Hydro locked engine
04-07-2013, 09:16 AM
#1
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Model: Cherokee
Hydro locked engine
Hey guys,
I bought my first Jeep Cherokee yesterday. It's an auto trans 1989 4x4 4.0 i6.
I got it from a guy off craigslist for $1500. It ran good during the test drive, we even took it in some mud to test the 4WD. So I'm driving it home for about twenty minutes and I start to get up to about 60 and it goes into the last gear and it seems like its stressing really hard. It was reving really hard for some reason and then all of a sudden it dies.
So eventually the police show up to get the Jeep off the shoulder and then we start talking about what we should do. I call the guy and tell him what happened and he said he will come take a look at it. My girlfriend was really upset at this point because we just basically threw money out the window. This was supposed to be my transportation to school, which I start tomorrow. She goes to college too and we both work part time. So now we will be stuck sharing the Civic. Anyway while we're waiting for the guy to show up a mechanic in the parking lot of this gas station feels sorry for us and starts looking at the engine. The Jeep just makes a click when you try to start it. Oh and did I mention it was smoking white from the top of the engine and the lower passenger side right behind the bumper?
So he tests the starter and comes to the conclusion that the starter is shot. Then he tries to turn the engine over by hand with a socket wrench. It's seized. He basically told me its going to be really expensive to fix or I should just get a new engine. So then the guy I bought it from finally shows up. He immediately starts blaming me for taking it through the mud even though he suggested it. He pulls out the air filter which was full of dirt and some water and then pulls out the spark plugs and concludes that the engine is hydro locked. So he obviously doesnt want to give us our money so we end up having him pull it to a nearby shop that the deputy recommended. We left it there with a note and my phone number but he won't be there until tomorrow since today is sunday.
So I'm not a mechanic by any stretch of the imagination. But I do know a little bit. however, I've never really worked on anything that goes through mud(except dirt bikes) and I've never even heard of this problem. I just want to know what to expect. I have about $700 I can use to fix it but I really have no idea what this is going to cost to fix. Does anyone have any experience with this? Or could anyone tell me a ballpark figure of what it would cost to rebuild the engine. My other option is to replace it which I have friends who would be willing to do it and I know I can get one for under $700. But I need to know what years are compatible. Thank you very much
I bought my first Jeep Cherokee yesterday. It's an auto trans 1989 4x4 4.0 i6.
I got it from a guy off craigslist for $1500. It ran good during the test drive, we even took it in some mud to test the 4WD. So I'm driving it home for about twenty minutes and I start to get up to about 60 and it goes into the last gear and it seems like its stressing really hard. It was reving really hard for some reason and then all of a sudden it dies.
So eventually the police show up to get the Jeep off the shoulder and then we start talking about what we should do. I call the guy and tell him what happened and he said he will come take a look at it. My girlfriend was really upset at this point because we just basically threw money out the window. This was supposed to be my transportation to school, which I start tomorrow. She goes to college too and we both work part time. So now we will be stuck sharing the Civic. Anyway while we're waiting for the guy to show up a mechanic in the parking lot of this gas station feels sorry for us and starts looking at the engine. The Jeep just makes a click when you try to start it. Oh and did I mention it was smoking white from the top of the engine and the lower passenger side right behind the bumper?
So he tests the starter and comes to the conclusion that the starter is shot. Then he tries to turn the engine over by hand with a socket wrench. It's seized. He basically told me its going to be really expensive to fix or I should just get a new engine. So then the guy I bought it from finally shows up. He immediately starts blaming me for taking it through the mud even though he suggested it. He pulls out the air filter which was full of dirt and some water and then pulls out the spark plugs and concludes that the engine is hydro locked. So he obviously doesnt want to give us our money so we end up having him pull it to a nearby shop that the deputy recommended. We left it there with a note and my phone number but he won't be there until tomorrow since today is sunday.
So I'm not a mechanic by any stretch of the imagination. But I do know a little bit. however, I've never really worked on anything that goes through mud(except dirt bikes) and I've never even heard of this problem. I just want to know what to expect. I have about $700 I can use to fix it but I really have no idea what this is going to cost to fix. Does anyone have any experience with this? Or could anyone tell me a ballpark figure of what it would cost to rebuild the engine. My other option is to replace it which I have friends who would be willing to do it and I know I can get one for under $700. But I need to know what years are compatible. Thank you very much
04-07-2013, 09:37 AM
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Year: 2001
Model: Cherokee
Engine: I-6 4.0 L
Hey guys,
I bought my first Jeep Cherokee yesterday. It's an auto trans 1989 4x4 4.0 i6.
