Should I buy this truck?

[i live in a box]

I am looking at a 1998 GC with 73k and good paint, leather, 5.2L v8, you get the picture. I don't know squat about Jeeps so here are my concerns and possibly you can give me advice whether to be worried.

a) The steering pulls the the right pretty dramatically. I looked for obvious mis-alignment but saw none. I checked for any unusual tire wear and I found none, but these dealers can flip out tires in fifteen mins. I did however notice that the front right tire was low. Would low tire pressure on the right side be consistent with right side pull?

b) The thing that imediately caught my attention while looking under the hood was that the air conditioner unit was wet and rusty. It was a cylindrical part with aluminum tubes running out of it. Although I tested the a/c and it is operational, this is definitely a malfunction. Has anyone seen this problem occur?

c) The idle speed tends to vary. The dealer was kind enough to let me drive the car a good 30 miles, so I noticed that the idle often sat at 500 rpm. I figure it should be closer to 700 or 800. Am I right in assuming 700-800 rpm idle speed for the Jeep? What are the possible costs associated with fixing?

d) I didn't notice it at first, but after about 20 mins the rear of the car seemed to be making a whoosh sound. It was noticeable to the ear and annoying, but it didn't seem to affect the ride or acceleration of the vehicle... is this normal noise that i would just have to get accustomed to ?

e) While getting onto the freeway I noticed some indecision of the transmission. I was wondering if the transmission just wasn't used to my driving style or if this indicates a major fix. Basically the transmission changed gears in rapid succession, probably in the positive direction because the rpms were normal. This is probably not something to be concerned about, but since I don't know Jeeps I put it on here.


I apreciate any insight you guys can offer me. By the way I'm taking it to see a mechanic tomorrow for pre-purchase inspection. thanks

[Bill P]

I'm not sure about the other things, but I would say that the "whooshing sound" could be the rear sleeve, or carrier bearing. Mention it to your mechanic, and have him tell the dealer it needs to be replaced before you buy it. it costs about $400 to $600 to fix. From what I understand, it's very common on all Grand Cherokees. As far as the pulling to one side, I would guess that's a problem. I drove 7 GC's before I found mine, and they all tracked pretty straight.

[i live in a box]

The Jeep had $2500.00 in work to be done to it according to my mechanic. He said I'd need the rear-end completely rebuilt, because he saw metal in the oil. He saw engine leaks that would need new gaskets. He said that the pull was being caused by a bad tracking arm and that it would need to be replaced. The truck needed new rear tires. He took a reading on the engine computer that told him that the engine was running fat... whatever that means? He said that the reading was 9.6 and that the check engine light would come on at 10. Does anyone know what he was talking about?

And to top it all off the a/c compressor had lost its paint and was rusted to hell. I would have wanted to put new shocks on the vehicle because those factory ones drive me nuts, so that was added cost.

I wish that it was a better maintained truck, because I love v8 power but I'll find another.

[slacker_53]

Rear differential bearing noise is typical in most all Grands, Chrysler had a real problem with their diffs. About a $400.00 fix.

Gas mileage on the 5.2L sucks, as does the AWD. You can't tow a Jeep with AWD and it dosen't help the mileage.

The A/C cannister that you are referring to is typical for losing its paint and rusting, I wouldn't let this bother you.

The idle problem could be caused by the throttle positioning sensor, they're known for going bad.

The 'pull' could be the track arm, but could also be tires. They may look good , but they could still have a slipped belt or some other form of defect that may not readily be visible.

The engine leaks are probably valve cover gaskets. Of course I'm not looking at the vehicle, but $2500.00 sounds a little stiff.

I think I'd shop around for a better one, if that's possible

My opinion,

-slacker

[propjock]

I'm told that once they hit 90,000 you have major problems. This is my 2nd GC but I never had one with that many miles on it.

[cbr92901]

don't buy that one - buy mine. I'm in ATL - '95 Orvis edition with about 109,000 miles on it.

[Comet 3995]

I would suggest you keep looking unless this one is really cheap. Most of the problems you encountered are not unusual especially for a Jeep that has towed a heavy trailer and has higher mileage. I looked at 8 or 10 before buying my 95. I bought mine at a really good price knowing what work it needs. Once complete, I will have a very solid Jeep and I will know that the usual problems have been taken care of already. If you go the route I took, figure on 1500 to 2K to make a higer mileage JGC ready for the next 60 to 80K. Also, if you like the V8 power, go with the V8. A free flow exhaust and K&N fileter can help the mileage and, I believe, the pre 97 Grand Cherokees run on regular gas not high test.