Which brings me to today. Running a few errands I need to detour thru a small town and pass an older (square headlight) red jeep. I figure I'll look at it on the way back. Turns out it is a 1992 with 148K on the odometer. This thing looks garage kept. No and I mean no rust, a few dings on the hood. Body mounts all look good. Pulled the carpet up, no rust. Brand new Bridgestone Duelers, looks to be a new starter. Engine bay looks good, maybe a little leak around the valve cover.Interior is OK, a couple of small tears in the vinyl, all in all not bad for a 23 year old vehicle. Engine 2.5 4 cylinder, yeah not my first choice. Asking price is $5,500. Kelly Blue Book puts it at 2800-3100 for very good to excellent shape.
So....any thoughts, comments.
Thanks,
Tom
Could have just been ours, and the repairs aren't all that difficult or expensive, but we had to replace the pinion seal, u-joints, and rear main, and oil pan gasket before we got all the leaks to stop. I hate a dripping vehicle. In a little over 2 years, we replaced the radiator, And water pump, besides the normal brake pads, rotors, and spark plugs.
The thing that bugged me the most was the heater/ac fan switch and blower. They didn't use heavy enough wiring from the factory. It is a pretty common problem, and people have all kinds of home fixes for it. It drove me crazy, trying to find the problem, and then fixing it. I thought I had it several times before I got it. When we sold it, the fan switch would still feel hot if you ran the ac for a long time. Being a Ford guy, it was like re-learning everything. I was glad when he sold it and bought a Mustang.
That 4 cylinder engine is known for lasting. Slow, but that may be okay.
With that said, I too have a 16 year old that loves to drive it (its cool looking...LOL at least to him). As far as I know he is pretty responsible, but I always remind him that jeeps are short wheel base vehicles and can come unwound quick if you don't pay attention. He always wants to take it to school to impress his friends. I know I am preaching to the choir, but teenagers in things like jeeps, forget they can get upside down quickly.
The 4 cylinders are nice little power plants, but a lot of folks wish they had a bigger motor in them after they get them. Especially if they are automatics. Standards are better with those smaller engines from what I have been told.
Good luck Troy
Or at least it does sometimes.
Much probing with the multimeter found that switch to be making wrong connections, making poor grounds, etc. on a regular basis. The resulting overloads and direct grounds caused failures to perform the directed action, and sometimes caused burnt connections and wiring that mimicked insufficient wiring capacity from the factory.
I was set to replace the control unit, but decided to take a look at the innards of the old one before tossing it. I found an interior of the switch that had too much dielectric grease that had been slowly repositioned through use to create many new and different pathways for the current to use.
I cleaned the interior and all the copper strips thoroughly and replaced some of the original grease, (maybe 20%, tops) with some of it that I had set aside when I began cleaning it.
Worked perfectly after that, and has for about about three years now.
"Tell me....does this Jeep show pride of ownership? If it does, and you should be able to tell, it's going to be worth buying. Maybe not at $5500, but some number."
Definitely show pride of ownership. Vehicle is well maintained. New water pump, alternator, tires, fairly new soft top. Radio doesn't work and the shocks look like they may need replaced soon. Vehicle drives very nice, shifts (5 speed) smooth, no clunking or grinding....Little 4 banger is NOT a powerhouse, but for a soon to be sixteen year old, its plenty. Owner dropped price to $5,000 said that's his bottom line. Hmmmm......decisions, decisions....
Thanks all. Any other comments are appreciated.
The flat springs on that model, though, make for a rougher ride than the coil springs that they came out with I think in 2006. But, they are easy to replace if needed. I did mine with a breaker bar and a 24" cheater bar, so air tools aren't needed.
If you want something to wrench on, a Jeep is a good way to learn. Things are easy to get to, replacement parts are easy to find if not always cheap, and it is very satisfying to drive something that you've worked on. Plus, there are online forums that are very willing to help new Jeep owners.