Any input? going to look at a 1993 4 door. Ad says it has a new engine w/16k on it. I know the basic things to look for and ask but could a new engine be a red flag for bigger and better problems? Thanks

 

Rust. Bent unibody. Overall shape. Smooth shifting tranny. Quiet and smooth running engine. And i don't think a new engine means anything else is more likely to go. My jeep has a new engine in it at 135,000 and now at 150

 

It depends on what kind of engine was put in. Was it a junk yard, a referbished, rebuilt or remanufactured engine? Each one is of a different stage.

For a 93, look for rust on the rockers, floor boards and maybe on the "frame rails". It is a unibody vehicle so there isn't a true frame there. There will be rust. Just how much is except able depends on you. Check for blown shocks or sagging springs. Run it in 4 wheel Hi & Lo, see if it makes excessive noise.
Just about all the stuff you would look for in a 20 yr old vehicle.

 

Gotta check for the big 3 oil leaks. Valve cover gasket, oil filter adapter o rings, and the rear main seal. If it's a newer engine hopefully everythings tight. The first two are very simple fixes but the rear main seal can be a pain.

+1 on shifting it through 4lo and 4hi to make sure the chain is nice and tight and there are no vibrations or noises only when 4wd is engaged.

Make sure the transmission shifts smoothly (auto or manual) and if it's an auto see if they have kept up with flushing the fluid and new filters. Maintenance in general is important on any car, fluid flushes for the coolant, trans, brakes, p/s (not super important), transfer case, and differentials is a must for any car to stand the test of time.

When I got my 95 it had close to 200k and when I flushed the diffs it was like black slime coming out once I changed it, it ran 100x better. It's not a deal breaker if they havent done great maintenance, but it can definitely help get you a better deal . Tires are another way to bring down the price, they can get expensive quick.

Good luck! Treat it well and it will be a great vehicle

 

Well they seem to have covered most things, so Hi and welcome from England.

 

Haha X2. Welcome man. The guys here are very helpful (most of em anyways). Good luck finding a good Jeep!

 

milky oil, 4.0 heads are prone to blown head gaskets, and warping heads and cracking heads.

 

It's all good advice, so I'll just say...

 

(Gathered from other posts)

Maintenance records: If available mean a lot

EXHAUST: Try and shake the catalytic converter around and see if it rattles, as these tend to degrade over time and need replacement.

ELECTRICAL: Check and make sure all of the electricals work, as electrical gremlins tend to multiply once they are present. Add to that list everything electrical. Windows, locks, all lights, heat. AC, etc.

FLUIDS: Other than that, do the typical used car check-over. Oil, ATF, coolant, power steering; all the fluids should be checked. Check the air filter and spark plugs.

Peak in the oil fill cap. How clean or sludged up is it ?

Also try and get one where the engine and trans are not soaked in there own oil...

You mention tuneups but what is the history of FLUID changes????? That is critical to long life of the vehicle. They are the lifeblood. Coolant, transmission fluid, differentials, transfer case and of course, oil.

SUSPENSION: Check all of the ball joints and tie rod ends (TRE's) on the steering, especially the inner TRE that comes off of the pitman arm. Also check the control arm bushings (upper AND lower) for signs of wear. These things aren't that hard to fix, but you will probably need a pickle fork and maybe a torch to get some of the TRE's out.

Also, one last note: the front sway bar bushings are a common wear item. I would replace these just for pure peace of mind. This lone pair of bushings will make a HUGE difference on the handling of the Jeep. And they are cheap to boot

Check out CV boots for rips

Rear main seal oil leak ?

"Loose steering" is sort of common, but it needs to be fixed, as it can lead to a dangerous condition called "death wobble".

REAR: I'd try to find a Dana 44 rear axle. D44 has a metal fill plug, D35 has a rubber fill plug. D44's can be found on Sahara, Sport and Rubicon (front D44 too) models. Take a look at the front and rear pinion seals. Also a good general inspection of the undercarriage (steering gear, trans skid, gas skid, control arm brackets, etc.) to see if the rig was offroaded hard. Good luck! If you don't want to do an axle swap look for a 1987 XJ with a dana 44 or a later 90's XJ with a 8.25 axle. That will help you out big in the long run because the dana 35 is junk.

TIRES: Tread and mileage

RUST: Look underneath of the vehicle for rust. Common areas are quarter panels, fenders, and floorboards. (surface rust can be dealt with, but if you can see the carpet or poke a hole through it, its probably extra crispy)

Rust on the rocker panels is easy to spot and pretty easy to fix, but floor pans are a bigger issue. It sounds like you were already under the Jeep to look at the oil pan, so you probably would have spotted holes if there were any.

Check for evidence of leaks in the foot-wells

Read up on how to and what you can test for with a vacuum gage. Fast, easy and will tell you allot.



TEST DRIVE: Run it up to 70 mph on the highwayTry everything on the test drive including wipers, heater, AC, cruise, etc. Check for "death wobble" by driving jeep on highway

While driving the vehicle:
-make sure the engine idles correctly (no surging or bumpy idle)
-while accelerating make sure the tranny shifts smoothly
-check the make sure signals and lights work
-check parking brake and foot brake for play.

Testing functions: Windows, locks, lights, heat, AC, hood release

4x4: make sure it switches b/t every mode, and test it by putting it in 4x4, turning the wheels all the way to one side and driving slow, u will feel the wheels hopping. Check 4WD by pulling up on the lever to ensure all wheels engage. *Take it for a test drive. Use 4WD (if it is one) and be sure it works well.

 

That is an awesome response man! Thank you! On another note. I just went through a majority of those items and it failed miserably. Couldn't get out of it's own way up a short dirt hill in 4lo.. felt like it was engaged on the flat road but as soon as I went uphill the front wheels stopped moving forward and the back tires kept a spinnin. Not good. It also had a horrible popping noise in the steering column/gear box/TRE. I know it is all "fixable" but I am not into fixing a bunch of stuff right out of the gate. Time to keep looking. Thank you for the responses. This was very helpful.

 

You're better off buying a well-sorted XJ that is mint for $4000 than to buy a "deal" for $2000 that needs $5000 of work. Repairs add up FAST. Be patient. There are lots of XJ's for sale. 1993 is old. My newbie advice is to stick to 1996 to 2001. And keep reading here.

Please keep up posted on others you check out.

And, think about Ebay.
http://tinyurl.com/8wjpuu5
You might open up a ton of (mint) options for $500 in shipping. might be totally worth it.

 

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