ok so i have a 1993 jeep cherokee sport 4.0 liter completely stock, it has 171,000 miles and i have been keeping it running fine now for 5 years and just a week ago i got done at school and in the lot were i parked it i noticed it was leaking oil pretty bad so i checked the oil and put more in and the next day it was drained again so i looked under it and the oil pan and the oil filter and most of the bottom of the engine is got oil leaking on it, and every one keeps telling me its the rear main seal so i been keep putting oil in it then today it starting smoking and losing spead and it wont drive right over 35 mile an hour so please somebody whats wrong with my jeep, im in auto tech class but im no master tech yet and i havent got the right tools or money what should i do.

 

well if your engine was leaking oil that wouldnt limit your speed........are you sure that isnt tranny fluid leaking? perhaps from a cooler line?
But no one will have the magic answer for you........Wash the jeep underside real good. than inspect valve cover,oil filter area,oil pan gasket,bellhousing area and side of block above the dist where the head meets the block.

 

Fill it with oil to the full mark, then power wash the engine and get all the oil off of it. Run the engine at idle parked and inspect it for leaks so you can pin point the area that it is leaking from.

 

If the jeep starts smoking from the Front and Sides after it warms up, It could be something as simple as the Oil from the Rear seal dripping onto your muffler then smoking.

Thats what happend with my jeep. I had a slow oil leak, and then i started noticing my jeep was smoking really bad, so i got out and looked under it while it was on and the oil leak was dripping onto the muffler, then Burning Up.

im actually in the process of changing the entire gasket seal on the oil pan, its pretty easy.

dont know why it stops at 35 mph though =(

As for the tools, all i have is a good set of Wrenches, a Putty knife, and a pry bar, all i needed to get it off =). and 2 jack stands.

 

im pretty sure its not tranny fluid, but as im thinking about it, i keep smelling something burning, i was starting to think i was loosing power because of sludge build up but i also need to clean my injectors so im definatley going to clean the block so i can find were its leaking but its been running worse than it ever has and it has always been dependable till now

 

Well once you power wash the engine and fill the oil up to the top mark while its running looking for the leak check the lvl of the tranny fluid mark since it should be checked while running.

Also have you changed you oil recently some times the old filter gasket can stay when you change the filter causing double gasketing and that will cause a bad leak also.

The rear main seals do go bad alot on the jeeps but that shouldnt cause you not to be able to drive over 35.

 

Do you have any oil in the coolant water. Sounds like you might have blown a head gasket. Rear mains don't blow or leak, all of the sudden, they leak slowly at first, and get worse over months and even years.

 

Mine was leaking and I sprayed engine cleaner all over the motor and tranny at a car wash and took the sprayer and sprayed it all off and it came really clean and it was really easy to see. My rear main seal and valve cover was leaking. Replaced them both... and decided to just put a new tranny in while I was at it and no more oil leak