Spending more to keep your car on road? CAR WIZARD shows why putting $3K into this '05 Jeep is wise
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There is always a line when it's a good idea to repair your car or to replace it. Let the CAR WIZARD 🧙♂️ explain why people are putting more into repairing their rides than they would have done in the past using this 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee as an example.
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Rusty at the back and not at the front. I’d say the jeeps been reversing a boat trailer into salty water. Hence the caught up fishing line.
Was going to say the same thing 👍
That thing is begging for an oil spray
Bingo!
Was my first thought as well
By George you got it
I have 3 vehicles that were mechanically totaled. I picked them up for about $500 each. About $1500 each in parts and a few weekends and they all run perfect. 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis 60k Miles, 2005 Chevy Silverado 260K miles and a 2010 Honda CRV 222K miles. Today it is worth the work to keep your cars running.
Those are all solid makes/models. If you can do the labor yourself, its a home run.
That marquis and Honda will run forever. I honestly think that marquis may be more reliable than the Honda too be honest lol
But the Silverado is a good runner to.
I saved a 1999 Chevy Blazer LT 4d 2wd (LSD w/3.42 gear) it's got 260k on the clock. I had to rebuild the emission system but it passed the California high emitter profile smog check after about $1,000 in work. It's a good feeling when you can take something that it's basically destined for the scrap yard and turn it into a word worthy vehicle again
I did all the work by myself with a lil help from my buddy
Solid advice. Especially if you can get one that is rust free.
@@12yearssober They are all rust free. The rockers on the truck were just starting to go. Replaced them. The bed is Rino lined. We fluid filmed all the cars. The whole process was enjoyable. Was offered $6K for the Honda and $9K for the truck. Keeping them for the moment.
I just realized how comfortable Wizard got around the camera.
The Wizard of today and the one from the first videos of Tyler he was featured in, seem like totally different beings.
I’m the 69th like
My 2005 4.7 Grand Cherokee has 310000 miles on it.
Has never had any overheating/head gasket issues
Has always had services done on time
This video is the first time I have even heard of head gasket problems with the 4.7
Have you ever experienced noise on acceleration at about 20mph? Mine has 186k miles and its driving me crazy bcs mechanics cant figure it out.
It's a shame that we have became a society that is big on giving up and tossing items to the wayside when things get rough. It's people like Wizard that is able to save decent cars like this from getting sent to the scrap yard. We need more people like The Car Wizard to help us get through tough times like these.
Yes...Yes he is.
It's called planned obsolescence. Even Toyota is starting to move in that direction slowly. Most other manufacturers are there already. Especially German and American cars.
Look up Planned Obscelence and how it started with the Phoebus Cartel and the story of the Centennial Light Bulb
@@danielmirlach4655 true ☺
That's what is so hilarious, big corporations scream about climate change and protecting the environment and meanwhile the nation's land fills are filling up faster than ever becuase of this phenomenon.
I was about to get salty about Wizard talking smack about 4.7's blowing head gaskets but then I remembered the 4.7 HO in my 2004 Grand Cherokee had a leaky head gasket at before 100,000 miles. It's ok, I still love it.
Tink it was a ho issue I have 2005 dakota with 4.7 and over 200k and no issues
I have bought and sold more wj jeeps with the 4.7 then the 4.0 and never had any major problems the space in the engine bay is the worst part when doing manifolds tho
Bought our 2006 JGC w/ 4.7 in 2007, now it has over 200k miles and still runs like a beast (Never blown a gasket). All you gotta do is have your car serviced and fix the little things so they never become big things
In WJ circles the 4.7 is usually regarded as fairly reliable, if not as much as the 4.0. The main cause of its bad Rep as far as we can tell mostly comes from the RAM trucks, where the extra heat from the engine bay + extra strain from towing and other truck duties caused them to blow a fair few headgaskets
I have the 4.7 in an 03 Ram 1500. I tow with it all the time and am at 234k. No blown head gaskets. I think it is people that overheat them. My radiator started to leak at 200k(original) and I immediately stopped driving it, never overheated and just replaced and did the cooling system.
@@zaphodbeeblebrox5580 That's the key point. No modern engine with aluminum heads can ever be overheated without doing major damage very quickly. People forget about the cooling system until it overheats, but then it's often too late.
