Tag Archives: wrangler

UPDATED: Fixing the “Dashboard Christmas Tree” in Jeeps

June 1, 2014 scottmcnamara 64 Comments

UPDATED 09/11/2017 with something new! I was delaying changing out the positive terminal, due to all the aux wiring and everything. I found a set of “Battery Terminal Shims” at my local auto parts store, and they work awesome! Just remove the stock terminal ring, slide on the shim, and use a mallet to gently tap the ring back over the new shim. No gap, no movement!

UPDATED 10/8/2014 with a very important update! Even though I applied this fix to my battery terminals, there must have been a very tiny gap that remained between my terminal and the battery post.

On a recent offroading trip, I was winching another vehicle and the additional strain on the battery caused a spark to arc and actually fused the terminal to the battery, causing battery failure. The ground winch cable was too hot to touch. I was lucky to get out under power and make it home. It remains an expensive fix (the OEM battery was only a year old) but if you are stuck in the woods, the costs and risks increase. Based on the temperatures, I would not rule out a fire risk. Please REPLACE your terminals immediately to prevent you from getting stuck, or worse.

Battery post with molten lead, fused terminal.

New battery, new terminals. I do plan on upgrading the terminals. These are temporary.

Original post follows:

The forums are ablaze with questions around concerned Jeep drivers, that their gauge cluster will suddenly light up, chime, and do some weird things – but only for a second or two.

I found myself dealing with this exact same problem in both my 2012 and 2013 Rubicons (the videos above are mine). Taking the 2013 in under warranty, the dealer was just as perplexed as I was. Eventually they changed the electronic sway bar disconnect motor (claiming it was not sealed for water and thus causing the short).

Continue reading UPDATED: Fixing the “Dashboard Christmas Tree” in Jeeps →

Just Awesome

Road Trip Day 3: Utah to Oregon [Donuts, Donkeys and Being Home]

February 21, 2014 scottmcnamara 3 Comments

The morning started early, with the crusty frost on the grass and the long morning shadows on the ground. The Wasatch mountains were cloaked in beautiful colors, and tiny birds filled the sky.

The Wasatch Mountains overlooking the Jeep.

After a conference call for work, some free OJ in the hotel lobby and a repack of the Jeep, we were on our way at 10:30AM. We hit the first Starbucks since Ohio, and celebrated our familiar caffeinated favorites with a cardboard clink and a toast for the road.

A quick stop at Starbucks – the first since Ohio.

Today would be the home stretch, a blessing in disguise. Knowing it would be our last day on the road was bittersweet, but knowing we had to push on – no more breaks – was a bit daunting.

We made our way out of Utah very quickly, the Idaho border arriving as a surprise. Following signs for Burley, I was able to calculate distance and time with the familiar scenes from our recent Moab trip.

The wide open expanses of Northern Utah.

We ended up stopping for a gas up at a small gas station just off the highway, in the middle of nowhere. As we pulled in, a lone tumbleweed tried to warn us of the potential “Hills have Eyes” situation about to unfold.

However, while we were never burned to the stake, we were greeted by some friendly donkeys and llamas as well as entertained by a very well laid out store ripe with western jokes and cold drinks.

We stopped in Boise for a lunch break and to see an old friend for a cup of tea. Brandon suggested a vegan-friendly joint called the Shangri-La Tea Room and I was impressed with their vegan goodies. Right when you walk in the door, a display case teases you with a beautiful array of vegan donuts.

I ordered the vegan burger which was really good, and my sister got the tofu scramble (which she said was amazing). Brandon made it a tea-only affair. After lunch, I ordered a ton of donuts for the drive, and to take home for Melanie.

These last 7 hours would be the longest of the trip. Idaho soon blended into Oregon at the Snake River and the Wallowas soon greeted us. Eastern Oregon has to be one of the most beautiful arid, stark places I have ever seen and it continues to astonish me each time we pass through.

The headwind as we approached the Columbia gorge were unbelievable. The little Jeep still pushed 70-75 where possible, but the noise with the soft top was often unbearable. My Bose noise-canceling headphones proved helpful.

We left I-84 in Hood River, opting to circle Mt. Hood for a shorter drive home.

The dark, snowy (read: very snowy) drive was a beautiful end cap to our adventure. As we descended through Government Camp, Rhododendron, and finally home, we pulled in the driveway at about 10:30PM.

It was so great to be home. Being greeted by the dogs, seeing Melanie, and sleeping in my own bed was so amazing. But being on the road in a 15 year old Jeep was also amazing. With plenty of silent time to think and recollect it was almost more meditation than road trip.

Just Awesome

Road Trip Day 2: Nebraska to Utah [Wind, Coffee, and Starry Nights]

February 18, 2014 scottmcnamara Leave a comment

We started in Lincoln, Nebraska after an amazing night’s rest and a break from the Jeep.

