What did you do WITH your Jeep today.

[joecitrix97]

YJ as in "Y the Hell does it have rectangular headlights?"!!

The square headlights are not my favorite part of my YJ either. However, it has features my JL does not ... like Factory Half Doors. The YJ is lower to the ground and the shocks on it are minimal. You can feel every little bump in the road. Before the tune up on it last year, she topped out at 50mph in 5th gear. Now I can do 60 in 4th and still have a little left over.

If I were given a choice of my JL or my YJ and I was only allowed to keep one Jeep, it would be the YJ hands down. To me, she is not replaceable. .

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[Sol]

Very few jeeps have mud flaps I am about to add them this weekend. I just want the front ones I don't want crap flying on to the sides how are they?

The molded plastic style that I have do a fair job of keeping the sides mostly crap-free, though they are ugly. I’ll change these mud flaps at some point to either RokBloks or flat rubber.

 

[NMPirate]

The square headlights are not my favorite part of my YJ either. However, it has features my JL does not ... like Factory Half Doors. The YJ is lower to the ground and the shocks on it are minimal. You can feel every little bump in the road. Before the tune up on it last year, she topped out at 50mph in 5th gear. Now I can do 60 in 4th and still have a little left over.

If I were given a choice of my JL or my YJ and I was only allowed to keep one Jeep, it would be the YJ hands down. To me, she is not replaceable. .

That is a real fine example of a YJ you have there! I see quite a few of them running around here in my area along with a bunch of the TJ's. With the dry air they don't rust out much at all.

 

[ODDs]

The square headlights are not my favorite part of my YJ either. However, it has features my JL does not ... like Factory Half Doors. The YJ is lower to the ground and the shocks on it are minimal. You can feel every little bump in the road. Before the tune up on it last year, she topped out at 50mph in 5th gear. Now I can do 60 in 4th and still have a little left over.

If I were given a choice of my JL or my YJ and I was only allowed to keep one Jeep, it would be the YJ hands down. To me, she is not replaceable. .

Amen. I loved the way the YJ felt like a go cart. I feel like I'm in a Penske truck when I drive the JL.

 

[Jmonroe]

The square headlights are not my favorite part of my YJ either...

Prior to Jeep designers short lived brain fart there were Jeepers doing the conversion on their own. At the time square was "the new thing". DOT rules put the U.S. behind the rest of the world in terms of both style and efficiency. When new cars popped up in showrooms sporting rectangular headlights customizers soon followed. I'm sure an old Jeep aftermarket parts catalog from the period exists that shows a grill replacement available to accommodate them.

I'm with Joe, while not my preferred style, I wouldn't give up that treasure either.

 

[Jcsieman]

I took my Jeep to hell and back.... but not in the way you're thinking. Sharing this to make sure everybody is aware. I am literally probably going to sue FCA/Jeep over the crap product and service I've been getting for two years. I have wanted to love my Wrangler, but this might push me back to another brand. Inexcusable.

I recently took my Jeep in for a routine/free oil change that came with my vehicle at purchase. As they say, there is no such thing as free. On my drive home, while stopped at a light, I noticed my invoice said 6quarts of oil was used in the oil change. It stood out because my JL Wrangler only takes 5quarts. However, the old Wrangler models (before 2018) took 6qts. I also knew that having a significant overage in oil can be as harmful as not having enough oil (it impairs how well the oil circulates and creates air bubbles that acts as voids in the lubrication and cause excessive wear on engine parts). I immediately turned around and went back to the dealership for an explanation. They explained sometimes they put 6qts even though they only used 5qts. Could be some spilled, could be they needed 5qts and just ‘’some’’ of another bottle but not the whole 6th bottle. I did not buy it but when I checked the dipstick the oil (sure enough) was barely above the ‘’max’’ line. High, but not alarmingly so. It sounded fishy but since I did not pay for the oil and the dipstick was not significantly overfilled, I accepted it and went home.