My 02 ram had almost 570k miles on original engine and transmission before it got totaled by drunk guy.. never had any problem always ran like a top notch. Loved this truck and had it since it was brand new… regular oil changes and maintenance all it needed
I had two 4.7L WJs in my family. Both started slowly overheating. Both were leaking cooling system pressure due to a hard thermostat gasket. Best to replace the plastic housing, thermostat and gasket with Mopar parts every time the coolant is changed. Atleast every 10 years.
My sister unfortunately must have severely overheated it, as that one dropped a valve seat about 5000 miles later and destroyed the engine.
I have had a few of those. 4.7l engines are decent if you follow a few rules. NEVER overheat them, they will drop the valve seats. Keep up the oil change, and run a full synthetic. And make sure the breather (pcv) is functioning properly.
The 3.7 and 5.7 engines made prior to 2009 also had this problem as well.
@@atx-cvpi_99 Yes sir you are correct. MY uncle retired from Chrysler, a decade ago. He worked on the dyno, and tore these engines down daily. His rule was to stay away from any Chrysler engine that ends in a 7. 🤣. I have learned to live with them, since I am a cheap bastard and buy these for a nickel.
@@mph5896
Slant six was a 3.7 and is one of the most reliable engines ever made.
@@12yearssober Newer stuff. Like 90's+. And you are still dead to me. ☠
@@mph5896
😄😄
The exhaust leak question is kind of a trick. The bolts break. Repair is Pull it all apart, extract the broken bolts and have the exhaust manifolds machined flat. Or new manifolds if you want to buy OEM. Stay away from the Dorman junk.
Thanks for the advice.
Doorman junk is likely a install error as doorman makes many oem parts. It's like saying Bendix or Hitachi junk. The oem installation is normally crap now a days. As cris rock sed, do you really think after 150 years Cadillac can't make a car without the bumper falling off?! Of course they can but how could they sell you a new Cadillac!?
@@adamlewellen5081 If you feel Dorman is a good product, feel free to use their items. My experience says no
Haha or don't buy a jeep! Problem solved👍😀
@@mph5896 Dorman should’ve remained a hardware manufacturer only ! They did make high quality nuts and bolts ect.
I have a 09 my mom bought brand new! Stone white with 206,000 miles on it. New waterpump and cruise control switch other then regular maintenance. Great vehicle
I live in Canada and own a 2008 Jeep WK (Grand Cherokee) with the OM642 (3.0L CRD), I love it; aside from electrical and intake issues, it is a labour of love.
The only thing I wish the previous owner had done, was waxed and polished their paint more; Canadian roads are salty.
370,000 km and still on the road.
Did you ever got problems with “Ignition Start” Reason I ask it is Because your Vehicle Runs on Diesel and Very Cold Winter Season..Thx
@Zezu there was no recall regarding ignition switch for the 2008 model year; the 2005 to 2007 model years were affected.
All I have had to change remotely related to ignition was the glow plugs.
I just put 2500$ worth of work in 01 LeSabre with 120k miles. I couldn't find any car worth a damn for 2500$.
Now that’s a SMART move , if I’m not mistaken that’s the 3800 engine and we all know that’s a great engine that will treat you good for many many moons, as long as u treat her right!
@@B0xlife1 I have a 2015 Ford Flex Ecoboost as well but I chose to put the money in the Buick over the ford honestly
Lucky to find anything that runs for $2500
Watch for rust on the front crossmember. I’d find someone to inspect it if you live in an area that treats the roads for snow & ice. If ok, find a shop that can apply Fluid Film to inhibit further rust.
We have a 17 year old Lexus SUV with 133,000 miles on. Never once did it need a non-maintenance part replacement. It's all wheel drive and averages 25 MPG. Of course, it's a hybrid.
My first car was a 2005 grand Cherokee with a hemi. Great car. Engine and transmission were solid and still were at 190k miles. It had a lot of tech features for its time and those items started to break. Dual climate, tpms and moon roof all inoperable. Still a beast of a machine. Would buy one with less miles again but the price of gas kills that idea fast.
Yeah if you drive many miles annually I can see that. No one buys a JGC, even a 6 cylinder, for gas mileage. Fortunately I no longer drive 60kmi per year so gas can be US$5 per *liter* and it'd be lost in the noise compared to the insurance rates here in the NJSR.
I may get a JGC in about a week...is it a gas guzzler?
