Allright, I'm just about to buy an xj, and went through the problems the jeep has. Te original owner says that the jeep has no oil pressure. What could be the cause of it?

Thanks,

Alexander

 

could mean it's ready to blow up (dont laugh happend to me). Or as simple as the sending unit is unpluged/not working). Probably got wacked by some dumb mech when doing the oil change.

 

Year?

 

buy a manual oil pressure gauge and test the pressure by hand. Do not buy unless you verify good oil pressure (about 30 psi at idle). No pressure or low pressure indicates the crank/cam bearings are shot. If he ran it that way for long the engine is toast.

 

The FSM allows for oil pressure to be as low as 13 psi at operating temp. The manual gauge is a must.

Still need that year....

 

2001

 

ooooh....you just opened up another can of worms...

2000/2001 XJs had a poor head design that was prone to cracking between cylinders 3 and 4. When this happens coolant mixes with the oil and eats the bearings up within weeks. Dollars to donuts this guy's engine bearings are shot.

Could still be just a simple faulty pressure sensor, but now knowing the year...probably not. Unless you absolutely verify the sensor is the problem, walk away.

 

Oh no!
So I'll actually have to get my hands dirty on this one... The guy took real good care of it, it has no rust at all. 230 000 km...
I'm guessing you're right about the crack between the cylinders...

 

yup you do.

Check a few things
1) manual oil pressure with a gauge (13-30psi @ idle)
2) check for coolant in the oil (milky goo on dipstick)
3) look through the oil fill cap at the top of the head and see if you see a crack with white goo along it.

 

Allright.
The guy tells me they are minor reparations... I honestly wonder what small is for him... I'll give those three things a look, if I can't find coolant, or cracks, where would the sensor be disconnected ?

 

Minor? New head $450 Gaskets $50-75 (head and manifold) Head bolts, new crank and rod bearings, oil pan gasket......

If you're not mechanically inclined, have spare time, and getting it for a SONG. Walk away. I own a 2000 with 109,000 miles and just went through the cracked 0331 head ordeal.

As Nancy Sinatra " these boots are made for walkin'"

 

Disconnect the sensor at where it screws into the filter adapter (the hexagon shape on top of the filter)

 

His will look differently, but the location is the same.

 

I actually am inclined but to an extent. I don't have the room to work on an engine, neither do I have the money to spend on a big part that's crucial to the engine, right after purchasing the jeep. I'll look into the engine bay ASAP, I'm meeting up with the guy on Sunday or Monday of next week, I'll check under the hood, and I'll have a peak at his driveway, just to see if I can spot weird smudges of slime...

 

if you have any doubts after you do, just walk away. It's not worth the trouble you'll go through.