96lasersnake

I recently purchased a 96 Cherokee, 4wd, 4dr auto. It has 103k miles on it. I recently did some routine maintenance on it and have some concerns about the cooling system and temp it is running at. I have researched on here and I know that a lower thermostat will not really help and that these jeeps like to run at 210. I plan on adding a lift and 31'' tires as well as adding tow hitch to tow my jet skis to lake (around 2000 pounds). I already have a B&M trans cooler to go on when I add hitch.


The coolant overflow tank was all gunky looking, local mechanic said he thought it was trans fluid. The fluid in the actual radiator is bright green and the radiator is new looking. I assume the PO replaced it when it started leaking trans fluid inside the radiator. The tank was removed and cleaned out and topped off with new fluid. The shop removed some coolant from the radiator and said it was all green with no signs of trans fluid. The jeep likes to heat up in stop and go traffic or idling. It will run around 220 or a little higher. I replaced the radiator cap and clutch fan and it seems a little better but still regularly running above 210. The aux fan is coming on when it gets hot as well as when the AC is on. Water pump is not seeping and all hoses and shrouds are in good shape. I don't know what thermostat is in it right now. Should I worry about these temps? Don't want to throw money in to lift and use for towing if it is going to have overheating issues. It is in the 90's here and will only get hotter (Central Texas). No head gasket symptoms either. Any help is greatly appreciated!


Temps before replacing clutch fan idling, runs 210 or a little higher when moving





after fan clutch idling, maybe gets a little higher

EZEARL

Guess you could first get someone with a temp gun to verify the coolant temp. I'd be concerned about the condition of the impeller on the water pump unless you know it's not the original one.

Pelican

^^ X2

If you plan on driving XJs for awhile, I would go ahead and get an IR temp gun - not expensive. I finally got one after diddling around for years trying to guess what my temps were and it sure simplifies life.

To answer your question, I would definitely worry about those temps.

No seep from pump does not guarantee impeller is good.

You are just guessing about the leaking transmission fluid and radiator change?

No guarantee of course, but most people are going to clean out the overflow bottle when they flush the system and install a new rad which makes you wonder who did the work and how good of a system flush they actually did.

96lasersnake

Ok will try and grab one of those temp guns.



That is just a guess. The mechanic I use said it was transmission fluid in the overflow tank. The radiator has for sure been replaced and the coolant is new looking everywhere besides that recovery tank. Maybe start with a flush before going new pump, tstat, etc? Thanks for the input guys.

one_speed_heuer

My 99 will normally hit about 220 in stop and go traffic (I try to plan my driving to avoid these times), has a 3 in lift with 31's. Freeway at 65+ will almost always be at 210. Ive never pulled a trailer with more that 500 lbs so I cant really say much on that but it didnt heat up at all but it was also night time. But normally when my family has to haul something like a camper we take back roads instead of the freeway.

My parents 98 ZJ had no problems with pulling a heavy trailer, got a little warmer but never hot enough to worry about even in the middle of summer high 80s to low 90's.

djb383

If u r going to add lift/extra weight, tall tires (I presume no gear change) and 2k lb towed load while running a/c, I'd strongly recommend u make sure the entire cooling system is at 100%.

The XJ cooling system is not a place to cut corners. If your dash gauge is correct, those 2 pics would indicate 220F-230F coolant temp and I presume those pics r under no-load driving conditions. When everything in the XJ cooling system (and the gauge) is fuctioning (displaying) correctly, the needle should be a little left of middle.

A radiator can look great on the outside and be half plugged on the inside and a garden hose flush will not remove the plug. IIrc, the water pump in the pics was not leaking, but it wasn't pumping coolant either. Again, u r going to be stressing the motor/drive train....don't cut any corners/guess/assume anything regarding the cooling system. Know for a fact jack that all components r 100%.

