Problems Locating Parts...

[Wade]

I am replacing my entire vacuum and fuel line system. I have in hand all the lines that run down the frame rail.

I have on order the six-line bundle that lives on top of the gas tank (with the valve, etc.) but that seems to be out of stock at WeRMopar.com, so I have to call them after work today.

The front bundle of steel, nylon and rubber lines that are heat-bonded to the purge solenoid harness has gone through several upgrades, and my version — 52100493AD — was superseded by 52100493AE — which also has been superseded. Neither of these (AD or AE) are available any longer. The final version — 52100493AF — *is* still for sale — BUT — supposedly only fits the 2004 and not my 2003.

Why would they continue in the numbering series and ONLY change the version letter if the part suddenly no longer fits what it was originally designed to fit? Wouldn't they have issued the new part a new number in such a case? I am suspicious that the AF part fits my 2003 just fine but that somewhere along the way a typo was made, and that typo is still in the system. There is no way to check this, since NO ONE uas a photo of this part, only the very poorly rendered drawing from the FSM and Parts Lists for 2003 and 2004, and the drawings for both versions ARE THE SAME DRAWING.

I need this bundle of tubes and rubber fittings, and no one can sell me for certain that it will not fit my TJ, or what was changed between the AE and AF versions that would make the part no longer fit my TJ.

I could really use a hand here. I need a set of high res, CLEAR photos of this section of a 2004 to see what the differences are.

If you have a 2004 4.0L with 50 State emissions (two pre-cats and one bug cat all on one pipe, not the version with the main cat on a separate pipe that is bolted to the one that wraps around the oil pan) PLEASE post up here. I will take detailed photos of my rig and you can copy them using yours so that I can compare all the parts.

If it works out that there are only very minor differences I can still get this parts bundle and just hack together something with it and my current parts. Whatever works...

Thanks!

 

[Wade]

The bundle contains a clipped-together set of three or four (can't remember off hand) short steel lines with one being hooked to one of the three ports on the side of the intake manifold beneath the TB, one being heat-bonded to a formed nylon line that loops around and up to the harness to the purge solenoid, one that runs further forward and into a long, rubber fitting, and the other line from the purge solenoid runs directly to the manifold with a rubber fitting connecting them, and the purge solenoid harness itself, which is a rubber elbow fitting that is double-barreled, so to speak, and the top line has an inspection port.

Yes, all that mess is one part because they are clipped heat-bonded together as a unit. (Gee, thanks, DC...)

 

[Jerry Bransford]

I just can't see a suffix change like from AE to AF making the part so different it couldn't be used. That goes against many years of buying various Mopar parts and not worrying about them fitting that so long as the numerics were the same it didn't matter what the suffix was.

And Wermopar frequently says they don't carry something just because you inquire about an older model year. Often you can go to a slightly newer model year and if the part is the same, it'll then magically show that same part as being in stock.

 

[Wade]

See, I suspect that it will fit my jeep just fine, but somewhere, many years ago, the person who entered all this data into the online system failed to pick up that the AF version was a continuation of the SAME SET OF PARTS and that the 2004 and 2003 shared the same connectors at the same locations. A simple typo a decade ago and now we have parts guys who were still in school when these were being made and you end up with a SNAFU that no one currently in the system can figure out how to walk through. You have to do it yourself.

I am going to order the bundle. It is like a hundred bucks, shipped. If it does not work I will return it. If they will not allow that then I will sell it online *with* photos of the old and new next to one another so no one else has to cope with this mess.

WeRMopar.com — here I come. Again.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Good luck with it, let us know how it goes Wade.

 

[Wade]

Okay, these past few weekdays I had gone to my local dealers. My trusted one recently was bought out. All the same folks are there, though, including the good parts guy and the great service writer. The good parts guy was off when I had been calling earlier last week, prior to my venturing out to the badlands of the WWW. No one at the dealership could figure out why the AF version was listed as not fitting my TJ.

Online I had the same issues, as posted above.

Today I decided to see if the good parts guy was in. He was. He sorted this in five minutes with a quick phone call. AF *is* the correct part for me. He agreed with me: some data entry person many years ago bumped the version to the current AF but somehow detached it from the 2003 completely so that it shows up as not fitting it correctly. The parts guy confirmed that it fits and that it was still in production, though it is on backorder. He said it could be weeks or longer, but it was not listed with the "NS1" qualifier that indicates it to be out of production. So, somewhere out there one of these parts bundle exists, and when it is located it is MINE!

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Cool, that news sure put your mind at ease didn't it!

 

[Wade]

Here is a transcript of the frustrating phone call I had with one of the online places that made me give up and go back to my local dealership. I just thought it was funny... ;-)

Me — "So I have been searching for this part for my 2003 TJ for several months now, and finally located it last week. I have been trying to order it but your computer says it is in stock and then tosses my order back saying it is out of stock. Which is it?"

Online Parts Guy — "Well, you see, that *version* you want has been superseded. The original 'AD' release is is no longer available and you have to order the upgraded 'AE' version. The computer is confused by all this."

Me — "Great. Let me get that one, then."

OPG — "Well, you see, that *version* you want has been superseded. The upgraded 'AE' release is is no longer available and you have to order the updated, upgraded 'AF' version."

Me — "..."

OPG — "This happens all the time, sir. It is normal and not really a problem."

Me — "..."

OPG — "What would you like to do, sir?"

Me — "I don't care about version numbers. I just need the part, please. If I order a superseded part I should just get the upgraded version without any of this rigamarole."

OPG — "..."

Me — "<sigh> Please place an order for the 'AF' version of this part for me."

OPG — "Well, you see, that *version* you want does not fit your Jeep..."
________________________________

See what I mean? HAHAHA!!!

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Just another example of how really hard it is to hire good people who 'get it' these days. McDonalds gets most of the losers but a few manage to get hired elsewhere.