Still looking, how about this '88

The original Ad:
A Mechanic's Dream!

1988 Jeep Cherokee Laredo
149,782 Miles
4x4 (It is amazing in the snow!)
Power Windows and Locks
Cruse Control
Only one previous owner
Passed Smog: 10/14/06

The interior and exterior of this vehicle are in amazing condition for a car that is almost 20 years old. It has had some intermittent mechanical difficulties over the past six months and has not been driven for the past three months. It started this morning w/ a jump and drove around the neighborhood without any problems. It will need a bit of help to get going strong again, but I am confident that it could run well and be an amazing car for another person with just a little TLC. THIS VEHICLE MUST SELL - I'M MOVING!!!

Sellers reply for pic. request:
like i said in the add, the car has been sitting for about three months without being driven. i think that is having trouble holding a charge. i jumped it yesterday morning and drove around the neighborhood without any problems, but once i got home and tried to start it later it was dead again (the battery and alternator have both been replaced w/in the last year, so i am not sure why this is happening). other than a little trouble starting, there is an intermittent problem (sometimes it happens three times a week, other times not at all. sometimes it lasts 5 seconds and sometimes 5 minutes). it happens when accelerating from a stop. for some reason the rpms sometimes get "stuck" at a breaking point (ie: 1000 or 1500 rpms). the car stutters and then after driving around (basically in idle) it will "brake through" the problem and run normally. it's pretty odd. other than that, no major problems. So, it might need another new battery after sitting so long and then you would just have to figure out the little problem (which i can't imagine would be that big of a deal). it has been a wonderful car (my grandma bought it new and i bought it from her). I am getting ready to move to Seattle and have decided to finally part with the car. i attached some pictures. please let me know if you are interested.

I am not a mechanic, does this sound like a reasonably easy find/fix to get her running?

Pics look pretty good. I asked about leaks, bumbs, grinds, noises, etc. once it gets past it's hesitation.

Price is fairly good $ 1,150.00 and the jeep is close enough for me to go check out on Saturday.

My only concern is the two mechanical problems. If it is a starter/battery and easy fuel filter or tune up thing, this could be a good deal. But, I am not a mechanic and don't want to bring home a project.

What do you all think?

xj's tend to be projects anyway, there are few of us here that would mind working on their xj. on the other hand, this forum could easily help you troubleshoot those little issues and you'd have a dependable rig. the decision is really what are you willing to invest as far as time and mechanicing?

I know any 20 year old car is going to have issues, that I accept. I have a '71 VW bus, we went through some issues for a year or so, but have it running reasonably reliable for a weekender.

Looking for kind of the same thing with the XJ (actually a school runner for my kid)

My mechanics are limited to driveway bolt ons, filter, battery, etc.

What I am wondering about this particular XJ, is if the problems the seller lists sound like a typical trouble shoot and repair (like a few hundred bucks at the shop) , or if they might be signs of something major.

I don't mind spending some money on repairs if they positive corrections. I hope for a fairly mechanically sound XJ that I can focus my efforts on upgrades and improvments.

I don't expect this XJ to be my relied upon family daily driver, but I don't want a money pit rotting away in my driveway.

Sorry for so many posts on this. I have been looking for a while and am kind of jonesing to bring an XJ home. I want to either cross this one off my list or go check it out soon.

Here is a follow up reply from the seller regarding the problem:

I did bring the car up to the Jeep dealer right when the problem started. They replaced the throttle sensor, the oxygen and connector sensor and the manifold absolute sensor. It seemed to help for a couple of weeks, but ultimately the problem came back. The problem is intermittent though and does not happen often.... so of course, whenever i did bring it to a mechanic, the car wouldn't do it. The dealer basically did those replacements based on my explanation of the problem alone. They never actually witnessed it.

So now I am wondering if this is a problem that I want to own. I know compentancy of dealers can vary greatly, but isn't there a way to properly diagnose the problem other than witnessing it?

Also wondering why a new (within a year) alternator and battery might not hold a charge?

I've got an '88 with 4.0L runs like a Champ! Changed virtually everything on it like a new car now. Better than new it's a show vehicle. Putting in an Overdrive Pulley on my 170 Amp Alternator soon (gives higher amps at idle and cruising).

