critik
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Greenville, SC
Hey everyone. I've been reading these forums for awhile now, and the wealth of information in them has been immensely helpful to me when working on my XJ. I have a question for anyone who wouldn't mind answering. It's mainly a question of opinion, as I'm deciding whether or not I should keep or sell my XJ, based upon some of the problems it's having.
I have a 1994 Jeep Cherokee Sport. It's a 4-door, 4.0L, AW4, and 2WD. I bought it in June of 2005, back when I was about to become a senior in high school. I've pretty much been independent ever since I was 16, and I paid for the car myself. The car has had a few problems, and I couldn't exactly afford to pay for a mechanic, so I saved money by looking on to find out how to perform the repairs I had to do. I've done a fair amount of work on it, as it's been problematic for most of the time I've owned it. However, these were simply minor problems, in my opinion, and otherwise, the engine has run absolutely great. I left for college last August, and left the car to my mother, so that she could have a car to take to school. Well, my family has historically had serious financial issues, so eventually they ended up having their car repossessed, and they had no other choice but to use mine. I'm a nice guy, and I help out as much as I can, so I said that they could use it as a family car.
The problem with this is that it requires a fair amount of upkeep. There are a lot of leaks that spring out due to worn hoses, etc, that apparently haven't been replaced in awhile. I warned my parents of this, but yet they still continued to drive it. In fact, they put 10,000 miles on the car while performing very minimal maintenance. During this time, there were no oil changes. Also, they ran down the front breaks severely, and damaged the rotors, which had to be replaced. The starter went out during this time, but it was replaced. The battery was also replaced. The transmission started slipping as a result of a leaky cooling hose. The front door is also now sagging severely.
I would normally have had all of these problems fixed myself, as well as the oil changed, etc, but I'm off at school, and am unable to get home to do these things. I understand that my parents are abusing my car, and I've spoken with them about this, and will continue to speak to them about it. When I head home for spring break, I will have a long talk with them about taking care of things. But that's besides the point. I'm just trying to explain the condition of the car. Basically, I need to know whether or not I should sell the car or fix the damage, and which will be the better judgment call. I'm going to need a car for the summer, and I don't have much money (although I do work, and have a large amount of savings). I'm looking for the cheapest route that'll get me reliable transportation.
Here's some more info on the current state of the car, and some of the repairs that I've done to it:
Original Mileage at Purchase: 140,000
Mileage when I left for college last August: 145,000
Mileage now: 158,000
Current Problems
- Oxidixing paint (cosmetic, I really don't care)
- Missing headliner (again, cosmetic, and I don't care)
- Sagging front door
- Leaking transmission hoses (I think...I haven't taken a look at them)
- The transmission has slipped on occasion, when fluid runs low.
- The rear main is leaking. It really hasn't been that bad, so I never worried about it, as it was too much work for me to do at the time.
- There must be a bad grounding somewhere, as the car will (very rarely and very randomly) lose all electrical power.
- The brakes seem to be having problems, although I can't get any details as to why.
- Hasn't had the oil changed in awhile...over 10,000 miles. I'm getting it done as soon as I get back for spring break.
Repaired Problems
- New valve cover gasket
- Heater valve
- New transmission cooling hose (one of them...it goes into the bottom of the radiator)
- New power steering pump and hoses
- New radiator
- New starter
- New battery, cables, and terminals
- New tires
- New serpentine belt
- New headlights
I've put a good amount of work into the car, and while it was in my control, I tried my best to keep it very clean and in good working condition. The moment any problem arose, I had it fixed. I drove it very lightly, unlike most teenagers, and never took it above 2,000rpms on most occasions. But my family just doesn't know how to take car of cars, and my charity to them has really screwed me over. I'm particularly worried about the transmission, as it's slipped a few times (how bad is this, and is it on its way out?).
I normally would just trade it in (how much value would I get?), but I'm not sure that it'd get much, as it's not in great cosmetic condition, nor is it in great mechanical condition. I'm also a college student who has to support himself completely while in school, so I don't have a whole lot of money (roughly $1,500 saved...not enough for a decent car, I don't think) There's been a lot replaced, and I'd like to think there will be an end of the road sometime soon, but I'm not sure. I'm just looking for a good opinion on whether or not this XJ is going to be for me.
