|
quietthings posted:Hey all, quick question. I've been casually shopping for a WJ Grand Cherokee for the past couple of months but I really don't know anything about their reliability. I would like some basic tips for shopping that particular model of Jeep. Should I even be considering 100K+ mile examples? Any specific things I should keep my eyes peeled for? Any help would be appreciated. Stay away from engine sizes that end in .7. They seem to all roast heads and valves.
|
#
?
Dec 24, 2010 22:16
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 25, 2024 19:27 |
|
|
yup, jeeps love things for christmas, mine split the stupid heater control valve and puked its coolant at work.
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2010 10:56
|
|
|
Faerunner posted:Why would I want to trailer it to a trail so it can break somewhere inconvenient when it's perfectly happy to break a few feet from my driveway?
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2010 16:11
|
|
|
quietthings posted:Hey all, quick question. I've been casually shopping for a WJ Grand Cherokee for the past couple of months but I really don't know anything about their reliability. I would like some basic tips for shopping that particular model of Jeep. Should I even be considering 100K+ mile examples? Any specific things I should keep my eyes peeled for? Any help would be appreciated. This got kind of missed last page so, I'll take a shot at it. It depends a little on what year you are looking at, but in general the 4.0 engines are pretty much indestructible. Absolutely keep 100k jeeps in the running. Two years ago I bought my 99 WJ which was in drat near perfect body shape but needed some mechanical love. It had 181k on it and the things runs like it's only 30k. I probably shouldn't jinx it, but I'm confident that it's easily got another 100k in it. So, in general, here are some things to keep an eye on. They have engine oil leaks. This is normal and probably even desirable. If there are no oil leaks it probably means it doesn't have oil in it. Which you could probably still get another few thousand miles out of.  Now having said that, wherer it's leaking and how much is the real question, because it will leak. The oil pan seals are a pain to change, but otherwise as long as it's not pissing oil, don't sweat it.Check the heat comes from all vents, especially if it has dual climate zones. The blend doors like to break on these. Horribly expensive to have fixed, but you can go a through the glove box fix yourself most times for around $300. It's not the end of the world if a jeep has broken ones, as you can use it as a huge bargaining chip, especially if you fix it yourself. Just don't tell the other guy that it's probably an easy fix. Google jeep blend door for how to diagnose. It's pretty easy. Radiators and water pumps are common weak spots. Both are easy to replace if you are even slightly competent. Brake rotors like to warp. Again, easy fix. Some WJs get electrical gremlins. Lights flash and dim, poo poo turns on by itself. Nine times out of ten, it's a bad electrical connection somewhere. Can be a pain to chase down, but easy fix. That should be a good place to start. If you find any specific listings you want to bounce off us, feel free.
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2010 18:15
|
|
|
Doctor Zero posted:This got kind of missed last page so, I'll take a shot at it. It depends a little on what year you are looking at, but in general the 4.0 engines are pretty much indestructible. Absolutely keep 100k jeeps in the running. Two years ago I bought my 99 WJ which was in drat near perfect body shape but needed some mechanical love. It had 181k on it and the things runs like it's only 30k. I probably shouldn't jinx it, but I'm confident that it's easily got another 100k in it. Thanks very much! That all helps quite a bit. Another question, the oil leaks, is that something that starts showing up around a certain mileage point (90K, 100K etc.) or is it just a general Jeep issue?
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2010 19:09
|
|
|
quietthings posted:Thanks very much! That all helps quite a bit. Another question, the oil leaks, is that something that starts showing up around a certain mileage point (90K, 100K etc.) or is it just a general Jeep issue? Your Jeep knows when it needs to oil the chassis to slow down the rusting.
|
|
#
?
Dec 26, 2010 03:09
|
|
|
EightBit posted:Your Jeep knows when it needs to oil the chassis to slow down the rusting. "Always"
|
|
#
?