I got it from a guy off craigslist for $1500. It ran good during the test drive, we even took it in some mud to test the 4WD. So I'm driving it home for about twenty minutes and I start to get up to about 60 and it goes into the last gear and it seems like its stressing really hard. It was reving really hard for some reason and then all of a sudden it dies.
So eventually the police show up to get the Jeep off the shoulder and then we start talking about what we should do. I call the guy and tell him what happened and he said he will come take a look at it. My girlfriend was really upset at this point because we just basically threw money out the window. This was supposed to be my transportation to school, which I start tomorrow. She goes to college too and we both work part time. So now we will be stuck sharing the Civic. Anyway while we're waiting for the guy to show up a mechanic in the parking lot of this gas station feels sorry for us and starts looking at the engine. The Jeep just makes a click when you try to start it. Oh and did I mention it was smoking white from the top of the engine and the lower passenger side right behind the bumper?
So he tests the starter and comes to the conclusion that the starter is shot. Then he tries to turn the engine over by hand with a socket wrench. It's seized. He basically told me its going to be really expensive to fix or I should just get a new engine. So then the guy I bought it from finally shows up. He immediately starts blaming me for taking it through the mud even though he suggested it. He pulls out the air filter which was full of dirt and some water and then pulls out the spark plugs and concludes that the engine is hydro locked. So he obviously doesnt want to give us our money so we end up having him pull it to a nearby shop that the deputy recommended. We left it there with a note and my phone number but he won't be there until tomorrow since today is sunday.
So I'm not a mechanic by any stretch of the imagination. But I do know a little bit. however, I've never really worked on anything that goes through mud(except dirt bikes) and I've never even heard of this problem. I just want to know what to expect. I have about $700 I can use to fix it but I really have no idea what this is going to cost to fix. Does anyone have any experience with this? Or could anyone tell me a ballpark figure of what it would cost to rebuild the engine. My other option is to replace it which I have friends who would be willing to do it and I know I can get one for under $700. But I need to know what years are compatible. Thank you very much
I bought my first Jeep Cherokee yesterday. It's an auto trans 1989 4x4 4.0 i6.
I got it from a guy off craigslist for $1500. It ran good during the test drive, we even took it in some mud to test the 4WD. So I'm driving it home for about twenty minutes and I start to get up to about 60 and it goes into the last gear and it seems like its stressing really hard. It was reving really hard for some reason and then all of a sudden it dies.
So eventually the police show up to get the Jeep off the shoulder and then we start talking about what we should do. I call the guy and tell him what happened and he said he will come take a look at it. My girlfriend was really upset at this point because we just basically threw money out the window. This was supposed to be my transportation to school, which I start tomorrow. She goes to college too and we both work part time. So now we will be stuck sharing the Civic. Anyway while we're waiting for the guy to show up a mechanic in the parking lot of this gas station feels sorry for us and starts looking at the engine. The Jeep just makes a click when you try to start it. Oh and did I mention it was smoking white from the top of the engine and the lower passenger side right behind the bumper?
So he tests the starter and comes to the conclusion that the starter is shot. Then he tries to turn the engine over by hand with a socket wrench. It's seized. He basically told me its going to be really expensive to fix or I should just get a new engine. So then the guy I bought it from finally shows up. He immediately starts blaming me for taking it through the mud even though he suggested it. He pulls out the air filter which was full of dirt and some water and then pulls out the spark plugs and concludes that the engine is hydro locked. So he obviously doesnt want to give us our money so we end up having him pull it to a nearby shop that the deputy recommended. We left it there with a note and my phone number but he won't be there until tomorrow since today is sunday.
