My Jeep Hell- Please Help

[PatriotJeep09]

Hi all, this is my first post so excuse my noob-ness.

I have a 2009 Jeep Patriot, which has made my life a living hell.

Firstly, had left rare abs sensor go.
Secondly, had 2 broken tire pressure valves go due to corrosion and ofcourse had to replace the tyre pressure sensors as well since they're connected.

Thirdly, had check engine light come on randomly, no difference in performance. Had it diagnosed and it read as a Cat. Converter problem having only done 80,000km. Mechanic was certain it was O2 sensors. Had them replaced and put it in at close to $800. Next day, check engine light is back on. Since then I have been going back and forth with my mechanic trying to get to some resolution as the money I have paid has not helped my problem what so ever, and now he's asking me to pay around $2000 more to put a cat. converter which may or may not solve the issue.

Two days ago I was on the motorway and the car randomly hesitated, and all dash lights lit up. Then performance was back to normal but lights remained on. Got home parked up for a few hours, came back and the lights were off again (including the original check engine light). Started driving and 10 mins later car hesitated again, this time 4WD! flashed first followed by all lights. Then performance was back to normal with lights remaining on.

Today, I started driving all lights were off, 15 mins later at a traffic light my car almost stalled as it went green, traction light started flashing followed by all lights again, and the car was back to normal performance but with all the lights on.

Question is, has anyone experienced such horror, any solutions or advise would be dearly appreciated.

[yeti]

where in nz are ya chap......some mechanics are better with jeeps , and someonemay point ya in the right direction..........

[Jeeper]

Also theres a Patriot specific forum on Jeepforum.com and there is a wealth of knowledge with these guys.

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f98/

[Jeeper]

http://www.jeepgarage.org/f20/cel-trouble-42229.html

[TJ]

First things first, where are you based? Second, is it any old mechanic or the dealer. Third, what engine has it got. Fourth, have pulled the codes for CEL. Those codes will tell you what needs to be looked at from engine and emissions side

As for tyre pressure sensors, I can't help.

I have had cat replaced on my Wrangler, it was around $300 fitted at a reputable exhaust shop. O2 sensors may have to be replaced at some stage. Try to keep NTK sensors as OEM. Bosch ones sometimes are not liked by Jeeps. I have replaced mine at half of what you have been charged. Hence my last question, is the mechanic Jeep friendly.

[TJ]

Try this forum: http://www.jeeppatriot.com/forum/index.php

Just a couple of other things. When it hesitates are you slowing down or starting up? I mean is it around low or idling rpm? It could be Crank Position Sensor. But we need CEL codes to confirm.

Has this problem started after filling up recently?

[PatriotJeep09]

Thanks all for the help. Will browse through the links you've provided.

Im based in Auckland, as for the mechanic he deals with European cars mostly which probably explains a lot. He kept saying how hard it is to get parts but a quick search on google and I found about 5 suppliers in NZ alone, even Andrew Simms which is one of the Jeep dealerships here said a new cat. would cost around $645 compared to the mechanics bizarre $2000 on top of the $800 I've paid him which has got me nothing! Will most likely take it to disputes tribunal and see what happens from that aspect.

I can't remember the code that came up initially but I remember reading something about the cat. converter in there, will double check.

At the time it was just a check engine light on though. Now the check engine light stopped coming up, but instead all the other lights come on so im guessing there might be more than one problem. Also when it was just the check engine light on, the performance wasn't affected. Now, the car hesitates while I'm driving for a second and the lights come on.

If anyone knows a wise mechanic in Auckland for jeeps, then please let me know, otherwise I'll be taking it to Andrew Simms and see what they say.

[TJ]

Talk to Richard at http://www.autoelec.co.nz/. He is great with electrical stuff, and is a Jeep fan. He has owned and modified a few Jeeps himself. Your problem does sound like an electrical gremlin somewhere.

I haven't dealt with Andrew Simms yet. They have recently been appointed new dealers. It used to be Continental Cars. They were reasonable for a dealer, not over the top. For exhaust work, talk to Lance at http://www.pitstop.co.nz/carservicing/Greenlane.html. He knows Jeeps as used to do a lot of the work for the customers sent by the Jeep dealerships nearby. I have used him in the past for both brake and exhaust work on my Jeeps with good service and price.

[TJ]

Where exactly are you in Auckland. I have an OBD reader that i can use and try to get the codes stored. I am central.

[Mudde1]

Talk to Richard at http://www.autoelec.co.nz/. He is great with electrical stuff, and is a Jeep fan. He has owned and modified a few Jeeps himself. Your problem does sound like an electrical gremlin somewhere.