All good points! People toss things away so easily these days. We'll never see the day of TV repair services but at least the good old jeep will stay in service. I love my WK just need to figure out the lean trouble code and slight grinding when turning at full lock. Great video Wizard!
Radio, TV and VCR repair, a thing of the past.
Sadly we're working towards the day when auto repair is a thing of the past, people are very quickly buying into the "just rent it" mindset where they take it to the official shop and whatever they say goes. If it's "unfixable" it's time for another, just like a crappy modern TV, and those delicate paper thin laptops that are irreparable. People continue to buy that stuff, and are buying more of it as the repairability goes to 0.
My wk is an 07 Laredo 3.7. It has 198k on it and been a tank. Has a small vacuum leak currently. Ive done wheel bearings, ball joints, water pump, belt, alternator, and a muffler. Very little rust from the eastern rust belt.
Some dude traded in the '02 Toyota Tacoma I just got because of a high idle and a little power loss. All it need was a new air filter, and a cleaning of throttle and MAF to get her running right. Upgrading the suspension for a few hundred bucks, and I have a nice truck for hopefully many years to come. I don't know why people just toss nice things away so easily, but one mans trash is another mans treasure I suppose.
@@volvo09 I only buy laptops with removable batteries for a reason
That grinding at full lock might be your rear differential. My 01 would let out a nasty guurrrrrrrr in the rear when I turned hard. The fluid needs changing often from new
New mechanics will suddenly find themselves working on 90s vehicles.
Why would they do that,you can't even go to a junkyard and find parts for them,they've already crushed them all,you'll be lucky to find parts for a 2005 vehicle.
90s cars were that blend of simple tech reliability and easy to service. my newest car is a 97 regal gs and I daily a turbo k car
Plenty of parts for a 2005 vehicle unless its somethinglike a SAAB
Bidin's economy...
This is exactly why I stuck nearly 3 grand into my 2005 Nissan Pathfinder 2 years ago. Rebuilt anything that was worn in the undercarriage, among other work. Well worth it, especially the way the market is now!
Ik a guy that has a shop. He works by himself and all he does is fix jeep frames and stuff all week constantly. Fixing blown out rusty frames. Its crazy
I have pumped extra $$ into my 1998 Grand Cherokee and I am still driving it. Yes, it is putting more money into an much older vehicle. but it's been reliable, both me and my old Grand Cherokee have been through alot together during good times and bad. Although I have a new Grand Cherokee, I can't say good by to an old friend. I keep it as a spare and have no plans to get rid of it.
Plate C
The fishing line is the clue for the heavy rust in the rear. Im guessing the owner has a boat. The rear goes in the water when he pulls it out.
If you are taking the valve covers off go ahead and get new hydraulic lash adjusters and even better the updated rocker arms. MartinBuilt really does great vids on the 4.7
I know a guy who has an 08 grand Cherokee with the 4.7 and he has about 315,000 miles on the original engine and transmission, no blown head gaskets yet. He seems to have gotten a good one, but it has been Nickel and Dimeing him now with things that are going due to the mileage.
Nickel & diming is what's called maintenance. Consider it a vehicle payment. Just look at airplanes' maintenance schedules. No skipped oil changes, no flying around with half the panel fasteners missing, no nursing it along with oil pouring out every seam. Fix that 💩 immediately and a ground vehicle can be as reliable as an airplane.
For every $ of fuel, one puts another $ into the maintenance reserve. That way when the transmission needs rebuilding it's no tragedy.
That's how one keeps vehicles forever.
Buddy has 250k miles on his with OG Engine and Trans, been pretty solid.
My 2001 300m just turned 300000km old. Just did plugs( 3rd time) and a compression test. Still all in great shape Original drive train. Just maintained regularly.
Maybe the inflation will fix this throw away society and will encourage people to keep their vehicles on the road ( except the modern German ones, those total themselves by design )
It’s designed to be thrown away
That doesn't work in the east coast those poor guys
My 99 Grand Cherokee Laredo 4.0 still runs like a champ with over 275k!
