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So with my '08 Ranger having been totaled by a hit-n-run SUV driver back in January, and not liking nor being able to afford any new pickups.
(Sorry, but pickups with 4-doors, 4ft beds, and costing the price of a house; is not for me.)
I had to settle for buying a used vehicle. Meaning buying someone else's lack of maintenance.
I really wanted another 2wd compact pickup that has manual transmission, factory installed 2" tow hitch, and can accept a Truetrac differential.
Absolutely none were to be found.
So after looking at over 30 different vehicles with over a dozen test drives.
I had to settle for a 2011, 2-door Jeep Wrangler, that had 98k miles. Clearly not a pickup.
But it did have a manual transmission, factory installed tow hitch, and can accept Truetrac differentials.
And it is not a pita to climb down or up into.
PLUS of all the vehicles I looked at; it was the only one that was not an over priced, total piece of crap.
While it's not a pickup. Since I no longer do motorcycle road racing; I figure I can settle for using Jeep with trailer those few times per year when I would have actually used a pickup as a pickup.
Since buying this Jeep first Sat in February. I've been slowly working on fixing it up and learning about Jeep's idiosyncrasies.
Did you know that the Jeep 3.8 motor is known for gulping down oil ? Chrysler says as much as 1-qt every 1k miles is perfectly acceptable.
Which; during first two oil changes; I learned this Jeep was using a quart every 2,500 miles.
And reasons for it devouring motor oil are:
Did you know that to get new TPMS sensors to begin being identified by vehicle's computer; you actually have to over inflate tires, drive for a while, then lower tires to correct PSI ??
Did you know, that it's impossible to fully drain the cooling system ? I don't mean by being off by 1/2 quart, 1-quart, or even 2-quarts.
But rather draining from the radiator only removes 1-1/2 quarts from the cooling system's 13-quarts !
Did you know that to get to radiator drain plug; one has to remove front spoiler, grill, and bumper spacer.
Did you know, that once you use the radiator drain plugs; they are known to leak ?
Did you know that Chrysler's DriveCycle for O2 monitors is nearly impossible to achieve ?
In fact, I can not legally follow that drive cycle where I live.
Fortunately PA allows one Emissions monitor to be in a Not Ready state.
Did you know that Jeep JK's are notorious for small EVAP leaks; who's fix is to replace the entire fuel tank. At cost of almost $2k.
Did you that when you fix one item on a Jeep; within one tankful of fuel another item will need fixing. Even is it was something you just fixed previous tankful.
I could go on. But that's enough for now.
Over the course of fixing up this 2011 Jeep. I've come to the conclusion it's the Moto Guzzi of the 4-wheeled world.
Anyway, I've been taking this Jeep for joy drives instead of taking my Griso or NT for joy rides.
In fact; the only motorcycle riding I've done so far in 2024. Is to take my Moto Guzzi Griso for inspection.
Haven't touched the NT at all.
Next week Jeep is going to OK4WD to have Truetracs installed.
And although I am on-call at work. Maybe not having the Jeep for a week; will force me to start riding the NT.
So hopefully this joy-driving instead of joy-riding, is just a temporary phase, caused by having a new-to-me vehicle.
Pics if interested:
(Sorry, but pickups with 4-doors, 4ft beds, and costing the price of a house; is not for me.)
I had to settle for buying a used vehicle. Meaning buying someone else's lack of maintenance.
I really wanted another 2wd compact pickup that has manual transmission, factory installed 2" tow hitch, and can accept a Truetrac differential.
Absolutely none were to be found.
So after looking at over 30 different vehicles with over a dozen test drives.
I had to settle for a 2011, 2-door Jeep Wrangler, that had 98k miles. Clearly not a pickup.
But it did have a manual transmission, factory installed tow hitch, and can accept Truetrac differentials.
And it is not a pita to climb down or up into.
PLUS of all the vehicles I looked at; it was the only one that was not an over priced, total piece of crap.
While it's not a pickup. Since I no longer do motorcycle road racing; I figure I can settle for using Jeep with trailer those few times per year when I would have actually used a pickup as a pickup.
Since buying this Jeep first Sat in February. I've been slowly working on fixing it up and learning about Jeep's idiosyncrasies.
Did you know that the Jeep 3.8 motor is known for gulping down oil ? Chrysler says as much as 1-qt every 1k miles is perfectly acceptable.
Which; during first two oil changes; I learned this Jeep was using a quart every 2,500 miles.
And reasons for it devouring motor oil are:
- Many of the motors made in Mexico had the piston rings installed wrong; both upside down and the ring gaps all aligned.
- The 3.8 motor was originally a minivan motor designed to use 10w30. But for CAFE standards; Chrysler recommended to use 5w20 when they began installing them in Jeeps.
- The stock PCV valves are crap.
Did you know that to get new TPMS sensors to begin being identified by vehicle's computer; you actually have to over inflate tires, drive for a while, then lower tires to correct PSI ??
Did you know, that it's impossible to fully drain the cooling system ? I don't mean by being off by 1/2 quart, 1-quart, or even 2-quarts.
But rather draining from the radiator only removes 1-1/2 quarts from the cooling system's 13-quarts !
Did you know that to get to radiator drain plug; one has to remove front spoiler, grill, and bumper spacer.
Did you know, that once you use the radiator drain plugs; they are known to leak ?
Did you know that Chrysler's DriveCycle for O2 monitors is nearly impossible to achieve ?
In fact, I can not legally follow that drive cycle where I live.
Fortunately PA allows one Emissions monitor to be in a Not Ready state.
Did you know that Jeep JK's are notorious for small EVAP leaks; who's fix is to replace the entire fuel tank. At cost of almost $2k.
Did you that when you fix one item on a Jeep; within one tankful of fuel another item will need fixing. Even is it was something you just fixed previous tankful.
I could go on. But that's enough for now.
Over the course of fixing up this 2011 Jeep. I've come to the conclusion it's the Moto Guzzi of the 4-wheeled world.
Anyway, I've been taking this Jeep for joy drives instead of taking my Griso or NT for joy rides.
In fact; the only motorcycle riding I've done so far in 2024. Is to take my Moto Guzzi Griso for inspection.
Haven't touched the NT at all.
Next week Jeep is going to OK4WD to have Truetracs installed.
And although I am on-call at work. Maybe not having the Jeep for a week; will force me to start riding the NT.
So hopefully this joy-driving instead of joy-riding, is just a temporary phase, caused by having a new-to-me vehicle.
Pics if interested: