trapper

Seeing as how there was no thread on this that was coherent thread on this that was search-able and of any value, I thought I would post mine for us and new people to reference because even people who "know what to look for" can overlook important things.

Add your own thoughts, nothing is too small to overlook!

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Take:

• jack
• jack stands
• crow bar
• star wrench
• screw drivers
• small pry bar
• rubber gloves
• paper towels

Questions to ask:

• where was is bought
• when was is bought
• how many miles did he put on it
• how long has is sat

Check:

• Clear title (salvage)
• does title vin match the vehicle
• loose wires under the hood
• lights and turn signals work (high, low, left/right, brake, hazard, running)
• dash board lights up
• windows cracked chipped or broken
• burn marks on hood or in engine bay
• soot marks on exhaust manifold
• exhaust manifold bolts
• surface rust along the drip rails, fenders, roof, door jams, door bottoms
• Clear coat peeling
• is the interior pretty beat up
• e brake holds
• shifts trans & t-case fluidly
• headliner
• windshield wipers move and spray (rear too)
• do all seat belts latch, belts pull easily
• rust on the floor pans (pull carpet up)
• stock brakes and wear
• shocks for rebound (front and back, side to side)
• ball joints (lift tire w/crow bar and check side to side movement)
• vacuum on front axle
• scratches, dents, scrapes under the truck
• play in the drive shafts
• leak spots on the ground
• shift and steering linkage play
• air filter
• belt cracked
• visual inspection of radiator
• busted steering column and door locks, keys work in doors? (was is broken in to?)
• does the body line up (hood, fenders, front clip, doors, rear hatch)
• are there any tool marks on body bolts
• how do the doors close
• do the windows roll up and down smoothly
• does the dash board squeak, is it loose anywhere, body panels
• motor mounts
• smell and color of fluids
  • oil
  • transmission
  • coolant and bottle
  • steering fluid

Start:

• does the coolant bubble with raid. Cap off when started
• are there any vacuum lines disconnected
• does the motor knock
• are there any squeals
• fuel rail leak
• smoke from the exhaust
• exhaust rattles

TrekkerJmm

How about checking the Heat & AC to see if they both work and also the 4 wheel dr...Tj

guest02

How about adding;

Cracked Exhaust Manifold (Soot Marks...)
Do the Reverse Lights work- NSS
Does the Heater operate properly- Switch Controls and Vents
Does Rear Defogger operate properly
Does it show signs of tampering, cut and missing wiring in Engine Compartment and under the Dash. Missing nuts or bolts.

That Jeep Guy XJMJ

u-joints.... floorboards.... wheel bearings.... bumper core-support and frame rails in front where bumper mounts.... oil leakage...

deffinitely bring a hammer and hit the frame rails from front to rear on 90's models to check for frame rot (ESPECIALLY REAR)

89cherokeeL

make sure seats are fully operable, make sure all mirrors work properly , check steering components , bushings , underside

mcguyver_xj

take it for a lengthy test drive to see if cel turns on or if u have access to very expensive scan tool check for previously deleted codes or engine starts since codes were cleared.
check for rocker panel rot, oil pan rot, tranny pan rot.
check brake and fuel lines
upper and lower control arm mounts for cracking or re-welding

Zreiser

I would just check for all the things that went wrong with my 1st Jeep:

*Doors (do they all line up and close/lock properly?) Are they original? (look for mis matched colors near or under the trim)
*x2 on the windows
*x2 on AC/Heat (esp AC! You can always get your jeep too hot!)
*ANY FUNKY OR AFTERMARKET WIRING!!!!! Some idiot put an underglow kit on mine and totally f***ed up the wiring.
*Make sure everything is where it's supposed to be (if you don't know Jeeps, find someone who does)
*Check Vacuum lines to make sure they aren't brittle.
*Buy from someone who's passionate about cars!! If they are, chances are any problems have been taken care of
*Ask for a current Safety/IM inspection to be done at the owners expense BEFORE YOU BUY
*Check all the suspension: make sure rear springs aren't flat or negative, make sure shocks rebound well (drive it over a curb or a speed bump, bounce on the back bumper), check the bushings too, make sure they're not corroded or falling apart
*Check for oil leaks EVERYWHERE but especially the air filter box
*Look at the cleanliness of the engine and bay. A clean engine runs better, and is easier to see where problems are. If there's carbonized oil everywhere, DON'T BUY IT.
*Make sure the steering column is tight. If it wobbles when you grab it, DON'T BUY THE JEEP UNLESS YOU WANT TO SWAP THE WHOLE COLUMN! (it's a cheap but PITA fix)
*Does it start easily?
*Check all the gauges to see if all the needles move when you start up.
*Go for a test drive up a steep hill and on the freeway. Watch for squishy brakes, death wobble (heavy vibration over 55mph or after hitting bumps, both indicative of bad alignment or steering dampener issues)
*Make sure all the door and window seals are in good condition (no tears or crumbling. Trust me, you don't want to replace them, they're expensive for such a stupid part)
*No scratches in the glass
*CHECK FOR CRACKS IN THE FRAME! I know it sounds stupid, but I found out the hard way my 1st XJ had been rolled down a mountain, but didn't have a salvage title because the guy owned a body shop and straightened it out himself!
*Does the rear wiper exist/work?
*Is there any duct tape ANYWHERE??? If so, why?
*Is there any rust? How much? Is it on any critical systems (like around bolts on the fender, or the vacuum ball mounts, or on the main stiffeners to the unibody)
*Check to see if all the amenities work (mirrors, fog lights, seats, rear seat, etc.)
*Ask what the gas mileage is; anything under 12 you have a problem.
*check air/oil filters, spark plugs, distributor for signs of severe wear or neglect.
*Check the muffler/exhaust assembly to make sure that the exhaust hangars are still there (they rust off or get ripped off easily)
*If there are aftermarket tires, make sure there's a spare that will fit! The stock spare does you no good if it's running a 4" lift with 32" MudGrabbers!

