Is this Jeep worth it?

That must be a Grand Cherokee or a transplanted engine.

But the price is well worth it. Even if you have to drop a rebuilt engine in in the future, it still is worth it in my opinion.

Mike

jimboe via CarKB.com alleged...

Yes, it's worth $1000. Although anything can break on a car with that many miles on it, there's no reason to expect a major catastrophic failure.

Properly maintained they 5.2 liter (318 cid) engines will last a very long time.

What do you plan to do with it?

We are assuming it is a Grand Cherokee (ZJ)

Properly maintained they 5.2 liter (318 cid) engines will last a very long time.

The most important thing is that you are getting a vehicle with a known history

What do you plan to do with it?

We are assuming it is a Grand Cherokee (ZJ)

I had a 318 last over 400K miles. It blew the timing chain and I sold the vehicle. The engine was still strong. 2 to 3 tanks per quart of oil, but good mileage still.

Mike

What happened to the 200+ pix that Steve took on the trip?

Indeed it is a Grand Cherokee. Sorry for that.

As far as use goes, well I don't plan on any off-road stuff. Just as I said, I do about 10K mi./yr driving, 75% city, 25% highway I'd guess. I can't afford really anything much now (this is about as much as I can spend at the moment), my old 1989 honda is going and I don't want to put any more $$ into it.

It's got an engine seal leak (emissions white when floored), oil pan/tranny case leak (a few drops over night). Every 3 wks I add ~qt engine oil. Gas mileage is

You had me worried there ... while you were describing the Honda I, at first, thought you were talking about the Grand.

I would expect you will get many years good service, especially with as little as you plan to drive it.

Knowing the vehicle history is a big plus. The most important thing is to change the oil and filter every 3000 miles and the other items on the SEVERE service schedule at their appropriate time and keep you tires aired up.

In addition to general Jeep advise there are several Grand Cherokees near your vintage here in the group.

br

jimboe via CarKB.com did pass the time by typing:

You going to probably have to put more into the ZJ given what you say it has problems with.

the white smoke is coolant being burned because the engine has a blown head gasket. If left long enough it will destroy (erode) the piston and bore requiring an engine rebuild.

sucking oil indicates the problem has probably gone further with worn guides or damaged rings.

oil drips are fairly common. rear main seal for the engine and output shaft bushing on the tranny are the usual culprits.

Given the state of this engine I doubt the previous owner did any routine maintenance and probably abused the hell out of the vehicle.

Just my feeling, but your in for an engine rebuild and tranny overhaul, and given those problems I'd also wonder about the other mechanicals diffs/transfer case (if it has 4wd).

Now for some reality:

And that's assuming you do your own work. Figure labor is going to be about half the part.

I believe that is the condition of his rice burner he is detailing.

O boy. I feel like a total net newbie.. As Bill noted, the probs I described were with my current rice-buirner.

I should've structured that last post more coherently.. I realized it after I posted it, and apparently there's no way to edit posts here.

My sincere apologies for compelling you to give a well thought out chunk of specific advice.

I hope it didn't take too much of your time.

Jim

Bill, let me ask you, my friend has a 95 GCL, basically the same vehicle, and he told me that the A/C is a problem with this car. He had his factory replaced once, then it died again, and he hasn't bothered to fix his either.

Is there a known issue with the A/C's in this incarnation? And is it expensive to get it taken care of?

Jim

Billy Ray wrote:

Billy Ray did pass the time by typing:

After reading I think your right. Somehow I parsed it as the ZJ.

jimboe via CarKB.com did pass the time by typing:

heh. :) Move over, lemme join you. I misread your post.

I haven't information on ZJs of that vintage but there is a web site

Well Mister, with an attitude like that... lashing out with apologies and such, I suggest you leave me the phone number of the guy with the GC and get the hell outta here.

-Brian

What about yours (yours to be), any information about it?

The most common problem is you have a leaks somewhere in a hose connector or the compressor and the low pressure switch prevents the A/C from kicking in.

Has the system ever been recharged or had any work been done on it? Do you know someone with a gauge set that can take a quick pressure test?

Billy Ray,

There is a "known issue" with automotive air conditioning systems, that they just stop working after a while. As you point out, this is probably in most cases due to a leak, and as Bill Hughes has stated, O-rings are a weak link. In my experience, when faced with an AC system that "does not work", an aggressive approach is the best approach. Replace all the O-rings. Inspect all the joints and connections for tell-tale signs of oil leakage. If there is a connection that is inaccessible or hidden, expose it. Install a leak detector if you have to. If you are having all this done by someone else, impress on them that you believe the system to be old, you anticipate a lot of problems, and you want all the leaks fixed this time. You may have a couple more hours and some additional replacement parts cost, but the leak will be gone when you are done.

Do not listen to arguments like, "Sometimes there is a leak, that varies with the ambient temperature. That could be why we can't find it in your vehicle." That just means, "The leak is behind an access panel, that we don't feel like removing right now."

Earle