I have to say that i have been very impressed with Richards service. i had most of the dash stolen out of my Landcruiser 3 days before Christmas and he had it fixed in time for me to go away on holiday on boxing day. On another occasion I dropped my vehicle off without booking it in, with a very difficult and potentially expensive problem. 3 hours later I got a text to say it was ready and fixed for about 20 percent of the price quoted by the "expert" in that brand. Sure he did use non genuine parts, but they worked fine.
I would give him a try.
Tony

[PatriotJeep09]

Where exactly are you in Auckland. I have an OBD reader that i can use and try to get the codes stored. I am central.

Cheers TJ, I'm based on the North Shore, Birkdale to be exact. If you could help me out that would be fantastic as it would be good to get an opinion from someone familiar with Jeeps.

I finish work at 4pm and was thinking of rushing over to New Market to let Andrew Simms dealership have a look but the options you guys have given might be a better go?

[TJ]

I would suggest talk to Richard first and work out a time to go and see him.

I am familiar with TJs and WJ/WGs. I have actually never even been in a Patriot yet.

[phraza]

Quite like the Patriots, would think about getting one as a cruiser in the future.

Good luck with the fix, can't think of any specific auto-sparkies on the shore sorry

cheers

[PatriotJeep09]

Quite like the Patriots, would think about getting one as a cruiser in the future.

Good luck with the fix, can't think of any specific auto-sparkies on the shore sorry

cheers

They are nice looking cars inside and out, engine is very under-powered with a 2.4L 4 cylinder, and mechanically they don't seem very reliable judging from what I've experienced and read online. They do get compliments though, I've put a nice set of wheels on mine so it looks a little unique.

Cheers

[PatriotJeep09]

UPDATE: So I decided to take it to Andrew Simms since I was close by. They ran scan/computer test and apparently it only came back with two codes:
PO420 cat. efficiency
He's recommended just getting it done at pitstop rather getting a genuine jeep one (my question is will a universal one from pitstop trigger a fault code?)

C1504 tyre sensor internal fault (from the tyre valve that the mechanic broke.

He also said that because I have aftermarket wheels I may need software update to make sure the wheels don't interfere with onboard safety systems.

Has anyone gotten a cat. from Pit Stop and has it caused any issues?

Cheers

[Heath]

Sounds like you have it sorted. My guess would've been wire chaffing somewhere on the loom (usually around the grommets in the fire wall etc - or it has been in the jap vehicles I've owned)

[TJ]

As I said before, I am running an after market cat in TJ from Pitstop. Its a Hiflow unit. Never given a problem in the last 6 years. Lance did the work.

[TJ]

Andrew Simms sound like a reasonable dealer for suggesting going after market. Many other dealers wouldn't have, from what I have seen. Continental Cars were good like that as well. May be some of the team is still the same.

[PatriotJeep09]

Andrew Simms sound like a reasonable dealer for suggesting going after market. Many other dealers wouldn't have, from what I have seen. Continental Cars were good like that as well. May be some of the team is still the same.

I agree, I dealt with a Jack from Jeep service department and Jacob from parts both were genuine. Jack even apologised for not grooming my car after the check because it was late on a friday.

Any how, I kept thinking about how my mechanic screwed me over, then I checked my receipt and saw a part number for the senors he put in. Searched everywere on the net couldnt find it. Then i put the number and the words O2 sensor Nz on google and it showed this:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/car-par ... 247353.htm

A trademe listing for a universal bosch sensor, funny enough thats roughly how much he charged me for my parts, and said the parts were jeep ones. So potentially these bloody sensors could be triggering a fault.

[TJ]

It could very well be the problem. The way computer figures out that the cat is not working efficiently is by measuring the differences between upstream and downstream O2 sensors. If the O2 is working enough to not throw a code of its own, but giving wrong readings. It could confuse the computer in thinking its the cat at fault.

Now you have to also remember that upstream and downstream O2 sensors are often different parts because they work slightly differently from each other. A universal unit would not be appropriate in my view.

[TJ]

Any update.

[PatriotJeep09]

Any update.

Hi TJ,

After my car pretty much cut off on the motorway, with my dash looking like a christmas tree full of error lights. I decided to tow it to Lance at Pitstop (Greenlane). I explained everything that has happened after testing the car out etc. He found that I had two problems;
-Cat. converter
-ABS speed sensor

Cost me a total of $1600 (which I thought was quite a bit, but didn't care as long as it solved the problem).

Since I have had the car back there have been no problems at all. Hoping it stays that way!

I just wish I hadn't taken it to the first mechanic who charged me $800 to change sensors that never needed changing, with aftermarket bosch ones to make matters worse.

Cheers.

[TJ]

Good to hear its sorted now. Lance is good with Jeeps, even though he has a nice Chevy show truck himself.