Dec 26, 2010 06:34
|
|
|
Yesterday was not great. I was driving home from work when my Jeep overheated, warning tone and light went off so I pulled over to asses things. Now, I knew I needed a new radiator (It was waiting at home to be installed when I had time) but I had been topping off my coolant constantly until I put in the new one. So I pop the hood and it's a mess and I'm clueless and demoralized. I don't have AAA and I've broken the bank on Christmas this year so I can't afford a tow. I let her cool off for 10 minutes and started off again. Shortly after we're overheating again so I have to stop and do it all over again. I finally made it off the highway to a parking lot where I figured I'd have to leave it until I can sort it out. At this point I figure I'm going to be doing my radiator swap in this parking lot sometime on Christmas afternoon. I'm pissed, depressed and ready to set the truck on fire. Then I remember, I put a bottle of radiator stop leak in the other day and it had no noticeable effect. It was some weird kind with "dissolving sealant pellets" but the pellets weren't dissolving. So I tap the radiator cap. It's ice cold. I unscrew it and the pellets have solidified and blocked the cap, including the hose from the coolant bottle. I have no tools except for a lovely multi-tool my father gave me 14 years ago so I tried using that but it was useless. I found a plastic hanger with a metal hook, broke that off and straightened it and used it to clear the inlet. I poured in some coolant and and cleanly drained into the radiator. Hooray! She cooled down and I got her home. For the first time I felt like a real Jeep owner, I fixed her on the side of the road without real tools! So that brings me to the radiator swap. I've gotten all the major connections and bolts out but I have one hang-up. I can't get one of the quick connects to the ac condenser unhooked. But the thing is, I don't have AC anymore. My AC compressor died last year and I replaced it with a AC delete pulley. So since I don't have that and don't plan on putting in a new compressor do I need to bother hooking up the old condenser or even putting it back in?
|
|
#
?
Dec 26, 2010 06:50
|
|
|
whocares8310 posted:i doubt the golf would have all the room the cherokee has in the back with the seats folded down if you were looking to car things around Forgot to respond properly to this. I had a '91 Golf when I went off to college. I moved an entire dorm room's worth of stuff down with me with room to spare. Unless the newer Golfs have gotten smaller I can't imagine a Cherokee having too much more space than one.
|
|
#
?
Dec 26, 2010 08:21
|
|
|
Faerunner posted:Unless the newer Golfs have gotten smaller I can't imagine a Cherokee having too much more space than one. I was curious so I looked it up: 1991 Golf 2 and 4 door: 39.6 cu ft http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/1990-to-1992-volkswagen-golf-jetta-6.htm XJ: 71 cu ft http://jeephorizons.com/tech/xjstockspecs.html
|
|
#
?
Dec 26, 2010 10:40
|
|
|
I got stuck overnight at Stave Lake. I returned the next morning to a BURNED OUT SMOKING PILE OF RUBBLE! Not really; the jeep was unmolested and, after several minutes trying to jump it and some friends who (very) kindly drove out to help get me started and out of a sticky jam, the XJ was free.... FREEDOM! Whiskey fucked around with this message at 11:36 on Dec 26, 2010 |
|
#
?
Dec 26, 2010 10:57
|
|
|
Whiskey posted:I was curious so I looked it up: Huh. Fair enough.
|
|
#
?
Dec 26, 2010 15:21
|
|
|
Rhyno posted:So that brings me to the radiator swap. I've gotten all the major connections and bolts out but I have one hang-up. I can't get one of the quick connects to the ac condenser unhooked. But the thing is, I don't have AC anymore. My AC compressor died last year and I replaced it with a AC delete pulley. So since I don't have that and don't plan on putting in a new compressor do I need to bother hooking up the old condenser or even putting it back in? And THIS, kiddies is why you don't use that stop leak poo poo. I'm not sure if you have to hook that up or not, but i can tell you that it *is* possible to get the radiator swapped out without taking the thing off. It will take another person, and some rope or something to hold it while the radiator is out, but I have done it before. If i remember correctly, to do it, you will have to take the front end off (not as bad as it sounds) and lift it out of the way. You can then shimmy the radiator out from under it and tilt it to get it out. By the way, you may want to replace your thermostat while you're in there. God knows what that crap did to it, and it's cheap and easy to swap.
|
|
#
?
Dec 26, 2010 19:28
|
|
|
Doctor Zero posted:And THIS, kiddies is why you don't use that stop leak poo poo. Literally the only thing holding the radiator and condenser in is the one ac line. That's it, everything else is unhooked. I was just curious if I needed to put it back in as it seems like a waste of time since I'm not running AC anymore. And I have a brand new thermostat ready to go in along with a water pump and new upper and lower radiator hoses.
|
|
#
?
Dec 26, 2010 19:47
|
|
|
Anybody have an XJ with 5-speed and 3.07s? How is the harshness of it? My TJ has 3.07s and running 30" tires there's a ton of drivetrain shock because of the gearing - OEM transmission mount or stiff aftermarke mount, doesn't matter. I think the XJ will have less of this because of the longer driveline. The 5-speed Cherokees actually seem to be much cheaper than the automatics. The only catch is that I'll probably have to regear, but it's a good excuse to throw a disc-brake 8.8 in the rear. P.S. the prices being asked for on some XJs is hilarious. Plenty of dealers are asking $8,000 for a 97-01 model with over 100K miles on it. These guys are on crack. incredibull fucked around with this message at 01:15 on Dec 27, 2010 |
|
#
?
