I need another XJ a buddy whos has a few and works on them bsait not to get a 2000 for some reason .Can anyone tell me WHY?????

 

2000 and 2001's have 0331 heads that crack often. Sometimes they crack from wear, and not overheating. They also have the less desirable low pinion Dana 30.

BUT, they're not bad. Check the XJ out, see if it's got water in the oil. High pinion Dana 30's are a dime-a-dozen. Just checked FB marketplace and there's like 5 near me all selling for 100 or less. Bolt in swap. Otherwise, there's no reason to be afraid of them.

 

English, please.

 

Unless you plan on going serious off-road, I don't see the need to swap the D30 just because it's a low pinion. It's still a D30 and limited in it's strength anyhow. The 0331 head IS a problem, but if you keep that in mind and catch it quickly, you'd be okay. The main differences with the 2000 and 2001 are the waste spark system with a coil rail instead of a distributor and the ignition switching done by the computer. The chipped key SKIM system was optional for better security, but mine doesn't have that or ABS brakes or cruise control. They DO have cast iron exhaust manifolds that hold more heat than the steel header and that adds to heat soak under the hood. You can switch to a steel tube header but that requires an adapter because of the exhaust port size difference. The 0331 ports are tiny.

I guess I'm pointing out reasons NOT to buy one, aren't I? Well, I bought one and now am living with it. The point I'm making is there are a lot of them out there and few people want to buy them.

 

I wouldn't avoid buying them. Just look out for the head issue like mentioned above. Other than that, there's really no reason to avoid them. I have a 2000, that had the head issue around 50k miles. Had a TUPY head put on, and 100k later still running strong with good oil pressure.

 

Also, some 2000 have a single cat and two o2 sensors, but some have dual precats along with four o2 sensors. More money when that stuff goes bad.

 

California emissions equipped vehicles have 3 converters, 2 on the split manifold with 2 sensors each, and a converter underneath that's just along for the ride, not monitored that is. My 2000 XJ lost it's downstream converter and still passes emissions in NY because we don't use a tailpipe sniffer....yet. NY State decided in 97 to have any vehicle sold in the state as new to be CA emissions equipped. The 4 sensors are heated and specific for their location because the plugs are different, and of course are expensive.

Federal emissions vehicles have only 1 converter underneath the jeep with 2 sensors,1 before and 1 after the converter.