Hi - So I got myself an XJ two days ago. I was going to resist resist resist my desire to own one of these babies but I couldn't pass it up. 2001 with 139k miles, all stock and zero rust for $2,000. So I didn't think - just did it. Got home and had a What Have I Done! type moment. I am not a mechanic - I went on body alone and then started to worry about all that could be wrong. Wasn't even sure it was such a good deal - though it's pretty good, yes?

Anyway - went straight to my mechanic and just got the call. He says it's "pretty good" which is high praise from Lou. Might have a coolant leak, gonna need some exhaust work soon and a new break line to the rear and that's pretty much it.

So, there it is. I've got me a Jeep! Pretty psyched. Time to sell the 2000 Honda Civic. She's served me well.

I have looked at this forum and the Jeep forum for a while and I've gotta say - people love their XJs. I am pretty psyched. I actually debated a Land Rover Discovery for a while but when you compare people's experiences it was the XJ hands down.

Time to go get muddy.

 

Welcome to the forum. Glad u got the jeep!

 

sweet.. sounds like a great price if as clean as you say. make sure the cooling system is in tip top shape.

 

Agreed. 2000/2001 are known for the heads being prone to cracking. Just keep the cooling system in super top condition.

 

Welcome along.

 

Looks like I spoke too soon. Brake lines totally failed today. No brakes. Almost hit someone in a crosswalk...

 

But, you said it has no rust. How did they fail?
In situations like this, pull the parking brake. Should always have a functioning parking brake. Some rigs have two

 

I had my mechanic give it a thorough once-over and he said the only thing he could see as a priority was that the rear break line needed replacing. Scheduled to do it on Wednesday. Never expected it to totally fail in that time.

Is rust the only reason the break line would bust?

 

No , rust is not the only reason. Mechanic must be referring to the rear 'soft line' which is rubber and will degrade over time. It's only a $15 part.
It is the 'hard lines' that will rust, the ones that run along chassis rails.
Here is a picture of the soft line on a lifted jeep, it is the line that is too tight.

 

He did say it was the rear brake line. But would that cause total break failure?

 

If any line should fail due to a split/crack/break, all pressure in brake system will be lost.

 

Thanks for the info. Sounds like an easy fix so good news. Wonder how often serious accidents happen because of a failure like this.

 

I'm sure it does happen occasionally.

 

heard a girl at a shop say her brakes failed, went through a red light into an intersection and totaled her car.