Hey guys, can I pick your brains for advice? Test drove a 2000 xj with 78, xxx miles. The two main things that I noticed was how loud the engine was from inside the vehicle. Like seriously loud, almost as if the windows were down loud. It sounded like it had ticking lifters. And the break pedal was really soft. It's at Chevy dealership and one of their techs put new breaks on it and it almost feels like there's air in the lines. Other than that, I loved it. Am I being over critical or are these reasonable complaints?

Thanks, Mark.

 

Well, the brakes should be firm and not spongy. The 4.0's are noisy engines as long as the noise is light and not solid sounding. I'm on my 2nd XJ and am still trying to get used to the noise but I know that mine is still solid. I have to tell anyone that rides with me that "yes, that is the normal sound."

 

On the 2000, you do need to be cautious though. They came with the infamous 0331 head. They are not all bad but if the PO ever overheated the engine, the head may crack, but isn't that big of a problem to fix if that happens. My '91 is up to almost 300,000 miles and my 4.0 has never been rebuilt yet.

 

Thanks for the feedback. Good to know they're noisy, my 95 3.9 Dakota was that way. Great engine too. Only thing that alarmed me to it was how loud it was from inside. On the plus side it is a one owner vehicle so I may be able to contact them to see if it had ever been overheated.

 

I have been driving mine for about 4 months now. I didn't realize how loud it was till I drove my WJ for a few days and went back to the XJ. It was such an insane difference since they both have the same engine. That being said the WJ is like a giant box going down the road and not, IMO, not nearly as insulated as the WJ. 300K and no rebuild? That's great! Makes me happy to know if these are maintained that they will last forever.

 

The 0331 heads can crack even if you don't overheat the engine. The casting was flawed. Mine cracked without ever having been overheated.

Mine was spongy for years. The problem didn't go away until I replaced the calipers. Then it was a lot more solid. Even so, as brakes go, the stock brakes are not that great even when they're working correctly.

Regarding the noise, they are noisy trucks, but it will be difficult for anyone here to tell you whether the valve train noise you heard is normal. I would suggest finding a couple more to drive and see if they sound the same. If they do, the first one is probably normal.

Back to the 0331 head, there is no way to know whether the one you have will crack. Some don't. Many do, even with proper care and maintenance and no overheating. There are certain telltale signs, but sometimes by the time you're sure, you've already done some damage.

Personally, if I were buying another 2000, I would just budget to replace the 0331 head with a Clearwater and be done with it. I would rather plan for it ahead of time than have the thing crack and be forced into a corner. I would also rather avoid the bearing damage, however slight, that would come from running coolant through them.

If you want to risk it and see how many miles you can get out of the stock head, I would suggest sending oil samples off for analysis at each oil change. The oil analysis will detect coolant in your oil long before you can see it with your own eyes and will act as an early warning. I use Blackstone for my oil analysis. It's cheap ($25 per test) and pretty easy to do. They even send you the test bottle and mailing labels for free.

If you go back for a second look at it, you might want to glance at the emissions sticker on the driver's side firewall and see if it's a California or EPA truck. The 2000 model year was a transition year for emissions, and it had two versions of the exhaust. The EPA version is more desirable. The CA version has three catalytic converters and 4 O2 sensors, and while they're not really a problem, not being able to delete them from the system limits your options when it comes to headers and custom exhaust.

Also, with this and ANY XJ, you should slide all the way up underneath it with a flashlight and take a look around. Look for rust. Seeing rust isn't necessarily a dealbreaker, since some of it can be fixed. But a lot of rust can mean serious problems not too far off in the future. These things are rather fond of corrosion.

 

Are you sure it wasn't a ticking exhaust manifold? They're a favourite on the XJ.

 

Thanks for all the info extrashanky. I was planning on driving a couple cherokees in the area to see if the noise is all the same. It's currently -25 degrees here in Wisconsin so I'll wait till the temp is above zero to go on anymore test drives. The cold will just make the jeeps sounds like crap. The flawed manifold is that specific to the 2000 only? Or is there a year that will be better for the long haul?

 

It's the head that has a problem, not the manifold. The original 0331 head was introduced in the latter part of 1999 and ran through 2001 in the XJs (and a little longer in other Jeeps with the 4.0L). When Chrysler realized they had a problem, they quietly changed foundries to fix it, leaving us all to learn about it the hard way over the next several years.

