Bought my XJ about 6 months ago with a mandatory used car warranty cause it was financed.

It had Zero oil pressure at idle and also liked to run hot. I took it in and they replaced the Oil pressure sending unit even after I told them it sounded like an oil pump pickup screen was blocked or the pump was too weak at idle, they didn't listen.

It overheated in work traffic, took it in and they put a new radiator in along with....low and behold a new oil pump, which solved the oil pressure problem.

But I think the damage was already done to the head gasket at that point. They assured me "Those 4.0 head gaskets rarely crack, I wouldn't worry about it."

It overheated AGAIN, now the problem is serious, it lost power on the highway as I was pulling off, (hence not a radiator problem to begin with).

I take it in and they say it's the fan clutch, after a few choice words I drive across town to another place. They conclude it's probably the head or head gasket, they pull it off, Magnaflux it and find out the head is cracked along with a bad head gasket. Now I got a new head on there and everything is gravy so not really complaining about that.

All I gots to do now is start replacing all the little parts, (i.e. fan clutch, hoses, thermostat, temp sensor) just to be on the safe side, plus I'll probably port out my thermo housing with the dremel.

Moral of the story: Mechanics who want to overlook the root of the problem and bandaid ****, don't get paid on the big repairs. Replace the cheap parts before you have to replace the expensive parts, (i.e. the oil pump in the beginning) I am really looking forward to the 2 yrs when this warranty expires so I can go buck wild on this truck, cause I do still love it for some odd reason.


Also worth mentioning, the 4.0I6 can run for quite a few hundred miles barely feeding itself with oil and can drive itself to the mechanic across town with a cracked head and gasket, not too shabby.

 

Lol, I think everyone on the forum feels that way. God knows I do. I have replaced more parts than you can shake a stick at, and am currently grinding and stripping more rust then anyone's buisness, but I wouldn't trade my XJ for the world.

Btw, Im glad you got all of that replaced and made your XJ happy. Were you refunded for the new head and gasket?

 

Good story, but you shouldn't have been driving it with zero oil pressure.

 

I hear ya, I've got parts fever already.
Yes the warranty co. covered a new head and gasket so all in all, not such a bad deal.

 

You are right and it did make me nervous, but since I reported the problem and they decided to change the oil pressure sending unit; If something catastrophic were to happen to the engine I was covered anyway.

They also checked out the block and cylinder sleeves when the head was off along with a compression test, (with the head back on of course) and all looked good.