spacemanpan

My 1998 Grand Cherokee has a host of problems, and it may be time to do triage on it, fix what is fixable, and live with the rest, or outright replace the vehicle with something else. First off, the vehicle has 335,000 miles, and I got it used in June 2012. It has gone thru two idler pullie's, a power steering pump pulley, a fuel pump which was $400 to replace, the serpentine belt tensioner was replaced last year, and is squeaking intermittently now. The engine goes thru a quart of oil in 2000 miles, there are leaks everywhere underneath the engine and transmission according to the guys at Jiffy Lube who did the last oil change three months ago. The front and rear differential seals are both leaking, there is a huge leak from the cooling lines going into the radiator on the front left side looking at the engine and radiator from the front looking rearward. I paid $1000 for this vehicle, and it still runs, but the problems it has make me wonder if it would be worth spending a few thousand dollars on a vehicle that is 16 years old, and had over 330,000 miles on the engine transmission and frame. Fix or replace ? That is the question.

Firestorm500

Fix the cooling lines leak, replace the belt with a Goodyear Gatorback. Don't park over something you don't want oil stained.

Don't let Jiffy lube do an engine oil flush.

Drive it and enjoy your bargain transportation for another 300,000 miles.

po0dingles

I know the feeling. The thing is I doubt you'd get much if you traded it in. Your concerns are placed on dumping money into an asset that has virtually no value which is the same boat I'm in.

Firestorm is right -- Do not let the cooling situation go, fix that right away because it could spell disaster for everything else if left untreated.

Do yourself a favor and stay away from Jiffy Lubes. I wouldn't trust them with a bicycle. Jump on Yelp and find a reputable mechanic near you.

I think the best thing you can do if you're on a tight budget is to fix the small stuff properly and drive it into the ground. Major deal stopper for me would be if the motor or trans needed to be replaced.

Whats worth fixing is entirely subjective and is not something the forum can help you determine. It all depends on what your Jeep means to you. If its your project vehicle that you plan to lift and go mudding with, then allowing it to become a money pit may be worth it to you.

If it's nothing more than cheap transportation drive it into the ground, repair nothing, and junk it.

Often times cheap fixes will bite you in the ***. Stay away from those quick seal additives. It's all horse**** and snakeoil. There's not a chemical in existence that will renew a 330k+ motor and trans. It will only mask problems.