supracoop

Hello everyone,

I just bought a 2001 Grand Cherokee Limited. Got a crazy good deal on it but it has 160k miles. I'm going to change the fluids(oil, rad, tranny, ps), check the brakes, the usual maintenance but I dont know anything about the diff or possible 4wd maintenance issues that need to be done.

I was hoping to get some advice on some things to check and/or replace to prevent any costly repairs later on or something that can leave me stranded on the side of the road. I've already soldered the blower motor controller wires because the a/c didnt work, now it does.

The 4wd sounds kinda loud just going down the highway but it doesnt sound like it whining or anything, just normal 4wd noise. Does anyone know whats common to start failing when the mileage get up close to 200k? Well, I'm just trying to be proactive.

Hope you guys can help me out.

Thanks!

1ABrian

Yeah without knowing any previous history, all fluids, including transfercase drain and fill and same on the diffs. Pop the covers off clean and reinstall. Tune up suggested but you can always pull a couple plugs and see how clean they are.
These arn't nornally "loud" on the road. Check the tires for any abnormal wear or "cupping" from a bad alignment. Tires can cause road noise. Simple things to do on your own. Hopefully this helps

Bustedback

Best advise is to fix small problems before they turn into big problems and keep on top of basic maintence. Change the oil around every 6,000 miles and keep the transmission fluid clean. A tune up every 60k is not a bad idea. Follow the guide in the owners manual and your Jeep will last beyond 200,000 miles.

KD3NE

When I bought my Grand Cherokee I asked a mechanic the same thing.

He laughed and said " SELL IT ".

He was kidding of course.

I had him do the following......

1) All Fluids (including transfer case/axles )
2) Lubricate ALL Grease Points
3) Steering/Suspension Check

Mine has 200K and it is a 1998.

The only problems he found were two questionable ball joints and one u-joint on the front axle, also track bar.

I had him replace ALL ball joints, Track Bar, front axle U-Joints on BOTH SIDES.


Sounds like a lot, and with labor the bill was about $900. ( $450 parts - I purchased parts ..... $450 labor )

I am too busy to do it myself and a dealer quoted $1100 for labor.

Acquisition Cost of the 1998 Grand Cherokee was only $1,000, including the work and MVA stuff I will be in it for about $2200.

Not bad considering I had a $3000 budget to put one on the road.

It was tough finding one with the 4.0 motor and in as good physical condition as mine is.

EVERYTHING works on it.

supracoop

I dont think its tire noise. Its sounds similar to my old 4runner when it was in 4wd but louder. Kinda like a loud hum, hard to explain. I need to ride in someone else's Jeep to compare.

supracoop

Wow, seems like a lot of labor hours to change all those joints. What about wheel bearings or diff bearings? When do they normally wear out, should I consider changing them? Is it a myth that changing tranny fluid can end up causing problems inside the tranny? I've always been hesitant to do it, even on my old 4runner with high miles. I need to do a search for the recommended fluids for each of these but if you guys have any suggestions, I would love to hear them.

Howler_GT

For the "road noise" check your CV boots (at the steering knuckle) and make sure they are intact. The WJ's have CV boots like FWD cars have, and they can split and rip like them too.

As for tune-up...definately.
IF you have the 4.7L V8... it's not as simple as swapping out the plugs and throwing in some new wires, like the 4.0.

HAHAHA, after 2hrs of climbing all over our 99, two days after we bought it, I found out why.