Once there is not enough repairable cars left, people will realize the value of them, and at that point the smart people will be the ones holding them :)
Designed for self destruction
I had a 1993 Jeep XJ. Perfect body (not floor boards). The question was always " Could I get the amount that I am spending out of this car WITH the work completed?" Over 13 years I may have spent up around what the original MSRP of the vehicle was. One thing, I loved the 4.0 powered XJ. With 320k miles on it, I got $1500 THAT IT DID NOT OWE ME. That was 4 years ago and I saw it on the street last year. When I am looking at having work done, the first question I ask myself is "Do I LOVE this car?" Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Bought a 2003 4.7L H.O. with blown head gaskets. Fixed the heads, replaced injectors with Ford LTD injectors, replaced radiator, upgraded exhaust, and most importantly replaced the lifters. The upgrades that were suggested by the Jeep forums worked. I got 21 mpg, up from 19 mpg! I was very happy and ran it for five years.
The Car Wizards has the coolest walk on TH-cam! I'd love to see a continuous loop video of him just waddling around on his stubby little legs with Pantera's WALK as the background music!
I remember sitting in one of these years ago when this model came out. I was tickled at how cheap the interior felt with the Fisher Price plastics.
The predecessors dashboard did look way better
@@CRAPO2011 indeed, they were very high quality.
I had the 1994, 1999, and now the 2005 all new, all top tier. The 1999 was very high quality leather and interior appointments but the 2005 has grown on me. I am 6 feet tall and 190 lbs. and the 2005 gives me more space in the drivers box and the interior has clean lines and the leather is outstanding and has held up like new. So, I prefer the 2005.
@@Sandbag1300 Hah, I remember that was in one of the advertisements when these cars were knew “room for both of us to grow”.
Indestructible
You are able to replace that top bushing without removing the front differential completely off. Just unbolt it and spin the whole diff upside down. it works I’ve done it.
We are doing all 3
@@CarWizard Go for the upgraded bushings and they will last much longer
True, just undo the three holding bolts and the differential swings 180 degrees for all bushings replacement. Absolutely no need to take down the differential - that was a clever design.
in 2004 Jeep went from a 10mm exhaust manifold to an 8mm on these 4.7 motors, so they snap. It will happen again after the fix. Had it happen to my exact jeep you are showing here. I solved the issue by buying a 2010 Nissan Xterra Offroad.
My 05 grand, 3.7 has over 300000 miles on it. It's been an amazing vehicle.
Couldn’t agree more! Just passed 172k miles on my 3.7l 05 JGC!
Just did inner/outer tie rods and sway bar links, front brakes and coated rotors, plugs, air filter, sprayed MAF, muffler, rear shocks and she runs like a dream! $600 parts and my time! WINNER!
Love your channel!
You should sell that Jeep as a rare vehicle because it’s the only one in the world with a mass air flow sensor. Lol. I’m just kidding with you but it most definitely does not have a mass air flow sensor.
@@jamesmccafferty7045 Well, whatever it was, I cleaned the hell out of it!🤣🤣🤣
Question...how is the gas mileage? I may be getting one next week.
@@RobertSpiller It now has 181,000 miles. Average 15.5/gal.
@@farcohollis1369 Thank you for letting me get some ideas about gas mileage.
Hey Wizard, speaking from years of experience, you are always better off welding nuts to the broken manifold studs than drilling, besides having a nut to use a socket instead vicegrips, the heat from welding makes stud so much easier to remove.
Rust is from poor to no coating applied by at the factory. Look at the cast iron parts in the front, they have rust scale too. Quick & easy solution, spray with Fluid Film.
Or better still, rust killer/converter; then a primer; then a top coat...let it age over summer; then fluid film?
More rust at the back of the Jeep could be from getting wet launching boat
not to mention the fishing tackle found there
My ‘05 grand Cherokee 5.7 has been so good to us that we bought another for my wife. We refreshed the suspension and replaced the EGR, alternator, starter, and battery and it’s very good to go.
Probably a tow wagon, pulling a boat in and out of water, hence the rust at the back mostly (and random fishing line)?
Well done Colombo I agree
This applies to all manifold broken studs, P-B is your best friend, heat the stud or bolt then spray it, try vice grips, if it snapped off in the head try a reverse drill bit and one of the easy out reverse taps (old school) but hey either way it takes more time then you think
4:10 to skip commercial
Saw the topic of this video and HAD to watch. I owned a V6 version of the 2005 Laredo. Biggest junker I've ever owned. @ 40,000 mi, it had a leaky transmission(something about a shift sensor/plug thing that they designed with a *plastic* O-ring that cracked(replaced w/rubber of course)). Speakers on passenger side went out. One of the windows stopped rolling back up and something else was wrong with it too, been about 12 years, so I can't remember. Traded it in asap
Anyways, love your content man, your honesty and dedication gives me hope on days when I need it.
