My jeeps first long road trip

[skinnyD]

Well going to the childrens science museum in Bangor today. Its about a two hour drive each way. Ive not had it on the highway yet but looking forward to the trip. I will admit Im nervous about breaking down and getting stranded, but I think its ready for it. Wish us luck!

[addicted]

Good luck! :thumbsup:

[silvercert]

Im driving mine down to San Antonio in May for the NCOA. Its about 6-7 hours each way. :drivin:

[skinnyD]

Well the road trip didnt pan out to well. We made it to our destination just fine(about an hour and a half driving time). The longest previous trip was an hour each way and I had no problems. On the way home however it started to hesitate when I accelerated from stop or slow speed. Got it up to 65 MPH and it started jerking. If I let off the gas it would stop, but Im on the highway and need to be going at a good speed. Well the jerking/surging continued for a bit and eventually I couldnt go faster than 35MPH even at WOT. This lasted until I came to an uphill section of highway and the engine stopped. It started right up and drove away but as soon as I hit 35 it started jerking/surging again then the engine quit again. Finally it would crank fine but not start. So I called a wrecker and had it towed home. The final cost for the wrecker was $260!! OUCH.:mad:

So any ideas what happened to my jeep. Im thinking fuel related but Im not sure. Any feedback will be helpful.

[FSJ Guy]

You need AAA Plus. 100 mile towing free and a discounted rate thereafter.

Anyway, it could be many things. I'd suspect a clogged fuel filter (in the engine bay or the fuel tank sock).

It might also be the ignition module, but I'd check for fuel delivery first. If that's good, then check the ignition for spark.

[CJ the noisemaker]

Well the road trip didnt pan out to well. We made it to our destination just fine(about an hour and a half driving time). The longest previous trip was an hour each way and I had no problems. On the way home however it started to hesitate when I accelerated from stop or slow speed. Got it up to 65 MPH and it started jerking. If I let off the gas it would stop, but Im on the highway and need to be going at a good speed. Well the jerking/surging continued for a bit and eventually I couldnt go faster than 35MPH even at WOT. This lasted until I came to an uphill section of highway and the engine stopped. It started right up and drove away but as soon as I hit 35 it started jerking/surging again then the engine quit again. Finally it would crank fine but not start. So I called a wrecker and had it towed home. The final cost for the wrecker was $260!! OUCH.:mad:

So any ideas what happened to my jeep. Im thinking fuel related but Im not sure. Any feedback will be helpful.That sucks to hear, I will be going to Phoenix in March, an 11 hour trip there. And I want to make sure my Jeep wont take a poo on the side of the road. As for yours, it could be that fuel is an issue, FSJ Guy has a good idea on what it could be. Also, have you tried to start it and see if it still runs bad at hi rev? Can it be that it was running hotter than it would?

[Dirt Wag]

X2 on the AAA club! Every FSJ owner should have it. Costs about $80 a year and you get 4 tows/service calls (I think) per year --- up to 100 mile tow each time at no cost. A feature I just discovered - if you get it towed on a weekend they will take it to your home and then on Monday they will tow it to a shop - only counts as one tow.:thumbsup:

[lost1]

yup...my AAA card stays right behind my driver's license. An invaluable piece of plastic sometimes.

This jeep has stranded me more than any other vehicle, ever. I blame it on the insane amount of neglect and mileage it had in an earlier life, and on me fixing things. (you know how it goes, fix something and something else down the line goes bad) if not for AAA and some good people, I might have just decided it wasn't worth it by now.

[gladman]

Hey, I had that exact same thing (the tow and everything) about a month ago!

+1 on the AAA suggestion... it is a sure thing!

as to the solution... I am replacing the entire fuel system... all of it all the way up to the carburetor (which appears to be fine)

You should consider all aspects of your fuel system.

[skinnyD]

Well, fuel sock is new, fuel supply line and return line are new, one of the two inline filters are new, fuel pump is 2 months old and the carb has been freshly rebuilt. I know Ive got a little junk in the tank so Im thinking Ill replace the filters and hopefully she will come to life once again.
And yes AAA is a neccesity with these rigs-thanks guys.

[Gary's Addiction]

Ditto on AAA! Pays for itself on the first tow and even if you never use it you'll be amazed at the peace of mind you have with that card in your wallet!

[DerekTJeep]

How many miles was that $260 tow?? Sorry that it died down on you.

[Songman]

X1000 on the AAA. My AAA Premier account only costs me $150 per year to cover both my wife and me. That is up to 8 calls a year between us. One each up to 200 miles and the rest of them being up to 100 miles.


FYI - A regular AAA account only gets you four 7 mile tows. You have to get the Plus account for the 100 mile tows, and the Premier for the 200 mile tows. The Premier upgrade is well worth the cost in my opinion. You also get a lot more than just the extra towing distance.

I thought about taking a long trip in my GW once but I couldn't get approved for the loan for fuel! haha :drivin:

[87WAG]

I have Good Sams towing for my camper and it covers every vehicle we have, flats changed, gas delivered, engine start. I have used it for towing once, but with 5 vehicles in the family and the piece of mind that comes with it, it is worth it. Price for it is around $79 p/year. I paid for a couple of years up front and can't really remember how much. Wasn't much over that...

Jimmy

[skinnyD]

Sure enough, all it was were plugged fuel filters. I love it when its a cheap and easy fix to get me on the road again. And from now on Im carrying a couple spares. I also need to drop my gas tank and clean it out. Anyone that has done this before know any tricks to making this job go easier? Thanks.

[FSJ Guy]

I've never cleaned my tank. I have the same style plastic tank that you do. Just replace the fuel pickup sock and be done with it.

I think the fuel lines themselves are the major source of gunk.

[Dumpy]

The same thing happened to me when I replaced my old rusty tank with a new BJ's tank. Instead of filtering the fuel when I exchanged it, I just poured it from the old tank straight into the filler :banghead: . Lurch Lurch Lurch....dead. Replace dthe filter, and good to go. Lesson learned. And now I always carry a spare.

[fulsizjeep]

:) I'd say you are still ahead. You took the risk, it broke down, you got it home, you sought guidance here, then fixed it and are even closer to having a reliable driver. :thumbsup:

When my GW was a daily driver back in Charlotte, I had AAA and that thing was on a rollback 2 or 3 times. :rolleyes: AAA also got me fuel in front of the B of A tower downtown when I was still learning how screwed up the fuel gauge was. :o They also unlocked it at least 3 times at the parking garage downtown. :banghead: :p

[Gutter]

I had the same problem over the weekend, fuel filter as well.

It used to take me 2 hours to get to Bangor from Caribou. ;)

[jeeperjoe]

had mine since '85, that list of necessities will surely continue growing, even if its not your rig, had a hub blow on a mixed sand/rock climb, stopped on hillside, broke out spare hub, finished climb 10 minutes later, now all friends on trips check updated xtra parts inventory, it sucks for everybody when you break, always share the favor when ones in need