What to look for in the xj I'm thinking of buying??

Theres and '88 Cherokee Chief that appears to be in xclnt condition here close by. I was thinking of buying it. Its a I6, auto

What are some of the things I should be looking for and what areas of the xj are problem areas I should be looking at? Also, what kinds of problems do they tend to have in the motor that I should be looking out for. Also what are the types of things that could show up, but not really be a problem?

Thanks
Scott

That's an early model 4.0l I6. Open cooling system. Check the pressure bottle and cap carefully for leaks. As a matter of fact, check the entire cooling system. 4.0ls are pretty solid engines as long as you keep clean oil in them. AW4 transmissions likewise, keep an eye on the throttle kickdown cable.

Also look carefully at the entire floor pan. Pay extra attention to the front footwells, and right over the catalytic converter.

ChiXJeff

rust - under carpets remove a few trim peices and peek)
- underbelly
- lower doors/rockers
check the wiring (pos/neg cables) for frays
if its got 4x4, of course check it.
check for oil leaks/ blowby (rear main seal)
Check the air filter for oil (wish i had done it)

What should I be looking for, rust I imagine? This model did not have ABS, is that correct? Is that good or bad, I prefer it w/o so there's less to mess with when upgrading.

What about checking the oil filler, put my hand over or something? Is there a telltale noise or tick that you hear when its not been maintained very well? Let me rephrase that, I know what a ticking valve it, but what I mean is, do these motors have a noise thats typical or should I be concerned with any ticks, noises?

It has 150k miles.

1988 Chief? EXCELLENT choice. I have one.

The I-6 makes some ticking/tapping noises that are normal. If you've never had one see if someone you know has a healthy Wrangler or XJ with a 4.0 and see what there's sounds like.

I think the '88 was available with ABS but mine doesn't have it. I prefer no ABS anyway... I don't drive in snow or ice.

How much are they asking for it?

Bring a small bottle jack, and jack up each front wheel and shake it from top to bottom to check the ball joint, and hub. Plan on changing the front u-joints. Also grab the top of the fan and see it moves front to back, this checks the fan clutch. Look for oil leaking from the back of the engine, rear main, this usally means its been over-heated. Check for rust just above the muffer, this is usally the first place it shows up. You could also grab the pinions and try and see if there is any side to side play, this would be bad if there was.

It looks really clean too and the hood and side markings aren't faded at all, pretty sharp. On the ABS, I definitely don't want it, but we'll see.

He was asking $2,500. I think thats steep, but I'm unsure of what they really go for. It's definitely clean inside and out, but I haven't gone over very well. I will be meeting with him this afternoon and will look at it. I don't think I'll buy it for more than maybe 2k. It looks so damn sharp though. I'd almost hate to cut into those fenders for the flares, or dent the side. What do you guys think about the worth of the vehicle?

Good idea on checking the joints and hubs and all. I'll do that. I was planning on changing all the ujoints, belts, filters, and misc. stuff.

Thanks for all the great feedback.

I paid 2500 for my 90 fully loaded. If i had known what to look for back then, i prolly could have talked him down b/c im having to replace alot and its only been a year. So MAKE SURE YOU DO A GOOD THOUROGH(SP?) INSPECTION!

2500 for a super clean 88 XJ would be okay... It's kind of hard to find a 15 year old car or truck in good shape let alone a clean one.

Best of luck with the purchase!

I paid 2500 for my 92 unlimited in stock condition. I sold my 88 the same week for 2000. I say, if it's nice and you like it, go for it. Just start your offer at 2000 and go from there.

Front hub/bearings, u-joints, even pinion bearings, are normal maintenance items. They can be sued for negotiating if bad, but should not make or break the deal. The wear out and require replacement anyway.

The '88 has a closed cooling system, not open. The plastic bottle on the upper passenger side firewall is part of the pressurized cooling system. They go bad. Look for evidence of coolant leaking around the cap and collecting in the little "dish" on top of the bottle.

Again ... not a deal breaker. The bottles go bad. Quadratec sells them new, with cap, for $19.95.

An '88 won't have ABS -- that wasn't offered until 1989.

Look for leaking injectors. This is a safety issue, and the injectors are known to leak on the '87 thru '90 XJs. Look for rust on the floor pan, especially (as noted above) just above the catalytic converter. Check the radiator -- if it's the original, it needs to be replaced. Scrape a thumbnail along the fins -- if they bend easily or crumble, the radiator core is rotting.

Check the harmonic damper. The rubber ring tends to deteriorate over time, and the outer balancer ring/pulley starts eating fan belts, and may begin to wear against the timing cover.

For price comparisons:

www.edmunds.com

Just looked at it. The coolant bottle leaks at the hose going in, not too bad. Couldn't find any other leaks. Everything is straight on the body, paint is real nice. The headliner has sagged, big whoop. A couple door locks don't work with the button. All windows work. There is a rattle in the rear hatch. Motor sounded pretty good, real small leak at the rear main. Small leak around the tranny pan gasket. Virtually no rust, small amount over the cat. Fan is real tight. AC is real cold. It has the spare tire on the rear bumper. I think it has ABS. Unsure. Interior is pretty clean.

The only thing I didn't like was it felt the front suspension was real soft, or the steering was a little loose. I checked the tie rods and linkage, they had grease but it looked recent and that the bushings needed replacement. When i hit a bump, it dove a little on the right side. The steering wheel did not shake and felt tight. I'm thinking maybe the pass. coil was real worn. When i pushed on the hood, the right side was much softer than the left. Whaddya think?

I'm pretty sure I can get it for 2,200.

Also, I'm on my phone right now. Typing is slow!

oh the driveshafts are real tight also. thanks for the advice.

shocks, that's what's making the right side soft.

sounds like a good deal, I'd pay 2200 for it from what you said.

is this a two or four door?? I think the CC's were all four, but I don't know. The four's are stronger due to the extra pilar, however once you get cutting fenders the two's have more room to cut. I have a 91 four door and I've cut the sh!t out of it and am running 38's, so don't let the lack of cutting be a factor, just information.

what t-case does it have? prob the 21 spline 231, again I don't know if the 242 was available in the earlier models, both cases are good

its the command trac. so i guess thats the np231. and its a 4 door. the stupid salesman told me it was the selec trac. idiot. no d44 either. damn!

well, made an offer of $1,950.

welllll????

Eagle said:

They can be sued for negotiating if bad, but should not make or break the deal.

Click to expand...

That should be "used," not "sued."

Typo -- I'm very sorry. Most of my typos are obvious, but this one means something very different as originally typed.

well, i just bought an 88 chief for $2,250. sure hope it treats me well.

thanks again for all your guys help. would've been hard without it!

if that hatch did what mine did, all you "should" have to do it readjust the striker bolt at the bottom. Mine started to come loose, so i moved it as far back(inwards) as i could, then tightened it, no rattle