XJ Diesel unresolved issue!

Hi guys. This is my first post here. I just had a MASSIVE post written up, and some reason my computer decided to throw a fit and I lost the lot.

Ive got an issue with a 1999 XJ Cherokee 2.5 diesel, that no one has been able to sort out. Ive researched everywhere but cant find anything that I haven't tried already. I live in Australia and the mechanics here know very little, if anything about Jeeps.

The background is:

For the past two years, my jeep has been intermittantly throwing the SKIM light. Sometimes it will be fine, sometimes the light wont go off. It has sat for three months with the light coming on every time I check, then it will be fine for two week, then back on again etc.

Ive taken it to Jeep, they replaced the ignition barrel and recut and reprogrammed a new key. Made no difference. They then wanted to change out all of the computers and quoted over $6,000 in total to do it, with no guarantee of a fix.

The car went to an autoelectrician and stayed there for two months with no fix.

I started pulling into it myself. I pulled the SKIM module, looked for dry joints, found two where the aerial connectors are and resoldered them. I reflowed the connector pins in the ECU and BCM too.

Ive cut the chip out of the grey headed key and put it right up on the circuit board of the skim module. If i do this, the Skim light comes on, goes off quickly, then about 3 seconds later the light comes on and stays on.
If I dont do this, the skim light comes on for 2 seconds, goes off for two seconds then comes back on and stays on.

Ive tried to do the right thing by taking it to the jeep dealer (who isnt exclusively jeep, so they wouldnt do much work on them, but its where the car was bought from new).

Im at wits end with this, I love the car and its original, low miles, well looked after. I cant bear to scrap it.

can anyone PLEASE throw out some suggestions?

The part numbers I have are :
ECU - P56041997AC
BCM - P56041996AB
SKIM P56009714AC

I dont know what is causing the problem, I dont know how to diagnose it. Does anyone know where I can get a non SKIM ECU, or a rebuilt ECU that has had SKIM deleted? I dont know if any of that is right, There is a lot of conflicting info on the internet.

Ive even emailed bosch to see if another type of ECU can work with their injector pump. And VM diesel to see if they have a mechanical injector pump. At this point im getting deperate and would cut off my right arm to have my jeep back in working order again. Its been way too long.

Thanks heaps for reading.
Regards from Australia

Personally I can't help you Diesel stuff.., but stick around for a week, or two, and there are some really smart guys on the Diesel version that check in from time to time that might share that which is needed to get your XJ in proper working order. If that fails then google around for Jeep shops in England, Germany, France, etc. Stay away from bone saws.., ok?

Cheers mate. Ill hang around and see what anyone can suggest. Ive left asking for help online til last, but its at that point where ive literally tried everything I can think of and even the "professionals" here in aus cant help. Im sure someone has had this issue before. Just really frustrating seeing the jeep sitting there motionless and not knowing enough to be able to fix it! Ill hold off on the bone saw for another week or two

I think there's a guy on comanche club who is fairly knowledgeable on the diesels. You could try there.

I don't think this is a diesel problem?

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1062275

Bottom line is that the dealer needs to have a DRBIII tool, or you need to find an ECU from a diesel w/o SKIM, or you might be able to send it in to be reprogrammed. Freight would be killer from Australia, but you may not have another choice.

I hope that helps

Does it start and die? Does the skim throw any codes? Check power and ground to module? No other weird keys that could be conflicting with the skims antenna?