranglers, normally come out in better shape than the rice cookers which get completely written off........

As for "it's a Jeep thing", yeah, choice b) expect infrequent hassle from this fine robust sand eating vehicle? It is really a fine beast.

Hello Jeff, I am a bit saddened that you are not getting the satisfaction that you require form this lovely machien that you have. As with any older vehicle, especially one to be taken offroad, one must take great care to make sure all things are fine when purchased. I know this can be hard, especially if vehicle technilcal knowledge is limited. I had a similar problem with mine, almost identical to be honest, but had to learn the hard way and now I do all of my work myself....... Well as much as I can.
I would hang in there if I were you mate and let it have it's hissy fit. Once you get it up and running properly you will be more than satisfied with the rig, if not, then you could always sell it and take the loss on the chin. Shame that it didn't work out too well, but it makes you reconsider the honesty of the previous owner. My trouble was that we bought the ZJ form a friend which made things even more awkward. Such is life though, and these things are sent to test us, blah blah blah!!!

Hope you get it worted soon mate as they are amazing when they work well. Good luck mate.

Agreed Nasser, we also had our teething problems with both but now they are running like a dream, knock on wood, with regular good quality maintenance I belive we will have years of fun out of the two. Sorry about your problems Jeff but there is light at the end of the tunnel, stick with her and she will bring you joy.

NAH get the NEYSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN be hassle free and happy

OK, thanks for advice and ideas - too risky to try Liwa yet though. Will try it out first on a few local trips and hope there is another trip to the monster dunes later in the year.
Had the TPS changed yesterday and it is now changing gear at reasonable revs and had the exhaust welded back on as it was hanging off - maybe the bumpy Al Ain gatch track helped.
Maybe now that has been blessed by a UAEOFFROADERS sticker it will be trouble free for a while, fingers crossed.

evans97 wrote:Maybe now that has been blessed by a UAEOFFROADERS sticker it will be trouble free for a while, fingers crossed.

I really hope so - at least you have now increased its value

jeeps spares may be costly and the service expensive as jeep cant compete against the high bulk spares that are imported from Japan or fake spares from China which makes it easy for the Nissan & Toyota owners

But the Wrangler is the best fun I have ever purchased, and after my wife had a accident on the express way in which the Jeep rolled and came to rest upside down in the centre of the road, I can thank the ruggard construction of the Jeep and the rollbar inside the Wrangler that kept my wife alive and free from any serious injury.

I have since bought Ali's old Wrangler and slowly but surely giving it TLC and yes some well earned cash to restore it to a fun luving vehicle.....aka "Shaun the Jeep"

So is it a Jeep thing, yes. Cos once they get under your skin there will always be a place for them in your heart

MB Hammer wrote:I really hope so - at least you have now increased its value

Every time I fill my tank, I double the value of my vehicle.