Oil level grows 99

[c180]

72,000 miles cherokee sport 99 (works great) for some time the level oil is increasing after the 1,000-mile oil change, any ideas?

[MagicRat]

Well, if the oil level is definitely going up, another fluid is getting in there.

If the oil starts to look brown/green and foggy, like a milkshake, then coolant is getting into the oil, through a blown head gasket or cracked engine block.

If you are driving on many short trips, without any long drives then condensation (water vapor) might be building up in the oil over time. The occasional long drive (1 hour or more) and/or frequent oil changes should address this problem.

Another remedy for condensation is to clean out the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) tube. Unlike most cars, these Jeeps do not use a PCV valve, they use a 'metered orifice' which tends to get clogged over time. When this happens, harmful gases (including condensation) that build-up in any engine are not removed and contaminate the oil.

[2000izusu]

also check for a stuck injector putting gas into the crank case. mike

[c180]

the jeep model is gas, the color oil no changes, only is increasing

[MagicRat]

Originally Posted by c180

the jeep model is gas, the color oil no changes, only is increasing

That pretty much rules out coolant contamination then.
Gasoline contamination can do this. It will dilute the oil without changing color. The problem is the oil becomes thinner and does not lubricate as well, possibly leading to engine damage.
Does the oil smell strongly of gasoline?
If not, consider an engine oil analysis. There are several sites out there like this one.
http://www.oaitesting.com/
Before getting a kit or sending a sample out, call them and ask if their kits detect gasoline or water contamination. It will be cheaper than guessing what the repair should be.

[fredjacksonsan]

I've had good results with these guys:

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/

For free, they'll send you a kit to send them the oil back in. They test for contaminants in the oil, including coolant and fuel. I found a bad head gasket thanks to their testing.