Hello All, had a 96 brand new. Now looking at a 2000 with 64K miles. I am not much of a mechanic any tips on what to look for on the negative side? Thanks

 

The 00-01 from the factory, came with the 0331 cylinder head, which has a known casting defect between cylinders 3-4. Not all of these heads will crack, but plenty do; a search will yield many threads on this.

Not trying to talk you out of an 00-01, but you need to educate yourself about this issue before writing out that check. Knowledge is power.

 

Thanks TJ, any way to tell if head is cracked? Water on oil dip stick??

 

It will have problems holding oil pressure at idle. May have yellow sludge in oil. Remove oil cap and look. You can usually see the crack. Its small, but its there.
May over heat as well.

Other things where changed in 2000 as well.
You will have the LP dana30 front axle. Most people will not want this axle if they intend to off road it at all.
You also have more cats. But that's only a problem if they go bad.

If its a solid good runner then I would not be scared to buy it. The heads do make it in to the 200K range before cracking all the time. Mine made it to 220+ before it failed.

If it dose crack STOP driving it. Or you will destroy the entire motor. Its not hard to replace the head. And some even do it before it cracks just to be safe.

With so low miles I would expect you would not have any problems from the head for a good long time thou.

 

Thanks Munk do all 2000 models have the head. Can VIN number help me.

 

All 00' MY XJs have this head unless it was replaced by the previous owner. As far as the drivetrain is concerned, assuming the engine never overheated during the 64K miles and it is not loosing any coolant, you should be OK as long as you pay extra attention to cooling system maintenance. With 64K the engine/transmission is barely broken in.

 

Yes all 2000 and 2001 models feature the 0331 head. It is the first head used by Chrysler for the distributorless ignition system. There is a VERY remote chance that, if it was built maybe the first day of production, that it has a distributor. Easy enough to see under the hood.

Plenty of 0331 heads keep on ticking as long as the cooling system is kept in check and not overheated. Hopefully with only 64k it's been treated nicely.

You didn't mention your location, but as far as I'm concerned up here, rust is the #1 issue. Depending on your perspective, of course, everything else can be replaced. XJs are uniframe, meaning the frame is integral to the body. If either one is rusted out too bad the thing's toast. So absolutely check for rust. Rockers and floors are to be expected. Holes in the frame or major rot in the body (well, certain areas) are a death sentence.

 

Thanks Salad, tryin to figure if your quotes Hunter T or one of the merry pranksters.

 

You bet it is. Just another freak in the Freak Kingdom!

 

TJWalker is right on the button with this one, I'm afraid to say from recent personal experience.

2001 XJ, only 80k miles, never overheated, religiously maintained by the stealership from new. I'm the second owner.

Started losing trace amounts of coolant a few months ago. No signs of external leaks, no milkshake in the oil, no white smoke from exhaust. Pressure test showed up nothing. Jeep ran just fine.

The small amount I was losing turned into about an inch from the reservoir bottle per week. Stealership still couldn't find the source of the leak. Took it to an independent who told me it was 'normal'.

Frustrated, and going on what I'd read on here about the head crack, I started it up one day, grabbed a LED torch and peered into the oil fill hole. Sure enough, I see coolant oozing into the oil.

I caught it early because I always check my fluids once a week, so no damage to the bottom end of the engine was done (oil pressure was verified as being within limits by a mechanical gauge). Had a look at the head when it was stripped out and there it was - a hairline crack between cylinders 3 and 4. Slapped a TUPY head on it and now she's good to go again.

It really is luck of the draw, I think. Some will crack, some won't. Mine has never been abused (it's barely been driven...), and it's been babied all its life, but still it reared up and bit me on the ***. Even preventative maintenance didn't help in the end. I changed EVERY cooling component when I bought it, based on the advice I got from the good folks on this site, and still the head cracked.

Anyhow, good luck, whatever you decide to do.

Ash

 

I've got an 01, I'd stay away from them if they have ABS system. If it has ABS it has the dreaded D35 rear axle.

Be aware of the head issues stated above, & goofy electrical problems with power windows & power locks.

I purchased mine because of low miles & newest I could get my hands in.

 

00-01 has alll kinds of fun annoying extra crap that breaks, crappy cyl head, coil pack, lead detection pump, extra front cats crammed up under the exhaust manifold, extra 02 sensors, if i had to get another one id go 99 and back. But thats just me.

 

Due to your many expert opinions I have shifted my search to 1999 and younger! Got my eye on a 1999 with 77000 miles. Thanks Everyone!! And hey salad I especially like the name of your jeep. Bring the band down behind me boys.FZ

 

How do you know what happened before you owned it?

OP don't let these fools scare you out of setting a good jeep. I have an 01 80k no problems so far I have had it since 58k.

 

SilverHaze - although, admittedly, I am not a wrencher, I do take exception to being referred to as a "fool".

Notwithstanding, if you read my post you'll see that the Jeep has been maintained by the main dealer from new. Before I bought it, I went to the dealer with the PO, checked all the service records and also spoke to the service manager. All confirmed that the vehicle had no incident or record of overheating.

OP - like I said, I did everything right and it still went wrong. Like others have said on this forum, there's plenty of stories out there of guys who meticulously serviced their Jeeps and still suffered a cracked head. I'm not saying it WILL happen. I'm saying that it MIGHT happen. If you buy, just be prepared for the possibility.

Ash