My New (Used) Jeep Cherokee Part II

On my last post, I briefly went over about how I got my new (used) 2001 Jeep Cherokee. I bought it in July 30, 2008; just 16 days ago. I’m on vacation, so I got to spend a little time with it.

So far I have replaced the oil/filter, spark plugs/boots and transmission filter/fluid. I also removed, inspected and clean all fuel injectors. Additionally, I cleaned the engine and engine compartment, washed the exterior and used Armored All to safeguard all rubber moldings and vinyl from the harsh sun’s rays. From the white residue left around moldings, I deducted that the truck was recently waxed. The paint looks fresh and in excellent condition, so I will rather wait till just before winter to strip the wax and apply a new fresh coating, but one that doesn’t leave a white residue though.

As for the interior; it looks clean, but I will be giving it “my personal touch” sometimes next week. I did apply the Armored All as mentioned above, but there are some areas that need a little bit of extra attention. There are also a few items I want to add to the interior, like catch-all floor mats and liner from WeatherTech or similar manufacture. They usually cost more than stock or regular floor mats, but prevents an accidental spill from ruining the carpet. A liner is an effective way to maintain the carpet on the back of the truck clean and prevent fading.

I also want to add a CD-changer, preferably one with MP3 music capabilities…if I can afford it that is. Adding a CD-changer will allow me to keep the stock CD-Cassette unit that’s installed to maintain Jeep’s originality. From the looks of it, the unit was hardly used; maybe the owner didn’t care much about CDs or cassettes and preferred to listen to the radio instead. I, on the other hand, like to listen to my salsa music while cruising; a CD-changer, especially with MP3 capabilities, will allow me to listen to many hours of music without changing CDs.

By the way, a day after I bought the car I got an alarm system installed to help protect my investment. The first night, after I got the alarm installed, I hardly got any sleep. The alarm came on every time there was a loud noise, like from a passing car. I adjusted the alarm sensitivity, but it took me about three days to adjust it according to the traffic condition around my neighborhood. Though a false alarm can be a pain in the “ear”, I didn’t want to adjust the sensitivity so low as to defeat the purpose of having an alarm system in the first place.

Incidentally, if you get a car alarm system install on your car, make sure the antenna (usually a thin-black wire) is placed straight up. Mine wasn’t and I could not get the alarm activated from farther than 10 feet. With the aid of a coat hanger wire, I was able to pull the antenna up behind the dashboard and between the windshield and side panel. It’s straight-up, out of site and the alarm can be activated from inside my home without any problems. You’ll be surprised to learn that such a little trick can make such a different.

One more thing before I leave you for today; my jeep is parked on a driveway, as my car garage has been turned into a family room. The overhead is well protected from the sun’s rays by four large oak trees (though I did had problems with bird dropping; I will let you know how I fixed that on a future post), but the driveway itself is too narrow and parking another car next to my truck, I’m afraid, could lead to dints and dents. My solution was to widen the driveway without having to obtain permission from the city. Getting permission from the city will lead them to declare the job as an improvement to my home, possibly leading to higher property taxes. I have not yet completed the project, but so far it looks very nice and will add over five feet to the width of the driveway…photos coming soon.

Well, this is all for now. By the way, I haven’t forgotten about posting some pictures of my jeep; they will be coming soon. So please stay tune and don’t forget to leave a note on your way out. See you soon.