I can use some help...I have a 2001 Cherokee Sport...I've had it for about 3 years and it has always run a little hot especially in the summer months...by hot I mean the temp guage is between the 210 and the next highest mark...last week all of a sudden the guage moved higher to almost 2 1/2 marks hotter...I made it home and let it cool...opened up the radiator cap and I was low on antifreeze...filled it up and drove it and the temp rose to the next mark past the 210...I've since flushed the system and refilled it with 50/50 coolant and now the temp seems to still "creep up" to the next mark past 210...I'm assuming there's still a problem and I've never had an issue with the temp rising steadily as I drive it...does anyone have any suggestions...bad thermostat or maybe a waterpump not pumping enough...any help would be grated appreciated!!!

thanks,
C

 

Well, you have a 2001 whochvhas the 0331 head that is very prone to cracking..what you described sounds like the head is cracked. Hows your oil?

 

Read up on the 0331 head. Paste this in Google, without the quotation marks:

"0331 head site:cherokeeforum.com"

 

If you're not seeing coolant on the ground where its parked, then a cracked head is #1 suspect for your year XJ.

Check for coolant in the oil. A good shade-tree-mechanic method is to drop some oil on some aluminum foil and hold a lighter underneath it. If the oil boils a little, then there's coolant in it. If it only burns then the test is inconclusive (it doesn't mean that there isn't coolant in the oil). A better method though is to send the oil to Blackstone Lab. That's what I did and they discovered traces of coolant. Sure enough I had a warped head

If it's real bad, you might see "milk shake" substance in the oil, on the oil cap, under the valve cover, etc

You can also test for combustion gases in the coolant, you can take it to a shop and they'll use their emission equipment, or you can borrow a tool from an auto parts store that chemically tests for exhaust gases coming out the radiator opening. If it test positive then you for sure have a blown head gasket or cracked head.

The problem is that, along with the coolant and oil mixing with each other, combustion gases and mixing into the coolant. Obviously this doesn't help the coolant keep the engine at the right temp

You can do the job yourself for around $500

 

the oil is very clean...that's why I don't think it's a cracked head...plus there's no sign of antifreeze in the exhaust...plus it will run ok and not overheat...it just runs hot, not overheating...because it's running hot, I'm worried it could cause a warped or cracked head...I just don't think it's at that point...

 

never feel comfortable with a 0331 with overheating symptoms. I would do what the post above mentioned just so you can rule it out.

 

why is every body going straight to the head I have a 2001 xj and it was getting hot , I had a bad fan clutch and the radiator was getting plugged and a flush did not clean it I replaced the radiator and the fan clutch and all is good .

 

Simply because if there is a head problem it needs to be resolved as soon as possible before it trashes the rest of the engine.

 

Are you still loosing coolant? or is it maintaining the correct coolant level? If your oil is that clean it doesnt sound like a cracked head to me. Could be water pump (rotted impeller) , bad fan clutch, bad thermostat or clogged radiator.

I had a friend with a Nissan X-terra, the dealer told them they had a blown head gasket and all this other nonsense and a quoted them almost 2 grand to fix it. They brought it to me and I checked it out, it wasn't loosing coolant, none in the oil, so I checked the radiator with a infrared temp gun, to find that the center of the radiator was way cool and the rest was really hot. It was a simple clogged radiator, the newer plastic / aluminum ones rot from the inside out and clog up, flushing doesn't always work. I replaced the radiator with a new one and no more issues.

BTW, I've owned 2 XJ's with the notorious 0331 head and neither have cracked (over 100k on both with no trouble). I did buy one with a bad head (knowingly) though and it was under 100k on it, so it's hit or miss. Just because it has the 0331 head doesn't mean that it's going to crack and your jeep is going to blow up.

 

becasue it is something to look out for and its good to do all the checks just to be sure..plus, the symptoms sound like a cracked head