96lasersnake

Yeah wasn't planning a gear change and max tire size would be 31". Those pics are idling and low speed driving. When moving at 50plus speeds it cools down to a little over 210 (probably 215-220). I am thinking of adding one of the csf 3 row radiators and a flowkooler pump as well as new 195 tstat but don't want to throw money at it. The radiator is not the original but who knows what quality it is. Just really want to get this working right and add lift and start having fun with this thing

EZEARL

I can appreciate the urge to play but not knowing the history behind the cooling system could cost you alot of headaches and money. You've got a new rad cap,new fan clutch,shroud,and the auxilery fan works. If your sure the radiator hoses are good all you would need would be an OEM style radiator,OEM style water pump w/heater hose tube or brass fitting,and a 195 degree MOPAR thermostat. I'd eliminate the heater control valve (can be a problem when you least expect it) and plug the vacuum line to it. Get enough heater hose w/clamps to run from the water pump over to the right fender then to the heater core (takes the coolant heat away from engine and oil). Do a good flushing of the heater core and engine seperately. Put it all back together and add a 50/50 mix of coolant and distilled water and your good to go.

djb383

I'd suggest u not throw money at expensive aftermarket parts (unless performance gains r proven, not just advertised) and stick with OE style. The entire XJ cooling system can be replaced with stock parts for <$250. Do your home work regarding radiator replacement. If the core of a 3 row rad is no thicker than the OE 1 row core, nothing is gained with regard to cooling efficiency. Also, compare fins/inch (more is better) and the number of rows/tubes vertically (more are better). If the aftermarket water pump will actually flow more, in a given amount of time, then I'd say go for it....if not, stay with stock style. Always test a t-stat prior to installation in a pot of water on top of the stove using a thermometer to determine open temp and wide open temp. The stat should open smoothly/slowly between those temps. Forget about installing a "fail safe" stat....they're just a gimmick.

dirtyjerz

mine has pretty much been doing the same thing since I got the xj in 2010. pretty sure from my search 210 is normal operating temp lil higher in summer and traffic lil lower during the winter. its an xj it runs hot. as long as its not boiling over i'm sure you'll be fine. i'm sure someone will comment and contest this tho but just my experience.

djb383

IMHO, 220-230 coolant temp when the vehicle is not loaded or towing is way too hot.....maybe not overheating, but I bet it will overheat when a 2k lb extra load is hung off the back and nothing has been done to the cooling system.

Why do u say XJs run hot?......ours doesn't. What vehicle doesn't run hot when the cooling system has been poorly maintained over the last 4 years? If it's running hot, it's telling u something, no?

96lasersnake

Thanks for the input guys. They temps in the pics are mostly low speed and stopping/idling a lot driving. The new fan clutch has kept it from creeping up to the first pic temps. I am going to try the IR gun and if that doesn't show the gauge being a little off my plan is to add a Hesco pump, thermostat housing and OEM thermostat before I try and upgrade radiator. No idea what the new one is, it is aluminum with plastic ends so I assume its a cheap one from auto parts store. Any other ideas or input is appreciated. I don't know about removing the heater valve, any pros/cons to that?

EZEARL

Nothing wrong with this radiator at all:
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par...266534_0_13752


The HCV's were eliminated from the factory from '97 on anyway.

Pros:
-It won't leak or worse (come apart) when you least expect it like mine did.
-You can reroute your heater hoses away from the side of the valve cover. Enough
heat in that engine already.

Cons:
- None

djb383

That's the rad we installed 3 years ago.....perfect drop-in fit.

96lasersnake

Ok little update, took the hose off from the radiator cap area that runs to overflow/recovery tank and blew it out. After that, drove it today and noticed that the coolant in that tank got a little dirty (was bright green as it was just cleaned and added). Stopped by local jeep dealer and picked up a new factory 195 thermostat and gasket. Swapped that out this afternoon. The one that was in the jeep was a Chrysler 180 with weep hole. Put in the new thermostat and am getting same results. Right after putting that in temps spiked at 235, due to some air pockets. After working those out it is still doing same thing.


Noticed that the hose from radiator to coolant overflow was leaking a few drops of coolant so put a hose clamp on there (not sure if there is one there stock or not?). Now the weird part, when the truck was warmed up the radiator cap was cool to the touch. Took the cap off and noticed that the coolant is not really moving. Should the coolant be swirling around at the cap when the thermostat is open and truck warmed up? Thinking now that maybe there is a blockage in the radiator or the water pump is bad. Coolant was bright green coming from the block when removed the thermostat housing. Again thanks for all the help! I know these are probably dumb questions.