Dec 27, 2010 01:09
|
|
|
Radiator replacement completed!
|
|
#
?
Dec 27, 2010 06:24
|
|
|
Rhyno posted:Radiator replacement completed! Now start saving for the headgasket you probably cooked with those 3 overheats.  I hope you flushed the gently caress out of the system, including the heater core before you put the new rad in, or the new one is now full of stop leak poo poo too.
|
|
#
?
Dec 27, 2010 13:10
|
|
|
Sponge! posted:Now start saving for the headgasket you probably cooked with those 3 overheats. I'm not worried about the headgasket, she overheated 3 or 4 times two years ago. And she only has to survive to May and then I can park her and work on her at my leisure. I flushed it as best as I knew how but I'm not too worried, the stop leak pellets didn't even make it into the radiator, they'd caked up just under the cap. Edit: Drove her to work this morning and didn't smell even a hint of coolant and there wasn't a wisp of smoke or steam. Hooray! Rhyno fucked around with this message at 16:34 on Dec 28, 2010 |
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2010 00:51
|
|
|
I've been torn for a while between my Jeep and a campervan - the Jeep is my car in Australia where I backpack/travel a lot so it's not exactly ideal with the petrol consumption and lack of travel function vs a camper. But it's my Jeep, so screw campers. What I'm thinking is to rip the back seats out and put a bed in there but I can't quite visualise whether it will work or not and I'm out of country at the moment. Is this madness? Is it just too small? I'm thinking it might be a bit short but that could be worked around. If I build the bed frame to fold out/extend when the front seats are folded forward (do they fold that far forward? never tried it now I think of it) I could get a good foot or two (ish?! it sucks not being able to look at it) out of it and make it more feasible. If it was close I could set the bed legs up to extend/raise it to get a few more inches forward. The only conversions I can find online are commercial craziness with tents popping out n stuff, is that cause this is stupid or just unorthodox? e: It's a 95 XJ, that info might help.
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2010 20:23
|
|
|
Whiskey posted:I was curious so I looked it up: I dunno how they did it, but my friends managed to carry a normal sized fridge in their Golf with the hatch closed. I think they had to scoot their seats really far forward, though. The XJ might have a lot of space, but the Golf is surprisingly spacious. At the very least, it's just as square toward the top, which a lot of cars can't claim.
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2010 04:54
|
|
|
quietthings posted:Thanks very much! That all helps quite a bit. Another question, the oil leaks, is that something that starts showing up around a certain mileage point (90K, 100K etc.) or is it just a general Jeep issue? Not here to answer this question directly, but to chime in that I've had great luck with the 2000 WJ I picked up just over a year ago. When I bought it it had a leaking heater core that I worked with the dealership to have fixed for free. No major problems beyond that... just warped rotors (per the first reply) that have smoothed out over time but still are getting replaced soon. No leaks even (fingers crossed) and been a real champ in sun, rain, and snow. Love my WJ Jeep!
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2010 06:19
|
|
|
Got my second oil analysis back for my XJ and have to gloat a bit: "This oil was in place longer than average, and most wear metals are still nice and low. That's a great indication that your engine wears better than most 4.0L Jeep engines we see. The TBN was still okay at 3.2, and there were no harmful contaminants present. The viscosity was right on this time. Low insolubles and silicon indicate good oil and air filtration respectively. A longer oil run should be fine for you, based on these findings. Run your next oil up to about 7,000 miles and check back. Iron may increase, but all other metals should stay steady." Not bad for a Jeep with 160k miles! The mopar oil filters and freshly oiled K&N air filter seem to be doing a good job. All hail the mighty 4 liter engine--keep on top of regular maintenance and they really will run forever. mod sassinator fucked around with this message at 06:27 on Dec 29, 2010 |
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2010 06:24
|
|
|
How can you post that and not even mention what oil you used?
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2010 06:42
|
|
|
Haha sorry, Castrol GTX high mileage dino oil in 10W30. The previous owner seemed to take it to Valvoline oil change shops.
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2010 07:27
|
|
|
Castrol GTX high mileage is a synthetic blend.