So I'm not a mechanic by any stretch of the imagination. But I do know a little bit. however, I've never really worked on anything that goes through mud(except dirt bikes) and I've never even heard of this problem. I just want to know what to expect. I have about $700 I can use to fix it but I really have no idea what this is going to cost to fix. Does anyone have any experience with this? Or could anyone tell me a ballpark figure of what it would cost to rebuild the engine. My other option is to replace it which I have friends who would be willing to do it and I know I can get one for under $700. But I need to know what years are compatible. Thank you very much
04-07-2013, 09:40 AM
#3
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Year: 2001
Model: Cherokee
Engine: I-6 4.0 L
Even if it was hydrolocked, you'd still be able to turn the crank with a socket and pump the water out of the cylinders. When it died, did it just power off or was there a crash boom bang?
04-07-2013, 09:41 AM
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Year: 2001
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Engine: 4.0
check your local lemon laws. in some states it even applies to private sellers not just dealerships. it may be a seized alternator or pulley, mud got jammed in it and finally overheated and seized. worth checking out, try removing the serp belt and cranking it over
04-07-2013, 09:51 AM
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Year: 1997
Engine: 4.0
did you, as a buyer, check the air filter etc before purchasing? was it clean? if mud and debris was bad enough to get in the filter box from one romp in the mud, as you put it, odds are you were not being nice to it. call me crazy, but I wouldn't expect a 24 year old vehicle with how many miles on it...to take much abuse.
the vehicle did not hydrolock. as aforementioned, that event is immediate. the facts there was white smoke coming off the engine and it won't turn over are both suspicious. did anyone have the sense to pull the oil dipstick and check the condition of the oil? check the radiator (or overflow) to confirm it has coolant in it..?
the vehicle did not hydrolock. as aforementioned, that event is immediate. the facts there was white smoke coming off the engine and it won't turn over are both suspicious. did anyone have the sense to pull the oil dipstick and check the condition of the oil? check the radiator (or overflow) to confirm it has coolant in it..?
04-07-2013, 09:52 AM
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check your local lemon laws. in some states it even applies to private sellers not just dealerships. it may be a seized alternator or pulley, mud got jammed in it and finally overheated and seized. worth checking out, try removing the serp belt and cranking it over
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04-07-2013, 11:13 AM
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did you, as a buyer, check the air filter etc before purchasing? was it clean? if mud and debris was bad enough to get in the filter box from one romp in the mud, as you put it, odds are you were not being nice to it. call me crazy, but I wouldn't expect a 24 year old vehicle with how many miles on it...to take much abuse.
the vehicle did not hydrolock. as aforementioned, that event is immediate. the facts there was white smoke coming off the engine and it won't turn over are both suspicious. did anyone have the sense to pull the oil dipstick and check the condition of the oil? check the radiator (or overflow) to confirm it has coolant in it..?
the vehicle did not hydrolock. as aforementioned, that event is immediate. the facts there was white smoke coming off the engine and it won't turn over are both suspicious. did anyone have the sense to pull the oil dipstick and check the condition of the oil? check the radiator (or overflow) to confirm it has coolant in it..?
The engine has 150k miles and was 'rebuilt' 50k ago because it had been sitting for a few years. anyway is it possible that the water was in the airfilter and just happened to drip down into the engine later on?
04-07-2013, 11:21 AM
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Year: 2001
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Engine: I-6 4.0 L
A few drops would not have an effect. Think about when your're driving in the rain. Moisture still gets in. When a hydrolock happens, we're talking about that 3" intake tube having a stream of water rushing into it.
04-07-2013, 11:44 AM
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Why not cut your losses and buy something else = not 4X4? Buick Century, Ford Taurus, Dodge, Honda, something, etc? Then later when you can better afford it buy a Cherokee thats not a POS right off the bat?
04-07-2013, 11:57 AM
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Year: 1989
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Engine: 4.0L Renix Freshly Rebuilt!!
04-07-2013, 03:14 PM
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wow lol you guys aren't being very helpful at all. this poor guy only spent $1500 on a running Cherokee. what do you think it's worth in its current state? not nearly enough that he could sell it and buy another (most likely giant POS) vehicle and actually benefit.
OP: from the sounds of it, you need to find a trusted mechanic and have him/her diagnose it. it's difficult to offer any help given the supplied info. but if someone indeed unsuccessfully tried to manually turn over the motor...it's not good.
OP: from the sounds of it, you need to find a trusted mechanic and have him/her diagnose it. it's difficult to offer any help given the supplied info. but if someone indeed unsuccessfully tried to manually turn over the motor...it's not good.