No power in mud

Relax! its a Jeep.
Use care when washing not to direct the water into places it not be such as air intakes and vents. most everything can be rinsed or you would not be able to drive on a rainy day.
One question though, Why do you want a clean Jeep??

sound like transmission got too hot.if you try for a long period of time keep spinning tires trying get out of mud you will burn out transmission bands and drive forward friction plates.when stuck in mud or snow dont keep spinning tires for traction will burn out transmission.

If there is an option to run 2wd, that would be the most fuel conservative option. You shouldnt need 4 wheel drive unless you are driving in snow and or mud, or need extra torque while towing a load. 4 wheel high would be the most common under the given circumstances. 4 wheel low is a lower ranged gear that gives you more power to climb hills or remove your vehicle from "sticky" terrain.

You could always go in the mud. : ) All joking aside. My son has a Ford F150 4x4 and when his 4 wheel drive is turned on he can feel a difference in the steering when he does a tight turn. The front wheels start to slip and **** the truck letting us know the 4x4 is on. Now this may be a Ford thing, however my sons friend who has a Chevy 4x4 says the same thing.

These are both older used trucks that we, and he have not had since they were new, so this might be an old 4x4 thing.

With the Jeep in park, move the left shifter to 4 wheel drive. Proceed to put right shifter into drive, proceed to drive. Only use 4wheel drive when neccessary...ie...snow, mud, use 4 wheel lo in steep incline or when really bogged down.

Hope this helps

idle air control

sounds like a power steering pump issue

check the fluid

The correct procedure should be described in detail in your owner/operation manual.
For a 2004, 90 % sure that if it's a quadra trac you have to immobilize the vehicule, put your transmission shifter to neutral keeping foot on the brake obviously, engage the low on transfer case pulling the transfer case shifter, engage the transmission to drive
If it's a select track, normally you have to keep the vehicule moving very slowly (2 mph), move the transmission shifter to neutral, push the transfer case shifter to the right and pull it firmly. Once transfer case engaged, put back the transmission shifter to drive.
It could take few seconds to engage and disengage depending on the temperature and road condition. Do not try it on dry surface (preferable on mud, snow and wet surface). Drive at low speed because you will feel that it's very low geared.
By the way, follow the reverse process to reestablish normal mode

Hope it will help
Dan

I love driving 4x4 jeeps, especially in 4-wheel drive. First, a list of when you should and should not use 4-wheel drive.

2x4 Hi is for normal driving in most weather and anytime you are driving over 50mph.

4x4 HI is for getting you unstuck from mud or snow and can be used up to 50mph but is not recommended for much faster. It is only designed to get you moving and unstuck, it will NOT make it any safer to drive faster on slick surfaces like rain, snow, or ice. Always drive slower on these kinds of surfaces.

4x4 lo (low) is for extreme 4x4 driving like trail riding and mud bogging to get over steep inclines and deep mud without burning up the clutch. 4x4 lo should never be used to drive faster than 25-35mph and should only be used in off road situations.

Neutral (on the 4x4 shifter) is mainly used if you are towing your jeep with any of the wheels on the ground. It completely disengages the transmission from the drive train so you can tow it without damaging the trans.

Now, to shift from one to another. My jeep may be different than yours and I haven't driven my jeep in a while (I had to sell it) but it should shift the same way.

First, make sure you are parked and the wheels are not moving. Put the main gear shift (5-speed) into Neutral, hold down the clutch and move the selector from 2x4 to 4x4 by first pulling the shifter to the side then moving it up or down. Some jeeps (especially older ones) may have a wheel lock on the outside of the wheel hub (AKA hub lock). This must be in the "LOCK" position for 4x4 and "UNLOCK" for normal 2x4 driving. Make sure it is fully engaged in the slot before shifting into 1st. Then you can drive normally, following the guidelines above.

The regular 5-speed transmission will shift just the same as before but you will notice that the jeep will drive much slower in 4x4 lo and it will have much more torque for those really sticky situations.

Good luck! Have fun! And if you do plan on doing some real 4x4'in or mud boggin' make sure you buy a winch for the front of your jeep or bring a friend who has a winch on their truck to get you unstuck from the worst of the worst! Don't forget to rate!

P.S. if you have problems with one or more 4x4 settings you can always shift back to 2x4. Make sure that if you are driving on the highway or in normal driving conditions, you are always in 2x4.

P.P.S. If you are near the Columbia, MO area send me a PM, I'd love to find some new friends to do some 4x4 driving with in the area so I can get back into the sport. I miss it.

It sounds like the vacuum acuater is cracked or broken internaly. Recomend replacing the acuater and replacing all vacuum hoses at the same time. There is also a small relay switch under the hood under the radiator tank that may also require replacing.