Jeep Cherokee 1996 Hot engine Oil & engine cut out.

Jeep Cherokee 1996 Hot engine Oil & engine cut out.

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97BlackC5

Original Poster:

352 posts

245 months

Friday 3rd December 2010
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Just wondered if anyone has had this happen to them, I was in the Cherokee this morning driving to Canary Wharf, heater on origionally in 4 wheel drive then switched to part time 4 wheel drive then to 2 wheel drive as the roads got better. I noticed the heater went from being nice & hot to cold (without me touching it). Then worse to come as the stering went heavy & the power died. Managed to limp to Canary Wharf, popped the hood - engine oil levels on the dip stick are fine, coolant is fine but undo to oil filler cap & its smoking. Just wondered if anyone had any ideas as to what could be wrong. First thought was maybe the fan not cutting in, but its bl**dy cold out & its not exactly a long drive so wouldn't have that would have been the issue?

anomaly

466 posts

180 months

Friday 3rd December 2010
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Petrol or diesel? If diesel, could be the head gasket...

97BlackC5

Original Poster:

352 posts

245 months

Friday 3rd December 2010
quotequote all
petrol.....

IainT

10,040 posts

245 months

Friday 3rd December 2010
quotequote all
Not a clue about your problem but...

The Part Time setting is for low speeds on loose surfaces it isn't an intermediate stpe between full 4wd and the RWD setting.

It's definately unintuiteively named but you should check your user manual for the correct conditions for each setting.

Fire99

9,849 posts

236 months

Friday 3rd December 2010
quotequote all
IainT said:
Not a clue about your problem but...

The Part Time setting is for low speeds on loose surfaces it isn't an intermediate stpe between full 4wd and the RWD setting.

It's definately unintuiteively named but you should check your user manual for the correct conditions for each setting.
yes

Part-Time 4wd, the front and rear axles are locked together so you don't have front - rear differential action. Should only be used on very slippy surfaces like soft mud etc. Not on the road.
The handbook explains this too.

Regarding the heat issue, what did the temperature guage do? Did it climb/go cold/ stay normal?

97BlackC5

Original Poster:

352 posts

245 months

Friday 3rd December 2010
quotequote all
IainT said:

'The Part Time setting is for low speeds on loose surfaces it isn't an intermediate stpe between full 4wd and the RWD setting'.


Maybe I should read my user manual! would using full time 4 wheel drive & part time 4 wheel drive on effectively wet roads put undue strain on the engine? The temp guage did go off the clock after about 11 miles!



Fire99

9,849 posts

236 months

Friday 3rd December 2010
quotequote all
97BlackC5 said:
IainT said:

'The Part Time setting is for low speeds on loose surfaces it isn't an intermediate stpe between full 4wd and the RWD setting'.


Maybe I should read my user manual! would using full time 4 wheel drive & part time 4 wheel drive on effectively wet roads put undue strain on the engine? The temp guage did go off the clock after about 11 miles!
Part-Time will put excessive load on steering components as it will going towards 'wheel hop' when going round corners. If the roads are icey you will probably have got away with it.
The engine is a very tough ol brute so I don't think the transmission setting would cause it too much hassle.

If the guage went off the scale after a fairly short time, my first guess would be a stuck thermostat. Fairly easy to remove and check as it's on the front of the engine.

97BlackC5

Original Poster:

352 posts

245 months

Friday 3rd December 2010
quotequote all
Thermostat is what I thought, but it was a short journey in cold temps. & why did the power just die as if someone tuned the engine off stering goes heavy etc whilst i was driving? I don't think the coolant was not boiling over even though the temp guage was off the clock?

97BlackC5

Original Poster:

352 posts

245 months

Friday 3rd December 2010
quotequote all
Think I've sussed what was wrong.......very little water in the system!!! & what was there was probably frozen!!! Remember your anti freeze guys. Topped up + anti freeze, hopefully no damage done;-). Been for a run temp guage holding nicely, engine sounds fine, bulit proof iron lump.