Jeep Cherokee Radiator Change

[amazon]

Hi

The radiator has been holed (by a gritting lorry I reckon ). I used some Radweld to get me home -so far so good. The Jeep garage have quioted me £788 to replace. I expected them to be expensive, but it has made me think I might do it myself.

Can anyone offer any advice as to whether this is a painful job and well worth paying someone to do, or whether I should just get on with it?

Thanks for your thoughts

[BLUETHUNDER]

Nicky. Your better off pulling the rad out yourself and finding a company that can re-core it. Shouldn't be no more than £180 to re-core. The rest is your labour. Which is a job i'm sure you can do.

[amazon]

BLUETHUNDER said:

Nicky. Your better off pulling the rad out yourself and finding a company that can re-core it. Shouldn't be no more than £180 to re-core. The rest is your labour. Which is a job i'm sure you can do.

Hi Markie! Thanks! I was thinking the same thing about the re-core, but was interested to know if there is something complicated about the process on a Jeep, because the new radiator was £270 according to Jeep and that means the labour is £500! Which is a few hours isn't it?

Thank you for the vote of confidence - I will probably give it a go, just thought I should scope out the job first just in case there is a high chance of failure!

I have done radiators in the Chimaera and No1 Cerbera before - with help of course - so hopefully that might help?

Have I knackered the existing rad by putting radweld in it, or doesn't that matter if it's being re-cored?

[BLUETHUNDER]

It wouldn't matter about the rad weld.As the recore is essentially a new rad. Albeit from the ends that are re-used. As for the labour side of things. Most main stealers work on a £100+ an hour. Plus v.a.t on top of that.So its easy for tha bill to end up like that.I'm not up on the Grand Cherokee. But the only other problems i could see would be moving out the way associated transmission coolers for the auto box and the rad for the aircon if its located in front of the rad.Maybe someone with a Grand will be able to verify this.

[BLUETHUNDER]

It wouldn't matter about the rad weld.As the recore is essentially a new rad. Albeit from the ends that are re-used. As for the labour side of things. Most main stealers work on a £100+ an hour. Plus v.a.t on top of that.So its easy for tha bill to end up like that.I'm not up on the Grand Cherokee. But the only other problems i could see would be moving out the way associated transmission coolers for the auto box and the rad for the aircon if its located in front of the rad.Maybe someone with a Grand will be able to verify this.

[amazon]

Thanks Mark. It's a normal Cherokee (not the Grand), but even so, the points you raise are exactly the sorts of things it's good to know about - cos' at the end of the day, I don't really know what I'm doing!

[chryslerben]

amazon said:

Thanks Mark. It's a normal Cherokee (not the Grand), but even so, the points you raise are exactly the sorts of things it's good to know about - cos' at the end of the day, I don't really know what I'm doing!

What engine is it?

[amazon]

chryslerben said:

amazon said:

Thanks Mark. It's a normal Cherokee (not the Grand), but even so, the points you raise are exactly the sorts of things it's good to know about - cos' at the end of the day, I don't really know what I'm doing!

What engine is it?

4.0L (2000)

[chryslerben]

If memory services me right you need to degas the ac then pull most of the front end out to get to the rad so the main dealers quote isn't to bad not a particularly pleasant job so depends how good you are at spannering really

[chryslerben]

BLUETHUNDER said:

main stealers

Don't know why but I find that really irritating not all dealerships are there to deprive you of your money

[amazon]

chryslerben said:

If memory services me right you need to degas the ac then pull most of the front end out to get to the rad so the main dealers quote isn't to bad not a particularly pleasant job so depends how good you are at spannering really

Thanks for the heads up. Not sure that 'good at spannering' is one of the ways I would describe myself. Determined, however, is one

[BLUETHUNDER]

chryslerben said:

Don't know why but I find that really irritating not all dealerships are there to deprive you of your money

Really! Well thats never been my experiance of them. Ive never had one do a straight job yet, that they didn't factor in "something" else that needed doing. Probably something with the fact of huge overheads to cover. Lets pass it on to the customer

[psychoR1]

Changed the rad on my wj 4.7 using the guide from the us jeep forum - take a look. The three rads are together water/transcool/AC but you can spilt the rad pack on the car and only need to disconnect oil and water not AC. My new rad was £100.
On mine the transcooler sits inside the radiator (in water).
Check the US Jeep forum. It sounds like yours is an XJ jeepforum.com

[chryslerben]

BLUETHUNDER said:

Really! Well thats never been my experiance of them. Ive never had one do a straight job yet,

quite obviously going to the wrong garages then.

