Jeep Wrangler 25 years on, Acting Weird in the Driveway.

My support team, as I sometimes call him, is currently in London.  Doing Business things.  Previously he was in Barcelona and Madrid before that.

Lucky guy, huh?

What this means, to me, is that I don't get to workout.  I have been at home "doing things" for these two weeks.  I have had some pretty nasty accidents on inline skates and on a bicycle.  As a result, I am carrying some Titanium for the rest of my life.

I am grateful to have someone who can rescue me when I have a problem, but that stops me when they aren't around.

On the other hand, I had a rather annoying surprise yesterday.

I realized that it was two weeks since I had started the Jeep.  It has been sitting in the driveway wondering when I was going to take him for a drive.  Two more weeks, then the support team comes back, and I go back to being an athlete carving large circles around giant gas bags and goofy golfers.

"He" is a 2002 Jeep Wrangler.  January 2027 I will have had him for 25 years.  I would put classic or antique plates on the Jeep but I think it is 30 years here in Florida and I am not sure that I would want to be limited to daytime only use on my own car.

Yes, "He".  Black Jeep, Tan Soft top.  A friend of the time looked at it and said that Jeep looks like Darth Vader.  I laughed and have been thinking of it as Darth Jeep ever since.

DJ the TJ.  I'll stop, it's a little "cute" for me too.

25 year old cars do weird things.  I purposely got the Jeep as I thought that I could repair things on it.  And I have.  I have replaced Oxygen Sensors, Drained the oil numerous times, flushed the radiator, replaced the fuel rail, had the fuel injectors out, cleaned them, and replaced them, upgraded the lights to LED (all but four bulbs), and I'm on the second soft top.

There are other things that have been done like replacing the radio because I wanted to listen to CDs.  A different radio for MP3 listening.  Then I wanted HD Radio and a Line In port and replaced it again.  Then I wanted Bluetooth more than anything else because the whole music market has changed drastically in 25 years.

I am sitting in South Florida listening to a Classic Disco feed from a "station" in London, on a Bluetooth link to my phone.  As much as I hate smart phones, I rather like Classic Disco.  This way I can do it on the road as well.

When I went out to the Jeep, I pulled the radio and re-soldered all the wires to the harness.  That gave me four speakers.  Sufficient because over about 60 mph, that Jeep only has a passing acquaintance to the music I am playing.

All that said and done, it was time to test it all out.  

Accessory switch proved that the music worked.  

Realizing that I needed to do more than drain the battery playing Cerrone,  I thought it best to take old Darth for a roll around town.

Pushing foot to the firewall, I turned over the motor.  Purrs like a kitten.

Clutch in I tried to shift it into reverse and it fought me.  There was no pressure in the hydraulics to the clutch plate.  

Try to shift into first, and the same thing.  Nothing.

When I had the Clutch Master Cylinder replaced a couple years back, I had to pump the clutch so that I got enough pressure to engage the transmission.  Remembering this, and feeling my heart rate climb in fear to above 100, I did manage to get the transmission to shift into gear.  

Testing forward and reverse, and seeing that they engaged, I thought it best to take the old boy out for a short jaunt around town. 

Bottom line is that with a 25 year old Jeep, weird things happen.  Gremlins.  Mind you, I am fond of weird cars, and that Jeep is certainly weird.  

I bought it in the middle of the 1996-2006 production of the Jeep Wrangler TJ.  It used to be common on the road.  Through time and bad planning, my DJ The TJ seems to be one of the last of a breed.  I just don't see many of them.

It isn't time to sell it.  I enjoy it way too much.  Every time I get behind the wheel, I get a goofy grin on my face.  Besides, the EV market has not gotten mature enough for me to find one that is to my liking.  I like what the Blank Slate promises.  It's basically a "Work Truck" about the size of an old Toyota Truck, Chevy Luv, and Mazda B2000.  1990 Called and they are bringing back a truck in the form of an EV.  

The Slate Truck also has the same ethos as a Jeep Wrangler from my era and earlier.  No spyware reporting back to Ford/GM/Toyota/Who-Knows-Who.  No subscriptions for hardware you have on the vehicle and are carrying around for the life of the thing.

It is as basic as my Jeep is.  I like that in a car or truck.  I like weird, but I also don't like paying for things I don't actually need or want.  That's just pointless and stupid, and "Momma didn't raise stupid".

So for now, I have to put up with weirdness and make it a point to drive the Jeep around town more frequently, even at $4.29 a gallon, and invent places to go.  

At least until my support team returns. 

If you are curious, and haven't checked your Clutch Master Cylinder for a while, it may be low.  Before you get involved, make sure you have the correct fluid.  It is marked on my cylinder at the firewall.  If not there, check your owner's manual, or (gasp) your favorite search engine.

Seriously, look it up and make sure you are using the right fluids.  I have seen videos of people destroying their vehicles by using the wrong one.  If In Doubt, Get An Expert.

My Jeep uses DOT 3 Brake Fluid.  Open up the top by turning it and make sure that you have it about 1/2 full.  Close it tight. 

It's also a good time to make sure your brake fluid, oil, washer fluid, and coolant levels are up where they should be.  

Technology and I are Fighting. The Story of Why I Have Two Microwave Ovens.

Technology and I are going through a rough patch lately.

I have always got on well with things that way.  I'm the kind of person who took the old war time ethos of "Make Do And Mend" to heart.  

In that way, I've been able to learn quite a lot.  Replaced my own Oxygen Sensors on the Jeep when I needed to, for example.  Oil Changes are simple, and I do most of the maintenance on the car.  23 years old and runs like a "Swiss Watch".

>I was a Financial Project Manager for a major university on the East Coast.  "Req To Check" was my thing.  Requisitions through the posting of the Purchase Orders against the accounts on the General Ledger.  I was the strongest programmer in the department, the "Programmer of Last Resort" and the one who got the "meatiest problems".

My own favorite computer is about 6 years old.  It started out in corporate life as a Windows computer, and when it got to me, I immediately opened it up and upgraded the components.  One of the upgrades was to install Debian Linux, again, immediately.

To say that I am a Do It Yourself kind of tech guy is minimizing things here.

But lately, I'm about to toss most of it out the window.

You see, touch screens are the bane of my existence.  The things are everywhere.

Smart phones have them.  Cars have them.  Even my oven has a touch screen.

