Hi, I'm looking for more advice from forum members on my 1996 Cherokee XJ, recently imported into the UK from Canada, and standing for the past 7 years!

It turns out the radiator is leaking and presumably needs to be replaced. My question is: at 100k miles should I go ahead and replace the water pump and thermostat whilst I'm at it? Apart from the fact that it's leaking coolant, the cooling system seems to work OK. But should I replace the pump as a precaution?

Any experiences and opinions on this would be greatly appreciated.

And a supplementary question(s)! What else should I do to the vehicle given the period it's been standing? I've already been advised to change all the fluids. The car runs OK, but has a few symptoms of things not being completely right:

- the engine makes a distinct ticking noise. I don't know if this is the sticky lifter thing. My mechanic is looking at that (infinitely more able to diagnose engine problems than me). I thought maybe changing the oil every thousand miles or so for maybe the first 3k miles would be a good thing? Any views on that? What about Seafoam?

- vibration or wobble at about 30mph. That could just be me; it was a very bumpy road and a short drive, but it felt almost like the car was 'corkscrewing'. The suspension has been checked and found OK. Mostly it drives fine - just that one occasion.

Finally, do any UK forum members know of mechanics who specialise in Cherokees? Preferably in the UK midlands. I'm wanting to take on board routine maintenance but there are always going to be issues well beyond my competence!

Thanks for any views...

 

Replacing those cooling system components certainly wouldn't hurt...so long as it's in the budget.

As far as maintenance, just keep up on all the routine things and keep an ear, eye, and nose out for anything out of the ordinary. That's half the battle really. Changing all the fluids is a must though. If you're concerned with dealer-recommended repairs you could probably find a maintenance schedule in your owners manual or online.

For the ticking bit, see what happens once you get some fresh oil in the old girl. That may just do the trick. Personally, I change mine every 3K and also run Seafoam through the intake every other oil change for good measure.

The vibration you feel could be a few things. First what I would suspect is the tires if they've been sitting that long, second would be wheel balancing. Make sure the tires aren't dry rotted or cracked or look worn. Seven years is a long time for them to weather the elements unattended.