As a 5.7 hemi owner. It is definitely warped exhaust manifolds causing bad gaskets. Just go headers. They won't warp again
No, it’s from too small of hardware!
I had an 04 Dakota with that 4.7l in it. Was a damn good truck. Definitely moved out of its own way.
glad to see a grand Cherokee in the shop. i bought a 95 grand Cherokee Laredo with a rusted cross member. ten thousand miles later im loving it. 3 in lift.
Totally agree with Alan. This is somebody that sank the trailer when launching a boat.
I've got a 2001 JGC Limited with the 4.7l v8 and I love it, its powerful, sound good and has never once left me stranded. The 4.7L must have proper maintenance otherwise they will take a crap faster than you can wipe.
I have 5 classic cars....
I never worry about oil leaks...
I do regular oil changes....and top up as required.....
Chassis gets nicely covered in oil...Never ANY RUST ISSUES.
I had an 02 Jeep Gr Cherokee. The fan motor was a recurring problem. I went thru three of them. I also replaced the transmission at around 180,000. I also replaced the engine at around 240,000. That sounds like a lot, but I drove this suv for a little over 420,000 miles. I replaced the engine with a low mileage used engine for around $2,500 including labor and had the trans rebuilt. Overall, I really enjoyed the Jeep. I kept the maintenance up and the miles we in large part due to long commutes. The Jeep had an inline 6, 3.6 L.
The main problem in design was the break system. Thankfully, Chrysler sent me a check for the cost of replacement.
People thought I was nuts to put $4k into my 2001 Seville STS at 120k miles (head gaskets and oil leak in short block).
I figured that $4k wouldn't pay sales and property tax on anything new/newer that was as nice.
Put another 100k zero problem miles on it before I sold it five years ago. Still running decent, last I heard
I love those cars. Wish I could find a clean low-mileage one I could afford, probably not going to happen with used car prices the way they are.
Those Northstar engines were actually very efficient and powerful, they just had that head gasket weakness. The bigger issue with them was the labor to replace the HG since the engine was transversely mounted and less accessible. You could buy heavy duty head studs when doing the job and you'll never have another issue. The STS and platform were decent performers that rode smooth (hence the term it rides like a Cadillac!) and had a nice style. When you think of it, your $4k investment was 4-6 months of payments on a new comparable class car. You got to pocket the rest rather than lose it in depreciation.
Replace the valve cover and head gaskets while you are there, replace x2 manifolds and check the probably original radiator for flow issues. Also when was the last time all the other fluids have been flushed out and refilled. 2 days work a 4500 bill tax and labor included. No walking into a Dealer with your tail between your legs waiting to see if it’s a dry hump or they use some Vaseline. Remember Big or Small Thick or Thin…..
Another great video wizard. Making shop life smoother and well paced for you techs and the help with your knowledge in sure you have a great group of techs out there, love the videos! Get back out on the lake soon with your yacht and enjoy some time away from shop 🤘🏼🇺🇸
I like that you are upfront and I too would proceed with the work. That’s simply because you were upfront and honest with me.
It is wasteful to throw away a car.. mechanics are going to be well respected in this new era
Seen an automotive junkyard lately? It's borderline criminal how wasteful motorists are with the use and throw away car culture.
Been a Mechanic for 35 years and the best Jeep in the SUV line is the XJ .. Not hard to find one in decent shape and if you put a new $2,000 Engine in one you can run it FOREVER ! I have one with 247,000 on the clock that runs like a top and has good compression , No smoke and never have to add oil .. The inline 6 in the older jeeps far beats that 4.7 for staying on the road cheap .. The 4.7 and the 5.7 Both have head issues with the valve setup .. You can loose an engine Fast without the up grade kit to fix the problem . The 3.7 is not much better ! I would never put 3K into that rig .. But as always ENJOYED the share
Everyone is saying the rear end rust is due to it dipping in a lake to launch a boat. However, my 2007 WK is rusting similarly, and I don't go into lakes. I think the rust-proofing in this area was just inferior, and not galvanised. My rust is still only superficial, but I have been scrubbing it off and re-painting. Can't speak for the insides of those box-sections though.
These cars are pretty good and the engine too. We’ve had one for years, piss poor maintenance, and the thing runs great and strong. No problems at all.