I don't see that they are being used properly.  I mean an oven?  With a Touch Screen?  Give me a break!

So as I am riding along, happily playing music, something happens and I need to control the phone.

Have I said yet that I hate iPhone for this sort of thing?  

Ok, I despise the little gadgets.  My big hands reach down to work on the phone and I almost always have to stop moving and pay attention.  It would be like a smaller person using the phone with their elbow and throwing it into traffic in disgust.

I don't know which tiny person designed these things but whoever you are, I hate you.

The latest thing to become "quirky" was my microwave oven.  Of all things to flake out, a microwave.  

In the kitchen there is very little with food that I won't attempt.  I have churned butter in the food processor - that takes about 5 minutes.  I also make the dog's food from scratch.  The ingredients that are raw have to be cooked to a minimum of 165F/74C so that the bacteria is killed.  Frozen Peas and Fresh Carrots are the two ingredients that go into the microwave.  I demand that they are cooked at full power uninterrupted.

Lately the microwave has decided that at random moments it will cycle, go to low power mode.  When it does that, the cooking cycle is ruined and I have to throw out what I am doing and restart the process.  There is no pattern with this, and I believe that an internal part is overheating.

Since I demand the thing to work without interruption, the microwave is useless to me.  This one is going into the trash.  But I have a second one.  That is a story in itself.

About 6 or more years ago, someone left a perfectly good microwave on the curb of my block.  It was left in the box, sealed.  Taped up from the factory.  Sitting pretty under a street lamp.  I walked Rack The McNab SuperDog past the box at the 5PM walk.  I walked him past it at 9PM.  The next morning, the box was still sitting there.  5AM.  Under the street lamp.

Yoink!  You are mine.

At that point the older microwave was still working well and I didn't believe that I needed this new one so I put it in the shed.  

This week I had had enough of flaky kitchen appliances.  I went to my shed, got the box, cutting my left wrist in the process.  Opening the box I brought the new microwave in and put it on the kitchen counter.  Doing so I said to the old microwave "If you fail again, I'm stripping you for parts, and you go out in the trash!".

Yes, I threatened my old microwave with a new microwave.

It has only been a few days and the old microwave is working correctly.  I think it took the hint.  

Cross me, and out you go old microwave!  

I have done that with iPhones as well.  I have a very good friend who hands me down old electronic hardware.  This computer that I put Linux on is not the first, and I have taken broken computers and recycled and up-cycled them into working useful equipment before.  I get old iPhones and have never bought one.  

But those iPhones?  I hate them and hate the entire ecosystem.  The idea that Apple has a walled garden to keep you safe has been dis-proven, and they are harvesting information for nefarious purposes, or so it has been said in the last few years.

Personally I think that Apple's Walled Garden has poison ivy in it.  I don't want to use their hardware the way that they want me to.  If I want to put music on the blasted thing, I should be able to plug it in and move data back and forth at will.  Pictures, and Documents as well.    I should be able to do a backup of the stupid thing to a network drive or attached memory stick but I have not found a way to do that.  On top of it all, that screen is too small.  Tiny for me.  I have to jump through hoops in order to get any of that done.

Pretty hardware that is dumbed down for some pointless exercise in minimalism.

So when I look at videos with "Shiny New Objects" with sparkly touch screens, I lose interest.  I'll stick with my 23 year old Jeep Wrangler, and my 6 year old laptop as much as possible.  

How exactly will I be able to use a touch screen on a car to adjust the air conditioning in traffic at 60 MPH with my elbow, again?

I am forced to use that confounded iPhone since I am a competition class dual sport athlete and my sport watch requires it.  Sport watch with a touch screen and Bluetooth.  To talk to the iPhone.  

It has a sealed battery in it that I have to recharge every 10 days too.  Eventually it will get flaky and I'll have to buy a new watch because nobody repairs things any longer.

Can someone please, find me a Tube Tester and a set of All American Five tubes?  I have a radio from 1956 that could use some refreshing.  I hear they have this new music called Rock and or Roll that might be fun, but R&B is much more my style.  Meanwhile, I will find a swing music or classical orchestral program.  Just to relax to.

Oh and Apple should get off my damn lawn.  I think they're drunk anyway.

If You Require An App To Use Your Gadget, I Will Reject Your Product.

I would say that having dry eye issues pushed me this way but really I'm finding it hard to say I am missing anything.

There are a few, a very scant few, apps I use on the phone.  If your product requires me to use an app to use it, thanks but no thanks.

How I do things is a bit old school.  I use a browser.  On a laptop.  A rather nice 15 inch screen.  It keeps my lap warm.  

I have a love hate relationship with the pharmacy.  I won't name and shame them but the nearest one to me.  That one with three letters.  They try to pretend they care by slapping a valentines heart on everything.

Yeah, that one.

They text me frequently.  I groan and wait until I get home.  Then I type that Random Scrabble Tile nonsense into the browser and hope I got it right.  The message tells me that I have to go to the store and pick up a bottle of something and so forth.

Blah. You should see what I go through with Doctors Offices.  Three Hospital networks with their coterie of doctors.

Sure I could click on the link and try to see it but the Lasik I had years ago means that I am learning my own limitations.  My eyesight is better than 20/20.  That is down from where it was shortly after the operation.  I was the guy in the car who was reading street signs for miles down the road.

Yeah, I am amazed at that too.

Not any more, I'm like everyone else.  I got Lasik because my astigmatism got so bad that I could not get stronger contacts and as active as I am I did not want to wear "Coke Bottle Glasses".  I mean, come on, can you imagine getting on inline skates and skating 30 miles in a workout with those things balancing on your nose?

Me either.

My training in IT and computers taught me how to limit my exposure to ads and other waste of time things on the web.  My laptop is so locked down that when I see an ad on a website, I laugh and do a search and destroy.

My next step is to block certain large websites and surf in a virtual machine but that is a long term goal.  Remember, Fellow Babies, a well tuned Hosts File is your friend as well as a strong ad blocker.

When I look at videos of electric cars with an app to get a refueling I cringe.  One for each network.  Multiple networks both here and in Europe.  The car has it's own app.  

I'll stick with my 23 year old Jeep Wrangler for now, thanks.  It's not perfect, and the check engine light has been on since before 2010, but I know what the code is and... Meh.  Not worried.  Gas Cap, indeed!

