Jeep Cherokee

[eddyramrod]

As I may have mentioned* on previous occasions, I'm going to have to get rid of the two cars I brought from Cyprus, because Mrs R is finding them too low to get in and out of without pain. I therefore need something taller. A 1998 Jeep Cherokee (not Grand Cherokee) has crossed my path, and seems worthy of serious consideration. It's a 4.0 petrol six-pot with LPG and auto box, which looks to me like an ideal spec.

So: anyone know of any dealbreakers I should be looking for when I'm crawling about underneath it? Or when driving it?

[Guest]

Avoid being mistaken for Marcus Tandy. That worked for me.

 

Also, the VM diesels are rough as balls, but pretty strong.

[garbaldy]

As I may have mentioned* on previous occasions, I'm going to have to get rid of the two cars I brought from Cyprus, because Mrs R is finding them too low to get in and out of without pain. I therefore need something taller. A 1998 Jeep Cherokee (not Grand Cherokee) has crossed my path, and seems worthy of serious consideration. It's a 4.0 petrol six-pot with LPG and auto box, which looks to me like an ideal spec.

So: anyone know of any dealbreakers I should be looking for when I'm crawling about underneath it? Or when driving it?

 

 

whats the asking price for it ?

[eddyramrod]

Jon: diesel? Haven't you read a word I've written over the last couple of years????? Whatever I buy, be it this or anything else, will be petrol-powered and automatic! I thought you knew me better than that by now...

 

Asking price is £1495, which I'm aware is high, but not so high as to break the deal.

 

What I was really after here was model-specific tips that might cover something I could otherwise miss in the inspection.

[ayrshirelad]

Have a look underneath at the floor and see how rotten it is. Cheack the radiator to make sure it doesnt leak. Mines had a pin prock of a hole in it but boy did it leak. Also check the headlights as the reflectors have a nasty habit of corroding, and you cant see where you are going at night as the light out put becomes very poor. Headlight btw can be a tad hard to find as everyone wants them who has a Cherokke but ones in scrappy rend to loose the lights first. On the normal cherokke ie NOT the grand you can change the radiator over relativly easily. However what Mr Haynes doesnt tell you is that yellow clips that hold the oil cooler pipe on need a special tool to remove. I ended up usinga modified piece of copper pipe. However apart form that make sure gearbox does its stuff and no leaks from the fuel system i e the pump and that it hasnt been used abused off road. I got mine as a tow car and i only got rid due to mega rot on his underside. Does like the juice though!

[garbaldy]

i only ask as i have just bought a grand cherokee laredo thingy and its also a six shooter auto cooking on gas, oh and i dont like it thats a record for me one day and sick of it

[eddyramrod]

Ayrshirelad, that's the kind of thing, thank you!

Garbaldy: already? Oh dear, that doesn't bode well. What does is, it's American (I know, probably assembled in Austria but you know what I mean) and a suitable size and configuration for my needs. I don't worry about fuel consumption much: if I did I'd have a new Fiat Panda or some such, or even (God forbid!) a Golf Blu-Motion. Don't worry, that will NEVER happen! Logic would suggest a Meriva, Zafira or equivalent but I'm a Shiter, I don't do logic. Therefore a 14-year-old 4.0 Jeep is perfect! I don't drink or smoke, might as well put it in the tank...

[garbaldy]

Garbaldy: already? Oh dear, that doesn't bode well. What does is, it's American (I know, probably assembled in Austria but you know what I mean) and a suitable size and configuration for my needs. I don't worry about fuel consumption much: if I did I'd have a new Fiat Panda or some such, Jeep is perfect!

 

well what can i say i get bored quick and heres me trying to have a cull i paid just over half that for mine as the guy was trying to sell it for over 6 months and not so much as a sniff. they do seem to be hard to shift which no doubt i am about to find out.

 

might as well put it in the tank...

 

well we will have you to thank for getting the countrys deficit in order

[eddyramrod]

the guy was trying to sell it for over 6 months and not so much as a sniff. they do seem to be hard to shift

 

Actually that's quite encouraging! Might mean I can get a better deal if I'm patient, or at least can persuade the seller that he doesn't want to be lumbered with it. We'll see... If it does happen you'll all get sick of the sight of it!

[garbaldy]

i only ask as i have just bought a grand cherokee laredo thingy and its also a six shooter auto cooking on gas, oh and i dont like it thats a record for me one day and sick of it

 

Are you suggesting Eddy makes you an offer?

 

 

nope as ive not listed it up for sale yet as the one thing i do like is the lounge chairs

[Pete-M]

My '97 Grand Cherokee LTD with LPG cost £750 just under two years ago. Ok, it needed a few bushes here and there, but to look at it was immaculate and low mileage (120k).

 

MPG isn't good even on gas. You're looking at around 12-14 mpg in town, 16-18 on a run. Fuel computer gives even worse figures as it indicates US MPG. It'll do the same MPG even if you're towing a house or feathering the throttle like it had an angry crocodile under it.

