1988 Jeep Wrangler Service and Repair Manual
The 1988 Jeep Wrangler was built with two engines — the 2.5L I4 and the 4.2L I6 — and offered across six trims. This reference is matched to that exact year, so every specification and procedure lines up with your engine and trim.
Engines
- 2.5L I4 — 150 cu in, OHV
- 4.2L I6 — 258 cu in, OHV
Trims
- Base
- Islander
- Laredo
- S
- Sahara
- Sport
Known issues on the 1988 Wrangler. Two recalls are on federal record for this model year: a windshield wiper linkage that can dislocate and bind and, in inclement weather, reduce visibility; and an equipment item — the cockpit — that could strike and injure people outside the vehicle. Owners have filed 55 complaints and Jeep has issued 3 technical service bulletins for the year.
From a routine service interval to a hard-to-trace wiring fault or a stubborn driveability problem, it keeps you on the OEM procedure and the correct specification for your specific 1988 Wrangler.
CERTAIN FEDERAL-MOGUL AFTERMARKET FUEL PUMPS SOLD UNDER THE BRAND NAMES OF CARTER, ACCUFLOW, NAPA, TRUFLOW, PARTS DEPO, AND PARTS MASTER, SHIPPED BETWEEN AUGUST 2006 AND JULY 2007 FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE FUEL PUMP DIAPHRAGM IN CERTAIN PRODUCTION RUNS MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY INSTALLED OR INADEQUATELY TESTED WHICH MAY CAUSE THE FUEL PUMP TO LEAK.
A LEAKING FUEL PUMP COULD CREATE A VEHICLE FIRE HAZARD.
FEDERAL-MOGUL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 15, 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FEDERAL-MOGUL AT 248-354-7700.
CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
BESTOP AFTERMARKET REAR SHELL ROOF RACKS,MANUFACTURED BETWEEN APRIL 27 AND MAY 20, 2004, DESIGNED FOR USE WITH THE BESTOP HARDTOP MADE FOR THE 1986-1995 AND 1997-2003 JEEP WRANGLER. THE COCKPIT COVER MAY NOT STAY LATCHED TO THE ROOF RACK BECAUSE THE LATCH BRACKET MISPOSITIONS THE ROTARY LATCH TO THE COCKPIT COVER. AS A RESULT, THE COCKPIT COVER MAY NOT STAY LATCHED TO THE ROOF RACK AND COULD SEPARATE FROM THE ROOF RACK. THIS RECALL ONLY PERTAINS TO AFTERMARKET REAR SHELL ROOF RACKS AND HAS NO RELATION TO ANY ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT INSTALLED ON JEEP WRANGLER VEHICLES BY DAIMLERCHRYSLER.
SHOULD THIS OCCUR, THE COCKPIT COULD CAUSE INJURY BY STRIKING PERSONS OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE OR COULD BECOME A DISTRACTION OR AN OBSTACLE TO OTHER DRIVERS, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
BESTOP WILL NOTIFY ITS CUSTOMERS AND PROVIDE A REPAIR KIT AND INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS FREE OF CHARGE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 16, 2004. OWNERS WHO DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT BESTOP CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT (800) 845-3567.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MULTIPURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH PLASTIC FUEL TANKS. THE FUEL TANK SENDING UNIT GASKET CAN CRACK CAUSING FUEL AND FUEL VAPOR LEAKS.
FUEL AND FUEL VAPOR LEAKED FROM THE FUEL TANK CAN RESULT IN FIRE WHEN EXPOSED TO A SOURCE OF IGNITION.
REPLACE THE FUEL TANK SENDING UNIT GASKET.
ON 1987 THROUGH EARLY 1990 MODELS, BOTH FRONT BRAKE HOSES CAN WEAR DUE TO DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE WHEEL OPENING SPLASH SHIELDS. ON THE LATE 1990 THROUGH 1992 MODELS, PERIODIC RUBBING CONTACT OF THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE HOSE CAN OCCUR DUE TO MOVEMENT OF THE SPLASH SHIELD IN CERTAIN VEHICLE OPERATING CONDITIONS.
EITHER CONDITION CAN CAUSE LOSS OF FRONT BRAKE SYSTEMFUNCTIONS, RESULTING IN INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCES AND AN INCREASED RISK OFVEHICLE ACCIDENT.