Each of those apps has a part that runs in background and almost all of you leave that part running.  The app is phoning home and telling them what you are doing but I really have to ask Why?  Getting served ads for what you were talking about "in private"?  CBC is doing a podcast about that one, the presenter was talking about "Pickleball" and later getting served all sorts of ads about Pickles, Balls, and Pickleball.

It seems like spyware is not too picky.  

Yes, this is what I listen to at 5 AM staring at the dog across the pool wearing nothing more than my boxer shorts, shivering in the pre-dawn coolness.  

"Come on, Rack!  Get your business done and water the Mango Tree!"

So for now, keep your apps.  The one that I have that controls my headphones wants an update that I think I will ignore.  A-Couple-Hundred-Megs so I can translate speech into English.  

Yeah, so how do you do that without listening in on what I am doing here?  No wonder why they want you to use Bluetooth for headphones.

No. Thank. You.   I turned off auto-update on the phone ages ago and my laptop is Linux so it only updates when I tell it to. Remember what that was like, Windows users?  Did your Mac take a powder last time you did an update?  I don't.

Yes. I do enjoy controlling my own experiences.  Don't you?  Since I can't limit my exposure to that sort of spyware and nasty program by removing it from the phone, I limit my time using the phone.  They are hard for me to read anyway even on the "big boy" sized phone I am using.

Being as big as I am, even using the app is problematic.  Don't get me started with trying to use a touch screen with the tiny little buttons on a glass screen.  Just does not work well.  Like typing with your elbow.

Since I have problems using the touch screen in every case, even on my oven to set the timer, I think I'll skip it all.  Give me physical buttons and skip the app.  

Yes, all of this is a bit of a rant.  It takes a significant amount of discipline.  But every journey begins with a single step.  Strap on your Big Boy shoes and begin your own trip.

Jeep TJ Horn Repair - For when the horn sounds on its own or the button is "soft"

Ok! Let me get the warning out of the way:

Standard Internet Warranty Applies - you follow my instructions at your own risk.  Ramblingmoose will not be responsible with any damage you do to your car, your self, or anything else.  If you do not feel comfortable with these instructions, or your capacity to follow them, don't do them. 

OK?

This is written as instruction to my future self because I don't see myself getting rid of the car any time soon and I expect to have to do this again.

I gathered my own process by reading forums and looking at pictures and drawing conclusions.  I will say that there are rarely one set of instructions with repairing my own 23 year old Jeep.  I love the car but little issues are getting tiresome to track down and new parts are getting more scarce.

This is a "hack".  I fixed my horn by flipping the horn button actuator pad and replaced it within my horn button assembly.  I do not expect this to be "permanent" but I do expect it to give me some time. Many parts for the car are "Unobtanium" and you simply can't find "new" any longer.  Dorman makes a lot of fine reproductions of parts, and may be a good source but not for this repair.

The horn button actuator pad is two sheets of metallic material on the back of some sort of plastic.  When you flex them, they make contact and can be tested with a continuity tester. 

Other people's repairs were successful by cutting the sheets apart and putting a bead of silicon around the edges to hold them apart as they were put back into a parallel sheet.  Fortunately I did not have to re-manufacture the actuator (yet) by going that far and if I do, I will document that process later.

To complete this you will need multiple tools. 

8MM Socket.
10MM Socket.
11MM Socket.
Socket wrench driver.
Leatherman style multi-tool, although I only used the knife blade.


1:  Disconnect the battery from the car.  Really.  No.  Do this first.  Don't take a chance.  Let the battery be disconnected for at least 5 minutes before proceeding.  I used an 11MM socket to loosen the terminal, but your size may be different.  This is why I listed three socket sizes above.

2: Remove the horn button cover in the middle of your steering wheel.  There are two bolts holding the cover down.  They are 8MM and readily accessible from behind the sides of your wheel.  Remove the bolts and set them aside.  The entire horn button assembly with the air bag will easily come loose.

3: Disconnect the wires from the horn button assembly and the air bag.  If you did not disconnect the battery, this is why.  Your Air Bag will be very difficult to replace if it blows up in your face.  So will your nose.  DO NOT CUT ANY WIRES.  The air bag is connected by a tan connector that easily snaps off the back of the air bag.  The red positive wire has a spade connector that is covered by a plastic or vinyl sleeve.  Slide the sleeve back and separate the wires at the connector.  Your horn button assembly will now be free for you to take into your work area.

4: Remove the Air Bag from the mounts on the back of the horn button assembly.

• DO NOT CUT ANY WIRES.
• Remove the plastic clip that retains the wire in place.
• The Air Bag is held in place with four 10MM(?) nuts. 
• Save and set them aside. 
• There are two metal mounts that hold the air bag in place.
• Remove the mounts from their slots and set them aside.
• Free (to lift from the mount screw) the ground wire from the back of the air bag mounting plate.
• Bend or flex the vinyl so that you can free the air bag from the horn button assembly.
• Set the Air Bag aside.
  
  
  

5: Free the horn button actuator pad from the plastic shield on the inside of the horn button assembly. 

• The horn button actuator in my TJ is about the same proportions as those in the/some XJ Cherokee. 
• The round version of the horn button actuator is for those cars that have cruise control or automatic transmission.  Or are just older and "different". 
• Your mileage may vary. 
• I had to use my Leatherman's Tool knife blade to trim the rectangular posts to create room to work on the "top" side of the assembly. 
• There was a clear bit of plastic that was welded at the factory under the posts that I had to cut on the top row. 
• This created enough room to work to gently slide the horn button actuator pad out.
• Before reassembling the pad into the assembly, I strongly suggest testing your continuity on the pad with a tester.  This is just enough work to be annoying to have to repeat.
  

6: Flip your horn button actuator pad and reinsert it under the clear plastic window.  In my case, this was enough to get everything working again (for now).  Push the rectangular posts back through the holes in the plastic sheeting to hold everything in place.

7: Replace the Air Bag assembly within the horn button assembly and reverse the steps so that the assembly is SECURELY snapped into the vinyl assembly and then bolted back in place.  Your wires will be reversed for the horn button actuator pad but there will be enough wire for connections to be restored.

8: Reconnect the Air Bag connector on the back of the assembly, and the red wire for the horn button.

9: Place and Bolt in place the horn button assembly with air bag back in the steering wheel. 

10:  Reconnect the battery to the car.  Test the horn.  The hack should have worked and you should have a horn that works now.

