freegdr

people have told me im blessed and special two lol

freegdr

ive search thing so much about my xj my fingers got letters and number imprinted on them been in the mechanic field over 35 years dont like paying for labor come out better when you do it your self and if it aint right you got no body to blame

Lady McCoy

Okay, I'm appealing to the Jeep gods to help me out here... I've run into a bit of a brick wall. And I need help, even though it's literally a really small thing.

I've got the negative battery cable off, the bolts holding down the coil rail came out easy (almost too easy, they were borderline loose) and I got the rail successfully off of the spark plugs. But now I can't get the damn electrical connector off! I followed directions, slid the red tab all the way out and tried pushing on some release button... but nothing. I don't know if it's because I am small/weak and don't have enough leverage, but where it's located on the back of the rail, and with the cables being as short as they are... I just cannot get a good angle to see what I'm doing. I even tried taking a picture with my phone to see what I'm doing, but it's too close and won't focus.

Help! Please? I don't know if I'm just not pushing the right part... if I'm not pulling/pushing the connector in the right direction... if there's something wrong and it needs some sort of lube... or if there's some sort of trick that I obviously am not privy to. I beg you... please advise.

DaddyCat

below the red tab close to the wires is a tap you need to depress then push the connector down with some strength. I have a photo I will upload shortly. It may be possible to remove the rail without disconnecting the connector but I'm not sure.

***I see now you did remove the rail without disconnecting the connector.... If the rail is not in the way just go ahead and change the plugs.***

DaddyCat

here it is removed, the tab you need to depressed can be seen at the top of the connector in the photo.

Lady McCoy

Okay... so on my jeep, the cables are coming out at the same end as the release button. So it needs to pull free from the top, then?

DaddyCat

depress the tab (release button) and push down in the direction of the wires. The wires are hidden at the top in the pic but when connected to the rail they face down.

DaddyCat

better(?) pic

Lady McCoy

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! You totally saved my sanity, and the rest of my fingertips... lol I struggled with the connector for over 45 minutes before finally asking for help here on it, I'm such an idiot.

So once that finally went the way it was supposed to... I got the coil rail out of the way, removed the existing plugs (which didn't look entirely horrible, even the #6 didn't look worse for wear than the others) and replaced them with a set of Bosch Platinums. Got the boots seated and the rail bolted back down and reconnected... and the truck started right up and my CEL went away! It remained off after a trip around the block, so I'm pretty damn happy!!

You guys are amazing! I cannot thank you all enough... I'll have the few pictures I was able to get posted tomorrow. Even though you really can't see much, other than a very dirty engine bay. lol

Joe: How did it go with your daughter? Was she successful? =)

DaddyCat

WooHoooo! Congrats on success! I hope the new plugs really have solved the mis-fire (sounds like they did).

How do your fingers/hands feel today? Me and alot of people use the nitrile gloves so scrubbing the skin off is no longer needed to get clean.

What plugs were in there? Bosch Platinums should be fine though NGKs are prefered by some in the coil pack engines. If the jeep runs good you're gold.

Just make sure your coolant system is healthy and keep an eye on the coolant overflow bottle. Any loss of coolant should be investigated ASAP.

(My daughter wanted to rescheduled the driver's permit test so we have that adventure next weekend. Thank you for asking.)

freegdr

cool

mentalbreakdown00

Now it's time for a yager bomb!!!

Lady McCoy

Thank you guys!

I don't remember what plugs were in it, I was paying more attention to the electrodes than the brand name. I asked the store associate at AutoZone for NGK's, but there was only 1 store within 40 miles that had them in stock and it wasn't anywhere within my it's-okay-to-drive-that-far range. lol I still get lost if I stray from my route between home and work.

Next item on my shopping list is coolant, it is quite a bit low. Added brake fluid to the reservoir (Dot 3, per the manual) and I'm already feeling the difference in my braking. I'll have to wait until the payday after this one to get all my fluids where they're supposed to be.

Joe, my fingers feel like I took a cheese grater to them. lol And it was all that time I spent trying to get the connector off, because everything else was done by tool. And I'm already feeling the bruises that are popping up from literally crawling up into the engine bay. lol It sits just high enough that standing on the curb wasn't enough to reach into the back. I got some pretty odd looks from my neighbors in the apartment complex. ;P

cpnwrench

Wonderful news!

am glad to see this forum works the way its designed!!!!!

Kudos to you all!

Am glad to be a member!!!!

thing is with the automotive connectors they are at times tricky to get off and require persuasion, but that is due to the nature of elements and climate they must endure to allow the vehicle to operate correctly and for durability.

Anyway,,,,,, as previously suggested keep up on the coolant issue,, that is a big problem if you don't keep an eye on it.!!!!!!!

one thing I do on a 3 to 6 month basis is get some enginebrite (2 cans)
spray the be-jeesus outta the engine, everywhere on the block and areas that look "gooky", let it sit for about twenty minutes then hose it all off......a garden hose with a sprayer and adequate pressure will clean off most all the gunk.......... make sure you start the jeep up right away to allow the engine to evaporate the water

oh yeah do this only when engine is COLD!!!!! otherwise you gonna crack somethin if you do that with it hot an hit is with cold water suddenly and directly..

(i only mention this as a clean motor and compartment is best for visually inspecting for oil/coolant leaks)..

regardless, glad you got 'er going!!!

cpnwrench