mac95

Newbie here so I would encourage flaming

Just bought a 2008 JK Unlimited Rubicon with 126K miles. Took it to the Jeep Dealership to ensure recalls are done and a LOF since I have been working a lot.

The jeep is running fine but has an engine and fuel cap light going.

So they gave a workup for nearly $10k in work! I guess I need to take some vacation and turn a wrench or two.

Here is the list;

Stuff I asked about
Check engine light : Replace Vapor Cansiter $586
Sway bar light : Replace Sway bar module and repair harness $2922
Rear wiper : Replace TIPM and Wiper Motor $1134

Recommendations based on their inspection:
Front Brakes with rotors $446
Rear Brakes with rotors $499
Water Pump leaking $525
Exhaust manifold left side $823
Front Driveshaft boot torn $1293
Steering Damper leaking $218
Front axle seals leaking $755
Brake Flush $160
Power steering flush $150
Tech also noted an Oil leak from Engine area-Rear main seal? Valve Cover?

Anyone have any advice on what I need here and don't need? and what to prioritize?

Thanks ahead of time and please don't forget to flame the newbie.....

resharp001

I'll just punch hole in a few to start.

Steering dampner - remove. if you feel the need, a $55 Teraflex VSS9550 will work just perfectly fine.
Brakes - you can easily replace with brand new rotors and pads yourself, and for that matter, can easily flush the fluid.
Sway bar - install EVO knob and scrap the idea of electronic disco
Rear wiper motor - drive without that top much more often!
Front DS boot - a new double cardan DS is ~$425, or replace that CV joint with Teraflex high-angle joint. (this one is a legit concern you need to address before that joint dries out)
Front axle seals - new seals are $35, but it's a big job that includes breaking everything down and removing the diff internals to access....4 hrs labor. Doable at home if you're capable.
Power Steering flush - can do yourself with help of videos
Leaking Evap canister - might research more....leak could be other than the evap can itself. if it is the canister you can replace yourself

some users with the 3.8L like @Rednroll , @ronjenx , and @karls10jk may be able to shed more light on oil and exhaust leaks on that engine.

karls10jk

Russ got you a good start but yeah, the dealership is definitely trying to make their every last dollar off off you. The exhaust manifolds are cheap to buy as a pair from Dorman and hardware is also very affordable. I think I paid $170 for the pair of them. It's a common issue though so you want to make sure you replace it with a piece that has a warranty.

As far as your oil leak goes, @Rednroll did a write up where it appears to be coming from the rear and it's actually a lower intake manifold gasket. If I don't look at mine then I won't know if it's leaking, but I'm not missing a significant amount of oil so I guess it's ok.

You may be able to find a good used driveshaft on Craigslist, otherwise you can easily buy a nice custom one for less than they're quoting. Again, as Russ suggested, Teraflex makes a rzeppa rebuild kit and they're really decent if you follow the directions. You'll still have a thin walled driveshaft but the ends will take more abuse and operate at higher angles. I rebuilt both ends of my rear ds with them. I got a good deal on one and figured I should do the other side if I'm already in there.

Brakes- powerstop has been a fan favorite here and I've got the rears, they're nice and relatively inexpensive.

Water pump- @EHarris did one not too long ago. Aside from his broken bolt, maybe ask how it went if it's worth your time.

Power steering flush- what's the basis? The manual explicitly says color and (I think) odor are not reasons to change it.

Evap canister could really be anything. I'd start at the gas cap because it's $20 at the dealer and then investigate the lines and where they meet the gas tank. Can you guess where my issue was after replacing the gas cap, evap integrity monitor, stupid o-ring, assorted hoses, and checking under the hood for the line that allegedly rubs through?

As far as them wanting to replace the TIPM and your sway bar assembly- no. Not at all. First have your battery checked. If it's old then you could get quirks. The sway bar usually needs a good cleaning but there's nothing wrong with using a manual disconnect to save a buck.

Mr.T

Above is good advice, only thing I can add is regarding the front axle seals. I've had good luck on other 4x4's using a seal restore additive for few thousand miles in the front axle, then drain & re-fill.

ronjenx

I just went through a period of getting codes for large and small evap leaks, and the gas cap warning in the odometer.
Cleared the codes several times to make sure there was an active problem, but they would return the next day.

As noted above, leaks could be anywhere in the system, so I started with the simplest item: the gas cap.
The rubber seal on the cap looked OK, but a little dried out. Also, the top ring of the filler tube where the cap's seal seats was corroded.

Some silicone spray improved the cap's rubber seal.
A few times around the top of the filler tube with some emery cloth took care of the corrosion. (I put a wad of paper towels in the top of the tube to keep debris out while sanding.)

It has been about a week with no evap codes and no gas cap warnings.

resharp001

I did not notice your location originally until I just saw your new member thread. You are not far away from @TheDirtman . Tom is usually very open about offering to help people if in the Reno area. He might be able to offer some assistance with a few things in that list.

TheDirtman

Feel free to stop by the shop this weekend. I can take a look at what you have and I do have some good take off driveshafts that came of a 2016 Recon with 5000 miles on them. As far as the rear wiper I would make sure it is plugged in good. You can get a new TIPM for around $300. Sway bar can be cleaned and greased which generally fixes that. Brakes are cheap and easy $300 for front and rear. Most of this stuff is pretty easy and can be done much cheaper then the dealer is quoting you. Send me a PM if you want and I will get you my contact info.

mac95

Appreciate all of the advice!