The rust in the rear plus the fishing line with sinkers on it, CLEARLY its been used to launch a boat a LOT, and dipped its butt in the water more than a few times!
bought a 1990 YJ 2.5 throttle body for, three grand 7 years ago, the axels were under the leaf springs and replaced all the springs and bushings etc , the shocks werent set up right, so Dumped 1000 bucks into to it, in parts the motor was rebuilt already but the timing on the distributor was off a tooth, heavy duty shackles and lifted 2 inches front and back
I have a 2003 4.7 V8 Limited. It's in the shop for gasket work. I wouldn't say it's always been a money pit, but my care of it has been less than decent. Got it a year or so after college so I've had it well over 12 years. It has been in one accident. Box truck racked the passenger side due to someone pulling out in front of it and going well below the speed limit. Came within a few hundred of being totaled per my state's laws. No frame damage. Had to replace some panels and the passenger door. I've mostly changed the oil once a year so that very basic, not good maintenance means it is coming to a head now. Having to do roughly $1400 on it due to oil pan replacement and gasket fix. Both right side passenger window/lock switches are shot so I have to manually lock both. Heat isn't blowing out one the right vents. I've banged up the bumper and fender fairly good. Hole to the metal in the driver floor so I have weather tech floor mats. Bottom of center console stack has broken clips so it's sorta sitting in place. Driver seat showing wear and tear with a rip. Back is nearly perfect. LOL. Cruise hasn't worked since purchased at a Jeep dealership..yeah, they didn't help when questioned either. Yeah I'd estimate another $2500 in repairs which is probably the value of the vehicle with roughly 156k miles. I'm driving it for another year or so to pay off some debt and save up some cash. Looking to replace with a 2020-2023 Toyota 4Runner. Plan on taking much better care as I'm wiser than I was out of college. I try to take care of the Jeep, but can't afford to fix it all. And need something that'll last 10-15 years. No Jeep will expect MAYBE a Wrangler and that has very little cargo space.
Last summer I bought a Jeep WJ and felt I overpaid for it. Lately I've seen that the asking prices on those are up 25% across all advertising platforms. I'm keeping it.
A couple years ago I paid $4k for an '04 Grand Marquis, my 6th Ford Panther. Those are through the roof priced now, especially rust free ones! I'm keeping it.
Let's Go Brandon!
I would not buy a Jeep, unless it is in good condition, it is well-maintained and serviced properly. Thank you very much.
just buy brand new or not at all then. Nobody seems to enjoy fixing their jeep properly
that should go for any car.
i just bought one that was ready for the junkyard. put like 650 in it for a total of 1k and it’s my daily driver. Jeep’s are great
I had a 2004 with the 4.7 HO. I remember hating the 2005 refresh as they changed the body and added a lot of hard lines that I felt weren't complimentary. The local Jeep dealer had a 2005 with the new to Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi in their showroom well into 2007. I offered them $25K near the end of 2006 but they wouldn't budge from their $50k list.
That seems awfully expensive. My 2013 5.7L overland was under that new on the lot. And I agree, I owned WJs but never wanted a WK1. Ugly with ugly interiors. In my opinion.
I constantly hear that car prices going up but you can still pick up a 4th gen camry for around $2000 or less. I bought mine 2 years ago for $1900.
Car wizard, I own a 2011 Mazda 3 which has over 350,000 kilometers and has never had any issues. I change motor oil and transmission fluid on the recommend intervals. I just replaced my front original shocks. I've owned north American 4 cylinder cars and always had bad luck with them . last one I owned had 180,000 kilometers and started burning oil.
We have a 2010 WK with the 3.7 and its been a great commuter vehicle. Very low maintenance for us.
I've had my Jeep WK 2005 for 17 years and 132,000 miles. What you have here is a solid platform that will cost you some money to keep on the road, but its money well invested in mostly preventative maintenance, such as undersealing the body, following the maintenance schedule and generally, do pre-flight checks every week to check it all works ok still.
More rust at the rear is most likely from towing a boat... the back of the car ends up in the lake during launch and recovery.
i spent 950 for a 2006 jeep commander 4.7 4wd and it had 250k on it and ran really good when i got rid of it 2 weeks ago for 2500
only thing i did was a $277 front driveshaft from rockauto. it was the limited and had every option except the dvd player in the back. it had the front differential clunk lol.