There's a lot more you could check too, but that's my list for now. Or you could take it to a garage (esp one that specializes in Jeeps) and have them do a bumper to bumper checkup for you. Might be $100 but thats cheaper than buying a lemon. NEVER BUY WITH CASH ONLY!!! Sure sign someone's getting ripped off somewhere is they won't take a check or some other secure payment like paypal. Bottom line is make sure you are VERY familiar with engine layout, average performance, and styles of Jeeps before you go look at it, and this is the best place you can start. These guys here have saved me close to $2000 helping me fix stuff myself instead of taking it to a mechanic. The thing that keeps killing my rig is DIRT! Dirty oil, dirty brake lines, oil in filters, misaligned spark plug wires, dirt/mud in the brake pads, dirt dirt dirt everywhere. It's my nemesis. So when you go wheelin, save 10 bucks for a really good car wash (including the undercarriage especially) to get rid of all the dust or mud (maybe install a hepa filter in the air system somewhere to combat the dust which is a major plague if you do Moab or southern Utah).

Well there's my $.02 worth (and then some!)...more like a dollars worth of talking. Hope it helps you buy a kick a$$ ride!

One last thing: even if there's problems, and it has loads of extras (like a winch bumper, bigger wheels/tires, roof rack etc, know what the avg cost of all those wheelin' extras are and offset the cost of repairs against what it would cost you to buy all that stuff for your ride, then do a cost/benefit analysis [i.e. it'll cost $1200 for the bumper and wheels, but there's an oil seal leak and the steering column wobbles, which is like a 1-200 bucks to fix expensively, or less than 100 if you know what you're doing, so overall, a killer deal)

lurk520

If you find one with out any of those problems you really hit the lottery!!

xjfan2979

Stay away from 84 to 87 Cherokees with manual transmissions. Those things are junk. Also automatic aw4 transmissions that are in most Cherokees run hot I had to add a trans cooler to keep the temps down. Look for rust any and everywhere you can. I had a unknown problem with rust in my passenger floorboard right where the front of the seat bolts up,and also underneath the back seat. I didn't find it without pulling all the carpets. If you plan on installing any type of lift,check the rear leaf spring eye and shackle bolts,I have seen plenty break off in the frame,not fun at all. Also when you open the doors see if they drop down any. Cherokees are notorious for the weld around the door hinges breaking.

lurk520

wow, you get into an accident and your whole seat and seat belt assembly comes off with you in it!!!

ssheltoniii03

thanks everyone i will let you know if i get it and i will post pics of it if i get it

BuckB91XJ

Good luck finding an XJ anywhere in the world that doesn't have one, a few or most of these problems. The thing I like about most of these known problems with XJs is that they are easily and mostly cheap to fix..."if you can do the work yourself".

woodlandsrider

Hey guys, today I'm going to look at a 1991 jeep cherokee xj.

Heres a link to the ad----- http://houston.craigslist.org/cto/2707513036.html

Ive gathered up all of the helpful tips you guys have posted about, and made one general list. In my opinion it looks like a pretty good deal.

The things that scare me though are that it has around 240k miles on her with the engine rebuilt about 130k miles ago. It does have an AX-15 tranny, so that makes me feel slightly better.

I should be going to look at her soon, so if anyone finds something alarming that I did not pick up, please for the love of God email me at Sam@silverlineconsulting.net

Thanks, hope this goes well and I shall be posting pics of a build!