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2010 07:43
|
|
|
You might want to read up on ZDDP (zinc) additives being phased out of modern gas engine oils and consider using an oil with higher ZDDP content, such as Rotella-T 5w-40 synthetic. While it isn't a problem for modern roller cam engines, ZDDP being phased out is a huge issue for older flat-tappet designs like the 4.0 and 2.5. They depend on this additive for cam lubrication. Without it, a flat-tappet cam is being worn at an accelerated rate.
incredibull fucked around with this message at 19:17 on Dec 29, 2010 |
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2010 19:14
|
|
|
edit: Follow up on the same vehicle i was talking about previously Hey guys i have a few questions about what a salvage title means and if anyone here has used autocheck before to look up a cars history. 09/11/2000 NJ State Agency FRONT IMPACT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE ... ... 02/28/2005 NY 39,875 State Agency PASSED EMISSION INSPECTION PASSED SAFETY INSPECTION 01/11/2006 BROOKLYN, NY Motor Vehicle Dept. REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL 01/18/2008 BROOKLYN, NY Motor Vehicle Dept. REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL 05/21/2008 RIDGEWOOD, NY Motor Vehicle Dept. REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL 06/18/2008 RIDGEWOOD, NY 63,086 Motor Vehicle Dept. TITLE 06/18/2008 RIDGEWOOD, NY Motor Vehicle Dept. REBUILT/REBUILDABLE SALVAGE 05/21/2010 RIDGEWOOD, NY Motor Vehicle Dept. REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL these are the most recent history reports from use of autocheck. if a car has been retitled since an accident where the car was written off by the insurance company does and it had passed emissions and safety inspection does that mean it is in good working order more or less. i have already driven the car once and it seemed fine and switched into 4wd fine. noticed no real heavy rust. interior is in good shape and the truck is priced at $2000 should i pull the trigger? whocares8310 fucked around with this message at 22:34 on Dec 29, 2010 |
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2010 21:56
|
|
|
I paste this whenever salvage comes up: 1. Salvage vehicles' salvage title can never be laundered. This means that you'll always have one, and the resale value may suffer. 2. Salvage vehicles are vehicles that an insurance company or whomever have written off as a total loss. It could be that the vehicle just had enough cosmetic damage to make it not worth fixing, or it could mean that it got hit by a train. Most states require that the person retitling a salvage vehicle provide a list of what was repaired to get it road-worthy again and also pass an inspection. What this means to you, is that you want to see this list of exactly what was fixed. This will give you a starting point of things to take a closer look at. Ask for receipts and pictures. If they can't provide them, proceed cautiously. 3. Having said that, there may be things that didn't get documented. Get a Carfax and take the thing to a 3rd party inspection. If the seller won't let you, walk away. They're pulling something. 4. Go in with your eyes open. You are buying a vehicle of questionable history, of questionable condition, and of questionable resale value. If you understand and don't care about all that, go ahead. 5. Goes with all vehicles, but double for salvage ones, if they don't have a clean rebuilt/salvage title in-hand, walk away. Pay attention to the title. The vehicle should already be good to go on the road. Good luck!
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2010 22:17
|
|
|
Doctor Zero posted:I paste this whenever salvage comes up: Thank you very much. Since i have a DD in reserve if i need it, i think ill pull the trigger. edit: punctuation
|
|
#
?
Dec 30, 2010 17:51
|
|
|
2001 XJ lighting problem! I have Hella Vision Plus (55/60W H4) units on the OE wiring harness and Hella 550 driving lights (55W H3). However, the Hella driving lights have not worked for two-three years for reasons that I absolutely cannot loving figure out. I know nothing of electricity. It just blows chassis fuses following a couple years with no issues. Basically, I want to scrap and redo all relays/wiring to the driving lights while running lower-gage wire to the headlights, preferably without burning everything to the ground. If I run this ARB harness to the headlights, how should I best go about rewiring the driving lights assuming I only want them on with high-beams? OneOverZero fucked around with this message at 09:38 on Dec 31, 2010 |
|
#
?
Dec 31, 2010 09:34
|
|
|
There should be a high beam relay with the kit that you can take 12v off of for the driving lights. At least this is my knowledge of the ARB kit - it replaces the direct-connect wiring switch with a relay-based system.
|
|
#
?
Dec 31, 2010 23:23
|
|
|
I just saw a picture yesterday or the day before somewhere in AI of a goon with a yellow Cherokee. He had painted the rims and trim with a black rust proofer that he got from a tractor supply store. I'm trying to find the picture, the name of the rust proofer and maybe some more info on how-to DIY with that stuff, or similar stuff. I searched through all the threads that I looked at recently, nothing turned up. Ayuda me?
|
|
#
?
