Need Help with a decision.

[CherokeeGuy42]

Ok I have some things that I need to do to my 01 XJ and not a ton of money to get it all done at once. Ok I know I'm going to do an oil change, radiator flush, change 4x4, transmission, and axle fluids. But I've got to make a decision between getting my alignment fixed or the "Gross/Large" vacuum(stupid engine light) leak fixed.

Here's the situation.

First the alignment problem.
I hit a tree on the front driverside wheel about 9-10months ago and the only damage(besides body damage I already got fixed) that I can tell is my steering wheel is cocked to the right instead of straight, and the Jeep floats to the right if you try to let it drive straight. My camber isn't off so my tires are wearing fine so I'm not that worried about it, it's just a hassle so I figured I'd get it fixed.

Next the Vacuum leak.
I'm not sure how long the engine light has been on, but it's been a while. I'm not sure if it was on before the wreck or after. The only thing I was noticing was that I lost some power. I can't sping the wheels when I want to and it's a little slower at getting to the highspeeds. So I finally got a friend of mine to scan it and he came up with a Large Vacuum leak and reset it to see if that worked but the light came back on a few days later. So I took it to AutoZone and they scanned and got a Large Vacuum leak. I'm not sure if it's because of the leak, but I got 23 MPG on the highway comming to Arkansas. That's the best I've ever had.

Ok, so those are my choices. Both will probalby cost alot. I'm going to have to take it to the shop for both because I've tried to find the leak but it's just not happening. So which seems more important? Thanks. If you have any ideas about the leak that I could fix myself I would be appreciative. It will save me atleast 100 dollars.

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

You sure it's not a 'large Evap leak'? Don't know that the OBDII can detect an engine vacuum leak.

 

[bchcky]

alignments generally run about $60. a better idea is to go to www.harborfreight.com and buy the alignment tool they sell for $20. that way you can do your alignment yourself anytime you want. my roommate has one and it works great.

 

[CherokeeGuy42]

I'm not sure it might have been an evap leak. I'm not sure, it's been 5 months since I had it scanned. Any ideas?

 

[mingez]

Put black electrical tape over check engine light.

 

[Saurian]

Saurian Sez: Alignment, not that much to get done. Belle Tire up here in Michigan charges 45 for a front and rear alignment... Based on what you mentioned happening to your Jeep, it sounds like textbook alignments problem... When I did this

, my wheel was kicked over to the right very badly, and I thought I had damaged a bunch of stuff in the steering, turned out to be just a simple alignment. That was crashing down a hill less fast than I needed to be, and coming to a very sudden stop when I broke through the ice at the bottom.

Re: the check engine light... The only thing that concerns me regarding this, is that a large/gross vacuum leak SHOULD be pretty darned noticeable; there was a cracked vacuum fitting on my buddy's Taurus, and you could hear that thing a mile away, sounded like a freaking yard vacuum... 9 times out of 10, a vacuum leak of any magnitude will sound like that guy you ended up sitting next to in class who always breathed through his nose, only 5 times louder... I could be wrong, but isn't it the same code for vacuum leak and 02 sensor? That's the case on my mom's Sebring, anyway... Perhaps that's taken a dive?

At any rate, I would get alignment taken care of... While your engine light is telling you something is indeed wrong, if the engine's still starting and running properly, you should be in good shape till you can get it fixed... With your alignment out, you're destroying your tires very quickly, which gets VERY expensive after a while... I only mention this, because a bad alignment after getting some air time in my Jeep (and a cracked U-joint and blown out bumpstops and shocks, destroyed brake caliper and cracked brake pads, just to name a few), has nearly balded my 6 month old MT/Rs in the front, and those are some EXPENSIVE tires... Obviously, you don't want to ignore the light, but at the same time, if it is indeed a vacuum leak, it might be easy to track down and repair yourself

Just my thoughts...

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

For a large evap leak, check;
the fuel tank vent lines around the tank filler neck,
on top of the tank,
and the vent line up to the charcoal canister.