Hey ya'll! I know I'm new...but I am REALLY hoping for some great advice and perhaps a little luck and well wishes for our poor old jeep as well...see...what had happened was....


5 years ago we bought a 1989 jeep cherokee laredo...just the 2wd, but with the "inline6 cylinder" engine in it. At that time, my husband did all the research, found the cooling system seemed to get poor ratings, and replaced it ENTIRELY - not junk yard parts, good stuff. That was at 190,000 miles into it's life....

Now...5 years later at 250,000 miles it is over heating! BAD! I actually take this thing to work and such, no crazy off roading mudding fun nothing - I have a horse for that - my jeep is strictly for paved roads, it's my ol' rusty red baby. James noticed when I limped in the night it over heated a noise - assumed it to be the water pump - and almost $200 later (because he is a FIRM believer if it comes off a new one goes on with all the rubbery plastic stuff like hoses and small stuff like the thermostat, etc...) he has redone the cooling system...and still...the NOISE exists and it overheats.

His next guess was, because at that point he was tired "Probably a bearing going out in the engine with all our luck". (It's been a LONG HOT summer round here - cranky doesn't begin to describe it).

Really though - all you people who love you jeeps and know SO much more than us - if it's not the easy stuff (he did a tune up on it in July and it passed it's inspection better than our 1998 chevy truck did! and I SWEAR TO YOU if I am doing the math right I am getting like 19 - 20 miles a gallon - I SWEAR. I fill it up, clear the mileage deal, and fill it up later and see how many miles I got and I know, even accounting for gas prices (which sometimes don't change as much as I drive some days). MY JEEP IS MY FAVORITE VEHICLE EVER!

PLease...tell me...what could cause it to overheat besides the cooling system, he's checked all of the obvious stuff...it's making a noise...it's loud...idk....can't describe it. In all honesty - I just drive the cars....ask me about my horses though, that I know and understand...the cars...I'm at a loss...and I think he is too, which I why I come begging help. I've never loved a vehicle as much as this one. Anyone? Please? Thoughts? I'd appreciate it forever!

 

I allways assume the worst in everything. So causes of overheating... head basket... no Bueno, an expensive fix. Symptoms include water in oil. Oil in coolant. White smoke coming from "exhausted and over heating. Check those things. 2 water pump. Did you loose all of your coolant? Good thing to check out. Those are the 2 big expensive thing assosiated with overheating

 

Does "ENTIRELY" mean/include radiator, water pump, t-stat, fan clutch, rad cap, hoses, etc.? Has coolant been looked at over the past 5 years? What does the coolant look like?......clean coolant/antifreeze color or rusty brown? Efan working?

 

Yup - "entirely" means ALL of that. Remember - It didn't sound right when I pulled in - he was GUESSING that the noise was the last cries of the water pump - so off with my list to the parts store I went...from memory thermostat, thermostat housing, gasket, new coolant, water pump, some sealant goo to go with the gaskets, upper and lower hoses - head lights because one had a crack - and some other stuff I forget...but he did it all..OH! New over flow tank thing because that had a crack in it!

If he had noticed oil/water mixed as it shouldn't be I'm sure he woulda said - he's asleep or I would ask - really - ALL day fussing with this....He was in the navy for 8 years as part of the Construction Battalion (the "SeaBees") He's worked on THEIR vehicles plenty to be a pretty good "hmmm ...that noise is..." kinda guy with the easy stuff. THE NOISE is what is throwing him - he can't pin point it and it DOES change as you rev the engine - is it possible we got something defective? I don't think so....I'm a guess the worst person too....

What worries me is his LAST comment was "Probably a bearing going out in the engine - just drive it til it dies" and he went in to bed....I don't think ya'll know how that saddens me...I'm a farmer of sorts - this jeep carries hay, feed, goats, equipment...I go out on calls and do all KINDS of stuff with it that I couldn't do with any thing else - it can get in tight spots like NO ONES BUSINESS and it makes it easier to get out to someone's barn and pull in, unload what I need, and get to work...it just can't poop out...I LOVE it!

But...it's sounding bad ain't it? Would head gasket cause the noise? Would a faulty fan cause the noise? Everything's working though...really...he spent hours checking the obvious....what NOISES accompany over heating?

 

Hi, sorry you are having so much difficulty.

I would ask this...

please describe the noise.....(while driving and also while sitting at idle)

clack-clack-clack (fast, slo, what?)

whirrrrrrring sound? hi pitched, low pitched? stuttering? , constant?

thunk-thunk-thunk? low pitched? hi-pitched?

ask him if he pulled the pugs to look at each one to see if he is seeing/smelling coolant on any one of them.

has he changed out the Heater control valve? (left side of motor as you are facing jeep with hood up, has bunch of hoses going to it)

Is he 100% sure the thermostat is facing correctly when he put it in?

this would cause overheating everytime.
(i have messed this up before and I am a pretty decent wrench).

is it leaking coolant ANYWHERE?

He needs to do a compression test to see if the pistons and head are holding compression. if you have low readings on any cylinder then you could be looking at head gasket and maybe rings and bearings.

not much else I can think of other than maybe the waterpump ya-all got is a re-built one and not so good.( i.e. impeller defective).

wishing you best of luck

let us know!

cpnwrench

 

just thought of something,

is the belt on tight enough? that could be source of noise you are describing, or the tensioner pulley may be going bad...

take belt off and see how any of the loose pulleys spin, if they spin hard or wobbly, that might be source of your noise. And could be co-incidental with the overheating problem. Or, one of the pulleys being defective, is cusing the overheating.

just some thoughts....

good luck!

cpnwrench

 

I would guess he knows you can use a hose, a dowel, or a stethoscope, (for autos) to help locate the source of the sound.

