Ding! Glass open warning

[redpoint5]

I just bought a 2002 Jeep Liberty Sport 4x4 3.7L w/ 104k miles for $5k.

Well, now for the problems...

1. While driving, every 10 seconds or so I get a ding, the interior lights come on, and the odometer displays "glass". From what I have learned from Google, there is a switch in the rear glass that is normally open when the glass is closed, and closed when the glass is open. So, I disconnected the 2 wire harnesses that attach to the glass latch and... I still get dings! The previous owner even replaced the latch and switches with a junkyard pull, and that did not fix the issue. I've turned the interior lights off so at least I don't look like a freak while driving at night. The problem usually goes away when stopped, but one night the alarm went off even though the Jeep was parked in the driveway. Well now I don't lock it. What can I check to kill this malfunctioning chime?

UPDATE: Jiggled every wire I could find under the hood and haven't had the problem return.
UPDATE2: The "glass" indication is back and as bad as ever. Driving home I got the ding chime and the interior lights lit up the entire way.
UPADATE3: I'm pretty sure the chime was due to an aftermarket alarm system I found installed under the steering column. It had a sensitivity adjustment, and I set it to be less sensitive. I never had the glass warning again after that, but then again it always was intermittent, and I sold the Jeep shortly after.

2. The "part time" indicator lights up randomly while driving, even with the selector in 2D mode. Pressing down on the selector turns off the "part time" indication light. Pulling the lever up into 4D does not illuminate the "part time" light, so I'm wondering if I'm not getting 4x4? I'll have to test this out... From my research, it seems there is a potentiometer that can go bad, so I ordered PN 5083138AA for $65 shipped. Seems rather expensive for a potentiometer that would otherwise cost a couple of bucks.

UPDATE: Fixed by replacing transfer case position sensor listed above. There are a couple good threads with details on the fix

3. P0455 and P0442 OBD2 error codes. This indicates a minor and major evap emission control leak. The gas cap has already been replaced and this did not resolve the issue, so I guess I'll be hunting for a cracked hose somewhere.

UPDATE: Finally fixed the check engine light by replacing a cracked line to the evap canister. It took all of 2 seconds to identify the severely cracked line once I got under the rig and looked at the right spot. $0.81 at the parts store bought the fuel line that I used to replaced the cracked hose.

Now that I've listed the problems, how does the $5k price sound?


UPDATE: Sold the Jeep back in 2014

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[redpoint5]

UPDATE:

I tore the back trim piece off of the tailgate and tested the function of the glass latch switch. Everything tested good, and even jiggling the latch around caused no erratic switch readings.

Here is the reading with the latch open, properly showing the switch is closed.

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With the latch closed, the switch correctly shows open.

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With the switch thoroughly tested, I figured there must be a short in the wiring. I disconnected and reconnected every electrical connector, fuse, and relay that was easily accessible in both the tailgate and under the hood. Next I connected my meter to the harness of the latch switch and drove for 30mi to see if dings corresponded to a reading on the meter, indicating a momentary short. Well, no dings! Over 30 miles and not a single peep out of the Jeep. Hopefully the problem never shows up again, but I'm nervous that I haven't isolated the source of the issue.

Quick quesiton; the latch has 2 connectors on it. The one pictured on the right is the switch for the glass, but the one on the left doesn't change with latch position. What is it?

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Now to tackle that evap leak...

Is the green cap in the picture below part of the evap emission control system? Can I just introduce fog into this port and look for leaks?

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[sevenhelmet]

I'd crawl underneath the Jeep just in front of the fuel tank and look at the evap canister itself. Chrysler put some cheap@$$ plastic clamps on the vacuum hoses there, and they tend to get brittle over time. If one is cracked, that's probably your leak. I replaced mine with metal hose clamps and presto- no more evap codes.

 

[redpoint5]

I didn't see the evap canister, but I didn't look too carefully. Instead I examined all of the hoses that were attached to the fuel tank and what I believe is the fuel pump. I tightened all hoses/clamps that I could find. There were no cracks, but I did find 1 hose that didn't have a clamp on the fuel pump, so I zip-tied it.

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This probably won't clear my check engine light, but I figured it was worth a shot. Next I'll have to look for that evap canister and see if there is an obvious problem. I want to sell the Jeep soon, but I'm not sure how much an evap emission leak would affect the value.

 

[TwoBobsKJ]

If you just bought it - but you want to sell it soon - why go through the hassles? Just sell it for $500 more than you bought it for and find your next vehicle.

Did you intend to sell it this fast? Kinda minor probs to dump it so soon...

Bob

 

[ThunderbirdJunkie]

If you just bought it - but you want to sell it soon - why go through the hassles? Just sell it for $500 more than you bought it for and find your next vehicle.

Did you intend to sell it this fast? Kinda minor probs to dump it so soon...