We filled up on gas, OJ and truck stop coffee before heading out on 80 West. It was a beautiful morning in Lincoln, with bluebird skies and warm temps.

Nebraska, while actually a really cool state, was my nemesis on this trip. The sheer size of this state, when coupled with the rather drab scenes, makes it a monotonous drive. There is, however a beauty in the stark flatness, combined with what seems like “small town” America. I want to visit Nebraska more, as long as I don’t have to drive across it.

Truck stop coffee: Actually not that bad, but no soy creamer 😦

The mile markers passed rather quickly toward Wyoming with little issue.

Toward the Western end of the state, the winds began to pick up, and pretty strong. Signs warned of empty trailers with 50+ MPH headwinds. The Jeep is not very aerodynamic, and the soft top made conversation and music pretty pointless.

Once we entered Wyoming (finally!) the winds were howling pretty crazy.

The I-80 corridor will always hold a special place in my heart. Melanie and I had plane tickets on 9/11 to attend her brother’s wedding in Iowa. With United rebooking us repeatedly and the FAA eventually restricting all flights, we had no more options.

Until I found a car to rent.

So we drove that little Mazda from Palo Alto, CA all the way to Burlington, IA. It took us 40 hours of straight driving and early relationship building. If two newly-dating people can survive that much time together in a car, well…maybe that explains our 11 year success with our marriage.

The sun slowly slipped behind the mountainscape as we progressed through Wyoming. Looking out my driver’s side window I could not help but be mesmerized by the starry night sky. It was absolutely amazing.

Making our way into Utah, we found a great place to crash for the night for our final push into Oregon.

No matter where you are, Jeeps are nearby.

VEGAN SITUATION:

As we head further West there are more Taco Bells when in a pinch. Along this corridor, that is honestly the best bet. We did not have time to go into supermarkets, so I have no idea what those were like, but I will remain pessimistic. Some truck stops have bananas and other goodies.

Just Awesome

Road Trip Day 1: Vermont to Nebraska [Death, New Beginnings, and Old Friends]

February 17, 2014 scottmcnamara Leave a comment

There are a few moments in the life of a family that are foundational, concrete changes. These include deaths, births, new jobs, new homes, and moving out. This past week, our clan experienced two of these.

My grandmother, Hilma May Clark, passed away after a long and healthy life of being a beautiful grandmother. I remember picking fresh blueberries in the rainforests of Alaska, and bringing them to her to bake us some Swedish Blueberry Bread. She was the absolute matriarch of our family, and she leaves not a vacancy of loss but a vacancy of just being there. She was a constant person in my life since I was born, even sneaking me behind the bar at the restaurant she worked at to steal me some maraschino cherries when I was a toddler.

As I made travel plans to fly home and support the family with her passing, I also found out my little sister (who was planning on moving to Portland anyway) needed a co-pilot to drive her 1999 Jeep Wrangler from Vermont to Oregon. Everything lined up perfectly, and we left Saturday morning at 9:30.

Saying goodbye to my parents was especially harder this time, as I left with my sister. With my grandmother gone and now Jess, they would truly experience an empty nest for the first time. Maybe it was just a release of the compounded emotions of the week. Either way, tears were flying as we all said our final goodbyes before the trip.

Google Maps was our guiding star, leading us into New York and through the Adirondacks. The snow was beautiful and I was surprised to find us passing through Speculator – the same town I went to summer camp in as a little boy. The town has hardly changed.

A quick stop for coffee in Rochester, NY was not nearly enough to catch up with an old friend. Ryder and I were buddies when growing up and the last time we saw each other we were blowing dust out of Nintendo cartridges. It was great seeing him again, and we look forward to seeing him on the left coast soon.

We then made our way through Pennsylvania and Ohio. The initial plan was to stop off in Cleveland for the night but the area was under a winter storm warning. We could stop and spend the next day in a blizzard, or keep trucking and skip it all. We opted to skip it.

The Jeep continued through Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.

We did pull of somewhere in Ohio for a couple of hours of “sleep” (the seats can’t recline and the 8 degree temps were far from sleepable).

Wathcing the sunrise from the driver’s seat: Morning in Illinois.

I did however manage to break my personal best record for longest driving without a break (the 2 hours of sleep is being reviewed by the judges) but I am happy with a 26 hour stretch.

No sleep til this point: Brooklyn, Iowa.

Pulling into Lincoln, Nebraska we decided to take it easy and get out of the Jeep. With a quick visit with family and some delicious local beers, we headed back to the hotel and got a great night’s sleep.

VEGAN SITUATION:

I have been living off a giant bag of pretzels and Clif Bars with the occasional stop at Subway. We did find a Chipotle in Ohio (but with no Sofritas!) Less than optimal, but we hope to make Salt Lake tonight (the US’ #1 vegan city as names by VegNews!) and as we move West the options will open up.

I have noticed the larger truck stops (Loves, Flying J, TA) have a large selection of seeds, nuts, and vegan snacks. They will work in a pinch!