I got home, and it was a cold night I saw my sister, and her boyfriend on the proch having a cigarette. I decided to leave my jeep running (I don't know why it starts up like a champ in the cold) well I was talking to them about fight that happened in the house for ten minutes. When I got back in my jeep my temp guage was in the red, I thought so, I drove my jeep into the garage, and turned it off. When I did I hear this noise it either sounded like pressure being released, or metal bending. Which makes me think I may have warped the heads or cracked them. What are some ways I can check to see if the head is cracked or warped?

1989 jeep cherokee laredo 4.0 engine stock.

 

Any fluids mixed? Water/coolant in oil? How's coolant level?

 

I can check the oil to see. The coolant has a small leak BUT I check it every single day, and keep coolant in my jeep. The engine is warm (no where near as hot as 260 maybe 210 or less since its been cooling off.) if I start my jeep up tomorrow will there be some obvious signs if the head is cracked or anything like that?

 

/\ yep cross contamination of fluids. And thenoise you heard was probably the exhaust cooling and radiator or coolant bottle releasing pressure. I overheated my 88 to the point it started losing power and died. Ive done it a few times and no head issues up til rebuild for cracked piston ring land.

 

You can take off valve cover and visually inspect. If you get white smoke or any obvious issues if/when you start it then yeah, maybe it's a cracked head. Check you oil first though.. Easy and can tell you a lot.

 

Ya hard to tell for "bad" smoke on a cold day.

 

Haha.. Then I guess your sol...

 

I checked the oil stick and I did not see any coolant. I don't have any extra oil to change it out and check in the oil pan. tomorrow I will start the jeep up and smell the exhaust, and see if it has a sweet smell like coolant to it.

 

Update, I started my jeep up, and the noise I heard last night is similar to what I am hearing now, it happened every few seconds while my jeep was running. Its a weird sound, I will try to get a recording of it, and get it uploaded.

Edit; another update, it seems once the engine runs for a little bit that noise goes away. Now, I drove my vehicle around to see if it would start making a noise, the engine wasn't fully warmed up, but I didn't hear any odd noise. so, I hope my jeep is ok since I have work today and tomorrow. :/