another tell me about thread (jeep )

[btc]

not rertro i know but anybody know anything about the jeep cherokee what to look for bad bits ect
thanks in advance

brian

[MrKiev]

Rust! Look along the floor pans, sills and they always rust along the roof guttering. Basically check the drive train, knocks or clonks not a good sign.
Engines are bullet proof if looked after, mines got 200k and still going strong, shame about the metal shell around it .

[Lewis]

As mentioned, look for corrosion. A well looked after 'good' example shouldn't have corroded, and there's so many that you might as well keep looking until you find an unmarked one.

Two models were available from launch. The basic Sport which came standard with cloth trim, central locking, power mirrors, power windows, power steering and air-conditioning. The upmarket Limited model was a smarter vehicle with alloy wheels, power front seats, leather trim, tele-tilt steering column and ABS brakes.

Classic upgrade packs were available as a dealer-fit item at the beginning and these essentially consisted of a front nudge bar, colour-coded bumpers, grille and flares.

Later facelifted models have rounder styling and a revised interior - 1997 on - much more modern looking inside and they also have two cupholders, whereas the early ones don't.

Drive several to get a feel for a good one. It should be taught, with a firm ride, relatively sharp steering and good brakes. It shouldn't wander or pull and should feel pretty car like to drive. A good Jeep should also be pretty refined at 60-70 on the motorway and not be excessively noisy or unruly.

Engines - well, the only one worth having is the 4.0, because the other two (2.5 TD and 2.5 petrol) are not great - at best. You won't see better than 20mpg out of it realistically, even in 2wd mode. I used mine on a daily commute of about 10 miles and averaged 17.6 like clockwork, regardless of how I drove it. Best I ever saw was about 22 on a 300 mile motorway jaunt.

As mentioned, the 4.0 is absolutely bulletproof and should be quiet and rattle free if it's been cared for. Look for signs of overheating or waterpump leaks.

The AW4 autobox is very strong, and a great transmission, so just check the fluid colour and make sure it engages all gears without fault. Check the transfer case operates in all modes (look for the lights on the dash) and that the linkage isn't excessively stiff, or jammed.

Check underneath for any leaks from the diffs or PAS/suspension. Should be relatively clean, a few 'wet' marks aren't unusual though. Likewise, on a road test make sure the rear diff is quiet, as the springs go then take out the diff because of the forces acting on the nose of it.

Front discs can warp and cause a judder under braking - but not a major issue. Make sure the suspension is level - rear springs wear out and the suspension sags. Not a hard fix but worth looking at.

Check that all the electrics work and if it's got AC - that it's cold. Make sure there's no water ingress into the cabin.

One thing to look out for is how much tread is left on the tyres. tyresare relatively expensive (I think the cheapest you can get are about £50 but something reasonable is about £80 a corner).

Cats can rattle sometime, as can the torque convertor. Sometimes one is mis-diagnosed as the other......

Power should be plentiful and it should really rip along if it's in good health - they're actually quite light despite the looks and have a small footprint.

Other than that, just the usual car stuff. One thing though - there's so many around, that it's worth buying the 'right' one - don't accept it just because it's there. Get one in the right spec (leather/AC/remote central locking) with a good history and no issues, and it'll be a great piece of kit

I've had two so far, loved both, currently looking for another at the moment!

The interior plastics that were written off as cheap and nasty are holding up well. None of the cars checked showed signs of cracking in the dash or warping of other components exposed to the sun. Interior trim material, whether cloth or leather, is durable and wearing well.

Mechanically the engines aren’t showing any pattern of regular failure. The problems reported are the odd hose or water pump failure, but the reports are few and far between. Petrol engine will happily live on a diet of LPG without requiring any rework of the head or valves.

Drivelines likewise are essentially troublefree, but it’s important to check for a reliable service record to ensure that drive shaft joints have been regularly serviced. Inadequate servicing can result in seized or partly seized joints, which typically show up as a vibration at 80-90km/h.

There was an early recall when the bolts attaching the steering box to the chassis were coming loose and in some cases causing a hairline crack in the side rail, but all vehicles were checked and repaired at the time. Those vehicles that exhibited the problem were those used off-road, while those used mostly on road haven’t shown the problem to the same extent.

Signs of hard use, particularly off-road or heavy towing, are sagging rear suspension so check for a lower than usual ride height or rear leaf springs that have lost their original shape.

Bodies generally stand up well, with little looseness showing up even after the car reaches a relatively high mileage. Scratches in the paint along the sides of the body can be a give-away to regular off-road use.

[akku]

I always liked the earlier model, I understand its largely the same underpinnings...

