What to look for on an 89 Cherokee

I think I'm going to buy a new (to me) cherokee here soon and was wondering what to look for on an 89 Cherokee. I've owned 1 cherokee before and have worked on a bunch but is there anything that I should pay extra attention to on an 89 cherokee? Were there any particular problems with that year? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

If it's a manual, look at the transmission and determine whether it's a Peugeot or an AX-15. The Peugeot is the less-preferred of the two and ran until mid-89. If it opens up front-back it's an AX-15 but if it opens left-right it's the Peugeot...very expensive to repair...

Also, if it's a manual look carefully at the fuseblock in the driver's footwell. Poor planning put that directly under the clutch pushrod, and leaks will dribble down the back of the fuseblock, destroying it.

The 4.0L can blow oil into the filter if the CCV is clogged; easy fix though. http://www.off-road.com/jeep/cherokee/xjtech/engine/40ltr/blowby.htm

Other than that, I only got 175,000 miles out of my 89 Pioneer before selling it. I don't know of any other model-year-specific items to look for.

Check for rust on the floorboard on the passenger side - just above the converter. That seems to be a very popular spot for rust to eat away at the metal...

My 89..my problems

rear main seal (this stopped the floorboard rust, tho. It looks brand new underneath yet)

rusty rocker panels

bottom of the doors becoming weak and rusty

And those are about the only probs I had with mine. I did have to replace teh serpentine belt and alternator. It would be nice if you could find a d44 under one, but those are hard to come by.

Hmm, that depends on what you're looking for. I just went through this with my father in-law. If you buy an 89, I hope you are getting a good deal, and I hope you intend to work on it. If that's not the case, you are much better off with a newer model, like a 96. Here's some of the problems I've encountered with my 89 Laredo 4 door: #1 problem was the Bendix ABS brakes. Do a search here and find out how many problems people have had with them. If you aren't willing to swap them out with brakes off a newer model, don't buy a 87 - 90 with Bendix on it. #2 problem was the closed radiator system. The coolant bottles and hoses get old and cracked over time. I replaced mine with a new style 3 core. #3 problem, check the welds on the door hinges very carefully. My 10 year old son pulled the rear passengers side door off one day. Had to be rewelded. Also, anything that is electric, like windows and locks will need maintenance or replacing. These are but a few of the joys of owning a renix XJ. Off the top of my head, those have been my major issues, but the small list goes off the charts. That being said, I love my XJ. I've learned a lot since I've owned it, and it's fairly easy to work on it. And is definitely the single best resource for fixing it.

I recently bought my 89', and the problems I have found are, the rust on the passenger side, the clogged CCV, the small u-joints in the front axle, but those are about all. I got a good deal on it, and since I plan on replacing everything any ways, I prefer the older model..

my 89 came cheap, at 1100 bucks, with very little rust and a nice interior, but the major problems when I got it were serious death wobble and a little engine knocking... well, and that almost all of the engine sensors needed replacement over the course of the first year.
in the 3 years I've owned it, it's become a 7000 dollar truck, with new stearing components, an old man emu lift, a set of all terrains, a new radiator, new hoses, new ccv parts when I broke them trying to clean them(brittle), new snsors from tps to cps to egr..., a second set of at's when the first set got slashed, an attempt at a rebuilt 4.0 that went bad after 6 months, a borla stainless header, an alpine deck, 3 new passenger swing out windows, for the three break ins, the last of which resulted in the loss of 6 quarts of oil..., a jasper 4.0 to replace the bad rebuld, and then a new egr and injector cleaning just to pass nystate emissions.... a week later, fuel pump catches fire on the freeway....

for 7-8 thousand dollars, I really wish I had a 96-99 with a shiney new paint job and 60k on the motor.... granted, I took some chances and had bad luck... and I like the old body style better... and it has character... but I don't know if an 89 is a good buy for a daily driver, unless you want a project.

I bought my 89 almost a year ago. To date, I have replaced the injectiors with wrecking yard Ford injectors, replaced the coolant bottle and installed a new ignition key switch. It looks like I need a drag link end now and my rear brakes won't stay adjusted. Mostly minor stuff (especially for a 180k rig), but it has proven to be reliable a great dd/wheeler. I have done more work on it, but those are mods and can't be taken into consideration.

I just got an 88 with 220000 on it for a project rig heres the problems ive had to fix so far -

Worn Out U-Joints
Worn Out Tranny Mount
Crumbling Exhaust Ready to fall off
CCV Tubes Corroded ( Buy new set easy fix )
Valve Cover Gasket Bad
Lugage Rack ready to fall off (buy new nuts or take off an plug em )

Other than those nothin else to big. Good luck !

