Regular and preventative maintenance schedule?

I took a look at the maintenance schedule in the service manual for my 99 XJ and it seems a little light. Here's a summary of group B maintenance (off-road & heavier driving):

Every 3000 miles
- Change oil
- Change oil filter
- Lubricate steering linkage

Every 6000 miles
- Lubricate steering and suspension ball joints
- Rotate tires
- Check coolant level, hoses, and clamps

Every 12000 miles
- Change transmission fluid
- Change diff fluid
- Inspect brake linings

Every 15000 miles
- Check and replace air cleaner

Every 30000 miles
- Change spark plugs & ignition cables
- Inspect drive belt and adjust tension
- Change transfer case fluid
- Flush and replace coolant

This seems to cover the basics but feels like it's missing a lot of important stuff. For example water pump, thermostat, distributor rotor, hydraulic fluid replacement (brake, steering), etc. aren't mentioned. Are there any good suggestions to fill in the gaps with this maintenance schedule? My Jeep is at 150k miles so I want to start taking care of stuff that might break and leave me stranded.

DD you should get about 4 years on a water pump.
I change the cap and rotor, wires and plugs every two years.
Brake/clutch fluid is about 3 years/30k, whichever comes first--brake fluid is hygroscopic--it draws moisture from the atmosphere.
Coolant change every 2 years with a 3-6 hour radiator cleaner.
PS fluid 15k miles, gets a lot of heat.

And I change the air in the tires after every flat!

DD you should get about 4 years on a water pump.

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Every car/suv,Jeep I have ever had for the last 50 years has never had the waterpump go bad! My current Jeep is a 2001 XJ with about 89,000 miles and it is still running fine with the original waterpump.

I have 159000 on my water pump. It is not an issue yet but I'm replacing it for piece of mind.

Changing the transmission and diff fluid every 12k miles seems excessive to me.

This all depends on what you use your XJ for. Is it a DD? Trail rig only? Weekend wheeler? That will determine a lot.

Lots of items will give you some sign they are going out without leaving you stranded (water pump will leak, trans start slipping, axle bearings whining, steering getting sticky, CPS not allowing XJ to start when hot, etc.)

If you just got the XJ, I'd replace all the fluids and inspect the wear items on the suspension/drivetrain (i.e. ball joints, u-joints, steering linkage, motor/trans mounts, hub bearings, sway bar links, track bar, etc.). Note: Usually if I'm doing ball joints, I always change out the u-joints. It's only an extra $60-70 and you're right there.

joe_peters said:

And I change the air in the tires after every flat!

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Is that a full flush (ALL new air), or just a top off. Can you mix air that you put in last summer with "winter air". It's not mentioned in the FSM!!?

ParadiseXJ said:

Is that a full flush (ALL new air), or just a top off. Can you mix air that you put in last summer with "winter air". It's not mentioned in the FSM!!?

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Something I picked up on my own. I've never felt a full flush was necessary, just replace the worn out air on the flat side of the tire, the other side's air is still good. I have nto experienced any problems with mixing airs from Summer/Winter, but I live in a milder climate region. However, with the new federal guidelines just announced on Global Climate Disruption, that could change drastically.

joe_peters said:

And I change the air in the tires after every flat!

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But in what month do you take out the summer air and put in the winter air? Is that a regional thing based on air temps?

Cottontail said:

But in what month do you take out the summer air and put in the winter air? Is that a regional thing based on air temps?

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Yes, and you must have EPA permits to release the used air directly into the atmosphere.

Jeepm@n said:

I have 159000 on my water pump. It is not an issue yet but I'm replacing it for piece of mind.

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Yeah. $50 dollar part that can wipe out your engine, cost a tow bill or a couple nights in a motel somewhere.

I don't automatically replace mine at four years--but I start checking it regularly.

And I only install NEW water pumps.

I don't replace the water pump till it's really, really, really bad... I keep an eye on the temp gauge.

Then again I keep a water pump, water pump gasket, thermostat, thermostat housing gasket, gasket scraper, RTV, and a full set of wrenches as well as a couple gallons of coolant behind the seat / in the toolbox on the only vehicles I think the water pump needs to be replaced in... :eyes:

Maintenance schedule depends a LOT on how you drive it.

Obviously, a daily driver won't require differential fluid changes, etc. as often as one that is used off road with water crossings.

What is the primary use of your XJ?

Use full synthetics and cut down on the maintenance.
I use Mobil1 in the engine and change it every 10k and the AW4 uses ATF+4 and I'm about to flush it after 100k.
Nevermind, I see that you have 150k so it's probably too late to start a synth diet.

sbxj said:

Use full synthetics and cut down on the maintenance.
I use Mobil1 in the engine and change it every 10k and the AW4 uses ATF+4 and I'm about to flush it after 100k.
Nevermind, I see that you have 150k so it's probably too late to start a synth diet.

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I agree with the first sentence.

I changed everything over to synthetic at 195K, first Castrol 10-30 but then to Mobil 1, change every June and December regardless of miles. Dex/Merc in AW4 (poor man's flush), Royal Purple in pumpkins. Never too late to go on a diet. The best 30K my XJ has ever seen.

ParadiseXJ said:

Never too late to go on a diet

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Very true....just being cautious because not everyone has beneficial results.
I also use Mobil1 in the diffs and TC and changed them at 100k.
I would probably not use ATF+4 if it hadn't come from the Dealer with synthetic and recommend Dex/Merc if yours didn't.

GoJeep/HowtoBiXenonProjectors

Jeepm@n said:

I have 159000 on my water pump. It is not an issue yet but I'm replacing it for piece of mind.

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The oem one my MJ got replaced around 190k. I was replacing the rad and converting to the open setup, so it made sense to replace it at the same time. It looked a bit worn, but otherwise serviceable with no leaks.

Lots of good advice, thanks!