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Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go hereXJ (84-01)
All OEM related XJ specific tech. Examples, no start, general maintenance or anything that's stock.
So I have been fighting issues with leaks and overheating for a few months now and I am looking for some advice. I had a bad leak for awhile around the water pump and freeze plugs. I used K-Seal and to my surprise it sealed everything up really nice with no leaks for awhile. After a few weeks, I noticed it slightly leaking from the spot in the photo below which I believe is from the water pump seal. I let this go on for awhile and just kept adding water here and there. Well I started noticing the temp gauge getting hotter and hotter as the weeks went on while I idled in traffic and I started noticing that the coolant was getting foamy and was a bit milky which from what I'm reading is most likely a bad head gasket. Well within the past week, my Jeep has been making a tea kettle noise after driving for about 5 minutes in the morning. This normally goes away after a few minutes or when I press on the gas but will return when I left off the gas. I've had this problem before I put this sealant in and it would normally do this when all the water had leaked out so I would pull over as soon as I heard it and wait till it cools down and fill it up with water a be good to go until it leaks out again. Well since I put in the sealant, it's been doing this even with coolant in and from I've been reading, this could be a vacuum leak caused by a bad intake manifold gasket or an actual crack in the intake manifold itself. I was thinking that since I pretty much just had straight water in the radiator at this point that maybe the water was getting too hot and boiling which was causing the tea kettle noise so I decided to drain all the water out last night and put in coolant and water. Well this morning it started leaking pretty bad in the same spot in the photo below. I guess I must have dislodged the sealant or something because it is leaking really bad after I drive it for a few minutes. So after giving a little history, here are my questions / concerns.
1.) I was planning on ordering a new water pump and gasket today as well as some other parts but funds are a little low so I am wondering if I should just get another bottle of K-Seal and hope that it seals it up until I get paid again and have time to replace these parts. Could this cause issues by putting more sealant into the radiator?
2.) If I know the vehicle has coolant and water in it, should I be concerned about the tea kettle noise or just keep driving until it stops?
3.) I have been looking into replacing the head gasket and intake manifold gasket, but this isn't exactly cheap or quick so I am planning on waiting awhile to do this (possibly 3 - 4 months). Is this a very bad idea?
4.) Also in the picture below, I am missing the 2 screws for the front of the oil pan. Should I prioritize finding replacements for these?
On a 2000 I'd be worried about the 0331 head cracking issue.
If you have coolant getting into the oil, don't drive it! Coolant in the oil will quickly destroy your crank bearings and then the engine will need a full rebuild.
How is the oil and oil pressure?
I don't know what k-seal is, but if it's a stop leak that put in the coolant - don't. That stuff is horrid and will only give you more problems.
The intake manifold gasket can be put off if necessary - a head gasket or cracked head cannot wait.
A bad water pump cannot wait.
You might want to start seeing if you have friends or relatives to lend you some money and get your Jeep squared away - assuming it's not already too far gone.
Ok thanks for the replies. Oil pressure will be at 40 when I start it up but after driving it for awhile sometimes it will drop to 0 then go back up. The engine is still running fairly smooth so I was thinking that it might just be the oil pressure sensor. K-seal is a stop leak that goes in the coolant. I tried to avoid this but to my surprise it sealed all the leaks and fixed my temperature sensor gauge in the process so it won me over. The main issue is that this is my only vehicle so I can't really afford to park it until I can get the major issues taken care of which is why I was contemplating just putting in more sealant.
What does the actual oil look like? Pop the cap and look at it - is it a solid black color or is it "milkshake" or have green in it?
I hate to say it, but my gut feeling is that you've got a cracked head and likely a hosed engine.
Oil pressure should read between 20 and 60 - 60 on a cold start, 20-ish at hot idle. Low pressure as you describe (granted, you have to confirm with a mechanical gauge to be sure) is a symptom of crank bearing wear due to coolant in the oil.
I'm not trying to scare you, it's possible you just have a bad pump and faulty oil pressure sender, but you absolutely need to be sure that coolant isn't getting into the oil.
If there's no coolant in the oil, that's a good sign.
Research the 0331 head defect and you'll find some pictures and videos, the spot that cracks is visible if you take a flashlight and look into the hole for the oil cap.
If your oil looks OK and you can't see any hint of green in it - and then you look in the oil cap hole in the valve cover and can't see any signs of a crack in the head - then at that point I'd proceed to looking at the coolant leak (which is almost certainly a bad water pump).
I suffered through the 0331 head on my 2000. OMG! There were 3 cracks in it between cylinders 3-4, 5-6. If your oil looks like a milkshake, the damage is done, coolant in the bottom end can/will destroy your bearings. Check your coolant for oil aswell, mine was that bad. Replace, repeat, REPLACE THE HEAD IMMEDIATELY! And if your head is fine, and your water pump, or any cooling failures occur and cause overheating, it will crack the head anyways, and blow the head gasket. Our 2000 year is kind of cursed for this.