Did you have a vibration from the front driveshaft at highway speeds?
I had an 08 Grand Cherokee Limited with the 5.7. Needed $4.5k of work at 120k miles to pass inspection and it was worth $5.5k. I got rid of it for a wrangler
I drive a 94 Ranger with the 2.3l, four banger. Cheap, simple, easy to maintain. Haha my jeep friends are always complaining about mechanical issues
Not as rusty n front as back because driving down the road the debris (salt, etc) land more towards the rear. Also running thru puddles cleans off some of the salt up front more than the rear.
Look up which autos are good to buy....That year of Jeep doesnt show it as a bad or good year.But certain years were bad, as in most autos. But....I've been planning on doing this with my car soon....go ahead and replace most old parts gradually. Keep it running good!!!
Had a 4.7l Dakota that I drove around the country. Put 290K miles on it when the transmission blew. I rebuilt the tranny and sold it 7 years ago and still driving to this day, original motor. As long as you change oil regular and NEVER overheat it the 4.7l is a damn good motor imo.
I love the Jeeps, i have owned 2 WJ 4.7 limited. No problems with it at all. But overhere in the netherlands you pay a huge amount of tax monthly, not even mention the gas price about 2.40,- euro for a litre.
That bit at the beginning reminds me of that time on South Main when Mr. O found wood screws holding something together in the door of a Lincoln Town Car.
I've got twice that many miles on a 2015 I bought new. But I have LifeTime MaxCare. MOPAR hates me and keeps trying to buy me out. Engine has been fairly solid. Lifters and rear-main at 190k. Feel like the transmission is about to go though, we'll see how they handle that.
Car Wizard is better than all the automotive tv shows I watched as a kid.
We've had our '06 JGC w/ 4.7 since 2006. Today it's at 211k miles, never blown a head gasket, never left us stranded and still pretty torquey off the line. The only issues we've ever had were mostly sensors that needed to be replaced.
I may get one in a few weeks, but could you tell me how is the gas mileage?
@@RobertSpiller Mileage is OK for a V8. The best I've been able to pull is 19mpg driving on the highway. Otherwise, I would put average around 15 mpg half highway half city
@@ronruba9147 Thanks for the quick reply.
I've an 08 CRD overland model, the MB engine is a pretty solid old lump, its the suspension that gets killed round where i live, i drove on roads with less craters in Iraq than i do going to work every morning.
I picked up an 07 Chevy HHR that was mechanically totaled. I fixed all the issues myself and suddenly I have a car worth 3x what I have in it. I was going to sell it, but ended up holding it a little longer so my mom can use it while she looks for a replacement for her van. Even if the market cools and returns to normal, I will still double my money.
I have earned new respect for pros though. Some of the things I fixed were no fun and I can understand why the book rate is what it is.
When engine manufacturers are struggling to meet the new latest upgraded smoke emissions, One trick is to increase the engine running temperature but to do this you need to increase the coolant pressure to stop it boiling off, This is dangerous territory any small problem with the cooling system and the engine overheats and bang goes your cylinder head I saw this with British build engines the margins are so tight. they are trying to avoid the cost of designing a complete new engine
I've got a 2001 Dakota with a 4.7 that I've owned since 2010. 144k miles. Zero head gasket issues.
Zero problems otherwise, other than a couple of fuel injectors, serpentine belt and an idler pulley bearing
I am at 234k on my 03 1500 with the 4.7. I had to replace the radiator at 200k and just recently dropped my first coil pack. Other than maintenance, nothing else broke.
One reason I kept our “second car”, a one-previous-owner 1982 Celica which we have owned since early 2008, was that it just kept on running with minor repairs. I rebuilt the cylinder head myself about a year ago, but when I add up what we’ve spent to keep it going, it was way less than buying a new car, even a cheap little hatchback, and vertically more fun. Before that as a second car we had a 1957 Morris Minor which had been on the road constantly since new, never unregistered. People say that they’re not very green…how much more green is keeping a car for over fifty years instead of buying a new one every few years and then disposing of it?
My parents had an 86 Toyota Tercel hatch when I was young that they kept as a backup to their two primary cars, it was still running when they scrapped it. If I remember correctly it did have an exhaust leak, and well over 200,000 miles on it. It was parked for like two years and it started right up when it was jumped and driven onto the trailer.