In addition to the head and the weird CA exhaust (which was sold all over the country, so don't let the name fool you), most if not all of the 2000 and 2001 XJs also had low pinion front axles, which can cause issues if you want to install a lift. I'm actually about to start the junkyard search for a high pinion axle for mine in preparation for a suspension upgrade. There's nothing really wrong with the LP axles. They're just not ideal for off-road use.

The '00 and '01 also had a waste spark system with a coil rail that bolts directly on the spark plugs rather than the earlier distributor with plug wires. I don't mind the coil rail, but a lot of people hate that thing. It makes it a little more difficult to diagnose misfires resulting from spark problems.

If I were actively looking for an XJ now, I would try to find a 1997 through early 1999 (you can find the build month/year on the sticker on the driver's side door). With those years, you avoid most of the drawbacks of the '00 and '01. The main thing you miss out on are the '00 and '01 intake manifolds, which were a definite improvement, but you can simply find an '01 in a junkyard and swap the intake onto an older XJ without a whole lot of drama.

1997+ also gives you OBDII for diagnostics. OBDII was actually introduced in 1996, but that year was another weird transition year with a strange mix of builds.

If you look at a '99, just make sure you look at the head to be certain the truck was built early enough that it didn't have an 0331 head. The 0331 heads have "0331" cast into them on the driver's side. You can find pics to help you know where to look by doing a Google image search for "0331 head."

All that said, while I would primarily look for a '97 through '99, I wouldn't turn my nose up at a good deal on an older or later year. They're all good trucks. Some just have more challenges than others. Just keep in mind that if someone offers you a really good deal on a 2000 or 2001, there's a chance they know they have a head issue and are trying to unload it while it still runs.

 

For '99s, the easiest way to spot the head change is to look for a distributor. They officially went to the new head and distribuitorless ignition in 2000, but in reality, it was sort of a running change late in the '99 model year. In fact, one of the key changes with the 0331 head is mounting bosses for the coil packs. The older version with the 0630 head uses a distributor and plug wires and lacks the mounts for the coil packs. If it does have an 0331 head, you can remove the oil cap and look for TUPY cast in the head below the oil filler. TUPY was a revised version that fixed the cracking issue.

These are noisy vehicles, that don't hide action behind layers of refinement. Ticks can be tricky, as they could be benign, or indicate a problem. Mild lifer tick is common with these, as is mild piston slap, especially when the engine is cold. Both non-issues. Ticking could also come from a cracked exhaust manifold, or a cracked flex plate if it's automatic.

They are great trucks, but like most cars, they do have their gremlins. The nice thing is that since they are at least 15 years old, almost all of those gremlins have been identified, and lots of information is out there on dealing with them.

 

Thanks for all the help guys I really appreciate it. Well looks like the hunt for a 97 through early 99 is on. Cuz if I buy an xj that develops a cracked head my wife will drop kick me sleep. The idea was to get a cherokee to replace my grand caravan, and if I get rid of that for something with serious problems I'd never hear the end of it. I can't wait to drive something that is fun to drive again.

 

I've found that really squishy brakes can be due to the rear brakes needing attention. The fronts are easy to DIY but drum brakes are more of an "easy when you know how" operation and often seem to get overlooked.
Front brakes do need to be correct, of course, but once you're happy with them it's well worth getting the rears refreshed too. They make a real difference to the braking feel and overall braking performance.

 

The 2000 xj was a bust and the saleswoman was jerking me around to much. So I'm looking at a 98 tonight.

http://m.cars.com/vehicledetail/#vdp?listingId=624790615&year=1998&stkTyp=U&search Id=2192137500000000000000001421170033996&userId=21 92137500000000000000001421170033997&mkNm=Jeep&mdNm =Cherokee&zc=53172&partyId=&positionKey=2002120814 5053172

 

[QUOTE="extrashaky;3006458"]

It's I'm actually about to start the junkyard search for a low pinion axle for mine in preparation for a suspension upgrade. There's nothing really wrong with the HP axles. They're just not ideal for off-road use./QUOTE]

Hp is more desirable for ground clearance and stronger ring gear..you got it backwards

 

[QUOTE=HS00XJ;3011432]DOH! I meant HP. I have a low pinion axle on it now. Stupid typo.