My wife has a 200 Jeep Grand Cherokee that she adores beyond reason. It has 185,000 miles on it and burns so much oil that the Jiffy Lube people include my name in their annual report as one of their “significant financial events.” It’s not rings – most likely valve seals. The rest of the car, with exception of the air conditioner, is in good shape. Do I drop a new engine in it and give the car a new lease on life, or just keep adding oil until it siezes and dies?
How much oil does it burn?
Just keep driving it.
My wife’s 1990 Jeep Cherokee with 240,000 miles just won’t die! And she loves the vehicle too! Why? It’s the most antiqued vehicle we own.
Maybe I’ll just stop changing the oil and tranny fluid and not tell her? Naw! She checks her fluids, she’d know.
Tester
Your wife’s “200 Jeep Grand Cherokee” is now 1,810 years old.
I suggest that you replace it with something that was at least made in the 20th Century, if not the 21st Century.
;-))
Seriously, however, the actual model year and the actual amount of oil that it consumes per 1,000 miles are very significant bits of information. If you can post that info, we can comment on a more informed basis.
If this vehicle’s only problem is burning oil (besides the AC)and you think it could last quite a bit longer (two or more years), and you KNOW it’s a problem in the upper portion of the engine you could probably get rebuilt heads for a fair price. Research rebuilt heads and labor cost (if you cant do it your self) and compare that against the possiblility of having a monthly car payment. Then compare all that against how much your wife’s happiness is worth, your answer will dawn on you shortly after all this.
The third zero is implied. I was trying to save electrons. It’s a 2000. Not the best year for Jeeps. We’ll burn a quart about every thousand miles. Not bad for a Cessna but more than one would expect with a car. I suppose it could be rings, but valves or rings we’re still looking at the high side of $2,000.
For a 9 year old vehicle with 185k miles on the odometer, 1 qt per 1k miles is really not that bad. If the vehicle is otherwise in decent shape, and if your wife is really enamored of it, I would advise you to keep it.
Think of it this way:
We have had a number of posts from owners of new or nearly new Audis who report using 1 qt of oil per 600 miles. By comparison, you are doing very well.
And, my '74 Volvo, despite being maintained better than the factory specified, burned 1 qt every 600 miles by the time that the odometer hit 65k miles. Now do you feel better about the Jeep?
That’s what the wife’s Jeep burns in it’s 4.0L. Normal.
Some vehicle manufaturers consider a QT/1000 miles as normal consumption on their new vehicles.
Tester
Something is unright. A 4.0 should not be using this much oil. At 185k for a 10 year old engine this thing has been in the sweet spot for most of its life. This either didn’t have the oil changed often enough or some other insult occurred.
Was it ever overheated?? Neither valve guides nor rings are wear prone on this engine. I own 2 4.0’s and a 2.5. 150k 175k 85k and none of them use any oil unless I switch from something like conventional to something like Amsoil. It passes in a short time and goes back to no consumption …even over 15k on the same sump.
I’d try Auto-Rx for the consumption. The rings may be coked up. Otherwise, the 4.0 will be operational worthy when the next civilization unearths our remains from this one. The sun may run out of hydrogen before that time.
Have a compression and leakdown test performed. This might shed some light on ring condition. There is no test for valve seals as that is a strictly replace and hope proposition.
If you’re sure valve seals are the problem those can be replaced without removing the head and it’s not that major of a job.
I also agree that a quart per 1000 miles on a 185k miles vehicle is not as bad as the original post led me to believe.
As long as the oil stays up the engine will not seize.
Foolish Me, perhaps? Just looking for advice. Allegedly that is one purpose of this site. Sorry to have disturbed your beauty sleep.
I do. Thanks
I had a 92 Jeep Cherokee with the 4.0 I6 that used oil terribly. Smoked on the highway. Never left a drop in the driveway.
I racked my brain until the Chrysler mechanic told me to check the oil filter adapter very closely.
Turns out it was spraying a fine stream of oil out only when running at highway speeds.
I replaced the o-rings in the adapter and never used more than a half quart every 3-4k miles.
Now THIS is a Click and Clack moment. Adding this to the compression test on the “To Do” list. The new engine idea is retreating into the mist…
Agreed. My 4.0L has 173k, and loses slight amounts of oil (maybe 1/8 to 1/4 quart over 3,000 miles). I think that’s dripping out the bottom of it rather than being burned.
I assume your post is directed at a now removed post?
The Jiffy Lube annual report comment actually got a pretty good chuckle from me!
One poster suggested that my question was silly, a waste of space, and that he/she did not particularly care about my wife’s affection for her 2000 Grand Cherokee. The individual wanted know what I would title a future post when I figured out this question was not worth anyone’s valuable time. I guess someone must have flagged it – it wasn’t me.
The O ring for the right angle adapter IS an often overlooked point of oil loss on the Chero’s. It’s an easy fix. It’s the same right angle mount used on some Fords. The difference is manly that the O ring is $3 for 2 at the Mopar parts counter …and $12 at the Ford dealer.
“One poster suggested that my question was silly, a waste of space, and that he/she did not particularly care about my wife’s affection for her 2000 Grand Cherokee. The individual wanted know what I would title a future post when I figured out this question was not worth anyone’s valuable time. I guess someone must have flagged it – it wasn’t me.”
It was me…My post was NOT politically correct and I am watched very carefully for political correctness…There was a thread about a guy named Spar who was attempting to “rebuild” a melted VW engine…I got banished from that one…
When people feel they need to replace an engine because it burns or leaks a quart of oil every thousand miles, well, that is indeed a waste of space…Please don’t take it personally…
I don’t consider the question silly or a waste of space and I’ll stick by my advice for whatever that’s worth.