[btc]

thanks for the replies but its a grand cherokee orivas 1997 no rust that i can see 100k i know the fuel consumption will be curse word

brian

[Lewis]

1997 Grand Cherokee is effectively a Cherokee in a fat suit - so the same stuff applies, although obviously there are a few more luxury items that can break They also seem to be prone to a few more electrical glitches but nothing serious.

It's only the later Grands that came with the 4.7 V8 (some had the I6 too) and revised exterior that you have to run, not walk, from

100k's nothing really, provided it's been looked after. I've seen Jeep engine and boxes with more than 250k on and they're still good

[akku]

Grand Cherokee is the last Mopar to roll with the "classic" 8.25 rear axle. Regular Cherokee uses the Dana 20 IIRC.

[Chops]

I'd agree with everything in Lewis's post and just add that a knackered drive train will get very clunky when turning on full lock at low speed so a figure of 8 in a car park might be a good idea on a test drive.
I've had 3, a big old '76 like in the bunout pic and 2 ealy 90's Limiteds and 2 had clunky drive trains when turning tight.

[Harold Ramp Bumface Fandango]

Take a good test drive on the road. I did and very nearly flipped one on a roundabout at low speed in the wet. Unfortunately it was enough to put me off them.

[chris8490]

i had a '95 4.0 limited went like stink, they drive very good for a 4x4 of that era.would recomend one as prices are low and can be great fun to drive .

[10mpg]

I have a customer with a 4.7 grand cherokee, awesome awesome lovely engine but no such a good car, 65k miles one lady owner before him, Full jeep history and the damn things all but knackered, suspension worn out, wheel bearings (at £250 each) gone, all brakes dead inculing calipers, immobilisers kaput, fancy stereo pushing up the daisys, cv's clonking like mad..

I'd not buy one that's for sure, and thats coming from a long term P38 range rover owner! though i would definitely fit the 4.7 engine in my rangey when the rover lump coughs it's last, that's one luuurvly engine.

Always wanted a wagoneer though, always had a place in my garage for one of them..

[Soopahfly]

[composimmonite]

Be careful with diesels. They have a VM engine and water level critical. If it drops then there is restricted flow to the heads and often subsiquent blowing of gasket.
Despite the negatives you might read / hear the VM engine is actually a good unit as long as you keep an eye on water level.

Paul H

[Soopahfly]

Aug 31, 2010 9:23:10 GMT composimmonite said:

Be careful with diesels. They have a VM engine and water level critical. If it drops then there is restricted flow to the heads and often subsiquent blowing of gasket.
Despite the negatives you might read / hear the VM engine is actually a good unit as long as you keep an eye on water level.

Paul H

I'm sure the engineering types could knock up something like this for pence.

www.coolantalarm.co.uk/shop/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=3

[madmog]

Aug 31, 2010 9:32:08 GMT Soopahfly said:

I'm sure the engineering types could knock up something like this for pence.

www.coolantalarm.co.uk/shop/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=3

Hmm coolant alarm, I like the idea of that.

[btc]

Thanks for all the comments keep em coming jeep in question is a 1997 2 owner with some history done less than 10k in the last 3 years it was owned by an old guy who died i think itwillbe about£400

[Ads 19]

just to add. the vm can be very reliable, having put a further 110,000 on mine that i bought with 167,000.
worthwhile mod is a electric coolant pump to the head. found on renault 16vs, meganes and 19s ideal.
manual box also can be tough. the wrangler 4.0l one is even stronger.
very rare to have the front locker on the dif, only found 2 in the 20 or so i've broken for bits.
the onely place the corrode is the rear of the sills. and where the inner wings meet the floor, and occasionally the roof just infront of tailgate structure. repairs here can be dodgy as i've seen them fold up off roading due to corrosion here.
4.0l lump is fantastic, although does mean there is no demand for spares as no one seems to need them. i send them to germany and lithuania where they seem to go into wranglers.

and the slightest sign of a diff rumble. drain and refill with high quality oil,a and don't forget the mopar aditive that jeep sell, think its basically slick 50, but it does give them long life, rebuild kits are available for dana 20, but £200 last time i checked. better to get a dana 30 out of a ford explorer!

all this makes me thnk its about time i bought another!

[btc]

Had it out for a drive drive well it seems to have like a wheel bearing noise from the rear noise gets faster as the speed increases

[btc]

I think the rear brakes maybe seized both rear discs are quite hot after less than a mile drive and the brakes do feel pretty poor the car has been sitting for 3 months still tempted by it it's very clean no rust and 2 owners what do you jeep peps think

[Chops]

400 quid sounds cheap to me (but I'm NO authority on current values). BTW all the Jeeps I've owned had good brakes.