THE 1987 TO 1990 MODEL VEHICLES WILL HAVE BOTH SPLASH SHIELDS REPLACED AND BOTH FRONT BRAKE HOSES REPLACED AS NECESSARY. ALL AFFECTED LATE 1990 THROUGH 1992 MODEL YEAR VEHICLES WILL HAVE ADDITIONAL FASTENERS INSTALLED TO FURTHER SECURE THE LEFT SIDE SPLASH SHIELD. ALSO, THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE HOSE WILL BE INSPECTED AND REPLACED AS NECESSARY.
WINDSHIELD FRAME METAL MAY CRACK AT THE WIPER ARM PIVOT MOUNTINGS DUE TO METAL STRESS DURING WIPER OPERATION.
THIS CAN CAUSE DISLOCATION AND BINDING OF THE WIPERSYSTEM LINKAGE WHICH, IN INCLEMENT WEATHER, COULD AFFECT DRIVER VISIBILITY ANDRESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.
RETROFIT WITH A WINDSHIELD FRAME REINFORCEMENT AT THE WIPER PIVOT LOCATIONS AND REDESIGNED LINKAGE COMPONENTS TO REDUCE STRESS AT THE PIVOT MOUNTINGS.
DIPAP Requirements - Addition of Jeep Wrangler (JL/JK) and Jeep Gladiator (JT) Hard Top and Targa Top Panel Replacements - All Dealers (Rev. A)
UNKNOWN
UNKNOWN
THE PARKING BRAKE ON MY JEEP HAS A TENDANCY TO DISENGAGE WITHOUT WARNING. BEFORE I WAS AWARE OF THIS DEFECT, IT DISENGAGED IN A PARKING LOT AND CAUSED MY JEEP TO ROLL BACK ONTO A NEW FORD MUSTANG, CAUSING CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO THE OTHER VEHICLE, AND APPEARING ON MY INSURANCE RECORD AS A FAILURE ON MY PART TO ENGAGE THE BRAKE.
HAVE REPLACE PARKING BRAKE ASSY TWICE SINCE PURCHASED. CRASH WAS INTO MY HOUSE WHEN PARKING BRAKE DISENGAGED IN DRIVEWAY. *AK
EMERGENCY BRAKE LOOSE WHILE PARKED ON A HILL. TT
I RECENTLY BOUGHT A 1988 JEEP WRANGLER. I HAVE ONLY HAD IT FOR A FEW WEEKS. I STARTED TO NOTICE THAT SOMETIMES WHEN I ENGAGE THE PARKING BRAKE, IT FAILS AND RELEASES. EVERYTIME IT WOULD HAPPEN, IT WOULD HAPPEN RIGHT AWAY AND I WOULD SIMPLY RE-ENGAGE IT, EXCEPT FOR THIS LAST TIME IT HAPPENED. I HAD MY JEEP PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY WITH THE PARKING BRAKE ENGAGED. WHILE I WAS AT SCHOOL, THE PARKING BRAKE FAILED AGAIN AND DISENGAGED. MY JEEP, THEN, ROLLED DOWN MY DRIVEWAY AND HIT A TREE IN MY BAC
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND THE JEEP STALLED, WENT TO OPEN THE HOOD AND THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE . *AK
VEHICLE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY A CRACK IN THE FUEL LINE. *AK
CATALYTIC CONVERTER CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AW
HAD UNDERHOOD FIRE CHECKED WITH CHRYSLER TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL ANSWER WAS YOUR VIN WAS NOT INVOLVED TWO WEEKS LATER GOT RECALL NOTICE FOR THE PROBLEM.
DRIVING VEHICLE, VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE, TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, FOUND NOTHING WRONG, PICKED VEHICLE UP, CAUGHT FIRE AGAIN WHILE DRIVING. *AK *JB
DRIVING DOWN EXPRESSWAY PARKED CAR AND VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. TT
FUEL SENDING UNIT GASKET CRACKED, CAUSING FUEL TO LEAK OUT OF TANK, RESULTING IN FIRES PRIOR TO RECALL (94V-106). *AK
FUEL TANK FIRE PRIOR TO RECALL (94V-106). *SKD
VEHICLE FIRE DUE TO FUEL LEAK, RECALL REPAIRS REFUSED DUE TO VIN. *SKD
FUEL TANK CAUGHT FIRE AFTER RECALL. *SD
WHILE DRIVING EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ENGINE STALLING, PULLED TO SIDE, NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER BODY, FIRE SPREAD FROM ENGINE TO CAB, VEHICLE TOTALED. *AK
Showing the 15 most serious of 58 complaints filed with NHTSA.