But seriously, your XJ find sounds like a bad TPS. Change that along with a tune-up, oil change, misc. and you're good to go! Check the main bearing if it's not leaking too much and also overheating too.

Good Luck.

I'll agree, sounds like a sticking TPS. I could be wrong.....it's happened once =P

I've got an '89 XJ Limited, 215K + miles. It's a good little XJ, has some squeaks/rattles, and some terminal cancer of the rockers (due to fighting 18 years of IN winters). Runs strong, just leaks a little out the rear main seal at night. Put a quart of Lucas in, sealed it right up!! 4WD is strong, but I've got some things to fix that the PO failed to keep maintained. All in all, it's my $900 DD....and is still pulling 18.5 (or better) MPG in 50/50 driving.


P.S. Quality of service from a dealer?? Tell ya a little story....took my 89 in for TPS recall, XJ was running good. Got it back from the service bay, could barely drive it out of the parking lot. (sputters, misfires, etc...). Then they refused to look at it again (without charging me $88 diag. fee). Turned out that when they installed the new TPS, they didn't put the sensor arm *under* the throttle arm. (wish I had photos). Basically, the Jeep was running with the ECU seeing *no* throttle movement!!

How much is a TPS? Is that an easy replacment fix? or does it need to be installed and set at a shop?

Oh...and where specifically do I check for the main bearing leak?

The seller did say it has been sitting alot and there is no signs of leaks.

drive it around for a while, 30 minutes or so. A leak may not be evident until after you buy it (like mine). you can see mine best on the driveway =P Also, it appears to be dripping off the bottom of the bell housing.


a TPS is anywhere between $45-75, but they *are* adjustable, if you have a Torx bit to loosen the screws and a multi-meter to adjust it properly. I would do it yourself...that way you know it's done right =P

Just made arrangements to look at this one this weekend. I guess at some point there is a certain leap of faith.

Any other input? Going to check it Friday or Saturday.

Hoping to move into specific tech posts soon.

I would jump on it....maybe try and talk them down a bit. They're asking 1150?? Maybe try taking $1000 in cash, see if you can talk them down to $900 or so. I'm very happy with my XJ, even though the PO didn't maintain it very well. Now I'm looking into some suspension replacement that should have been taken care of earlier...and I'm sure there's going to be more things that pop up. All totaled....I'm estimating only having $1300-$1500 in the XJ, including purchase price.


If you have any good mechanic buddies (or anyone who knows about the older XJs), take them along with you. Something I wish I could have done with mine......Another possiblility is to take it to a suspension shop to get the ball joints, etc checked out. Don't know about your area, but here in NE IN, Midas and other shops will do a "free suspension/brake inspection"......then write you a estimate for repairs. Take that estimate to your favorite parts store and see what it would cost to repair it yourself. (My quote from Midas was roughly $1250 for repairs. (Rear brake rebuild, 4 shocks, front U-Joint, front brake lines, RR axle seal, etc....) I took the estimate to Autozone just down the street, and got each part on the list (plus a few extras), at higher quality than the Midas parts....for only $250!! My time is worth $1k to install shocks and other BS.....)



*edit*
The Renix XJs can be a little overwhelming in the beginning, as they don't have any OBD to throw trouble codes. However, if you're the least bit handy with a multimeter, you can easily diagnose most issues.....And there's a lot of *excellent* knowledge available here on ::

I am in!

Got it for $700.00

Drove it 60+ miles home on the freeway, A/C blowing cold, cruise control set at 65mph. no worries. Temp guage stayed straight up (210) Moved to the right a bit in stop and go traffic and to the left a bit when we were moving.

Its got some issues that will need to be dealt with to improve my confidence in its reliability.

#1 is a cracked coolant tank. (going to do some research and probably post a new thread after I get a chance to look at it more)

#2 Power steering seems to start whining when warm.

Can't wait to get through the reliability issues so I can move into the fun stuff. (lift, tires, etc.)

Nice find. That cracked coolant bottle is probably what is causing it to run a little hot. Look into converting your closed cooling system to an open system on a lot of people have done it as well as a lot have kept the closed system. Just do the research and decide where you want to go with it. RENIX can be a hassle at first but I will pm you with some information. Good luck with the build and a nice find.