Bob

X2, what do you expect when you buy a decade old Jeep for $5k?

 

[redpoint5]

If you just bought it - but you want to sell it soon - why go through the hassles? Just sell it for $500 more than you bought it for and find your next vehicle.

Did you intend to sell it this fast? Kinda minor probs to dump it so soon...

Bob

My roommate was deported back to Australia and sold many of his belongings to me at a good price. I figured I would drive it for the summer, fix the few minor problems, and then sell for a small profit. I've got a full-size diesel truck and a car, so this doesn't really fill any need of mine.

I was disappointed by the lack of snow prowess, but I must admit that the street tires were to blame. The first time I put it on snow I was going downhill in about 1ft of icy snow, and I got stuck in 4hi. The next time I put the Liberty in snow I got stuck again.

The thing is, I had a 1996 Subaru Legacy that did amazingly well off-road, had enough volume to sleep in the back, towed a little, and got 28mpg. In 220,000 miles all I had to fix was a worn clutch. The Liberty can haul heavier, accelerate a bit faster, and can be lifted to provide more ground clearance, or perhaps put some lockers on. The downside is poor reliability and poor fuel economy. In stock form I don't see the point, so if I kept her I'd have to mod.

X2, what do you expect when you buy a decade old Jeep for $5k?

The Jeep was well taken care of and never left the asphalt. I expect a decade old car to have close to zero problems, especially with barely over 100k miles. She should have another 100k and 10 years left in her.

 

[redpoint5]

2 years later and I still have the Jeep. I've had the chance to use low range just once, climbing up an extremely steep mountain that overlooks Smith Rock state park. It was nice being able to leisurely crawl up the boulder strewn path instead of having to get a running start and floor the gas pedal in first gear, barely banging my way to the top in the Subaru. Low range is neat!

I fixed the "part time" indicator issue by replacing the transfer case position sensor. I also fixed the P0442 evap emission control leak by replacing an extremely cracked line that connects the evaporative canister to a metal line.

The only remaining issue is the horrible chime and "glass" message that is displayed on the console. It seems like the issue comes up when traveling on very bumpy terrain, or when it's been raining a lot. Likely a short somewhere in the rear glass sensor wiring, but I don't know where to begin looking. The constant chime also sets off the interior lights, which is embarrassing to drive at night, since it looks like a disco party inside, minus the fun.

 

[wheeee32]

See if you can locate a wiring schematic for the rear. You should be able to read from point to point systematically to locate where you are getting the short/bad connection. It's gotta be easier than the stuff I have to read out sometimes.

 

[Porkchop]

Those gremlins can be allusive and time consuming as well irritating specially when intermittent.

 

[Billwill]

There is a known problem that this switch goes faulty inside due to moisture seeping into it so if you have not replaced the switch already...I would do so first.

You can download the 2002 Service Manual...with circuit diagrams here:

Index of /manuals/Jeep/KJ

 

[bigyellowjimmy]

Any resolution to the 'glass' warning light? I've got the same problem and I replaced the rear glass switch today but it didn't help....also my rear wiper doesn't work, not sure if that's related or not...

Thanks for the link to the service manual Billwill

 

[ThunderbirdJunkie]

Any resolution to the 'glass' warning light? I've got the same problem and I replaced the rear glass switch today but it didn't help....also my rear wiper doesn't work, not sure if that's related or not...

Thanks for the link to the service manual Billwill

There's a sensor that tells the BCM when the glass is closed. If it thinks the glass is open, it won't let the wiper work.

 

[Billwill]

Any resolution to the 'glass' warning light? I've got the same problem and I replaced the rear glass switch today but it didn't help....also my rear wiper doesn't work, not sure if that's related or not...

Thanks for the link to the service manual Billwill

What ThunderbirdJunkie said. You will need to trace the wiring all the way from the switch to the BCM using the circuit diagrams.

The Black wire on the Flip-up Ajar switch should go to a good ground....try adding another ground to it.

The Yellow/White wire goes through several connectors to find its way to the BCM (on rear side of internal fuse panel). Measure this circuit right at the BCM connector C1 pin 9...stick a pin into the yellow/White wire there and using the Ohm setting on the Multimeter check that it switches to a clean ground point when the Flip-up Ajar Switch is activated...with ignition Off!

 

[redpoint5]

Any resolution to the 'glass' warning light? I've got the same problem and I replaced the rear glass switch today but it didn't help....also my rear wiper doesn't work, not sure if that's related or not...

Thanks for the link to the service manual Billwill

I'm pretty sure the chime was due to an aftermarket alarm system I found installed under the steering column. It had a sensitivity adjustment, and I set it to be less sensitive. I never had the glass warning again after that, but then again it always was intermittent, and I sold the Jeep shortly after.