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4 Wheel Drive/SUVs/altitude jumper wire

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Expert: - 7/3/2004


Question
    I have a Jeep Cherokee 2.5L.  A label under the hood says the vehicle is intended for use above 4000 feet eelevation.  A motor manual says to remove a jumper wire from a connector near the computer.  I have looked at every connector that I can find under the hood and under the dash.  I cannot find the jumper wire.

   Where is the connector with the jumper wire located and what does it look like?

    Also, the vehicle gets terrible gas mileage.  Will the gas mileage improve with the jumper wire removed?

    Thank you very much for your help.  Great site!

Answer
I haven't seen this before on the 4 cyl, but I've seen this on the older 4.2 ltr six, so I tried to find this in the manuals that I have, and can't seem to locate the wire.  What year is the Cherokee, and is it fuel injected?  This may make a difference, as some of the older carburated Jeeps had some adjustments that needed to be done to operate at different altitudes.  Yes, the gas mileage should improve some, if it is adjusted for the right elevation.  You might contact your local Jeep dealer, and ask to talk to one of the mechanics there, and see if he can be of help.

Carl

4 Wheel Drive/SUVs

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Carl Brandt

Expertise

Will discuss suspensions, lifts, lockers along with tire suggestions. Trail ratings and possible requirements needed for specific type of trails. Safety equipment and what you should carry with you. Certified off-road instructor. I am not a mechanic, and 4-Wheeling is a hobby, so if I can't answer a technical question it is due to my mechanical knowledge being related to vehicles that I have owned, or have worked on. I do not have manuals on all vehicles.

Experience

40 plus years of 4 wheeling in a variety of vehicles. At the present time, my major off-road rig is a 94 Jeep Wrangler with a spring over and a 1 1/2" suspension lift. This gives me a total lift of 7" or so. I have lockers front and rear. I have removed the track bars, and sway bar for maximum articulation. I am running a stock 2.5 ltr 4 cylinder with a Jacobs ignition along with a cold air high flow filter. It has 4.56:1 gears with a Dodge NV4500 transmission along with a 3.8:1 Atlas II transfer case. This gives me a final ratio of 105:1 in low gear/low range. Other vehicles I own, are a 96 Ford F-250 with a 6" lift, posi rear end, 36" Hummer tires, 5 speed with a fuel injected 460 ci engine, an 87 Samurai with an 8" lift, Ford 9" rear end with a spool, Chevy Dana 44 front end with an electric locker, 5.88 gears, 16% reduction in high range and a 6.5:1 low range with 35" Baja Claws, and a stock 2003 Grand Cherokee Overland. Trails I have run are the Rubicon (10 times), Dusey Ershim, Fordyce Creek trail, McGrew trail, several trails in Moab, Utah along with local monthly runs.

Organizations
Lost Coast 4x4's Cal 4-Wheel Corva UFWDA Blue Ribbon Coalition

Education/Credentials
Certified off-road instructor - Certificates in engineering/electronics

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