11: Resetting the dash gauges.  After reconnecting the battery, my Tachometer was not working.  Closer inspection showed that the needle had dropped below the pin at the Zero RPM point.  To reset the tach, follow these steps.

• Get in the driver's seat and place the key in the ignition.
• Press and hold the trip set reset button.
• Turn the ignition key to accessory.
• The lights will cycle on one after another, and all of the gauges will activate.
• If this does not get your tach to be functional, the following Percussive Maintenance might be needed:  Whack the side of the instrument cluster with the heel of your hand while the tach is cycling.

Seriously, I had to do this and my tach is now working.  This link will show you the process, but not how I managed to hold the button while whacking the cluster.  This was done on the upper left corner of the cluster while the Tach was vibrating during the self-reset.

This is a link to the process that I derived my own process from.  You will notice that the steps are similar.  It is here in case my own steps are not helpful.

23 Years, 55555 Miles, Third Jeep Wrangler

Yes, I still have that Jeep.

23 years later.  It finally hit a milestone number on the clock.  55555 miles.

89407 km for the Imperially Impaired.

I was sitting at a stop light in Pompano Beach.  Southbound on Federal Highway, US1, and Mc Nab Road.  Seems like that's been my history for quite a while.  Always heading south on US1. Always carving a groove in US1. 

I got into Jeeps back when AMC was a going concern.  I had a friend who was influencing me.  I commented that I was tired of "Fussy Cars" that had problems.  I wanted something I could fix if I had to but had to be well supported.

He took me out into the NJ Pine Barrens with his own CJ 7.  I was hooked. 

I got myself a CJ 7, charcoal with a hard top.  I had that car for about 3 years and enjoyed it until I drove it to Indianapolis.  It ruined my back.  So I got a small car and drove that back home. 

That was a mistake.  I never stopped missing that CJ. 

So after I wrecked the small car and had a mistaken flirtation with a Ford Taurus, I got a Chevy Nova.  Mind you that was basically a Toyota Corolla and it fit me well for 10 years.  It started having issues with rust and someone who I was seeing was being cranky about being in a small car so I was pointed to the new Jeeps.

"It's a Jeep TJ.  The Wranglers.  They are actually comfortable unlike your CJ and you never stopped talking about that one."

So I test drove a TJ.  Bought it that day.  Only draw back was it was an Automatic.

I don't know why anyone wants a Jeep with an Automatic.  It's just not... Jeeplike.

I need to "Row My Own".  I need to be in touch with what I am doing. 

Three years later, I got this one.  5 speed.  4 liter inline 6 motor.  One of the last indestructible engines that was made.  Still AMC designed but built by Chrysler in the Toledo Ohio plant. 

It has the nicest sound when you drive it on the road.  Between 30 and 50 it sings to you in third gear, purrs in fourth.  I should know, I put it in that gear myself.

It's also a thirsty beast, and has always been.  16 MPG is a good time for me.  The best I ever got was 23 mpg and that took a tail wind and a trip to Key West, FL to do it.

Pro Tip is if you ever are going to Key West, plan your trip to hit the Seven Mile Bridge at sunset and make sure you have a convertible car.  Put the roof down and enjoy that ride.  One of the most beautiful rides you can ever have, I did it both in that Jeep and a Honda GoldWing Interstate motorcycle.  If you plan your timing right the stars come out like someone threw glitter in the air.

No, really, it is truly that beautiful.

I'd even consider driving you there, if you talk nice to me, and pay for gas, food, and lodging.  I may be nostalgic and a bit of a travel romantic, but I am not stupid, Key West is damn expensive!

If we do go, you had better be comfortable with my choice of music.  My Jeep, My Rules.  No country, none of that "Album Rock" crap.

But let me get the old boy serviced.  23 years is a long time and the hoses are starting to crack.  That's why the engine light is on the dash board.  It has been for about 10 years.  I suppose I should get that looked into, but the code is the gas cap code, and I am tired of buying new ones.

For the most part, it's been a good friend.  Mechanical friend that only let me down once.  Ironically at that self same intersection, the clutch master cylinder failed on me.  I limped to a dealer and they did repair the clutch.  I told the advisor what was wrong, and after a week they found the part and replaced it.  It's been good ever since.

I pulled in and the service advisor said "we don't have a loaner or a driver for you".  I had just come south from the park and a workout.  Pointing at the bike on the back of the Jeep I just said "You are only 6 miles/10K from my house and I just finished a marathon, a little bit more will be fine".  It was the look of astonishment from all the service advisors that convinced me that remaining in shape all these years and being able to ride 38 miles in one day on a bike was well worth it.

Yes, that old dusty Jeep is a friend.  A good ride.  They don't make them like this any more.  They got big just like every other car on the road.  They are transitioning to hybrid which would be nice.  That 16 MPG is tough to take but I have been told to hold onto my old boy.

I do talk about it like a cowboy talks about his horse.  Funny thing about all that.  I see a lot of cars on the road but nothing really catches my eye.  Prices have tripled and quadrupled.  But I still have my old Jeep and I'm comfortable in it.  Nice not to have a car payment for the last 20 years.

I may even be convinced to take it in for service to have that gas cap code looked at.  I know what has to be done and I am not finding the idea of lowering a gas tank for an inspection to be attractive in my own carport.

More than I would like to attack.  I did replace the stereo more than once and made a bezel and a mount for the speaker out of a laundry detergent bucket.  I am still picking up bits of blue plastic in my kitchen that flew off the Dremel from that day.

Better to make your own microplastic waste than absorb it from the environment I guess!

If I can find a truly good mechanic who knows old cars, I may be able to relax enough to trust my old friend to.

North American Battle Wagons, or Honey, You Shrunk The Jeep

 I have been driving Jeeps for the majority of my "career".  I have been driving Jeep Wrangler TJ since 1996 without a stop.

This is my second TJ.  They are now getting thin on the ground, so I don't say "Oh Look!  A Parts Car!" as frequently as I did when I saw one. 

I still do the Jeep Wave, and I always would Tread Lightly when I was off road.  I haven't gone off road since moving to Florida in 2006 so he's been a Pavement Prince since then.

The thing is that when I got my first Jeep, a CJ7 back in 1984, I noticed that it was much higher than most cars on the road.  I used to be amused looking down into cars and seeing the goings on in there.