BLUETHUNDER said:

that they didn't factor in "something" else that needed doing.

A car is a machine right! and machines need maintaining would you rather you weren't warned of a potential safety issue because it might cost you a few quid or would rather kill off your own family or someone elses because you didnt want to put your hand in your pocket?

BLUETHUNDER said:

Probably something with the fact of huge overheads to cover. Lets pass it on to the customer

Are you aware of what a business is?

I work damn hard to do the best for the customers at my dealership and we regularly come out on top as one of the best for customer satisfaction, so we're not all the same. Quite oftenly dealers dont set the price structure for products or services, its laid out by the manufactuer so if you have a issue with price then take it up with them.

Now after being at work all day I come on to PH to see if I can help out or give advice to anyone running one of the products we're a dealer for, hardly fitting of the description you try to paint is it.

[chryslerben]

amazon if you'd like the service instructions for the rad removal pm your email and ill send them over in pdf form

oh and r1 was correct you dont need to touch the ac fortunatly

[BLUETHUNDER]

chryslerben said:

Are you aware of what a business is?

I work damn hard to do the best for the customers at my dealership and we regularly come out on top as one of the best for customer satisfaction, so we're not all the same. Quite oftenly dealers dont set the price structure for products or services, its laid out by the manufactuer so if you have a issue with price then take it up with them.

Now after being at work all day I come on to PH to see if I can help out or give advice to anyone running one of the products we're a dealer for, hardly fitting of the description you try to paint is it.

I dont skimp on anything. I run five vehicles. And they want for nothing. You might do your best for your customers. But trust me they are many out there that dont! And ive had the same with them all. Be it Jag, Landrover. And funnily enough. The Chrysler dealership that just carried out the work on my 300c. No i prefer independants where i can. I appreciate everyone has a business to run. But there are some that run a business and others that extort. And thats how ive found it in over 20 years connected to the motor trade. Now a young lady has come on here asking for help with her Jeep. You pride yourself on helping the customer. You have done a good job and helped her. Lets keep it that way.

[psychoR1]

Op - where abouts are you? Maybe we could recommend a good indie. My indie quoted £100 to fit my rad with them supplying hoses etc. Euro car parts do WJ rads and there is a golf gti club discount code.

[chryslerben]

BLUETHUNDER said:

I dont skimp on anything. I run five vehicles. And they want for nothing. You might do your best for your customers. But trust me they are many out there that dont! And ive had the same with them all. Be it Jag, Landrover. And funnily enough. The Chrysler dealership that just carried out the work on my 300c. No i prefer independants where i can. I appreciate everyone has a business to run. But there are some that run a business and others that extort. And thats how ive found it in over 20 years connected to the motor trade. Now a young lady has come on here asking for help with her Jeep. You pride yourself on helping the customer. You have done a good job and helped her. Lets keep it that way.

Seems I've fallen foul of the old never argue with a idiot rule

I've given my reasoning for finding your ignorance as being irritating what's your excuse for being a ahole blue thunder?

[BLUETHUNDER]

chryslerben said:

Seems I've fallen foul of the old never argue with a idiot rule

I've given my reasoning for finding your ignorance as being irritating what's your excuse for being a ahole blue thunder?

You clearly live in your own bubble fella. And your last comments actually show what a you really are. You completely ruined someones thread of help to go off on your own tangent about how great delerships are over a single comment i made.

In your great scheme of things. Then maybe you need to brush up on your people skills.Because you clearly have none when it comes to people not agreeing with you.

[chryslerben]

BLUETHUNDER said:

You clearly live in your own bubble fella. And your last comments actually show what a you really are. You completely ruined someones thread of help to go off on your own tangent about how great delerships are over a single comment i made.

In your great scheme of things. Then maybe you need to brush up on your people skills.Because you clearly have none when it comes to people not agreeing with you.

Nope survey says my skills are just fine.

And FYI amazon now has all the info to decide whether or not to take on that job.

And at least s are useful, cause as far as I can see you've not actually contributed in anyway constructive to this thread yet other than your own worthless opinion