OT Rant: I Hate my POS Jeep - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#1 10-10-2007, 10:46 PM

Well I have this 92 POS Jeep winter beater that had a factory alarm (that we never used) until my wife dropped the remote into a swimming pool about 5 years ago (don't ask). I forgot all about the alarm until tonight when I tried to start the silly thing and the alarm went off. AFAIK no one has set the alarm in years, but it somehow armed itself.

The scary part is that it only took me about a minute to silence the loudspeaker (cut the wire) and start the car anyway. Pretty worthless, if I can defeat it in one minute (I'm not exactly an experienced car thief). Now I can start the car (but not with the key) and it's lights will flash continuously, what a PITA. I have no desire to dive into the wiring of this thing, I think I'll just take it to my local (non-benz) shop and let them figure it out tomorrow. I would rather just push it off a cliff, but my wife wants to have a 4WD around for snow days.

Hatterasguy · #2 10-10-2007, 10:56 PM

I'm not a big Jeep fan. Some people like them, but I have yet to find one that wasn't an oil leaking, electrical problem ridden POS. Well that wasn't new, the new ones under warranty usualy work pretty well.

kerry · #3 10-10-2007, 10:57 PM

May want to try disconnecting the battery for a short period. It might make the alarm reset to the off position.

mdf300sd · #4 10-10-2007, 11:00 PM

Jeeps are not bought they are built!

#5 10-10-2007, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerry

May want to try disconnecting the battery for a short period. It might make the alarm reset to the off position.

Thanks, I'll give that a try in the morning.

Hatterasguy · #6 10-10-2007, 11:05 PM

Try pumping a few .45 rounds into it, and driving it off a cliff.

TMAllison · #7 10-10-2007, 11:42 PM

A HS friend once shot his old Detriot Iron Buick LeSabre in the rear quarter panel with a 12ga #4 round from 30' away. Didn't penetrate, but did make a nice 18" pattern.

I don't recommend doing it unless you enjoy getting pulled over by the cops and constantly being told to exit the vehicle while they call it in.

Gurkha · #8 10-11-2007, 12:03 AM

Had a Wrangler with the inline 6 briefly during my college years, one of my worse purchases, the brake boosters went bad in a month of ownership, the joints failed in a few more months, finally the oil pump gave up and that was it, lucky for me, I was able to find another buyer for it with ease in my college, it does have its appeal certainly. As an off road performer, it was OK but nothing close to a stock Gelande Wagen or Toyota FJ.

JimmyL · #9 10-11-2007, 12:07 AM

I had a '68 Jeep wagoneer with the longest straight six I had ever seen. Blew a head gasket in Carl's Corner and had to limp back to the house.
When replacing the head gasket I could stand in the engine bay next to the engine and work on it. Just had to straddle the front suspension. Wish I had kept that 3-on-the-tree beast.....

TwitchKitty · #10 10-11-2007, 11:59 AM

Sounds like a good case for Ritalin.

running-snail · #11 10-11-2007, 12:57 PM

I believe this is a typical problem with older xj's with alarms. There is a forum very similar in format to this one, if you haven't already looked at it:

http://www.naxja.org/forum/

My son's '89 doesn't have the alarm - fusible links have caused problems though!

zeke · #12 10-11-2007, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by running-snail

There is a forum very similar in format to this one, if you haven't already looked at it:

http://www.naxja.org/forum/

THANKS! I have joined a couple of Jeep forums (my other car is an '89 XJ and I love it!)
But the quality of the members has been spotty. Lots of young, dumb posts. I was just saying to my wife a couple of days ago that the quality of the members on this forumn is far and away better than any other forumn I read/belong to!

VegiBenz · #13 10-11-2007, 02:23 PM

If it is a factory alarm, stick the key into the drivers door and unlock it, it should shut it off. If it doesn't work because the switch is bad, try the passenger side. If it is an aftermarket alarm, just disconnect it.

#14 10-11-2007, 03:44 PM

I think I found the problem, moving the car around (it was in the way of my driveway resurfacing project) ran the battery down, which apparently armed the alarm (factory alarm). I put a battery charger on it and found the secret little button to reset the alarm (the door locks didn't seem to work). Now it should be OK if the battery holds a charge. I still hate the POS.

Thanks guys.

truckinik · #15 10-11-2007, 07:53 PM

I just purchased a mint, 54,000 mile, 77 Jeep Cherokee Chief 4x4, out here for $600.00 from an old farmer out here in North Carolina. The thing is almost literally perfect, with the exception of some very minor details.
It's got a 360/two barrel, automatic, and A/C that will freeze you @$$ right out of the truck. I saw it parked at our local Exxon station for the night while the guy was out on a fishing trip overnight with his buddies somewhere. It was not for sale, I just liked it so much when I pulled up next to it that I left the guy a note, with my phone number, and promise to meet his price if it was reasonable and he'd be willing to part with it.

He called me up the next day, and I asked him how much he needed to get for it. His exact words were, "Well, Hell, it's gotta be worth six hundred bucks" My jaw dropped, because I'd expected a much higher price. I met him the next day, and made the purchase. He gave me all of the service records from brand new, and even his original sales receipt from 1977. A host of new parts and freshening up was just done to it as well. I scored a pretty cool truck for six bills. Now I gotta get it registered because I'm dying to drive it around.