Jan 1, 2011 19:29
|
|
|
I swear to god... I just had one of the small coolant lines but open on me and my Jeep puked fresh coolant all over the side of the road. I JUST put these new lines on there too. So pissed off right now. It's almost as if someone is sabotaging her.
|
|
#
?
Jan 1, 2011 20:15
|
|
|
I have a 2000 grand Cherokee that makes quite a bit of, what I think is ,front differential noise while under load right around 60 + mph . I've changed all the diff fluids using all the correct lubes and still no difference . Is this a common thing on WJs ? Like I said it only happens while I'm on the gas if I'm coasting there is no noise .
|
|
#
?
Jan 1, 2011 20:25
|
|
|
If its not the front diff, its common for the double cardinal joint in the front drive shaft to go bad. Do you bind up on tight turns? Do some figure 8's with the jeep see what it feels like. Get underneath the jeep and see if you find excessive movement in the front drive shafts, Shake it at the joints.
|
|
#
?
Jan 1, 2011 21:28
|
|
|
Khong Phai posted:I've been torn for a while between my Jeep and a campervan - the Jeep is my car in Australia where I backpack/travel a lot so it's not exactly ideal with the petrol consumption and lack of travel function vs a camper. rather than ripping out your back seats, I would recommend trying one of these first: http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-5998-334-SUV-Quickbed/dp/B000MPQA52 I plan on purchasing one later in the year for summer roadtrips. Reviewers say that it fits Jeeps pretty well (obviously you have to fold the backseat down).
|
|
#
?
Jan 1, 2011 22:59
|
|
|
I'm finally having a problem with my Jeep after a few months of running perfectly. Sometime last week I noticed that whenever I stopped, the oil gauge on the dash would drop to 0 and the check gauges light would come on. I stopped driving it and decided I would take it to a mechanic in early January. I had to drive it out today to the grocery store, and now the oil gauge is reading 0 constantly (when driving, where as before it was just when stopped). When I crank the car it's around half, then it drops almost immediately. The oil was changed pretty recently (early September). I don't drive it very often so I don't imagine that a bad filter is the issue. I checked the oil earlier and it was a little low so I added half a quart, and it's at almost full now. This didn't change the gauge whatsoever, still reading at 0. I've read that the most common issue is the oil pressure sending unit, so I'm going to buy a gauge and see what it reads. If it isn't the oil pressure sending unit, is it for sure the oil pump or is there something I'm overlooking? edit: PS its a 2000 XJ
|
|
#
?
Jan 2, 2011 04:19
|
|
|
You're on the right track in that you need to hook up a real mechanical oil pressure gauge and read the true pressure hot at idle and 2000RPM. For the 4.0 I believe min hot idle is 15PSI, min 2000RPM is 40PSI and can go as high as 75PSI - this is in spec but personally I think that's way high and may indicate a stuck bypass valve in the oil pump. If the oil pump is worn or if the pump pickup is blocked, next step is bearings. Any worn bearing will bleed out oil and reduce overall pressure. Your mechanic (or you) can check all of these things with the oil pan removed without removing the engine.
|
|
#
?
Jan 2, 2011 08:29
|
|
|
Maybe this belongs in the stupid questions thread, but... My roomie has an '03 WJ Overland with 92k miles. Her head gasket is on its way out and the mechanic we took it to said that you might want to replace the timing chains as well since, in his experience, they will fail sooner after being taken off and replaced during the other work. He said we didn't have to have it done, but that if they pop, it will cause damage. From what I've seen, the 4.7 is a non-interference motor and I don't see why the HO would be any different. Unless I'm mistaken, if they go, they shouldn't damage anything and she has AAA to get it towed somewhere. It's an extra 600 or so that she doesn't really have, so is it really that needed? She'll likely be keeping the vehicle for another 3+ years unless something else catastrophic happens, if that matters. She's driving my 4.0 and I want it back. Edit: Speaking of my 4.0. Does anyone have a heavier front and rear sway on their WJ here? I have the 1" rear and after I replace my springs (original from 2000, yay) I'm thinking of getting the front too since it feels a bit odd. Not bad, just odd. Didn't know if anyone didn't like having the full setup or not. REDjackeT fucked around with this message at 06:31 on Jan 3, 2011 |
|
#
?
Jan 3, 2011 06:11
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 25, 2024 19:27 |
|
|
REDjackeT posted:Maybe this belongs in the stupid questions thread, but... I can't say anything about whether the motor is interference or not, but at 92k miles the timing chain will break soon. Very soon. Even if she doesn't want to get it done right now, she should be saving for it.
|
|
#
?
Jan 3, 2011 09:34
|
|