Overheating?

[soonrz28]

I have an 89 cherokee and it is overheating and dies unless i keep on tha pedal. It is a little hard 2 start it back up after it and is really becoming a pain. A little help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanx,
Shane

[wwwildman]

There could be several reasons:

Fan clutch:
The fan should be hard turn when the engine is cold, but easier when it is hot. If it is easy to turn by hand when cold or hard to turn when hot, then your fan clutch may be bad.

Water pump:
If there is water leaking from a small hole in the bottom or it makes a squealing noise when turning then the water pump could be bad.

Thermostat:

If the top radiator hose is cold after the engine warms up or you cannot feel water flowing when you squeeze it, then the stat is stuck open.

[fredjacksonsan]

soonrz28, Welcome to AF.

I don't think that the thermostat stuck open would cause overheat, it would however keep it from heating up in the winter.


How many miles on it, and is it a 4.0 liter?

I'd think that at nearly 20 years old, you may have some buildup on the inside of the radiator; even a little could cause overheating. How often do you change your coolant?

The stalling problem can be a pain also. Does it stall all the time, only in certain conditions, or what? I'd think if you need some new plugs, cap and rotor, and plug wires (basic tuneup) that it might stall on you. Also, check the air filter - if it's really dirty that will contribute. One other thing you might want to look at is the inside of the intake. If it's dirty in there it could block a sensor. Speaking of which, it could be a sensor that needs to be replaced. You can have it scanned at many auto parts stores, for free.

A bit more info about how it stalls and under what conditions would be helpful.

Let us know if what's listed above helps out.

[soonrz28]

Yes it is a 4.0 liter and there is about 150,000 on it. It likes to turn off when tha temp guage gets past 210. If i keep the RPMs going then its fine. Do you think i might need a new radiator. I also noticed that a little bit of the belt is shredded and is kind of wrapped around tha radiator. Im gonna get a new belt to see if that helps any.

[soonrz28]

I think i have found the problem. Tha water pump shaft is worn so im puttin a new one in 2morrow. Thanx for all tha help.

[fredjacksonsan]

Yeah, that WOULD cause a problem...once you get the new water pump in(and I'd suggest a new thermostat at the same time), if the problem recurs then look into a new radiator.

[soonrz28]

I finally fixed it. Got a new water pump and then it needed tha thermostat and she runs like a champ now.