You folks are nuts!  All sorts of things happened!  I was immediately taught that if I could see down, so could the truck drivers in a "Big Rig" so I made sure not to do anything "untowards" in my own cars from that point on.

Then I went back to "regular cars" until my first and second Wranglers.  I noticed that I was above the majority of cars, but not as much as before.  So much so that it was a surprise when I saw someone enjoying the driver of the car ... from the passenger seat.

Wink! Wink! Say No More!

But that visual advantage was disappearing.  As time went on, I became "regular sized" if not a bit small.

Yes, a Jeep Wrangler is "average sized".  No longer, the current Jeep Wranglers have four doors and is just too big.  Bloated for me.

This was beaten home after I stopped at the end of the workout the other day.  Someone parked a wall next to me.  I fail to see why someone needs a full sized pickup truck, GMC Denali, just to get in a workout at a park.

This was the literal illustration of what I heard described as a North American Battle Wagon.  Massive.

I am 6'4" tall.  A Very Fit 193 CM, if my math is correct.  I am used to looking over things.  I tell people that I usually write my initials in the dust of their refrigerator tops when I visit.

I will wait until you check to see if I did.  Then you can clean your fridge top.  It's why mine is a "Counter Depth" and there's no gap at the top.   Saves me from cleaning!

There was no possible way I can see over the top of this truck.  In fact, standing next to it in my sneakers I was eye level with the driver's view.  Luckily the driver was on the trail getting their Beta Endorphins on.

I squeezed past this monster truck and thought to myself that I used to consider the old Toyota 4x4 trucks big when they came out in the late 1980s, and "what on earth!" would I have considered this beast when I was driving a little first generation Honda Accord in College? 

*shudder*

Getting the bike on the rack on the back, chuckling at my bumper sticker which proclaims "I workout because salads are boring", I had to squeeze past this huge beast to get in my now "Little" Jeep Wrangler.  The driver left adequate room but I am not used to not being able to look over the tops of things.  I see more bad haircuts than you may realize.

Driving home on US1, Federal Highway, in Pompano Beach and Fort Lauderdale, there was more.  It was driven home that we love huge trucks here and we are locked in an arms race of keeping up with the neighbor's beast trucks each time we upgrade.

There is a house down the block that the smallest truck that they own is what is now considered a Mid Sized truck, larger than my own Jeep.  It is about the size of a base Ford Truck that would be a Work Truck, stripper, these days.  They have so many trucks on their own suburban lot that it spills over the property line onto the neighbor's on one side, and the other side had put boulders on their side of the property line to stop them from "encroaching".

A bit drastic but I'd do the same.

So I guess my idea of getting a wee little, efficient, car is foolhardy.  I'd be a speed bump to these giant beasts in one of those.  I've done that before and thanks, I'll pass.

What's next?  Large cars are at best impractical, and at worst destroying the environment.  At one point in time, an AMC Gremlin got 18 MPG and they were advertised in the mid 1970s as being a "Fuel Saver".  I have a derivative of the same engine used in many of those cars and the 16 MPG I got in my last tank now is in no way thrifty.

The full sized pickup truck that was a loaner to a friend struggled to get 10 MPG city.  It dwarfed my own Jeep.  I know his driving patterns, he's much less "assertive" than I am on the road.

I don't know that there is a solution here, seeing the way politics are going.  At least with EVs, Hybrids, and Electrification, the efficiency of these things is getting better.  That old first generation, "Mark 1" Honda Accord I had got a reliable 30 MPG which is average in a car, low for a hybrid now.

Anything that small would be missed by one of those massive beasts coming out of a driveway.

Forget getting another Motorcycle.  My typo of "Mortal Cycle" must have been a Freudian slip due to the traffic we have here.  The woman on the scooter on the same trip home yesterday was dwarfed by my own "Little" Jeep, watching her weave in traffic had me terrified for her as she avoided one clueless huge beast after another.

I'm thinking that there really is no room for efficiency and a "tidy" rightsized car on the road any more.  Not here.  That would explain why someone commenting that "Bad Driving Has Become Normalized" makes so much sense to me. 

If they can't see you, you aren't there.

Good luck out there, I have an appointment at 1pm that I have to brave the other idiots on the road.  Trust me, if I can smell your pot smoke, that officer can as well.

And put that damn cellphone away, it's still against the law to use hands on cell phones in most jurisdictions.

My Jeep Got Ducked. So I Cycled A Marathon.

As an endurance athlete, you have time to think.  It really is logistics, whether you are going for a marathon, a couple hour walk, or skating that sixth lap around the big park.  You have to plan for the time, and you have to set your mind to achieve that goal.

When I was in Philadelphia, that big park was a long run from Independence Mall in Center City to Valley Forge.  I got into audio books and long DJ music sets and that would keep me going.

Here in South Florida, I am fortunate to have access to a data plan that is unlimited so I can fill my head with any media I can find.  I found a "Classic Dance" station in Puerto Rico that plays music in English, mostly.  Which is fine because my Spanish is merely "Intermediate".  B2 perhaps.  Puedo entenderte si hablaste lentemente. ¿Si?

I was chugging around the big park, a 4.6 mile loop around the Pompano Air Park watching them cart the Goodyear Blimp out of the hangar and have it just sit in the sun to acclimate. 

Lap 1 was easy.

Lap 2 was easy.

Lap 3 I was slowing noticeably and needed a water stop.  Music had stopped playing for some weird reason so at a half-marathon, I thought it was a good time for a rest.

The Jeep was under a tree, and I knew I had water on the bike with me.  But that snack I hid under the front seat was calling my name and I know I had peaked.  I was hitting the wall and "Mr Announcer" on Runkeeper had said that I was over an hour and at 13 plus miles.

I rolled close to the car and spotted a blue dot.

That blue dot grew to become a little plastic duck.

Finally! I had gotten Ducked! 

I have been driving Jeep Wranglers since 1996 and I had a CJ 7 back in the mid 1980s.  

This Duck Thing is new.  I remember that it was something that came out of Canada as a "Fun thing to do" for other Jeepers.  Of course, it's Wholesome, and it is Nice.  Of course, it comes from Canada. 

I guess I qualify as a Jeeper, having had three of the inefficient things.  They have the aerodynamics of a cow.  Moo-ve out of my way, I can push you if you need help keeping up with traffic.