TORX

I have had an 89 for 8 years now. 7 of those years it was almost completely stock with the exception of a 3 inch lift. The only big problems I had was the Peugeot tranny that bit it after about 4 years and I replaced with an AX-15, closed cooling system was a nightmare and I converted to open, Renix fuel injection would occasionally do some wierd stuff. Other than that the rig has been rock solid and ran 250,000 miles before I did a V8 swap. If the sale is under 2K and in good shape buy it.

I bought an 89 limited a few months back for $1200. I just got it smogged (see Gross Polluter thread.) and here's what I got: 227k miles pulls hard, shifts nice, decent int, straight ext. with 2 or 3 small dings, what paint is there looks passable but needs repaint, functioning four wheel drive, overall drives real nice. Mechanicals needed: brakes all around, new track bar, oil leak fixed, replace cracked windshield, new headliner, fix non returning directional, non working power lock (1), loose mirror, non op seat belt, fix MacGyvered wiring under hood and dash. Oh and the last trip to the mountains it the gauge indicated an overheat but it may be an elecrical problem. Grounding everything is coming soon.

To date I've fixed 3 non op power windows (only needed lube), 2 non op pwr locks (lube), erratic idle (clean bat terminals), new O2 sensor, new vac lines, tune up.

All in all I'm very happy with it. I drive it everyday around town and it's a smokin' deal. There are problems but to me the worst part is diagnosing and finding good deals on quality parts. That's where this board comes in. If it can be done, a few (quite a few) folks here have done it and can steer you right. Personnally I enjoy working on and getting to know my car in depth. That's why I did the smog instead of having the previous owner do it.

A few dollars more will net you a 93+ and eliminate some problems but an 89 is a viable/enjoyable deal.

Good Luck and Good Wheelin'
Cherokid

I recently purchased a 93 for 350.00, it is a manual...Is there a way to tell the difference in the trans.(Peugeot)etc... ?

I second the door hinges. Check them carefully, my driver's door was hanging by one hinge when I got rid of it. Also, check the seats if they're electric, make sure you can position them easily. Check the lugnuts and ensure they are all complete (have not lost their tin sheath). Check for the presence of fuel vapor in the engine compartment, you may have leaking injectors. Check for anti-freeze around the overflow bottle and on the components around it. If there is the presence of antifreeze, with a closed cooling system, you'll need to read the archives for tips on how to resolve the issue. Check all the electrics, door locks, windows, rear wiper and fluid.

BEVAN said:

I recently purchased a 93 for 350.00, it is a manual...Is there a way to tell the difference in the trans.(Peugeot)etc... ?

Click to expand...

Look again at post #2 - first paragraph. Actually, with the 93 it's going to be an AX-15.

Most of the issues I've read in this thread are common to all years of Cherokee or at least general groups of years. You're going to have the Renix 4.0L, but that was used in four model years (87-90) and is a well-documented engine if problems develop. The cooling system can be problematic but again that's something that is well-documented in here and elsewhere in the web. The axles and drivetrain are nothing unique to that year either, and the body and interior lasted with minor changes from 84-96.

Bottom line is that if you like the Jeep and there are no major problems visible then go for it; if not then walk away and find another. With over 2.5 million of them produced, there will be another one somewhere close.

BEVAN said:

I recently purchased a 93 for 350.00, it is a manual...Is there a way to tell the difference in the trans.(Peugeot)etc... ?

Click to expand...

you won't have that problem....

I too have an '89 with a driver's door upper hinge mount that is broken from the unibody. There are cracks to the unibody at each door jamb vent (black plastic louvered vent under the striker bolt) and in the upper corners of the unibody at the C-pillars. Previous owner did 'wheel it but nothing severe.

A good, sturdy set of rock rails that anchor in at least 3 places will help stiffen the unibody a bit.

Definitely look for a clean, non rusty, stock vehicle. Original owner/seller is the best scenario.

Good Luck!

I would make sure it has an engine and a tranny, verify that there are least 4 wheels, 5 would be a plus, make sure there is at least a drivers seat and a steering wheel.

But seriously, don't go looking for something imparticular every vehicle is different. Give it a good once over. Take a mechanics stethiscope and something to tap on the underside with, if you are that concerned with it. You must understand that this is a 15yr old rig and many things will need to be replaced. There isn't much of anything that can't be repaired or upgraded.....

Thanks for the info, I was just wondering if there were any design flaws with that particular year that I should keep an eye out for. I went and looked at it in person yesterday and all I can say is that the guy completely misrepresented the thing in our previous conversations. Oh well the hunt continues.

I think I have found a design flaw with my 89'.... since its 15 years old, everything is rusted, seized, stripped... so be ready to replace things. But when your done, it will be new, and you'll know its new.....