 

Quadra Trac 4wd is pretty shit really, viscous coupling in the transfer box isn't that strong, rear axles have an LSD which is nice, but they do wrong rather too often. If it has a dual exit exhaust manifold it'll crack - stainless ones are on eBay for around £100, inlet manifold off to replace which can be fun with the extra LPG stuff. Plenty of grease nipples to play with underneath. Being a Cherokee it'll be leaf springs instead of coils and selectable 4wd. Panhard bushes / ball joint will probably be shagged, not too hard to sort. If you do an oil change, be careful you don't drop the filter wrench onto the starter motor as it'll jump up and break the £75 oil pressure sender, ask me how I discovered that one. A multitude of cable ties will work as a temporary repair. The tailgate lock will fuck up over winter, but plenty of WD40 and messing with the boot handle will eventually persuade it to open. When you get to this point, immediately clean and lube all the lock bits in the tailgate. Watch for the two screws that hold the window interior trim in place. The fan belt will squeak.

 

To give the one I had some credit, it did a fair bit of hard work over the time I had it and never once let me down. Always felt like it might, but never actually did.

[ayrshirelad]

You are very welcome. I forgot to say the wee cherokkes seem to be a tad more reliable than the Grands. Personally i prefer the original style to the later ones. However e]get a good one and you will be fine. At the price you mentioned i suspect it should be aok. I forgot to say check the front windscreen sourround. Mines had had its windscreen replaced at some point before i got it. However who ever had done the deed hadnt properly fixed the windscreen souround. Thus the glove box did a nice impression of a fish tank!. Didnt do the metal work undearnet the dash much good either or the heater motor for that matter. I got the heater working eventually!. I still have a spare wheel for a cherokke in me shed. A good one still on its alloy. Anyway happy jeep hunting i got mines form Gum Tree in the end. He A framed a Morris ITAL estate car up to Killlie from the middle of wales as if he didnt have anything on his tail at all. The Jeep and spares car were both full of spares including a engine and gearbox!. However you will be very friendly with your local filling station though!

[Guest]

As has been said Rot. All the way up both lengths. MAssive amounts. Seen 6 inch wide bands of pure unadulterated rot. Across the back. Seen it on roofs too. Scuttles.

Rear diffs pop.

Rapid bits of kit though

 

18 months ago the then current Mrs had one. It was worth nothing as too juicy.Rot. Diff was borked. Clunked and lurched in 4WD. £1500 is top top top money. It's the sort of thing old school 'did have money' types hang on to and at the other end of the spectrum was a council house classic back then.

[Pete-M]

Oh yeah, and they have a habit of the chassis legs splitting. Mine was ok for rot. Mechanically wasn't brilliant though.

[Morgan84]

I can't speak for longevity issues,as I have't seen that many at all,but I know underside rust of pipes and components etc is quite advanced on Jeeps,which kind of kills off the urban myth that a Jeep's a good old rough and tough American brute - far from it !

 

A friend of mine started buying them Jeep's new when they first launched in the UK,and had the 4.0 LTD models,and absolutely loved them;I think he had three of them in a row,then went over to a Crossfire and a SLK,but after a while,the itch was back for another Jeep,and he went to the local dealer,and said he wanted any Jeep Cherokee they could get their hands on,as he didn't like the new one ( which had been out a couple of years ). He ended up with another green 4.0 LTD and kept it for a while,before changing it for another SLK.

 

Sport was the cheaper trim level and Limited was the better one,although there were plenty of options available,plus a few specials such as the Orvis if memory serves me right

[andrew e]

Yo Eddy, can I lob in some suggestions? The old Zafira isn't bad at all and has a bomb proof traditional autobox, so don't discount it. Me and the old man still have one 50/50. It even has traction control when my 3 years newer Astra auto doesn't...For seating requirements - we have had both shape automatic A klasse's in the family too, but you are playing bingo with autobox life expectancy there. Mrs E smokes round in a 23 to the gallon petrol auto Grand Viatara at present, not stupidly high to get into but a good driving postion (mind you its the present shape so might be a few £££ adrift).

 

However the one we miss was the 3.3 Grand Voyager. The old Exxon Valdeze would smoke its 15" "sonars" in any gear, had a cracking infinity stereo AND an electric compass. It also had 175k on the clock (in 2005 when it was just 8 years old!) kept it nearly 3 years, only selling it to some Poles when it burnt me in France when the in tank pump failed (after nearly 1700 miles on the continent, it couldn't wait another 100 miles till to Calais.....) bought for £1700 and sold for £1350 5 years ago, I really regret letting it go. My daughters still go on about the rear leather armchairs

[peter9000uk]

They are also a kind of reverse Tardis. They look huge on the outside but are very small inside, made even worse if the spare is carried inside. As already mentioned £1400 is very top end pricewise. They are classed as a 3rd eyebrow in the motortrade

[Pete-M]

Zafiras are sensationally shite in every single way.

 

When they're running 'right' they're not too tragic, but as that's one day every millenia...

[Cavcraft]

I'm one of those that can't see a single endearing feature of Jeeps. They are pretty horrible to drive too.