Looking through old invoices, however, I noticed previous oil changes showed 6qts listed (always keep your auto service documentation). The ONLY exception was the first oil change where I specifically requested only 5qts to be used (I purchased one of the first new JL Wranglers off the line and knew they took less oil than the outgoing model, so I wanted to point that out….…. felt stupid doing it but looking back I wish I did it each time). Something about seeing the other invoices sparked a thought…… at the dealership, I had checked the dipstick after I drove over a mile (leaving and returning to the service department) which would have skewed the reading. Oil should be checked on a cold engine (per most vehicle guidance and the Jeep manual – this allows the engine to fully settle in the oil pan where the dipstick reaches). Therefore, since the oil was to the max line on a warm engine, it was reasonable to assume a cold engine read would be higher – putting my Jeep above the ‘’safe zone’’. So, I let the engine set over night and check again….dipstick showed excess oil well over the line. After letting the Jeep sit for yet another day, I confirmed…..excess oil well beyond the max line.

So, today, I schedule an appointment to have the oil drained and talk to a manager. This is actually where my story begins. Luckily I was smart enough to record myself checking the oil before I left (had not driven all day and got the dipstick level overage on video). I was mortified by my experience…. shaky mad….not angry for myself but was more angry that places like this exist and other types of people (the ‘’flight’ instinct peeps) probably fall victim all the time. I wisely recorded most of my time there and captured things I know FCA/the dealership owner would be mortified to see on video.

Just like when I first brought it to their attention after the oil change, they had a quick answer for every concern. I questioned just enough to poke a hole in one statement and they pulled another one out of the air as quickly as they could…… around and around we went for the next 30 mins, me in the back of the service area surrounded by a manager and several mechanics telling me I was wrong/crazy at each turn.

First they showed me the oil level was just at the max line on the dipstick, which (as they argued) proves there is only 5qts. They confidently argued everything was fine and I was paranoid. I pointed out I just drove 20 mins to the dealership at an average of 55 mph, which meant there was oil still coating various engine parts. I further explained as that oil drains it will increase the oil level reading, which would put the oil level over the safe line. They said I was wrong and explained that the hotter the engine the faster the oil drains back down to the oil pan, so therewas no more oil on the engine by the time they checked it. They, crazily argued (on video too) the longer an engine sits the lower the dipstick level reading would be, again assuring me everything was fine. I clarified, ‘’you’re saying if we check the oil right now and then check it tomorrow morning (without running the Jeep) that the oil level will show higher on the dipstick, not lower!??”. They, in unison standing around me, said ‘’Yes!”. I responded by showing them the video I had just taken before driving over. The video clearly showed what the oil level was on the cold engine read and proved it was much higher on the dipstick than the read they were getting after I drove over (100% undeniable contradiction to what they just explained). Then (without really admitting they were wrong) tried to convince me I was reading the dipstick incorrectly anyway. I proved I wasn’t and added the obvious question as to why, if there is only 5qts of oil in my engine, does the invoice say 6 qts was used(?). The manager sincerely thought it was a good response to explain, ‘’the people in the front doing the paper work don’t always know what they are doing. So, to make their jobs easier, they give them a generic code to use for oil changes…some trucks take 5, some take 6, but it is generic and does not really capture what is done in the back. He explained that the back does the oil change first and then the people upfront do the invoice after the fact (I assume to make me feel better that it was a clerical mistake and not something the mechanics actually relied on) and then assured me 5qts was put into my engine and the paper work is wrong. This was the only time I got personal in any of my responses. At first, I said I find it extremely interesting (as a CPA/Auditor) that, “you have a business process that allows your employees to invoice customers without directly correlating those charges to the actual work performed on a vehicle!”. I added (in a ‘’holy crap’’ tone), ‘’ so you’re saying the 6qts on my invoice does not match the work performed on my vehicle and you, as the service department manager, oversee a department that inaccurately invoices its customers for items they did not use or need. Are you saying the invoice given to me does not reflect the work performed…and not only are you aware of it but you’re okay with it!???” Then, I directly asked, ‘’do you realize what you are saying….are you sure you’d rather admit that’s your process instead of admitting you put the wrong oil in my engine? Which one is worse?”. After all this, the manager conceded it is ‘’possible’’ my engine has 6qts but explained, “having too much oil does not hurt the vehicle”. I offered to consult Google to verify his statement and gave him a spoiler alert that I just read A, B, C and websites X, Y, Z that say he is either lying or incompetent. He eventually agreed to drain the oil and put just 5qts in. When it was all done, he was seemingly avoiding me. I casually asked (multiple times) if I ‘’should sign something before leaving?” and he quickly said no. I then questioned more directly, ‘’every time I have work done here, I have to sign for the work performed,,” His response was, ‘’well, I’m paying for this so you don’t need the invoice.’’. I said back, ‘’ I haven’t paid for any of my oil changes here….I still get a zeroed out invoice every time. Why is this different?’’ But he ignored the comment and walked off. I then went to the customer service rep and told him, ‘’I am not going to put you in the middle of this, and probably don’t have to say too much here, but I think it is pretty obvious why I am not being asked to sign anything. I think we both know why he wants me to leave without this ever being documented. Whether it is better coming from you or coming from me, I’ll let you decide… but he should know I am not leaving here without having the work performed today documented.” The rep disappeared for a bit and came back with the manager. I explained that the well known advise is to always keep paper work for all vehicle maintenance. I have invoices showing 6qts was put in and I want invoices to show that was corrected and the proper amount was added.’’. The manager give me the most generic invoice ever. I asked him to update the wording to truly capture the work/problem. He brought back another half done invoice so I used a pen to make changes and asked him to initial next to the changes.