I roll up on the bike and immediately get a big smile on my face.  Looking at the little blue artifact, I am jumping up and down in the parking lot under the tree.  All 6'4" and 194 pounds of me dressed in a uniform of colorful and sweaty "technical fabrics" cheering like a kid. 

Yep, it's fun!  Having gotten my first ducking.

I guess it is my time.  I have had this car since 2002 and Jeep Wrangler TJs are getting thin on the ground.  By that measure, it's a special car now, a standout, and a survivor.

The ducking says, I noticed you and appreciate your Jeep. 

Yes, It's a Jeep Thing and you wouldn't understand.  Other (ahem) "lesser" types of vehicles have their own fan club and their own ways of honoring them.

I put the little blue critter on my dashboard where it is now, and there it will stay.

I finished my snack, and my water stop.  It was time to get going again. 

In fact, I was so energized by that encounter that I did my first marathon since the accident and the repair of my shoulder.

But the duck, the marathon, and my beta endorphins all made for a truly fun day.

To Install a BestTop Roof on a 2002 Jeep Wrangler TJ, Get a Heat Gun, Dremel, and Spudgers. Really!

Yes, this is a story 28 years in the making.

Let me just start out by saying that had I had it to do all over I would absolutely get another BestTop roof for my Jeep Wrangler.

This is not a slam against their products.  Actually the word on the street (No, I have no proof) was that Chrysler was getting the roofs for the Jeep Wrangler TJ during their entire run from 1996 to 2006  from BestTop.

Now a couple strange things happened with me.

My previous Wrangler, a 1997, got broken into in Philadelphia in front of my house.  I told my insurance, and they shipped me a new roof.  This was roughly 1998.  I was able to get the old roof professionally repaired and I kept the new roof in my basement.

Eventually I sold the Wrangler when I got my current TJ, a 2002 Jeep Wrangler.  I kept that roof in the basement.  The new TJ had a stick shift and I vastly prefer a stick to an automatic.  It's more engaging to drive.

But that roof rode with me to Florida.  Here,it went into my shed.

So the other day, September 30, 2024.  I was in Boca Raton, FL.  It was a stunning day.  82F, light winds, sunny.  Previously, a hurricane (Milton) had come through and we had a week of rains, some of which were heavy.

I had a Doctor's Appointment where I was yelled at for not following instructions.  Don't Lift Anything More Than A Cellphone.  *grumble*. 

So of course I went out into the parking lot and started opening the windows on the Jeep.  The seams catastrophically failed.  I packed things up as best as I could and drove home with what was left of the roof down.

Getting the new roof put on the car would be easy, right?

No.  Don't even.  You have a 26 year old product sitting coiled up in a box that had been sitting in your shed and the basement before that.  It even still smelled like the basement in Philadelphia that it lived in for 3 or 4 years.

So I got the box out and found the instructions.  The thing that caught me was where they tell you to use a razor or knife to rip the seams out of the door window skins.  The new skins would go in place with Velcro fasteners.

I put the entire roof on the car save those window skins and left the old ones in place.  Having broken bones healing will slow you down and the car was technically in one piece.

I took a day off to recover, per Doctor's Orders, and came to it the next day.

Utility Knife in hand, I sliced the driver's door skin off the metal frame that holds it in place.  The skin had to be stretched to remove it from the frame.

This is a 23 year old car.  The idea that the vinyl door skin had that much tension left scared me.

I began the process of stretching the new skin in place.

The new door skins were a finger's length short from top to bottom and side to side.

Three inches.  8cm or so.  Short.

Are. You. Kidding. Me?

I thought to myself get the heat gun and start to loosen up the vinyl to allow it to stretch over the frame.

Two hours later it was in place. 

Two HOURS for the one piece.

The problem was that the frame had a bit at the leading edge that would not seat inside the door skin that was open like a pair of scissors in a V Shape.  I eventually got it over that bit but was not happy with the way it fit.

I also had another skin to put on the car on the passenger side.  That would wait for another day.

That other day came and I started.  An hour after following the instructions to start at the rear lower corner and work counter clockwise stretching the vinyl into place, I got out the power tools.

First the Heat Gun.  That made the vinyl stretch more and almost allowed me to put it in place.  The skin hooked itself on that leading corner and refused to let it go.  It got there almost immediately but after an hour of heat and stretching, I was cursing and frustrated.

Second the Dremel with the cutting wheel.  I got it out and cut the ends of the points down so that there was nowhere for the window skin to hook onto.  Then I sanded the metal down for this purpose.  I even painted it black to match the rest. 

Eventually after another hour, the next problem started.

Third it bent my spudger.  Sure that sounds like something a kid would say but lets deconstruct that.  I got the skin to stretch so that it was almost in place.  Almost as in the Vinyl had only tore a little bit.  The spudger is a metal tool that you use in installing a bicycle tire to a wheel.  I have some in plastic and they were too fragile for the task.  The one just bent as I was holding the vinyl skin over the frame for the door.  Eventually I was able to use a second spudger to help stretch the skin over the frame with a lot of Bad Words said.

That blasted passenger window skin took two solid hours to install even after trimming the frame.

So the list of materials needed to install a "no problem" Jeep Wrangler TJ window skin were Knife, Two Spudgers, Heat Gun, and Dremel drill with Cutting Wheel.

Do not do this process if you are easily frustrated.  The entire roof took 8 hours to install including allowing the plastic to relax in the sun, and threading it over frames.

I never would have thought that I would need a heat gun to install a window skin made out of vinyl that smells of a new beach ball (and my Philadelphia Basement) not to mention a Dremel and two Spudgers, but it did.

(Spudgers?  I told you not to mention those!)

I did look it up by the way, a replacement BestTop roof covers the years from 1997-2006 for the Jeep Wrangler TJ.

Or so the website said.  I don't remember which website, of course.

The instructions also say do not attempt this if the Jeep and roof are below 72F (21C).  The entire time I am cursing the process, I was thinking that if I had a walk in freezer or meat locker and tried this there because of the colder temperatures, the window would be able to stretched into shape with a heat gun and the metal frame would have shrunk due to the temps.

Yes, I had a LOT of time to think this through.  8 Hours from what I can tell.

Of course the standard internet warranty applies - do not attempt if you are unsure of your abilities, your tools, or your conditions.  Ramblingmoose.com takes no responsibility for your inability to finish the process or any damage to your Jeep.

