JK Marc

I have an intermittant problem with my 2009 Rubicon Unlimited. The first time it happened was last summer. I was sitting in traffic when all of a sudden I hear a loud squealing sound and some steam or smoke starts coming out from the front of my Jeep! I pulled over and checked under the hood and underneath but couldn't see any sign of a leak or where something had sprayed out. The Jeep runs fine. No dash (dummy) lights came on. I asked my mechanic brother (who has an 2006 Rubicon Unlimited. He suggested I check my shocks. He said he has heard of gas shocks exploding although it is extremely rare. I check all four of my Bilsteins...nothing wrong. I took the Jeep to the Service Department at my local Dealership and asked them to check it out. They found nothing wrong. Well last week it happened again. I was sitting at a light and boom! It really sounds like a "Piccolo Pete". It starts out with a very high pitch squeal and slowly decreases. Smoke appears at the front of the Jeep coming from somewhere down low. It lasts about 10-15 seconds. Other drivers notice it and look over in a panic. (That's the only fun part). I pulled over, looked under the hood, crawled underneath, stuck my head in the wheel wells - Nothing! Both times the outside temp was in the 90's and I had the air conditioning on. I even checked my Warn Powerplant. I thought maybe it had somehow built up pressure and released it eventhough it was off. Anyway, if this has happened to you or you have any ideas on what it might be - please don't hesitate to let me know. I'd really appreciate it. I have a wheelin' trip planned for this weekend and really don't want a trail breakdown. Thanks!

scouter4life

Totally guessing here, but with it hot and you were stopped both times, that would lead me to guess radiator.

Check the hose clamps for your radiator and your radiator fluid. If you don't have the right mixture, it might be getting a bit too hot, expanding and pushing out around the hose and spraying something hot and what you hear is the rabid boil and evaporation. Could also be your radiator cap is releasing pressure.

Yankee

The noise and smoke, if it is smoke and not steam, makes me wonder if your A/C compressor is locking up or dragging and slipping the belt, or maybe the belt has a tension problem and is sliipping when the A/C clutch engages.

If you shut it off and stick your nose under the hood right after it happens, you should be able to smell it though.

Anyway, can't hurt to check your belt for any unusual wear.

Hard to tell from here.

JK Marc

Thanks guys. I checked the radiator - fluid level and hoses look great. I check the belt - no cracks or unusual wear. I think it might be the air conditioning. My brother said they have release valves that will open and release pressure when there is a problem. Today, I noticed it might not be blowing as cool as it was yesterday. Might have lost some frion. No leaks I can see. The pulley seems to be turning OK when I turn the AC on and the clutch engages. AC's making some new noises too. I'll get it checked at the dealership next week. I'll be camping and wheeling this weekend and I won't be using the AC because the doors and top will be off. If the dealership finds something worth reporting about I'll let you know. Thanks again. Cheers.

JKingAround

I had my radiator do that today my fan isn't kicking on built up presser and came out the cap.

JK Marc

Update: went rock crawlin' in the So.Cal mountains and the noise happened 3 times. Luckily my brother (the mechanic) was nearby. He immediately thought it was the A/C compressor building too much pressure and then releasing it.
Took the Jeep to the dealership and after they let it run for an hour or more - it happened to them. They are saying the cooling fans are not coming on; the compressor is overheating and blowing all the freon out. They said it was a power module that failed. They need to order it, it is a week out. The problem is parts and labor are over $600.00. Needless to say, I'm taking it to an A/C place near the house for a second opinion. It sounded like this power module is in or near the fuse block. I'm wondering if I can't just buy the part and snap it in myself. We'll see.....

JK Marc

Update: Does this sound familiar? Totally Integrated Power Module or TIPM. It turns out my A/C overheating / pressure release problem is because the fan doesn't turn on when the A/C is activated. It is activated by the TIPM. So the TIPM needs to be replaced (at $600+). Since I've had my Jeep; I don't remember ever hearing the fan start when I turned on the A/C. I would suggest everyone that reads this - go out and see if your fan starts with the A/C. Maybe your Jeep is still under warranty. Google TIPM and see how many Chrysler products have problems with them. This forum has hundreds of threads referring to problems with TIPM. At least I know what the problem is now.

Yankee

I guess what I don't understand is that I thought the TIPM was that whole black box of relays/modules under the hood. Apparently not, since it would them seem possible to just replace the individual relay/module inside the box. Unless they are not individually removable/replacable?

Seems like I also read somewhere years ago that the TIPM has to be activated/programmed when replaced, so a dealer with the proper computer setup needs to do it. Maybe I am wrong, I am getting old and the Crown Royal is likely not helping.

My engine cooling fan is usually on high speed and sounds like a leaf blower when the A/C is on. It is hard to miss, I can hear it even over my very loud exhaust when stopped.

JK Marc

Thanks Yankee. I'm not sure either. I'll know more later this week when the part comes in. I did get a second opinion. They told me the dealer had to take perform the repair because of the need for re-programming.

It's easy to tell when my fan comes on too. When I'm in the dirt, it blows up more dust than hover-craft!

rinkishJK

The tipm besides having all the fuses has circuit boards, chips and all those good electronic components. One little resistor goes bad can affect Alot of things.