greggav

I have a Jeep Cherokee it's been sitting now for about 6 to 7 months its a 2001, I parked it , it was running just stop driving it I wanted to get it back on the road its been sitting here in this cold weather of Md I have a new battery for it I just wanted to get it back on the road tell me what do you suggest I do

tlang

have you tried starting it?

LSxaaron8800

check tires for cracks, check fluids. dump a liter of trans fluid in the oil and drive 500 miles then change it.

either way it should be fine. fire it up and take it for a good drive

XJlimitedx99

Change the oil and send it

Basslicks

Just for future reference, this should have been posted in the technical section under OEM cherokee tech. -OR- the "ask the question" thread

cruiser54

Thanks for letting me know. It's now moved to the appropriate section.

Klutch

Be sure to check the brakes. After sitting, you may have rusted calipers which can stick. Brake hoses could be dry-rotted. Or, everything could be OK. But be sure to check before hitting the highway.

If you can, check the heater box for animal infestation. Field mice LOVE to get inside these areas and build nests. If you catch it first, you can take the box apart and clean it out. If you don't catch it, and there is a nest in there, turning on the heat or A/C will result in a BIG mess.

No kidding, I went camping with some friends last summer and I rode with a guy who drove a Toyota Forerunner. When we went to leave, we heard a squeaking sound when he started the engine. It quickly stopped and we drove home. Later, my friend noticed the blower motor was shaking when he turned it on. He pulled it apart and found a field mouse inside the squirrel cage. Poor little guy went for a very wild ride when we first started the engine. That was the "squeaking" sound we heard. Anyway, he pulled the mouse out and all was well. Luckily, the squirrel cage didn't shred the little guy and make a bloody mess.

Firestorm500

[QUOTE=LSxaaron8800;3050 dump a liter of trans fluid in the oil and drive 500 miles then change it[/QUOTE]

Don't do this. Bad advice.

Just start it and drive it. Check the tire pressure of all 5. Let the gasoline get down low and then fill it up.

Everything else is fine.

bigbadon

X2.... sitting for six months is not that long. Oil should still be in same condition as it was when you parked it. Give her a chance to warm up. Lifters have most likely bled down so expect a little valve train clatter.

fatbill

lol

Basslicks

No prob. I know you guys have a lot to keep track of.

The tranny fluid in the motor is an old trick to clean the bottom end of the engine. I've seen this actually work on a motor - performed by a couple of old hot-rod builders, but it's not as simple as throw it in your motor and drive it around.

#1 Don't do this unless you know what you're doing. You could spin a bearing.

#2 Don't drive the vehicle if you're going to ignore #1... let it idle with the transmission fluid in it for about 20 minutes and do NOT do anything more than let the motor idle. You have to remember, transmission fluid is VERY thin. It won't protect your engine internals from the heat built up by friction so anything more than an idle could spin a bearing or worse - seize it up.

#3 After you're done, drain ALL of the tranny fluid out, refill it with motor oil, let THAT idle for another 20 and then drain all of the oil out again and refill it with oil again. It's a very long-drawn out process for something that you could really screw up. See #1

#4 - Firestorm's right.... it's only been sitting for 5 months.... just start it up. If you're really worried about the oil being contaminated, drain the oil and put fresh motor oil in it. Rotella is a great oil to use with lots of detergents to get rid of contaminants. Read Salad's post on motor oils for great advice on motor oil

bigbadon

Lets not get carried away. Car sitting for 6 months does not contaminate oil! Driving for 6 months does!

cruiser54

Uh, yeah.

Klutch

I agree the OP doesn't need to clean out his engine just because it's been sitting for six months. But I don't think all the caution is necessary for someone who wants to clean his engine with trans fluid. It's just oil with a lot of detergent in it. Topping off the oil with a half quart or whole quart won't destroy the bearings. It's really not THAT thin and is no different than using SeaFoam or Marvel Mystery Oil; it's just less expensive.

Firestorm500

Modern oil and modern engines don't need any additional additives or snake oil to keep them happy.