Sorry folks, had to say that!

Whack-A-Mole on a 23 year old Jeep Wrangler is never fun. Maintaining your old soldier Jeep is important.

Whack-a-mole.

It's the game you get to play when your car gets older.  My car, well, it's practically ancient.  Almost Antique.

I'm still enjoying the thing, I do like driving it.  I may be the "Little Old Lady" Driver who only goes to The Park three times a week, but I do enjoy the daylights out of the Jeep.

I must.  I've only driven Jeep Wrangler TJs since 1996.

But this one is a 2002.  That makes it, what, as of this writing?  23 model years old.

If I am off by a bit, it won't matter, I'm not replacing the thirsty beast.

It's a simple machine, as far as a vehicle goes. 
I've had 4 car stereos in it. 
Replaced the tires twice. 
I prefer to do my own oil changes, and besides, it gives me something to keep me honest when I do.

The rubber hoses can be old and cracking but I know where to look. 

If you have an old car, you will need to open your hood and look very closely at your hoses.  If you see any kind of cracking on them, the hose should be replaced.  When I did, I put a zip tie on the end to make sure it's "Good And Tight".

Last year I did a LOT of maintenance.

After an oil change:

I replaced almost all of the vacuum hoses under the hood and came back and did more later.

I replaced the "Oxygen Sensors".  There's a truly strange tool that looks like a socket wrench socket with a notch cut out of it for the wire to be avoided as you turn.  They're not easy, all the heat on them tries to weld them to your exhaust system.

I replaced the Fuel Injectors.

I replaced the "Coil Rail".

I replaced the Clutch Master Cylinder at the dealer since I was stranded at the dealer after a workout.  It was another 10K to ride the bike home since they couldn't get me here.  Turns out, that's a plug in replacement on a 2002 Jeep Wrangler.  Could have done that one myself if I had the part, and they didn't.  I had to wait a week without a car at home.

There is a bag waiting for me to replace the bearings in the driver's seat so it rolls back and forth smoothly.

I replaced the gas cap.  Twice.

I am sure there are other things.  I'm about to replace the roof and windows since they're held in by zippers and velcro.

There is no such thing as Security in a Soft Top or Convertible.  Period.  I had to remove the alarm years ago when it shorted out and blew one of those weird plastic fuses.

Mind you, this is over the years.  Not just "right now".   Maybe since 2015 or so.

I don't drive a lot.  The car rides great though, new tires help that.  I went from 10mpg to 16mpg which helps after all that maintenance.

Being bored on Covid Lockdown and "Peak Summer Workout Pause" helped.

This time it was the battery.  I got stranded this morning.  I was going to go to The Park to do my usual Maintenance Workout of 23 or so miles on the bike.  Got everything together and went to start the car.  "Rrrrr" said DJ the TJ.  Then "CLICK CLICK CLICK". 

What I said is unprintable.

We took Mr Dog for his second walk around town.  When I came back I had put the charger on the car and ignored it for 3 hours.  That gave me enough charge to get to Walmart for a warranty replacement.

A repeat also implies that I have a charging system problem or a "Parasitic Drain".

We will see.  I have a brand new battery in the car now.  If I get the "Rrrrr... CLICK" problem again, I'll have the portable jump starter under the back seat after Friday and will have to replace the alternator.

That's what it is right?  Alternator not charging?

*sigh* I have my appointments, Darth Jeep.  Better behave.

I Guess It Is The Wet Season, Part Two or When August is Too Hot To Rain

Yeah I know, "Global Warming Doesn't Exist".

Turn off Fox News.  It isn't news, even Rupert Murdoch tells you that it's lies.

Sorry, "Boomers" but the "Zoomers" and "Millennials" are right, things have changed and not for the better.

Besides, I was a kid who noticed that things were changing years ago and I'll be collecting Social Security soon if they don't steal it.

Off the soap box now, but hey It is a Blog and it's my right.

When I was a kid I noticed that the weather was "Normal, One Way".  Growing up in South Jersey, it would snow around Thanksgiving, have a snow pack by Xmas, and the last of it would melt in a small pile in April.

I also noticed that it was changing.  We never had Ice Storms, that was what happened in North Carolina.  We got those.  Snows got deeper and more abundant when they came.

Mind you that sounds wrong but when you grow up in an area where it's too cold to snow in February and you start getting feet of snow (ok, 30cm) where you never did before, it is because the atmosphere warmed just enough to hold that much more water and dumped it on your head.

Down here in Fort Lauderdale, the old timers say "You could set your watch by it.  It rains at 3:30 every afternoon.  I saw that when I was a snowbird in the late 80s.  Not any more."

This year, it was hot.  Hotter longer and later.  When August happened, the rains stopped. 

That's the meaning of the picture at the top.  I worked out in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia and that particular year we learned if we were up at 6am and skating, we could beat the heat.  Why was that important?  I saw my first 104F/40C day ever there and then.

It hasn't quite gotten that bad here in So Flo.  We saw 98 which surprised me since I am only 2.5 miles (4km) from the beach.  It was like that all August, or "close enough for us". 

If you hear that the hurricane belt has moved North, I won't be surprised.  They're highly unpredictable beasts, but it used to be that a storm would come here if it went anywhere. 

It really messed up my schedule because I had a lot of work to do on my Jeep Wrangler this summer.  I hardly ever drive but I have been doing so by the light of the Check Engine Light.  The "Gas Cap Code" P0442 "Very Small Evap Leak" caused a cascade of repairable problems.  In a 21 year old car, that is repairable but it is also a game of Whack A Mole.  

Similar to the workouts in Philly, I was out in the carport at the crack of 7 setting up a large fan to blow the mosquitoes away, then to keep me cool.  Once 10am hit, it was stop work time since it was too hot to continue.

21 year old vacuum hoses don't bend well, those are the ones you have to GENTLY wiggle to see if they move.  If so, replace, if not, move to the next one.

That 21 year old Jeep isn't the problem either.  51,000 miles on it, it hardly gets used.

So what does a 21 year old Jeep have to do with the weather?

Red Blobs On Radar will make you stop work too if you're smart.  If August was too hot to rain, late September it's restarted with a vengeance.   Getting caught out in a Red Blob On Radar can "ruin your day" when it's more water than you used in the shower this morning all at once.

