Jeepers94

is something wrong under the hood?

1994 jeep Cherokee Sport 4x4 - only 89,000 miles. Automatic

i just got the jeep from my grandpa and it is my first one. I have a 2005 mustang GT I drive, but got this now too for bad weather and a 'toy'.
( yes, I am a girl, and we love jeeps too) ♥

I drive it in town, air on and off, doesnt matter, and the hood is SO HOT I cant even touch it or lift it up.

is this normal? Should it be running this hot? I checked all fluids and toped off the coolent , it was a little low but not empty. My mustang hood is warm , but never like this!

HELP.. I dont want it to blow up!

1000jeep

4L Engines run hotter than other type of engines. They have a cast iron block where as new cars have other lighter materials. In other words the 4.0 L engine on the Jeep runs hotter but its made to run hotter. With that being said, overheating is a common issue with old radiators and faulty air flow from the fans etc. The temperature guauge is not all that reliable but what does it read?

1000jeep

By the way just saw your Jeep picks its a very nice XJ.

Jeepers94

1000jeep - thank you for the compliment. It was my g'pa's jeep , and i sortta rescued it and did a complete detail overhaul on it , (except for under the hood, thats for another day) LOL... Now I get to keep the jeep !!According to the owners manual , the temp guaze is right where it should be, and everything seems to be running fine. A little odd noise under the hood when I first start it , but the car is old and has not been driven in awhile.. so I guess some issues are to be expected.

I just worry about it getting so darn hot!! I am not sused to that at all, and it worried me a little.

I do get some condensation (wettness) on the control panel in the cabin when the air has been on for awhile... is that wierd?
Thank you for responding.. I am enjoying the jeep!

1991Jeep_Man

It's a Jeep. If I've learned one thing about Jeeps, ESPECIALLY XJ'S, since I've owned mine, they are like ladies. Ladies like being hot, so do XJ's except they're hot in a slightly different way. Ladies like baths (both water and mud), so do XJ's. Ladies have LOTS of feelings, so do XJ's (trust me; mine has been ticked off at me enough times). As long as the gauge is at or below 210, and no smoke or any rough running occures, she's good .

1000jeep

Dont worry about the heat coming off the hood they get hot like that these engines run hot! mine does that here in Texas heat. Just keep a close eye on that Temp gauge you should be okay. If you ever get close to the red line on the Temp gauge turn the Jeep off let it cool down.

As far as the noises, my XJ is same year as yours but with 144k and it purrs like a cat so maybe later we can identify the noises one by one and get it running smooth. But it could also be as you said caused by not running the Jeep for a long time so I'd wait till you have ran it for a while.

The condensation is due to humidity either outside or inside the car. Is it still wet from the overhaul cleaning

I've seen these with over 200k still running with no noises. Just do the normal oil changes and the typical wear and tear replacements you should have a nice running XJ for many years.

94JeepCherokeeMan

Yeah, my hood gets REALLY hot after hitting the road for more than ten minutes, but it purrs like an, um... Bear? Definitely doesn't sound like a kitty lol! Start by checking all your hoses and lines for vacuum leaks and cracks. Might help with the "odd" noise.

jeepkid03

x2 on the pics of your Jeep. That thing is MINT. As long as the temp is at 210 you will be fine. My hood gets really hot too, and I'm **** about maintaining my jeep. In the summer its really hot to the touch like you said, and my friends joke about being able to cook eggs on the hood. I've actually burned my hand a few times from it. You should be fine.

Slick761

Accesorize...... cheetah print hood vents :-D... that would make it exxxxtra cool!

Jeepers94

Thanks guys!! Ya, it has not been ran for a very long time. Just sitting there, dying, so I saved it , and detailed the crap out of it.. now the mods begin, but keeping it simple. New radio, lift, maybe fog lights, tint, stuff like that.

Thanks again - I feel so welcome to the forum, and more confident about my first jeep!!!

i need a cherokeeforum.com sticker!!

94JeepCherokeeMan

Yeah, the CF decals are $2.50 a piece lol. Listen to your Jeep, it speaks to you...

djb383

Is the cooling system 17 years old? Does the furd have a insulation pad under the hood and the XJ maybe doesn't?

Maintenance before mods.

Slick761

Btw I could almost cook an egg on it after driving around on a hot day but my engine temp is good... anyone know oil temps on these things??? Seems the oil would get some abuse with the heat we put out. I was serious about hood vents too Btw.