So its my first time looking at a jeep and i need help on what to do.
Its a 2000 cherokee with 193,000 but i know the 4.0 will still be reliable after that. The man selling it only used it in the winter and says that it has a bad cam sensor when i fired it up it missed and ran poorly but he said that was the only big problem it has. Can anyone experienced with buying these help me out? he was wanting 1200 but he said that he was willing to entertain offers

 

It looks like you are in the rust belt. If you were to cut off those rusted rocker panels right away, and weld new ones on, and take care of the rusty area around the rear window (and any other areas), it would probably look good for a decent amount of time.

I can't comment about the cam sensor as mine's different. But I've read it can be an issue, not too hard to resolve (if that's what it is). What's your use? IMO the 95-96 Grand Cherokees make better drivers. I like the ergonomics of the ZJ's the best of all the Jeeps. But this looks pretty good for being in the rust belt.

 

Gotta tell you Jacob, be very cautious about this deal.

If it truly only had a bad cam sensor, the seller would likely replace it himself before selling it to maximize what he could get for it. Sure, it could be a bad cam sensor but it could also be about a hundred different other things with some being way more serious than an engine management sensor! Caution on this deal for sure; big time. Was it even running well enough to drive it down the road to test out the transmission, 4 wheel drive, etc. This is critical when it comes to buying a new vehicle.

Also with the 00-01, educate yourself about the 0331 cylinder head issue. Not all will suffer a cracked head to be sure, but this forum and others are littered with forums of those who have. There is a factory defect between cylinders 3-4 on the factory 0331 head with the 2000/2001.

For a vehicle like this, my advice is always the same. Factor in WORST CASE into your offer. That being, if you get it home and find it needs a salvage yard engine or major repairs, what you offer plus what you may have to put into it is absolutely necessary to consider. If you offer XXXX and have to put XXXX into it, would you still be happy?

There are usually quite a few XJs on the market. 1998-1999 are my favorite years for the XJ but I'd absolutely take an older one with more miles but has maintenance records over a newer one with question marks.

Take your time. That is the absolute best advice I can give you. Snoop around, check all sources of advertising including those small town shopper papers. Check Craigslist. AutoTrader, etc. Buy the BEST XJ that you can afford with the least amount of miles. I will tell you something you can take to the bank. You will always come out better by paying a little more for an XJ that runs well and has good maintenance records than buy one where you think you are getting a deal but end up with a lot of unforseen expenses. Buying a question mark almost always leads to you investing much more to get it to where you want it.

 

Welcome to the site Jacob !

Good luck with that one or whatever jeep you decide on you will like it once its yours!

 

I'm going to ask him if he would replace it before i make any offers because i don't want to buy it and then have a load of other problems pop up and if there aren't any serious problems after that like he said then I want to see if i could talk him down to somewhere under $1000 because i'm still in school and just trying to get a winter vehicle of my own. Thank you guys so much for all the advice and please share all the you care to type

 

Is that vehicle a theft recovery?

 

Okay, I just bought a 2000 XJ with 125K miles on it for $800, but it's got lots of rust issues. After I had the frame welded in 2 places, put brakes on all 4 wheels including steel pipes, and tires and wheels, I now have about $2600 invested because I had to pay my buddy mechanic to do the work. It runs really well and the transmission is strong, but it still has that 0331 head on it. I knew that going in because I went thru replacing one on my 2000 WJ which I still drive. Now I have a backup vehicle I can rely on and love driving it!

My point it this; It may look pretty, but make sure it's structurally and mechanically sound. Get it running and up to temperature. Make sure that head isn't cracked already. Check the oil dipstick for milky look from coolant in it. Pull the trans dipstick and see what the fluid looks like. Crawl under it and look at the frame where the rear springs mount. The rocker panels are rusted but not much of a problem, but check the floor for holes and the frame ribs for being solid. Here's a couple of pictures of mine to show you how, even with low miles, it had real problems underneath.

 

Did you happen to notice that the door trim on the drivers side is black and the passenger side is silver? Not a big deal but something to point out to him to help bring the price down a little.

All the above responses are good solid advice. You sure don't want to get into something needing a ton of work on a school budget. If he don't want to change the sensor, he probably knows it's something else.

Welcome to the Forum and Happy Jeepin'
TexasTaz38

 

Just letting you know, a cracked head can be fixed as long as the coolant hasn't wiped out the bearings yet. A head costs around $500 + labor and would probably total as much as the selling price he's asking if done in a shop.

 

Do NOT buy that XJ! It's a rust bucket and will end up being your worst nightmare. When you see that much rust walking up to it? The internal rot is off the scale. Pay up and go find one that didn't live in the rust belt. I got mine out of California. I had to pay more but it doesn't have a hint of rust anywhere.

 

Agree with the caution. If the rockers are rusted, then the floor is too. You need to poke with a screwdriver as rot is very good at hiding under layers of dirt or undercoating.

I bought my 95 for $800 - it had some rocker rust but the P.O. had already done most of the floors (I was left to deal with the trunk) and the engine, transmission and 4wd were all running well.
If the cam sensor is anything like the 00 TJ, it's in an easy area to get to and would be a quick and easy swap - why hasn't the seller done it already? That's a big question.

You need to make sure that the engine and transmission are in good order before buying - high miles is not a big deal on the 4.0, but with the red flags you already have seen - be very cautious moving forward!

 

Be very careful with rust. Living in NJ, I have seen plenty of rusted out trucks that don't look bad from the outside. Rust repair will cost a bunch if you are not doing it yourself. Try and save up as much as possible to find an XJ that is as nice as possible. If you can find a (relatively) rust free truck with good tires, etc., you will be ahead of the game.

 

Known fact: Old Jeep trim fades hard, but rarely dies!

I think what may have happened is the door and bumper plastic trim has severely faded and no longer looks black like it did when new. I had a Jeep that did that. Now, I suspect there was some repair work done on those doors, possibly repainted at some point or repair work done. Body shops are required to "Make it look new" by agreement with the insurance companies, so they either replaced the trim with new, or repainted them with a coat of bumper paint ...or possibly even replaced the doors. I suspect if a person with a good eye for bodywork were to look at those doors or that side of the XJ, they'd find some repair work. Could be extremely minor, or something more. Doesn't necessarily mean there's anything wrong with it.

Few yrs ago I hit two deer (at same time) with my car and there was a little damage on both sides and a crumpled hood. Basically I got an almost complete whole-car paint job (which it needed anyway)!!
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I never trust a seller who did not fix the problem that is "minor"
If it was minor, he's have fixed it, and kept it.
Tell him to get the sensor fixed, and you'll pay him the price of the repair.
Then see if it runs right on his dime.