The folks I purchased this home from were downsizing, so their old Jeep Wrangler was included in the deal. It’s old, the Jeeperman gate bangs like a drum, it squeaks and rattles as it rolls, but it’s a rock. It turns on a dime, feels safe, and is ideal for dragging firewood out of the woods. Last week she started to act up. Running rich, little power, and a neighbor followed me home to ensure I could rise the large hills back to the homestead.
Yesterday was exploratory, a handful of obvious parts ordered to update and replace (plugs, wires, vacuum lines, PCV valves; the common items that cause such a change in power and fuel mixture). It reported no error codes or sensor issues.
The plugs were a mess – mostly burned down and the gaps were varying, but the culprit was quite easy to locate. Four of the six plug wires were chewed upon by the teeth of little rodents, with a couple spots where the shielding was completely gone. Cylinder six did not appear to be firing most of the time.
New plugs, properly gapped, then new wires and I stopped updating for a test. It starts easier than it has since I got her, and it’s running again on full power. I crawled the hill behind the lot last night and relocated a load of dead I’m pushing past the live trees. It was an easy fix, and a maintenance item overdue, but I wonder how good it tastes? Plasticine wire shielding – it was either tasty, or sampled by many over a period of time; several caps were missing material as well. Last year my neighbors warned me of such, so it was just my turn, and the damage was as minimal as the fix.
So the lesson of the day, if you lose power and start burning too rich, the rodents just might have been in your engine too. Evidently plug wires are an intriguing snack for some.