[Ian Nexus]

They certainly don't drive like a "normal" car!, I'm glad someone mentioned the reverse Tardis thing, ours annoys me because of the lack of rear seat space for what is not a small vehicle. They are relatively cheap to buy and with $2.99 a gallon petrol the poor fuel consumption is not such an issue here.

Unfortunately they are quite durable (we don't suffer any rust issues here in the South) ours just turned 253k miles, I have seen examples with up to 600k.

[dollywobbler]

Zafiras have seats hewn from actual granite.

 

Not sure a Jeep is a good idea because if it's anything like my ol' Rangie was, you have to leap up a bit to get in. People carriers are a good shout, but consider a Citroen Berlingo too. I really like a proper sit-up driving position and it should be more comfortable for your good lady wife. 1.8 petrol worth a shout if you don't do mega miles. Everyone goes mad for the diesel, so the petrol is cheaper and will still do 30-35mpg by all accounts.

[Pete-M]

The endearing features of my Jeep were a blindingly good stereo and the ability to pull things hundreds of miles without complaint.

 

Other than that, yeah, I can see what you're saying. It wasn't brilliant, but it did the job.

[eddyramrod]

Thanks for the suggestions chaps! I have been looking at Zafiras, because I know them, I used to drive them on the care work. However, they are not much of a luxury car; granite seats is a bit generous. Berlingo is too small really (says the Metro owner ) but Voyager... is actually the top item on my list! It would definitely be the 3.3, so good call there. I have a few on my ebay watch list. The Jeep wasn't even a contender until I just saw this one. Mrs R has now had a ride in it and liked it, which may be the deciding factor, although of course I need to like it because it'll be Muggins here doing all the driving!

[Pete-M]

Weirdly, I drove an 07 plate diesel Voyager 150 miles earlier this week. Reminded me of the Jeep in a lot of ways, same type of leather on the seats, same plastic quality, same 'feels like it's about to break but has always felt like that" switch gear. Typical Yank in a lot of regards. Some really clever thinking carried out slightly shabbily.

 

Didn't handle even slightly, but it was fine as long as not too much was being asked of it. Sat at motorway speeds happily enough, wasn't noisy and the ride was fine. It made a fair bit of noise over some bumps but swallowed them up well enough, almost as if the bangs from the suspension were just to remind you that it's there. Bit like a hyperspasticpleumaticoilyspringsoohlala Citroen.

 

Column shift auto box was unobtrusive but at 30-40 mph lifting off the throttle just made the thing coast along, to regain any momentum normally meant a 4-500 rpm rise in revs. Reminded me of an old FX4 cab I once drove.

 

Electric sliding doors are fun. Make some unusual noises as all the latches and associated gubbins churned through their various jobs. Bzzzzzzt - Click - Whirr - Clunk - Bzzzzzt - click - Thud. You know the Brits or the Germans would have made them sound a lot better, or not make any noise at all, but I suppose that's the Yanks at their "SHOWTIME" thing again. Stand next to one and open the doors with the remote. It sounds like you've wandered onto a sound stage for a mechanic trying to fix the Millenium Falcon.

 

Everything appeared to work though, so I suppose that's why people buy 'em. It was only five or so years old, but it had 170k on the clock and didn't feel too bad. If I found one for £1500 or so I'd rock it for a while.

[warren t claim]

Didn't the sliding storage boxes fall on your head Pete? You must of had a good one.

[Pete-M]

Sliding storage boxes???

[warren t claim]

Sliding storage boxes???

 

Yep, on rails bolted to the headlining moulding.

[Junkman]

I'm one of those that can't see a single endearing feature of Jeeps. They are pretty horrible to drive too.

 

^^

This.

 

I worked for a Chrysler-Jeep dealership in Germany in the late Eighties/early Nineties and had to drive these on a regular basis as company cars,

if no LeBaron 3.0 Coupe was available.

They were trouble-prone, ill-handling on the raod and pretty useless off it. Despite the rather mediocre performance they deliver

(considering they are 4 Litre sixes), they are royal petrol guzzlers.

Assembly quality was indifferent on a good day, despite the European spec models were built at Steyr-Puch in Graz, on the same assembly line as the

Mercedes G-Wagen.

Whereas you saw the Voyagers only at their regular maintenance intervals, the Jeeps constantly came back for warranty work.

Granted that all those ailments would be sorted on an example you can buy nowadays, you still can't compare them in any way with a Range Rover Classic,

or Jeep's own Grand Wagoneer (I say this from personal experience). Not even a Chevrolet Blazer, I daresay, and that is rubbish (also from personal experience).

The only thing going for it is the Quadratrac, if so equipped, which at least makes it superior to the contemporary offerings from Japan.

Make no mistake, this doesn't take a lot.

 

I'd say they are shit, not shite.

[Cavcraft]

A Voyager?

Have a read up on them first, Eddy. God awful things with a terrible crash rating.

[cort16]

No, no, no you've got it all wrong you want this, a petrol Espace with LPG and an Autobox.

 

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/renault-espace-7-seater-with-lpg-conversionlpgautomatic/1004582795