New XJ started smoking and overheating...
10-17-2012, 01:00 PM
#1
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New XJ started smoking and overheating...
Well I have had my xj for about a week now, its a 98 4.0L Auto Limited Trim and have started to run into problems. I did a junkyard lift last night which came out well and am pleased with however right after completing the lift and driving away my jeep started to overheat. The overflow line was cut and coolant was leaking out so i replaced that and filled it back up however the issue continued. After a short drive and the temp guage pinned i got out and popped the hood. Motor was smoking pretty good. Looked to be coming from the end closest to the firewall around the valve cover or head. I had no problems with it overheating prior to this.
Drove it back to the shop i was working at and parked it. Dont like ripping into the motor. Scares me a bit. I only purchased the jeep for 1200 bucks has 180k on it no rust only thing it needed when i bought it was new front brakes a header panel and a windshield. Ran perfect upon purchase. There is another issue with the transfer case not liking to shift into 2wd from 4wd but the motor issue is more important to me at this point.
My thoughts are possibly a bad head gasket or fearfully a bad head. Im a college student and on a budget so would like to keep the repair as low cost as possible and would hate to write off the jeep and resell it after i uall the work with the lift into it and probably loose money.
I guess a compression test would be in order? Not sure where to go from here to make a clear diagnosis. It did throw out 2 CEL codes however CEL light was on before started having issues. p0455 and p0138. The PO did put an aftermarket exhaust on so figured that what was triggering the o2 sensor.
Anyways I am decently mechanically inclined but far from an expert. All help is appreciated
Drove it back to the shop i was working at and parked it. Dont like ripping into the motor. Scares me a bit. I only purchased the jeep for 1200 bucks has 180k on it no rust only thing it needed when i bought it was new front brakes a header panel and a windshield. Ran perfect upon purchase. There is another issue with the transfer case not liking to shift into 2wd from 4wd but the motor issue is more important to me at this point.
My thoughts are possibly a bad head gasket or fearfully a bad head. Im a college student and on a budget so would like to keep the repair as low cost as possible and would hate to write off the jeep and resell it after i uall the work with the lift into it and probably loose money.
I guess a compression test would be in order? Not sure where to go from here to make a clear diagnosis. It did throw out 2 CEL codes however CEL light was on before started having issues. p0455 and p0138. The PO did put an aftermarket exhaust on so figured that what was triggering the o2 sensor.
Anyways I am decently mechanically inclined but far from an expert. All help is appreciated
Last edited by davedude44; 10-17-2012 at 01:03 PM.
10-17-2012, 01:42 PM
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There's a number of things it could be. Is there water/coolant in the oil? It will have discoloration usually a chocolate milk color or light brown milky white color. You can do a compression test, also a block test. Both are cheap and usually can be rented from your local parts store.
There's a number of things it could be, those are a couple of ways to check for head gasket, head issues.
There's a number of things it could be, those are a couple of ways to check for head gasket, head issues.
10-17-2012, 02:55 PM
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There's a number of things it could be. Is there water/coolant in the oil? It will have discoloration usually a chocolate milk color or light brown milky white color. You can do a compression test, also a block test. Both are cheap and usually can be rented from your local parts store.
There's a number of things it could be, those are a couple of ways to check for head gasket, head issues.
There's a number of things it could be, those are a couple of ways to check for head gasket, head issues.
I have a compression test kit somewhere however have not heard of a block test before. Will either of these help determine if is the headgasket or block or both? If the issue even is one of them
10-17-2012, 06:03 PM
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I filled back up the plastic bottle as it was super low. Did not pop the radiator cap off as motor was still super hot. Was only about a mile away from the shop when i stopped at a gas station bought some coolant filled it up and drove it back.
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10-17-2012, 09:37 PM
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Shouldnt it burp itself?
Just got back from looking at it again. radiator was full. Started it up and let it warm up with the radiator cap off. Level never changed. Was steady for a while at idle around 210. Then i revved it up and kept the rpms up for a bit and coolant burst out of the radiator. After settling again the green coolant i had put in there wasnt there anymore and was very dark and brown. Almost looked like someone may have put stop leak in it in the past. Anyways put the cap back on checked the guage and was maybe around 220. Revved it a little bit more and it shot all the way up to 260. Let off the gas eventually came back down while idling but when revved up again shot up to 260 again and eventually started smoking again. Perhaps an issue with the thermostat?
Just got back from looking at it again. radiator was full. Started it up and let it warm up with the radiator cap off. Level never changed. Was steady for a while at idle around 210. Then i revved it up and kept the rpms up for a bit and coolant burst out of the radiator. After settling again the green coolant i had put in there wasnt there anymore and was very dark and brown. Almost looked like someone may have put stop leak in it in the past. Anyways put the cap back on checked the guage and was maybe around 220. Revved it a little bit more and it shot all the way up to 260. Let off the gas eventually came back down while idling but when revved up again shot up to 260 again and eventually started smoking again. Perhaps an issue with the thermostat?
10-17-2012, 10:06 PM
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Didn't say he did anything wrong.....his posts were not stating clearly where/what he was "filling up". Filling up a low/empty plastic recovery bottle isn't going to help a overheating issue much when it's the cooling system itself (radiator) that needs to be filled up. Post #11 says rad was full.....but nothing in post #1 thru #10 indicated the radiator was full. Devil's in the details. The lift got done but see no evidence of any maintenance.
10-17-2012, 10:19 PM
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Didn't say he did anything wrong.....his posts were not stating clearly where/what he was "filling up". Filling up a low/empty plastic recovery bottle isn't going to help a overheating issue much when it's the cooling system itself (radiator) that needs to be filled up. Post #11 says rad was full.....but nothing in post #1 thru #10 indicated the radiator was full. Devil's in the details. The lift got done but see no evidence of any maintenance.