I'm not picky about what I drive, or what it looks like. I need something that's going to be reliable in the long run. I also don't mind fixing minor things such as leaks, and replacing small parts. I'd appreciate any advice that anyone can give me. Thank you!
I have a 1994 Jeep Cherokee Sport. It's a 4-door, 4.0L, AW4, and 2WD. I bought it in June of 2005, back when I was about to become a senior in high school. I've pretty much been independent ever since I was 16, and I paid for the car myself. The car has had a few problems, and I couldn't exactly afford to pay for a mechanic, so I saved money by looking on to find out how to perform the repairs I had to do. I've done a fair amount of work on it, as it's been problematic for most of the time I've owned it. However, these were simply minor problems, in my opinion, and otherwise, the engine has run absolutely great. I left for college last August, and left the car to my mother, so that she could have a car to take to school. Well, my family has historically had serious financial issues, so eventually they ended up having their car repossessed, and they had no other choice but to use mine. I'm a nice guy, and I help out as much as I can, so I said that they could use it as a family car.
The problem with this is that it requires a fair amount of upkeep. There are a lot of leaks that spring out due to worn hoses, etc, that apparently haven't been replaced in awhile. I warned my parents of this, but yet they still continued to drive it. In fact, they put 10,000 miles on the car while performing very minimal maintenance. During this time, there were no oil changes. Also, they ran down the front breaks severely, and damaged the rotors, which had to be replaced. The starter went out during this time, but it was replaced. The battery was also replaced. The transmission started slipping as a result of a leaky cooling hose. The front door is also now sagging severely.
I would normally have had all of these problems fixed myself, as well as the oil changed, etc, but I'm off at school, and am unable to get home to do these things. I understand that my parents are abusing my car, and I've spoken with them about this, and will continue to speak to them about it. When I head home for spring break, I will have a long talk with them about taking care of things. But that's besides the point. I'm just trying to explain the condition of the car. Basically, I need to know whether or not I should sell the car or fix the damage, and which will be the better judgment call. I'm going to need a car for the summer, and I don't have much money (although I do work, and have a large amount of savings). I'm looking for the cheapest route that'll get me reliable transportation.
Here's some more info on the current state of the car, and some of the repairs that I've done to it:
Original Mileage at Purchase: 140,000
Mileage when I left for college last August: 145,000
Mileage now: 158,000
Current Problems
- Oxidixing paint (cosmetic, I really don't care)
- Missing headliner (again, cosmetic, and I don't care)
- Sagging front door
- Leaking transmission hoses (I think...I haven't taken a look at them)
- The transmission has slipped on occasion, when fluid runs low.
- The rear main is leaking. It really hasn't been that bad, so I never worried about it, as it was too much work for me to do at the time.
- There must be a bad grounding somewhere, as the car will (very rarely and very randomly) lose all electrical power.
- The brakes seem to be having problems, although I can't get any details as to why.
- Hasn't had the oil changed in awhile...over 10,000 miles. I'm getting it done as soon as I get back for spring break.
Repaired Problems
- New valve cover gasket
- Heater valve
- New transmission cooling hose (one of them...it goes into the bottom of the radiator)
- New power steering pump and hoses
- New radiator
- New starter
- New battery, cables, and terminals
- New tires
- New serpentine belt
- New headlights
I've put a good amount of work into the car, and while it was in my control, I tried my best to keep it very clean and in good working condition. The moment any problem arose, I had it fixed. I drove it very lightly, unlike most teenagers, and never took it above 2,000rpms on most occasions. But my family just doesn't know how to take car of cars, and my charity to them has really screwed me over. I'm particularly worried about the transmission, as it's slipped a few times (how bad is this, and is it on its way out?).
I normally would just trade it in (how much value would I get?), but I'm not sure that it'd get much, as it's not in great cosmetic condition, nor is it in great mechanical condition. I'm also a college student who has to support himself completely while in school, so I don't have a whole lot of money (roughly $1,500 saved...not enough for a decent car, I don't think) There's been a lot replaced, and I'd like to think there will be an end of the road sometime soon, but I'm not sure. I'm just looking for a good opinion on whether or not this XJ is going to be for me.
I'm not picky about what I drive, or what it looks like. I need something that's going to be reliable in the long run. I also don't mind fixing minor things such as leaks, and replacing small parts. I'd appreciate any advice that anyone can give me. Thank you!