More concerning than the oil issue was what was discussed while the mechanics were changing the oil. By then, I had brought up the other issues I have with my vehicle that are problems. I explained I’ve attempted to have them fixed several times and, coupled with the apparent oil problem for the last year and a half, I no longer want my vehicle based and have filed a ‘’buy back’’ complaint with corporate. One of the biggest issues is my infotainment unit has had problems since I bought the Jeep, literally since day one. I explained, and showed, that I have the problems well documented on video; yet, they (the dealership) is yet to even acknowledge the problem. Instead, they keep saying ‘’could not recreate problem’’ every time I take it in for service (costing me a day off of work and a rental car ($50 plus) most times since they do not provide loaners and they only have one or two techs who can work on the head unit….and those employees only work M-F). The manager spent the whole time I was waiting trying to convince me I am wrong to think I have any recourse or that his service department has not done a good job testing my vehicle. He told me things about the lemon law and my rights as a customer that I know are 100% false. Even after I explained I was a CPA and concentrated my studies in grad school on business law, he talked at me and down to me like I was wrong about everything. He talked to me as if it was almost my fault or something. However, through his rants, almost as if to justify the lack of progress/service on fixing my infotainment problem, he foolishly admitted the explanation for why my problem has not been resolved (again, all on video). He explained, ‘’the new Wranglers have had problems with the head units since they came out. Everybody knows about it. FCA offered a program update, has lots of them, but the didn’t fix the problem [made it worse if anything]. The problem is those updates take so long to update and there are different updates for different vehicles and units, and we don’t always know which one yours needs. We have 32 different sticks for the different updates…and they each take an hour to download and an hour to work, etc. and it is very time consuming. Plus, we can have everybody have 32 sticks or be trained to do that, so we decided to just have 1 or 2, and those two aren’t here on weekends…’’. He basically admitted each time I took off work and went in, they were doing a quick guess and then moving on…. KNOWING my complaint is common and viable. He indirectly admitted they are understaffed, undertrained, and are working around an already inefficient process. Instead of truly digging to identify and resolve the problem, the spent an unrealistic amount of time “working” on it and simply marked it as ‘’could not reproduce problem’’ and moved on. After the above discussion, and after the manger reviewed my maintenance history (right in front of me) he then offered to replace my whole radio and offer me a vehicle to drive without a charge while the work was done. I told him, based on concerns for the engine due to the mistakes with the oil levels, I want to pursue a buy back instead.

