I'm lookin to buy a jeep and today I room a look at a 2001 4 door Cherokee and I came across this on the bottom of the oil pan. He says that the heater core is cracked and needs to e replaced which isn't a big deal but he added antifreeze today. This may be irrelevant info but wtf is this ? It's liquid and the bottom of the pan was also wet, probably from oil and what not but should I be concerned ??

 

Hmmm. Can't say for sure but if you mix coolant and engine oil it makes a white milky sustance.

 

Yeah, he said he changed the oil today also. Could it just be anti freeze blowing from the cracked heater core and mixed with the leftover oil from today?

 

What's it feel like? Just oily? Grainy at all?

Oil and anti-freeze make more of a chocolate milk looking liquid than a white liquid. Is he in an area that might have had salt accumulation on his undercarriage?

 

looks like oil and antifreeze

 

It had just snowed 3 days ago, it crossed my mind that it may be salt build up but i think it was more liquidy than grainy. It wasn't anywhere else on the under carriage

 

Seedy. Besides, Heater cores are week long jobs or $800 shop bills... I would avoid, but I'm not a good enough shade tree mechanic to tackle any of the problems this could entail...

 

Heater core is a REAL BIG DEAL on these.

Chop him by an additional $1000 at least on his normal selling price so you will have enough to pay for the repair.

He already knows all about this and is trying to unload it. "Just changed the oil today" HAH! He is trying to hide the chocolate milk look. He doesn't sound like a maintenance freak.

Pray he hasn't run it hot. 0331 head + hot = ruined engine.

Hmmmm. I wonder why coolant is hanging around on the bottom of the pan. Most of the time, a blown heater core will leak inside because that's where it is. And fog the windows with a white, greasy residue.

Maybe he cracked the head, ran it hot, and blew the heater core and head gasket.

 

"Added antifreeze today...changed oil today..."

Blown hg cover up?

 

A blown hg was what i was thinking. It ran strong, oil pressure normal and same with the temp. He chopped the price already but I'm thinkin about just continue looking

 

In addition, he said he took it off the road around christmas so it's been sitting with a cracked heater core since then and he bought a new car. Didn't get the chance to ask why he was selling it but i probably should have. He also said he syphened the anti freeze out. Yes like syphening the gas out of a gas tank and i wanted to ask if he was an idiot. The check engine light came on after that episode he said.

 

Run.

 

Haha, i figured. Thanks everybody for the help

 

Well Said.

 

Look how much money and headaches we saved you today!!!!!!!