So here we are, Global Warming doesn't exist until it does, and run for Higher Ground.  Or at least stay out of the way of the lightning.  If your hair stands on end, good luck, you're going to be close to that strike.

After all, you can outrun the storms.  I did once on Inline Skates.  I could see the rains coming South on Federal Highway in Pompano Beach once and I was a Mile North of the Car.  That day I got to the car before the rains unleashed their fury.  Not always and don't do it on a Metal Framed Bike. 

But can everyone?

Got a Convertible? Where Do You Keep Your Sunblock? In my Jeep of course!

Having a convertible car means you adjust how you use it.

Convertible meaning your roof is usually vinyl on a frame.  In my case it also means the windows are held on the car with velcro and zippers and made of something resembling industrial Cling Film.

Saran Wrap for the American readers.

I've driven Jeep Wranglers since 1996.  I'm tall, they fit me well.  They also have terrible gas mileage by today's standards.  The best I ever did was 23 MPG on the overseas highway from Key Largo to Key West.  It was because I had a tail wind and I was pushed there. 

Aerodynamics of a Cow indeed.

But you do tend never to keep anything in the car.  It will get opened and the contents inspected for "value" by a nefarious character who should be removed from society.

I'll leave that to you how to translate that into more direct slang.

My own Jeep is pretty much theft proof.  Why?  It has a manual transmission. 

Because I like it that way.

I tend to only drive to two places, both are parks, for workouts. 

I guess others don't want to ride in something that is noisy, inefficient, and at 22 years old, smells slightly of dog, sweat, and sunblock.

I guess I need to spray some febreeze in it. 

Getting back from a workout in South Florida means you're going to be hot, you're going to sweat.

Apparently I'm beginning to forget that first rule of "never leave anything in the car". 

Both parks have signs up that say "Secure your valuables".

I respond "Where?". 

Oh I am sure I'll be selling it some day for a soulless thing with more computing power than the entire NASA Moon Shot program that reports your use of "their" car back home.  It's one reason why I haven't got anything newer, I value my privacy.

So why have I gotten to the point when I am looking for the Sunblock, the first place I look for it is in the footwell of the Jeep?

Simple, it isn't really all that valuable and I only ever use it at the parks.

I met someone once with a beautiful early Ford Mustang Convertible.  First version so what is that, 1963 or 1964?  Doesn't really matter.   He had the car in Los Angeles during the 1990s.  He never locked it.  His response was that if they want the car better not to damage the thing.

I am not that bold, and the lock it and pocket the keys maxim is way too well ingrained with me.

But it certainly passes through my mind, even if I can't figure out why someone would break into a 22 year old Jeep Wrangler just to steal some Sunblock and perhaps a cigarette lighter USB charger.

Ok, that Cigarette Lighter Charger is the best in the world, have at it!

Bah humbug, just leave my Jeep alone.  You can't drive the thing anyway.  It has a stick shift.

I won't tell you about the Kill Switch I have hidden under the dash...

Actually the worst thing that happened to the car was the neighbor's cat decided to crack the roof when it insisted on sleeping on that.  Um, No.  When the owner died, that cat disappeared.  I still don't know where it is.  An Outdoor Cat does not exist, it is just a stray.

So don't do what I do and store your sunblock in your car.  I always park in the shade and it will be fine, but it may draw nefarious characters.  That would be a bad thing.

When Summer Comes, The Traffic Cones Sprout Near The Jeep

When the universe wants to mess with your head... 

It leaves you Traffic Cones.

Living as close to The Bars in Wilton Manors as I do, I see a lot of strange things.  I have seen people coming home from the bars on foot, wandering around aimlessly, and even had some clown fall asleep in my garden.

That is a story for another time.

This time, I am thinking a similar fate happened to this cone.  From what I can tell from the road rash on the base of the thing and how it was left on the driveway, I have a story to tell.

Some random person came to my town, and visited the Arts and Entertainment District on Wilton Drive.  They probably had a rather nice time there, dinner, drinks, maybe some dancing.

Once they were through, they decided to take a drive and come home.

I have to assume there was some impairment included because I now have a new traffic cone.

Their car had hit the cone, dragged it along under the car.  Either when they pulled in to my driveway here to inspect the noise, because there is always noise when you run over a traffic cone, or when they threw the car into reverse it left the thing there, the cone remained.

I am in the back of the house here, away from the parking areas, and away from the street.  I sleep with earplugs.  I did not hear a thing.  

When I got up, put on enough clothes to take Mr Dog out to water the hedges, and walked past the gate, I spotted the thing.  When I walked over to it, I laughed at it because it reminded me of a younger me and a trip through Cherry Hill and Haddonfield, NJ.

You know, where they set the Halloween movies?  Michael Myers?  Haddonfield was a town east of Cherry Hill, where I grew up.  The movies were shot in Illinois, and the name came from the writer knowing South Jersey.

Living in Cherry Hill, you knew Halloween was in Haddonfield (even if it wasn't shot there) and was southwest of you, and Voorhees was Friday the 13th and was east of you.  Ok Jason?

I have been driving Jeep Wranglers since 1997 continuously.  They fit me, and they let me go where I want to go comfortably.  My head does not hit the ceiling and that is important.

Well before then, I had a Jeep CJ7.  Much rougher ride, and I eventually got rid of it because it hurt my back riding long distances. 

One night I was doing a similar thing.  Coming home from the city, I had a ride on the PATCO Hi Speed Line that took you from Center City Philadelphia to the Suburban South Jersey of my youth.  I got off in Haddonfield, and mounted my CJ to ride home.  

I think I may have wanted to wait another hour before I did get into that old Jeep because somewhere in Haddonfield, I clipped a different cone.  It hooked itself on the steering linkage on the front end and I kept going.  By the time I left Haddonfield, and came up Brace Road towards my childhood house, I heard that scraping.  

I shrugged and pulled into the driveway there.  Not waking Mom, or my sister, I looked under the Jeep and there it was.  

"How on earth?" I said as I pulled the cone out.  I left it in the front of the driveway and came in to sleep the rest of the night away.

So there you have it.  The Universe wanted to remind me of that trip and give me a gift of bright safety orange plastic.

I had to tell the neighbor, Diane, about this story, and she was laughing as I was.  She's welcome to this new cone, I have two of my own to protect the property from ne'er do wells and partiers when she moves out to her new home.

Welcome to the neighborhood.  Strangeness happens and you find things.