He never once said sorry or showed any empathy on any level……in fact he walked off a few times and left me randomly standing there by myself in the middle of the garage (I would think is a liability….and again, on video). But perhaps the worst part, above all else that happened, is this: when he did randomly walk off a few times, I stayed in the back. One time a one of the mechanics who was overhearing a lot of our discussion (foolishly) confessed to SO much. He was nice enough, and dumb enough, to admit to me (all on video) they were never told the new Jeep Wranglers took different oil amounts than the previous models. They just changed the oil like they always had. He said they had been doing the same oil change on the new Wranglers for months and months before an email was ever sent out informing the mechanics they should have 5 qts instead of 6qts. This implies a) they do not train mechanics on new models, b) the mechanics do not reference specific vehicle information when doing oil changes…instead they appear to work from habit/memory, and c) you are truly the only quality review over what your mechanic is doing to your expensive vehicle. That mechanic went on to explain that they had done the oil one way for so long on the Wranglers, nobody really thought about whether the new ones would be different. Again, all on video. One mechanic sounded like he was hearing it for the first time (that the new Jeeps use less oil). It was surreal to hear such obvious disconnect and lack of quality control inside a dealership service department considering the new Wranglers are entering their third year of production.

Moral of the story…never trust a dealership over your gut. Always keep your documentation. Make sure you report all problems and have it documented each time you go in on a new vehicle, and you can never be too paranoid. You hear about these experiences and places, but you never think it is the one you take your vehicle to. And sadly….. maybe Jeep isn’t the best place to invest $40-50k afterall. I never had this problem with my other vehicles. I bet there could be a class action lawsuit on these oil changes and lack of training. I know I am not the only one.

 

[Kenny]

30 second video of my JK and JL hittting the trails

 

[Command Line RC]

Took a pic of my doppelgänger next to me at a stop light.

Hmmm I feel like I've seen that guy around town.............

 

[bkjolly]

The square headlights are not my favorite part of my YJ either. However, it has features my JL does not ... like Factory Half Doors. The YJ is lower to the ground and the shocks on it are minimal. You can feel every little bump in the road. Before the tune up on it last year, she topped out at 50mph in 5th gear. Now I can do 60 in 4th and still have a little left over.

If I were given a choice of my JL or my YJ and I was only allowed to keep one Jeep, it would be the YJ hands down. To me, she is not replaceable. .

I regret selling my '95 YJ back in my early 20's. It was a second car and someone came up to my door and offered me more than I paid for it 2 years prior. Even with the lift, wheels, tires and tuffy stereo console I added to it the guys offer was a good deal financially but I still regret selling it.

 

[okie dokie]

Went to the office.
A few inches of snow isn’t a big problem for those in the Great White North, but around here the entire area was paralyzed.

Fellow Okie here and lol so true.

 

[jroman]

Finally took it wheeling after lifting it. This Metalcloak lift and Nittos did not disappoint. Mud, snow, and ice

 

[louckser87]

Tried to get stuck in the snow...failed.

But I'll feel better once my Winch comes in.

Used a mixture of 4H and 4L with my axles locked to get out of this pit.

 

[Jeep Generation]

Took a trip from Big Bear to Johnson Valley for KOH.

 

[Thdoors]

Went for drives the last two days after being on call for three straight weeks. Saw some awesome petroglyphs and beautiful Tucson scenery. Took our Rubicon on the rocks for the first time and the @RanchoShocks and @Metalcloak skids did their job. Our Jeep drove and felt like a fucking Cadillac. I love the ride of the stock suspension. We’ve only had it about a month and a half, and I’m glad to say we have no issues whatsoever.

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[Jebiruph]

The square headlights are not my favorite part of my YJ either. However, it has features my JL does not ... like Factory Half Doors. The YJ is lower to the ground and the shocks on it are minimal. You can feel every little bump in the road. Before the tune up on it last year, she topped out at 50mph in 5th gear. Now I can do 60 in 4th and still have a little left over.

If I were given a choice of my JL or my YJ and I was only allowed to keep one Jeep, it would be the YJ hands down. To me, she is not replaceable. .

My first jeep was a similar YJ. Do you know about the ignition upgrade swapping out the distributor cap and coil? It perked mine right up.