1996 Jeep Cherokee XJ repair costs and Maintanence questions

[quietfighting]

Hey guys,

I'll try to keep this brief. I need some Maintanance and repair questions regarding a 1996 jeep Cherokee country with 220,000 miles. This jeep has been owned by 4 people- original owner to 84,000 miles, me till 124,000, and my friend to now at 220,000. It has never been offloaded. Most miles are highway miles.

Wife and I are wanting to cut cost, pay off debt and more more margin in our lives so we are selling out 2013 outback and looking for something that will leave us with no payments.

What mechanical areas would you check on an XJ with this many miles? Any large issues that could pop up?

How much life is left in the jeep?

Esthetic Issues
Needs
new windshield
New headliner - body shop said $300. How easy is this to do yourself and save money?

Biggest concern - seats
Seats are torn - needs seat covers, reupholstered or upgrade to wj or we seats.

We have 3 kids in car seats. Are there bolt on child latch adapters that can be purchased? Do I need to change out rear seat to a newer we or wj?

Any advice on these issues and cost of repair you could send my way will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your help.

 

[tgreening]

At 220k pretty much everything is becoming a concern. Engine, tranny, X fear case, wheel/axle bearings, blah blah. Unless you have a known replacement mileage on all that stuff it's all suspect.

Car seats: First thing I'd do is test fit those seats. Depending on style you might be surprised at the lack of fit. I sold my 94 because it couldn't take a seat without putting my wife in the dash, and one behind me made jeep undrivable.

Headliners are easy. Some 3 M spray adhesive, a trip to the fabric store, and some time and patience. A pull-a-part for seats is probably cheaper than quality seat covers, as long as you can find decent seats.

My opinion? Spend a bit more and find something lower mileage. Nickels and dimes add up fast, not to mention the aggravation of always having to fix something, that breaks at the worst possible time.

And don't forget to check car seat fit.

 

[F40]

I own an XJ and I don't feel it's a safe enough vehicle for 3 children in car seats. If you proceed, the headliner is an easy fix, just a pain to pull out. I would do a compression test and check out the cooling system.

 

[91AzXJ]

If you go this route, you may want to look for a nice set of WJ seats front and rear. I think that will give you the tie downs and a split rear bench seat. If you know the maintenance records for the last 100k miles, I wouldn't be too scared. If not, might want to think long and hard. Headliner is no big deal.

 

[Zeiderman]

I have a 96 Country, second owner with 190,000. All original except for alt, starter, water pump, hoses, lines, etc. Oil is still golden brown at change. The things are so easy and reliable it's not even funny anymore. The first I would check would be from the distributer to the block. Then go through all your fluids. Mine is my DD, moved me three times, hauls anything I need, and goes anywhere I want. Other than not diagnosing a bad starter correctly, has never stranded me. And parts are cheap and readily available. As stated headliner can be done in a few hours for about $50 depending on liner material used, you can pretty much use whatever fits your fancy. 96 Was A crossover year from OBD I/II, something to consider. Not being hacked for offroading is a major bonus. If and when you do have to replace something go either OE, or Napa, you will thank yourself in the long run. Also......there are dedicated XJ forums that will literally help you build one from the ground up if needed. How much?

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[Zeep]

I see Jeep seats often on craigslist!

 

[Anak]

I own a '96 with about 160K on the clock. I regard it as a very reliable vehicle.

The 4.0L inline six is an excellent motor for reliability. I am not impressed with the power, but the design is very robust.

I have the manual (AX-15), but odds are you are dealing with the AW4 automatic. That is regarded as a very reliable automatic transmission. I believe it is common to Toyota (probably a different bellhousing bolt pattern though).

You will have a high pinion Dana 30 front with the larger U-joints and probably a Chrysler 8.25 rear. Those are both good axles. If it has anti-lock brakes then it will have a Dana 35 rear. That is nothing to get excited about in the axle department, but if it stays on pavement and does not get oversized tires then it will probably never matter to you.

Seats can be swapped fairly easily, at least the front ones. If you can't find good XJ seats then ZJ ('93-'98 Grand Cherokee) are a common swap. The rear is a bit more challenging, but folks have swapped those too. Do some searching and you will probably find write-ups on that. I would not expect to succeed in getting latch attachments though. There were once some tether points offered in the last year or two of XJs, but those are not common, and I can't recall how readily they would transfer. They were not Latch connections, but offered a bit more safety.

I drive around with three boys in the back seat, but only one of them in a booster. Three car seats across the back is going to pose a bit of a challenge.

The headliner is supposed to be a simple job (my own is on my short to-do list).

As a general rule, your biggest challenges are likely to be electrical. Chrysler was none too generous with wire sizing. I have switched my headlights and my blower motor to running through relays in order to take the strain off the aging (read increasing in resistance) factory switches and connectors. Ground connections don't improve any with rust either. Expect to need to chase an electrical gremlin or two over the years.

Also note that the Crankshaft Position Sensor has a bad reputation. Go to the dealer and get a spare. And then get about 3' worth of 3/8" socket extensions. Keep those in the Jeep for the day when the CPS decides to make your life more interesting. And no, other vehicles are not necessarily any better in this regard. It is the nature of modern engine controls. It used to be that your car wouldn't run when there was condensation in your distributor. Now it is a dead sensor. Pick your poison.

You should also know that the '96 has a unique fuel system. As a crossover year it has the steel tank of the previous years, but the returnless fuel lines of the later years. This means that the sending unit/pump/regulator assembly is a one off. I believe Crown has reproduced this part, so it should not pose an insurmountable hurdle, but Napa will not have a new unit to hand you over the counter today. I have found that the pump and regulator in that assembly can be serviced however. As long as the fuel sending unit is good there is no reason why you should have to replace the entire assembly.

Beyond that, rust is your silent, pervasive enemy. Check the foot wells underneath. Also watch out for the outside edge of the drip rail and the corners below the windshield.

 

[mtbxj87]

Super cheap and reliable. Learn to work on it, lots of info on the Internet (forums, YouTube). Junk yards are your friends

 

[quietfighting]

I have a 96 Country, second owner with 190,000. All original except for alt, starter, water pump, hoses, lines, etc. Oil is still golden brown at change. The things are so easy and reliable it's not even funny anymore. The first I would check would be from the distributer to the block. Then go through all your fluids. Mine is my DD, moved me three times, hauls anything I need, and goes anywhere I want. Other than not diagnosing a bad starter correctly, has never stranded me. And parts are cheap and readily available. As stated headliner can be done in a few hours for about $50 depending on liner material used, you can pretty much use whatever fits your fancy. 96 Was A crossover year from OBD I/II, something to consider. Not being hacked for offroading is a major bonus. If and when you do have to replace something go either OE, or Napa, you will thank yourself in the long run. Also......there are dedicated XJ forums that will literally help you build one from the ground up if needed. How much?

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Price is negotiable upon what the mechanic finds. No more than $1,500.

 

[quietfighting]

Thanks for input.

Jeep is at the mechanics. Waiting to find out what needs to be done after he inspects it. I know it needs brakes ASAP.

There is a leak in the cracked windshield or the door seals. The driver side floorboard is wet. This may be due to the torrential rain we had recently.

 

[Zeiderman]

That's not a bad price if mechanically sound, brakes are cheap and easy. Pull the mat up on the floor board and check the pan. Chances are it just didn't start leaking. Remember to factor all repairs needed when negotiating. Especially if you can't do them yourself, and remember a wad of instant cash always wins. Post a bunch of pics if you can and let us see this thing.

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