checking over first xj 2.5td

sivy28 · Gate Opener Joined: 19 Jan 2012 Odometer: 7

hi all
went to look at a97 cherokee 2.5td with dreaded vm
heads seem good for now lol no bubbles etc
test drove it and it seemed to pull well
only thing i noticed was it was a bit clunky going into gears and the clutch was biting low down on the pedal ? no slipping

now im a newbie so please be patient
i tested the hi and lo in 4x4 andjust drove in a straight line on hard surface
seemed to work ok but gearing had a higher noise than normal ?

im not sure what i shouldbe listening for what do noisey diffs sound like ? and what things should i notice if somethings wrong please
im ok with most things on a car but 4x4 gearing diffs etc i dont know

any help with this and weather you think the clutch is worn out would be great thanks
just lookingfor acheap 4x4 to knock around and maybe green lane
cheers
sivy

sivy28 · Gate Opener Joined: 19 Jan 2012 Odometer: 7

hi i understand this might of been covered before but anyhelp appreciated simple yes or no will do

1 are cherokee gearboxs normally cluncky I know they are agriculteral but how bad
2 is the normal clutch biting postion on the pedal half way up
3should the heaters get to hot or are they normally just warm

thanks

sivy

Brachunky · Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 2:39 pm Post subject:

You'll have to wait until a few doozel owners pop their head in here Wink

My 4 l auto is silky smooth but for what its worth, the heater only gets mildly hot!

CHEROKEECH · Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 3:51 pm Post subject:

Brachunky I have the same problem with the heaters only getting warm rather than hot, I notice you have LPG on yours as do I and I am now starting to think this could be what is causing this, the water pipes for the heater matrix goes through the LPG vapouriser to stop it freezing up so I wonder if this is keeping the temp down in the heaters Question

CHEROKEECH · Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 4:00 pm Post subject:

sivy28, as long as the clutch is not slipping it shouldnt be an issue on most cars you can adjust the cable so the bite is at the desired height, mind you I am not 100% sure about cherokees as mine is an auto pretty sure someone will get back to you with a definitive answer,
as far as the diffs go there shouldnt be any whining or clunking, they are obviously a tad louder than a normal car to drive but should be relativly smooth, not 100% again about the rear diffs on a diesel but on mine the clutches in the lsd were not working properly so it was jumping a bit when pulling away once it had warmed up, an oil change and some friction modifying additve and it was as good as new, thought I was looking at having the diff rebuilt was very relieved as its not a cheap job

The Smiths · Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 4:51 pm Post subject:

sivy28 · Gate Opener Joined: 19 Jan 2012 Odometer: 7

great thanks good advice so i can benchmark

owner said his only gets luke warm which makes me worry abit will check further thanks
again
sivy

J66P · Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 9:55 am Post subject:

back flush the heater matrix

The petrol should also get to the point that you cant stand it very quickly, they are very very good heaters

sivy28 · Gate Opener Joined: 19 Jan 2012 Odometer: 7

ok went to view today 1997 2.5td great paint and body

but heater only on full and blow cold
checked the cooling system water tank was full took cap off and reved and noticed a very few tiny bubbles so i streched a surgical glove over and reved and it seemed to suck the glove in a little so i guess its not pressureizing ... hoses soft too (is this a good test for a headgasket?)

dont know what could be wrongwith the heater ? thermostat ? blocked heater ?

the thing idid notice isi saw another cherokee td andwhen i looked inthe water tank with the top off i could see the water flowing like a tap nto the expansion tank but not on the one i tested today unless it wasjust topped up more over where the water returns ?
anythoughts

thanks
sivy

J66P · Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 1:16 pm Post subject:

heater WILL be a blocked matrix, its very very common

One thing to note is it may be bocked due to someone sticking rad weld in, check coolant colour and clarity, shouldnt have any metalic specs in the water, if it as walk away

sivy28 · Gate Opener Joined: 19 Jan 2012 Odometer: 7

thanks fella it was red and dirty looked like radweld will look elsewhere

i checked for bubbles inthe expansion tank is this right or is it the radiator cap ? funny thing i cant find the radiator cap on the cherokees where is it ?
is this where you do a comdom test for head gasket ? or can it be sone on the expansion tank

thanks
sivy

The Smiths · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 9:52 am Post subject:

the expansion bottle / rad cap are near bulkhead on drivers side - the little cap on the radiator never needs touching.

most only ever sell the 2.5TD when it has issues, normally after years of never being looked after (the coolant is the key to keeping them running and rusty red sludge is not a good sign - though my first was like that and was still OK ) - so you do need to keep an eye on things

and the head gaskets hardly ever go, and if they do it normally blows to the outside rather than cooling system - its heads that go porous/crack

sivy28 · Gate Opener Joined: 19 Jan 2012 Odometer: 7

cheers smiths

so any good signs i should check for for the main problem eg heads ? what would make you walk away ?

is it mainly the cooling system ? should i be able to see the water flowing round through the expansion tank etc is the heaters just blowing cold a bad sign
thanks again for your input

The Smiths · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 5:39 pm Post subject:

heaters blowing cold is a bad sign, shows that its not been looked after and sludge has formed and blocked it, or it is airlocked which means its been drained and filled incorrectly - which can also lead to failure in long term

water should be flowing into the tank, but don't expect too much as its only expansion / bypass, not full flow

J66P · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 8:18 pm Post subject:

easiet thing if you are not 100% on what you are looking for is walk away and look for a bullet proof 4ltr on GAS, much better more refined option

Brachunky · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 9:34 pm Post subject:

As the man said Wink

KrisBDuck · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 9:46 pm Post subject:

go for the 4l on gas . . . much better option Laughing

J66P · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 11:16 pm Post subject:

or really come to your senses and but a Toyota Laughing

sivy28 · Gate Opener Joined: 19 Jan 2012 Odometer: 7

now if there was a way of transferring gas from one tank to another id be interested as i could tap into the tank in my garden lol

J66P · Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 9:27 pm Post subject:

dont look too far but look on ebay under LPG transfer pump Wink

dxmedia · Mud Obsessed Joined: 10 Dec 2008 Odometer: 2185

les234 · Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 6:02 pm Post subject:

if it been cared for & the coolant changed , you will not have any issues, the motor will do 200K+, if the heater bloews cold..leave it.As you descibe it, it dont sound too clever.There are loads on *Bay..find another pampered car.

Use ya gut instinct

When they are right, they are bomb proof , pull well & so so comfy. Good luck. Wink

les234 · Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 6:02 pm Post subject: