How to fix any problem on your WK Jeep Grand Cherokee

"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
06/15/2015 at 12:47 • Filed to: None

I have a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited with the Hemi V8 and Quadra-Drive 4wd system which includes 3 electronic LSDs. I bought it because I wanted something that was ridiculously overkill for driving on normal roads in Wisconsin snowstorms, terrible fuel economy be damned. Like many mid-’00s Chrysler vehicles, it often has electrical gremlins.

Since I bought my Grand Cherokee this past December, it’s had several minor issues that would be more annoying if I had, say, taken it to the dealer for troubleshooting and spent actual money on a fix.

These have included a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and a bunch of random check engine codes that !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Also, I can !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , which would be more of a problem if the ignition were actually located anywhere near my knee.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

The first couple times I got these weird problems, I did what anyone inclined to work on their own vehicles would do: I spent a bunch of time trying to diagnose and repair whatever was the likeliest cause of the warning light.

Well let me tell you: with a WK Grand Cherokee, this is a waste of time! The sensors and computers in the WK like to just randomly spit out error codes that are more often than not isolated faults that are not symptoms of a real problem.

Most recently, I had the airbag light come on and stay on. I was worried, because airbags are A) expensive to repair and B) potentially life-saving safety devices as long as they are not shrapnel-spewing Takata airbags.

But! Because of my previous experience with fixing WK electrical problems, I have come up with my patented Jeep Grand Cherokee WK troubleshooting procedure:

I followed these two easy steps, and sure enough the airbag light went away and has not returned.

Remember folks: if you have a WK Grand Cherokee and you get any kind of warning light, before you spend any time trying to sort out this problem, remember to disconnect the battery and see if the warning light goes away. It probably will!

DISCUSSION (12)

505Turbeaux > Textured Soy Protein
06/15/2015 at 12:49

living it right now. Cant wait to get the WK out of my hair. Loving the WJ something fierce

HammerheadFistpunch > Textured Soy Protein
06/15/2015 at 12:51

Takuro Spirit > Textured Soy Protein
06/15/2015 at 12:51

That works on pretty much any Chrysler product, at least for a little while.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Textured Soy Protein
06/15/2015 at 12:52

Mopar - Not even once.

Textured Soy Protein > 505Turbeaux
06/15/2015 at 12:55

The main thing I miss about my old WJ are the seats. They were so damn comfy.

But that particular WJ was in kinda rough shape and I bought it more because I needed to buy something quickly than because it was the best vehicle I could find, because my 135is on summer tires just wasn’t going to work in the winter.

When I got my WK I made sure to find a good one. So yeah it’s had some gremlins but overall it’s in much better shape than my old WJ was.

I’d consider going back to a WJ if it were an ’03-’04 with the 4.7 HO and Quadra-Drive, and in good shape.

Birddog > 505Turbeaux
06/15/2015 at 12:55

Yeah but you’re kinda lucky. You stepped into a practically brand new WJ.

505Turbeaux > Birddog
06/15/2015 at 12:56

for all purposes it is brand new. Also I think the WK has been for a swim before judging by the fact the spare was flat and full of water

505Turbeaux > Textured Soy Protein
06/15/2015 at 12:57

they are so much more comfy, but the material seems a little less rugged than the WK. The dash on the WJ is much more appealing to me as well

Textured Soy Protein > 505Turbeaux
06/15/2015 at 13:04

Yeah the dash on the WJ is a bit better. I liked that sorta-kinda bin above the center stack. It was a good place to toss my hat & gloves. Can’t do that in the WK because they’ll slide off.

The Dummy Gummy > HammerheadFistpunch
06/15/2015 at 13:06

IT Crowd was one of my favorite shows for a while. That guy is fucking hilarious. I loved Moss too.

Stupidru > Textured Soy Protein
06/15/2015 at 13:23

So as someone to who is looking to buy a WK 3.0 CRD for the wife, what’s the ultimate advice to a fellow Sconnie?

Textured Soy Protein > Stupidru
06/15/2015 at 16:14

Look for one with Quadra-Drive. It’s standard with the Hemi but I believe optional on the CRD. Maybe standard on the Overland CRD and optional on the Limited? I’m not sure exactly. The standard Quadra-Trac 4wd system has a center eLSD with open front/rear diffs + traction control. Quadra-Drive adds front & rear eLSDs. They really help in snow.

Try to find one with good tires on it already, or be prepared to buy tires. There are so many truck tires out there that actually suck in winter. Mine had Goodyear Fortera HLs on it with plenty of tread but were mediocre at best in bad weather. I went to General Grabber AT2s and sold the Forteras on Craigslist, but my net cost after that was still like $430.

You will likely at some point see one or more randomly occurring fault codes that may or may not be actual problems.

Look for as much service and maintenance history as you can find. I bought mine from a dealer where they didn’t have records from the previous owner, but they did have invoices for all the work they put into it to recondition it for sale. They also put it up on the alignment rack so I could look at the underside of it and check for rust and driveline leaks (I asked to do this). I now keep notes on any parts and work put into it and scan all my receipts. This is in a Google Drive folder which whenever I get around to selling it I can share with prospective buyers.

You can get lots of info on WKJeeps.com plus the forums on JeepsUnlimited and JeepForum.

I have the factory service manual on my Google Drive as well. Here you go .