DANG YOU CHRYSLER FOR THE 0331 CASTING!
As for the oil pressure, I had the crank worked on, new rod/ main bearings, and cam bearings. One thing I read about for the 2000-2001 model years, even after replacing all bearings, oil pump/screen, the oil pressure is lower most of the time compared to older ones. . I get 45 at startup, no lower than 13-15 at operating temp. Seems adequate.
Min spec for oil pressure is 13psi, so you're living dangerously, but within spec.
I had a TJ with the 0331 that went 302k with no crack - it overheated a few times and went through multiple water pumps. I was lucky though - most will crack.
We Micro-probed several areas in oil passages within the block with the camera nose after 500 miles. We had the engine out in our break in room with it running. Oil flow looked good! Bout destroyed the probe though lol.
Ok so a bit of an update (and good news I hope). I checked the oil and it doesn't look like there is any coolant in it. Also, I guess I wasn't very clear about the water pump. It is still working but it is leaking so I am going to just replace it when I replace the gasket. Also also, as far as the milky coolant, I may have been wrong about that. I did use K-Seal leak stop which I believe is what turned the coolant milky because I just added some more last night (I know it wasn't the best idea but I was just so frustrated with it that I just said screw it) and it did help with the leak a bit but didn't stop it completely. I checked the leak this morning and it was white again like before when I original added the leak stop. Before I originally used the leak stop, I didn't notice and oil in the coolant, however I was mainly use water at that point because it would leak out so fast I had to fill it every morning. As far as the temperate, it hasn't overheated in awhile and didn't go over 180F this morning so it appears to be cooling pretty decently. At this point should I just replace the water pump and hope for the best?
Very good news. So if you have no traces of coolant in the oil and no oil in the coolant, then I'd start by checking that the hoses are on tight and if so, then do the water pump.
If you're leaking so badly that you're adding water every day, be careful, if the pump gives out while driving it will leave you on the side of the road.
Flush the engine block and radiator and everything really good when you do the pump. You want as much of that stop leak crap out of there as you can get.
I am relieved to hear there is no "Cocktailing" going on between your coolant system and your oil!
Never used any stop leak because it is such a contaminate on everything. Probably good for a day or two in a pinch.
Replace your pump if necessary. drain as much of the contaminated water/coolant as you can. If you flush your system, use Prestone flush and run for about an hour, drain, then run vinegar/water and let it run for an hour or two. The acid in the vinegar will eat the stop leak and the rust. If the engine is operating temp, the hot vinegar will become a more potent cleanser. A Flush and back-flush your heater core aswell. Rinse through lower radiator hose with a garden hose. As it runs, check your caps on the side of your engine block for leakage, check your coolant reservoir for damage, all hoses and clamps, and if you can, get a good look at your radiator for rust holes/ deteriorated areas, all areas with seals. Be very thorough!
If it leaks from the Heater Core, thats gonna be a b****, as the dashboard will need to be pulled.
While your at this, replace the thermostat when its all said and done, and re-seal the T-stat housing.
Can't never stress enough how the 2000 XJ model year cylinder head is VERY sensitive to cracking at the slightest overheat. Our cooling systems are precious. I am praying for you brother!
Well I feel somewhat better! I am planning on ordering the new pump and all the other parts I need at the end of the month so hopefully it holds out till then. Thank you for the help and advice!!
I am relieved to hear there is no "Cocktailing" going on between your coolant system and your oil!
Never used any stop leak because it is such a contaminate on everything. Probably good for a day or two in a pinch.
Replace your pump if necessary. drain as much of the contaminated water/coolant as you can. If you flush your system, use Prestone flush and run for about an hour, drain, then run vinegar/water and let it run for an hour or two. The acid in the vinegar will eat the stop leak and the rust. If the engine is operating temp, the hot vinegar will become a more potent cleanser. A Flush and back-flush your heater core aswell. Rinse through lower radiator hose with a garden hose. As it runs, check your caps on the side of your engine block for leakage, check your coolant reservoir for damage, all hoses and clamps, and if you can, get a good look at your radiator for rust holes/ deteriorated areas, all areas with seals. Be very thorough!
If it leaks from the Heater Core, thats gonna be a b****, as the dashboard will need to be pulled.
While your at this, replace the thermostat when its all said and done, and re-seal the T-stat housing.
Can't never stress enough how the 2000 XJ model year cylinder head is VERY sensitive to cracking at the slightest overheat. Our cooling systems are precious. I am praying for you brother!
Thanks for the instructions. I will order a new t-stat and t-stat housing while I'm at it. Honestly I don't know how the head is not cracked or at least not showing obvious signs since I have had it overheat on me quite a few times. I guess it is possible that I just got really luck which almost never happens lol.
12-05-2018, 03:08 PM
'00 XJ Coolant Leak / Overheating Issues
