1999 Jeep Cherokee issue

[ChuckJ]

I've got a 1999 Jeep Cherokee Sport that I work out of. It's having some AC/heater problem. I think that the problem may just be the switch for the fan or maybe a short.

The first problem appeared this summer. I got in the Jeep and turned the AC on. Nothing seemed to happen. The fan was set to high. I turned everything off. The next morning it was working again.

Then it got to the point that it would stop working, but if you hit a bump in the road just right it would come start working again.

Now it's stopped working completely.

Is this something that I could possibly fix myself? The last dash that I took apart and reassembled was on a 1972 Pontiac Catalina many, many years ago. How much trouble is it to take that part of the dash cover on a Jeep?

[shoes off the couch]

If you have or can get your hands on a volt-ohm meter and wiring diagram it can't be too big of a deal. Using those will allow you to actually troubleshoot the problem rater than throwing parts at it, which while another option, it's a good way to waste money on parts that are not broken.

It definitely sounds electrical in nature- switch panel, blower resistor, motor, or wiring to/from those components.

[Chris_]

I'd check the switch on the dash and the AC relay under the hood first.

[shoes off the couch]

Some clarification of the problem you're having would be helpful. My first post was made with the assumption that the fan that blows air out of the vents is what you were referring to as at first working intermittently, then eventually quit altogether. If the fan is blowing fine and the problem is you're not getting the desired temperature air then disregard my first post.

GL

[debk]

Sounds like what happened on our 2001 Grand Cherokee Limited.

It was intermittent at first, went to no heat on passenger side, then nothing at all. We had it worked on a couple of times, and then a few other problems showed up, and we were spending a flipping fortune to have it worked on. The heat fix required taking off the entire dash and a whole lot of work....only to not get fixed. 

We ended up getting rid of it, and got a 2007 Hyundai Sante Fe. I love it!! Only bad thing about it, it doesn't have heated seats which would be really nice when I come out of work at 4am. 

[Eupher]

Sounds like what happened on our 2001 Grand Cherokee Limited.

It was intermittent at first, went to no heat on passenger side, then nothing at all. We had it worked on a couple of times, and then a few other problems showed up, and we were spending a flipping fortune to have it worked on. The heat fix required taking off the entire dash and a whole lot of work....only to not get fixed. 

We ended up getting rid of it, and got a 2007 Hyundai Sante Fe. I love it!! Only bad thing about it, it doesn't have heated seats which would be really nice when I come out of work at 4am. 

Bun warmers are very nice indeed.

[ChuckJ]

To shoes off the couch,
Yeah. It's the fan that blows through the dash vents. It's not blowing at all now. At first it would blow then not blow. Of course it not blowing at all really 'blows'.

Chris,
I'm pretty sure that it's not the AC because you can hear the compressor clicking on and off even though the fans not blowing.

I think I'll google disassembling a Jeep dash. I've tried googling to find the problem, but I haven't googled about removing the dash.

[Chris_]

Doe the blower motor have it's own relay or fuse?

I always go for the easy stuff first.

[thundley4]

Since it worked intermittently for a while before quitting altogether, it sounds like a loose wire or switch problem which might have caused a fuse or relay to blow.

[ChuckJ]

Doe the blower motor have it's own relay or fuse?

I always go for the easy stuff first.

Chris, I think I need to give you a run down of my auto mechanic knowledge and skills. When a vehicle doesn't start the first thing I do is check to make sure the engine is still under the hood. If the engine is still indeed under the hood I have to dig a little bit deeper into my knowledge base. I look around engine to see if any piece or part has a neon sign flashing to it saying "I'm the problem". Frankly, that usually doesn't accomplish much. So I finally have to go to my closing gambit. I point my middle finger toward the engine and repeatedly teach the engine every single word of profanity that I know.

Now before you call me the nadin of auto mechanics I can say with honesty that I have removed, repaired and replaced a seat. I've replaced a water pump, an alternator, and a master cylinder. Oh, and I once used electrical tape to fix some ceramic looking piece that had broken on a Ford Ranger engine. I don't know what that piece was. I don't know what it was supposed to do. The mechanic I had on the phone said it wasn't the problem. After all his ideas failed, I stuck one end of the broken ceramic looking piece to the broken piece that was on the engine. As soon as I did the engine would start.

To be more serious, although I haven't checked them I do know where the fuses are, but since the problem was intermittent for a while wouldn't the relay be more likely?

[Chris_]

To be more serious, although I haven't checked them I do know where the fuses are, but since the problem was intermittent for a while wouldn't the relay be more likely?

Possibly.  At least the switch and relay are things you can check and rule out immediately and cheaply.

[shoes off the couch]

Thanks for the clarification. Again, a volt-ohm meter and wiring diagram would be the best first steps in troubleshooting the problem properly. They aren't very expensive and your likely to use both again at some point in the future(Isn't owning old vehicles grand?).

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-multimeter-digital-with-8-functions-and-20/p-03482141000P?prdNo=10&blockNo=10&blockType=G10

http://www.amazon.com/Cherokee-Wagoneer-Comanche-1984-2001-Haynes/dp/1563925400


If you want to do the poke-around-to-see-if-anything-is-obvious method, I would start by looking at the blower resistor, and specifically the wiring and connector. It's located behind the glove compartment. I Nadined and found this how-to for accessing it:

http://www.cherokeetalk.com/forum/f64/jeep-cherokee-xj-blower-motor-resistor-replacement-11133/

I'll also add that I encountered a similar problem to yours on a 2002 Dodge Durango. Not a Cherokee, but still a Chrysler product. It turned out the connector to the blower resistor had overheated and one of the wires that went through it had melted apart. Even though it was clear to the eye the connector had gotten very hot because the plastic was somewhat warped and discolored, the actual break in the wire was not visible because it was inside the body of the connector. That is where the volt-ohm meter comes into play, and from there it was much easier to get to the very bottom of the issue.

GL

[ChuckJ]

Thanks guys. I'll try to check it out this weekend.

[Chris_]

Have you given up and called a mechanic yet?

[ChuckJ]

Have you given up and called a mechanic yet?

No, but I also haven't had a chance to attempt to work on it. I spent yesterday working on the septic tank and today being sore from working on the septic tank.

[Chris_]

Yuck. 

I have to call a plumber.  I got a blocked water pipe in my kitchen.

[ChuckJ]

Yuck. 

I have to call a plumber.  I got a blocked water pipe in my kitchen.

I wish I could have called someone, but money is too tight right now.

I had to dig up the junction box with a shovel. I dug a hole almost big enough to bury the Jeep. At least it felt that way.

I'm still sore this morning, but it's not as bad as it was yesterday.