One supper easy test will tell you if the head gasket is really, really shot. With the coolant full to the brim, cap OFF, (warmed up), power-brake it for a few seconds and see if coolant/gas/bubbles come out. A real bad one will geyser. Some surging is normal but if it's constant, combustion gas is leaking into the water jacket.

Power-breaking is just that. Foot firm on brake, some firm, but sane throttle. Common sense here. Not too much for too long. It can take a bit though.

Lastly, don't fret, anything can be fixed!

 

Thank you oh so very much! Since Sunday...well...no progress...but mainly because Monday morning we were woken with a 4am call for my husband to travel...working outta town all week for sure...until then I sit as idle as the jeep...

CPNWRENCH: As for the noise...well...it's not a clack or a thump - to my ears - it for sure gets faster/stronger/more noticeable as the engine is revved - maybe a whirring noise? On the higher pitched side to me... I'm gonna have to ask him tomorrow when he calls how to describe it...he's the fixer of all things I break and I am the farmer - ask me about noises in regards to the animals - I can tell you about those - this is just a "sick jeep noise". I know my jeep is sick. If it were a goat, for real ya'll - I could tell you from the house who and what is wrong...plus I think he hears something I don't.

Thermostat - even IF it's on wrong now, it was only changed AFTER the overheating had started - so maybe it's wrong now and I will ask - he was SO tired with an ear infection to boot last weekend...you never know...

Wasn't out there the whole time, will ask about the plugs being pulled - but I do know due to the animals ALL coolant to the best of our ability was caught up in an empty 5 gallon bucket - nothing odd was noticed out of place etc...and I mean I am SUPER **** about that - chickens, dogs, horses, goats...man they will eat ANYTHING so not much if any was spilled and I think he would have noticed right away - to me it just looked like death in a bucket to dispose of due to them, but I have it still...so I'll go look at it (lid on locked away in the house in the laundry room - really)

HEATER CONTROL VALVE - is that the same as thermostat housing? IF NOT, I DID NOT BUY ONE, SO I DON'T THINK SO...but if it is the same L-ish shaped thing, then yes it is new...but I'll ask....multiple names of parts could be the case though...so please do clarify

and to you DFlinstone....I'm almost game to try that test you speak of myself....for because I am really capable of simple things with the vehicles and it sounds moderately so...if you see this...could you tell me more? Anything, ANYTHING helps...with me, the more description the better, and I knew right away what power breaking meant so the light bulb came on that said "Hey - you could do this"...I mean really...If I can build a chicken coop on my own, and processing rabbits from birth until I tan the skin and cook 'em...I should be able to handle that...

Also, if he ain't back by the time the post office calls me with my chicks, I will HAVE to leave for a 40 mile round trip journey either Thursday or Friday morning...Really...I hate to do it, but it is not an option, the chicks can't sit there and they won't bring 'em to the house...anything I should watch for listen for etc besides me praying we make it there and back (thankfully it's a straight shot, and no such thing as traffic out here and it's been very cool in the mornings which helps)...would coming home and letting it cool to lukewarm be a good time to do the test mentioned? I DO know better than to mess with the radiator while it's hot hot...give me a plan stan and I'll try...

Keeping ya'll posted I promise! I never let people just hang on with no answers when they give me help! If ya'll were here I'd even give you some homegrown ducks outta the freezer!

 

If its a diesel sounding noise, it could be one of a few things, including bad water pump bearings and a sticking lifter. The lifter noise is normal, everyone I know with a 4.0 powered Jeep makes that noise including my friends 99 with 200k, my 96 with 125k and my other friends 93 with 176k. hard to say

 

Radiator and fan clutch replaced? Fan clutches have been known to get noisy.

 

Hi, PM me for the file (adobe PDF) which shows for the 4.0 Liter 6 cylinder engine coolant flow, Figure # 3. hope it will help

you can see on this diagram the locaton of the heater control valve.

also the other compnents involved with the cooling.

the noise you are hearing is more than likely the belt not being tight enough or possibly one of the bearings on one of the pulleys.

If you are going to drive this , make sure you have a couple jugs of water with you to put in the radiator.

also, do this........BEFORE you start the jeep.....take the radiator cap off.

(NOT the expansion[or pressure tank on diagram], tank, the cap on the radiator) and see if there is fluid in there. If you do not see any fluid/water etc., use one of the jugs and fill the radiator SLOWLY, VERY SLOWLY, until you see the level at the very top. If it is already FULL......then make sure the radiator cap is on tightly all the way ( PRESS DOWN AND TWIST WITH YOUR PALM, RIGHT to TIGHTEN, LEFT TO LOOSEN).

good luck miss! Worst case, go to gas station and have them make sure you have enough coolant in the radiator (yes, I know you dont want to do this, but it is better than being stuck on the side of the road!)

good luck miss!

cpnwrench

 

DJB sure has a good point. The fan clutch could both make noise and account for overheating. Especially poking around, not so much when you are flying down the hwy. I guess the fan should turn freely when it's cold, then get harder to turn when it's warm. It should feel completely smooth when you turn it.

Yea, just say, 2, 2 1/2 feet of garden hose. Put one end in your ear and move the other around. Be supper careful, no loose clothing or hair.

The other test takes two. That goat trained?

Can't you get a ride? or have somebody bring them. I DO love chicken but I don't think I would overheat my Jeep much for it! You did say it was bad. An old school trick, actually get the radiator fins wet! The evaporation aids cooling, for a few minutes anyway.