Opsimath & the Art of Jeep Maintenance

I've never been much of an auto mechanic -- or, truthfully, a mechanic of any kind.  Lately, I've more assertive and involved in diagnosing and finding solutions to trouble with my Jeep (thought I have to admit I really haven’t had much trouble with it until now).

After a recent episode, it seemed as though I was less a repairman than someone who tricked the Jeep into working properly.  My engine light came on, and the Jeep sort of stuttered, sputtered, and struggle of as I tried to coax it into accelerating.

From poking around online, I learned of a few possible culprits. But, the Gordian knot loosened some when I discovered a little trick for Jeeps.  If the engine light comes on, put the key in the ignition and (without turning it far enough to start the engine) turn it ON-OFF/ON-OFF/ON, leaving it in the ON position the third time.  Then, a code (or codes) will display where the odometer is located.  And these codes will indicate why the engine light came on.

I received two codes:  P 0301 and P 0302. A little cyber-sleuthing revealed the causes for these codes (misfire in cylinder 1, misfire in cylinder 2).  So, I learned a bit about distributors and how computers work on automobiles these days, and I devised a plan.

I disconnected the battery for about five minutes, hoping to reset the engine light and essentially restart the computer to its default settings.  If the engine light codes weren’t telling the computer there was a problem, I theorized, perhaps it wouldn't be attempting to advance or retard the timing of the cylinders. Next, I promptly purchased the most expensive fuel injection cleaner I could find and poured it in the tank.

I did all that right before my commute home, so the fuel injection cleaner would have a chance to work its way through the system.

There have been no recurring issues since my ruse.  All's well that ends well.