emt_hawkins

Hi all, I'm new to the community, and have tried searching for a few things with no luck. I got a 1999 Cherokee, 4.0 inline 6, and had a few questions about some maintenance and products.

1. What is something I can do to increase gas mileage, and just throw it into my routine? (Oil change, air filters, kind of thing.) Also, if there is something like a special product to use, please be specific.

2. Does oil additive do any good for the engine? I use QuakerState defy oil and do oil changes every 3k. I've seen oil additives by Lucas and STP, but wasn't sure if it did any good or not.

3. Any ideas on brighter headlights? I've seen you can get an hid conversion kit and other things, but wasn't sure if there was other ideas from actually jeep owners.

Please don't "flame" me, if I am wrong, please let me know though about where and how this is posted.

DESERTXJ206

1. Id reccomend using "Seafoam", you can buy it at walmart for about $9 a can. If youd like to learn how to use it go to youtube.com and search Seafoam.

2. Stick to doing your 3k mile oil changes and the 4.0l does not like FRAM oil filters. Use Wix or something similar. Stay away from fram at all cost. It causes dry starts and that is a cause of engine failure.

3. Look up "Putco wire harness" on google. I have no experience with it but have read many many great reviews on the wire kit. It makes stock lights much brighter, you could also get new light housings and run a different type of bulb and completly get rid of the stock sealed beam light housings.

Hope this info helps! Welcome to the forum!

PNWjeeper

I agree with all this.
Here is a good link about headlights
https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f51/he...grades-151217/
When it comes to your headlights deffinetly go with the putco harness its roughly $40 and well worth it, because unless you go with the $500 truck lite LED's you will need the upgraded harness or you will fry your headlight switch.
With the way the lights are run from factory all power goes from the battery to the switch and then out to the headlights causing lots of strain on the switch and you lose a lot of voltage by the time power gets to the lights (equaling dim lights). The harness adds a relay so when the switch is turned on it sends a direct 12 volts to the lights (so it goes 12 volts to the lights rather then to the switch and then to the lights) this setup will make even the stock sealed beams about 30% brighter.
Hope that all makes sense.

emt_hawkins

I understand about the headlights, ill definitely be checking into them, and it really made perfect sense. i can understand needing a switch, but for the loss of brightness it makes me wonder why. The seafood is an oil additive, right? Or local parts store, I have only seen it as a penetrating lubricant like pb blaster.

DESERTXJ206

Seafoam*

Its a intake-fuel-oil additive.

I would reccomend only using it in the fuel tank and do a treatment through the main vaccume line coming off the brake booster.

They do have a arrosal spray formula at the parts stores but the stuff i am reffuring to is the can of liquid you can pour into the gas and vaccume line.

When uaing it in your oil i believe it says add 1/3rd of the can to the crankcase 50-100miles before your next oil change. The downfall of that is if you have a severly sludged up engine before the treatment and the seafoam breaks all the gunky stuff loose you could run into problems like old leaks re appearing, clogged oil passages and so on. Thats why not too many people reccomend it in the oil unless you are very careful and aware of the possibilities.

For a more visual detailed walk through of the seafoam check out youtube. There are 1000s of videos showing you exactly how to use it.

PNWjeeper

Yeah it's kind of a all around use. You can put it in the crankcase for 150 miles or so to get all the gunk out of the oil (some will say, be careful though it may loosen up gunk that is preventing a big oil leak and so on). It's also good for your gas tank put some in before you fill up and let it go through, I would suggest changing the inline fuel filter afterwards (if you feel compelled to you could do the in tank filter also) and last pop off the vacuum from the brake booster and slowly pour some into the vacuum while the engine is running almost until the engine dies (there will be lots of white smoke coming out of your exhaust).
But all this is on the bottle and the seafoam website as well as on this site. Good luck.

DESERTXJ206

Video of someone performing a seafoam treatment on their cherokee....

emt_hawkins

Since I have no idea what I am doing if I do it through the vacuum line, would putting it in the gas tank do just as well, or does the vacuum line do that much better? Also, if I do end up doing the vacuum line, will I have to replace any filters or anything like that?

Next, I want to thank all of you for the help, I really do appreciate it.

PNWjeeper

Putting it in the tank will clean the fuel tank, lines, and injectors. If you do it through the vacuum it cleans the intake manifold. You can also do it through the throttle body instead of the vacuum line it will have the same effect it's just a little harder to take of the tube from your air filter. To answer your other question if you do it through the TB or vacuum line there are no filters or anything you will need to replace.

DESERTXJ206

Watch some youtube videos. Its very easy and they explain what to do and the effects of each step.

I believe doing it through the intake is important and cleans better than just through the fuel lines.

emt_hawkins

Thanks guys! I grabbed a bottle today, and will be doing some homework before continuing on!