1998 Jeep Cherokee XJ Factory Service Manual (P/N 81-370-8146)

• Vehicle coverage: Main coverage is the 1998 Jeep Cherokee XJ in 2-door and 4-door form, with 4x2 or 4x4 drivetrains and SE, Sport, or Country trim. Gasoline sections cover the EPE 2.5L four-cylinder MPI and ERH 4.0L six-cylinder MPI engines. The 1,896-page PDF also contains separate RHD/export and 2.5L diesel sections.
• Engine, cooling, and fuel-system work: Covers compression and leakage diagnosis, oil-pressure and mechanical-condition checks, engine removal, cylinder-head and valve service, timing-chain work, camshaft and tappet service, oil-pump repair, piston and bearing fitting, cooling-system testing, fuel-pressure diagnosis, injector and sensor testing, and PCM-controlled fuel-system components.
• Transmission and transfer-case service: Documents AX5 and AX15 manual transmissions, 30RH and AW4 automatics, and NV231 Command-Trac and NV242 Selec-Trac transfer cases. Procedures include removal, internal disassembly and reassembly, seal and bearing service, valve-body and clutch repair, hydraulic and operational testing, cooler checks, and linkage adjustment.
• Driveline, axle, suspension, and steering coverage: Includes propeller-shaft vibration, runout, balance, U-joint and operating-angle diagnosis; 181-FBI front, 194-RBI rear, and 8¼-inch rear axle repair; Trac-Lok service; wheel alignment; link/coil front and leaf-spring rear suspension work; and power-steering pressure and flow testing.
• Brake, HVAC, and body procedures: Covers front disc and rear drum brakes, master cylinder and booster service, parking-brake adjustment, ABS HCU/CAB and wheel-speed-sensor work, conventional and scan-tool-assisted bleeding, R-134a performance and leak diagnosis, refrigerant recovery/evacuation/charging, heater-A/C housing service, glass, doors, liftgate, window regulators, weatherstrips, seats, and trim.
• Electrical diagnosis and reference data: The dedicated 8W section provides system wiring diagrams, power and ground distribution, connector pin-outs and locations, splice information, intermittent-circuit troubleshooting, and wire/terminal repair. Component-specific torque charts, capacities, alignment data, pressure-test specifications, clearances, wear limits, electrical values, and special-tool callouts appear throughout the manual.

Vehicle Identification and Scheduled Service

The identification material is useful before parts are ordered or a repair section is selected. It decodes XJT, XJJ, XJB, and XJU body-code designations for 2WD/4WD and LHD/RHD vehicles, along with two-door/four-door body styles, trim series, engine codes, transmission codes, market codes, and VIN data. Maintenance is split into Schedule A for general transportation and Schedule B for severe operation such as short-trip, dusty, towing, extended-idle, off-road, hot-weather, or desert use. Fluid-reference pages distinguish the covered engine, transmission, transfer-case, and axle configurations rather than presenting one generic capacity.

Factory Repair Depth

The gasoline-engine chapters cover internal engine repair, not just tune-up work. They document engine assembly removal, cylinder-head and valve repair, rocker arms and pushrods, hydraulic tappets, timing components, camshaft and bearings, oil pan and pump, pistons and connecting rods, crankshaft bearings, rear main seals, cylinder-block inspection, and the related fitting and measurement data.

Transmission coverage is equally specific. The manual-transmission chapters address shift mechanisms, synchros, input/output shafts, countershafts, housings, seals, and internal inspection. Automatic-transmission sections add road, stall, time-lag, hydraulic-pressure, clutch-and-band air, solenoid, speed-sensor, and cooler-flow tests, followed by valve-body, oil-pump, clutch, servo, planetary, output-shaft, and adjustment procedures. NV231 and NV242 chapters provide diagnosis, transfer-case removal, complete disassembly and assembly, cleaning and inspection, seal service, and shift-linkage adjustment.

Axle setup is separated by design. The 181-FBI uses selective shims for pinion and differential-bearing setup; the 194-RBI uses selective differential shims with a collapsible pinion-preload spacer; and the 8¼-inch rear axle uses threaded side-bearing adjusters with a collapsible spacer. The applicable chapters cover pinion depth, bearing preload, ring-gear backlash, gear-contact-pattern analysis, axle shafts and seals, bearings, standard differentials, and Trac-Lok clutch-pack repair.

Electrical, Chassis, HVAC, and Body Information

The 8W material covers power distribution, ground distribution, fuel/ignition, transmission control, ABS, airbag, HVAC, lighting, trailer tow, locks, windows, mirrors, seats, security, and wiper systems. Connector pin-outs, connector and splice locations, poor-connection checks, terminal replacement, and wiring repair make it useful for fault isolation as well as harness work. PCM/OBD sections explain diagnostic trouble codes, monitor logic, state-display testing, and circuit-actuation testing.

Representative factory visuals include Wheel Alignment Measurements, Driveline Vibration, Double Cardan (CV) Universal Joint, Universal Joint Angle Example, Gear Tooth Contact Patterns, and system-specific power-distribution and connector-pinout diagrams. Tool callouts are specific, including Inclinometer 7663 for driveline angles, Spreader W-129-B and Dial Indicator C-3339 for axle setup, and Power Steering Analyzer Tool Kit 6815 for pump and steering-gear diagnosis.

Manual-Specific Service Notes

Suspension-arm and leaf-spring bushing fasteners are finalized at normal ride height; tightening them with the suspension hanging can preload the bushings, affect ride, and accelerate wear. On the 194-RBI, backing off the pinion nut is not a correction for excessive preload—an over-crushed collapsible spacer must be replaced. In the manual-transmission removal procedure, the crankshaft position sensor is removed first because it can be damaged if left in place.

The ABS chapter covers system operation, HCU/CAB and sensor service, and scan-tool-assisted bleeding, while detailed ABS fault-test sequences are referenced to the separate Chassis Diagnostic Manual. Follow the factory lifting, battery-isolation, brake-hydraulic, fuel-pressure, and refrigerant precautions; ABS bleeding and R-134a work require the specified scan and service equipment.