I’ve had an 06 Jeep Cherokee with the 3.7 for past 10 years, it has over 300k and still runs great, cold air hot heat
For the past month I have been debating on this exactly. I paid off my 2013 Chevy Impala 3.6 6-speed with 81,000 miles and I instantly went on shopping for a newer car. Everything is just too damn expensive. I have a very specific taste for cars. Mostly medium to large sedans with nothing smaller than a 6-cylinder. How prices are, most I can afford is small cars with little 4-cylinder engines and very basic trims. It's just not worth spending $20k on a car I won't really like or enjoy and be stuck 4 years with a loan again.
My new alternative is rebuilding my Impala's engine, transmission, doing a full inspection to find anything that needs or can be replaced and keep it on the road for another 80,000 miles. I'm planning to even repaint it, touch up the interior and basically leave it as new. I really don't care about the money at this point, even if all that would probably amount to more that the car is worth. I the end of the day I'll end up with a fully functional, like-new car that I actually like.
Thanks for this video.
The key is to get a multilayer steel. The OEM gaskets weren't and weren't up to the task of sealing the aluminum head to the iron block of an engine that runs as hot as the 4.7. A 185 degree thermostat is a good idea too.
My wife has an 09 Impala 3.5 with around 200K. We had to put a new transmission in for around $3K. Car is in good shape and runs great. Totally worth it. Only thing that drives me nuts is those damn blend door actuators. Lol
So my cousin had a 03 honda accord that has been sitting in her garage unable to run for 3+ years. She told me "if you can make it run and drive it out of here you can have it" so I've put in a new battery, and she started up. After driving it home I realized that the wheels and brakes need work but the engine and transmission run beautifully. I've just put 1500$ into wheels, brakes and bearings. Now its check engine light came on so now I'm stuck on probably o2 sensors. The code is for that catalytic converter, so if it is the converter itself then I'm just gonna junk it.
I like the black FSJ in the background...and I've got a 2010 Grand Cherokee Laredo with tons of electrical issues.
If you own a car for a long time, kept it well maintained, and it reached the age where the car has little value, you reach a crossroad do you spend more money on the car or not. One of my truck is over 15 yrs old with 650k miles on it, and I will gladly spend another 10k on it because the overall cost per mile is still cheaper than a brand new truck. I will get 150k miles before I retire this truck, - 2006 Dodge crewcab 4wd Cummins. The same goes for a couple of my other aging cars with high mileage. But, you gotta know when to say when, keep an eye at that cost per mile!
The double whammy of restricted supply & high inflation are hitting hard. Also, I fear the quality of materials & assembly could tank as in the late 70’s & early 80’s as makers are forced to move quickly in uncharted waters.
It already has, even before the pandemic. Companies try to make the part as cheap as they can without it failing during warranty. Almost every car maker has had issues with engines wrecking camshafts/rocker arms, oil sludge or poor machining of components that leads to oil consumption. This is often due to outsourcing parts to the lowest bidder and they will keep installing sub-par parts in cars until their stock runs out, sometimes for several years. Fords 5.43v for example was a mess for at least the first 6 years and they were rolling them off the line with the old VVT part even though they sold a new updated one in the parts department. Ram/Jeep Ecodiesels had high bearing failure rates and EGR/intake fires due to bad design and hasty application of a Euro engine into cars with US emissions they weren't designed to use. It took 5+ years for them to redesign it to not fail while they kept selling them the whole time. It happened with Hyundai/Kia, even Toyota had a few turds, although they actually stood behind theirs a little better after warranty.
@@mikelemoine4267 I recently watched an interesting, vintage training video for workers of a car company, British Leyland, that gives me a new appreciation of all the engineering, cooperation, processes, and people that go into building a car. So could it just be that today's vehicles have mistakes every do often due to everything that must go right during their production? When even vehicles in the 1970s could be complicated to construct? Though I feel with today's technology like robotics, some human error has been taken out of the production of cars so the failures in cars are less likely to be from a legitimate mistake but from low quality parts like you thought
The video is called The Quality Connection by British Leyland
@@mikelemoine4267
But Euro gasoline is octane 95/98. Isn't US gas slightly lower?
If you make an engine for all markets, you make it adapt, but if it's meant for euro only (or US only for that matter), wouldn't there be some very foreseeable problems?
@@zzoinks It's probably a little of both. Cars today are immensely more complicated, so there is a lot more to break, and of course complex systems tend to need more maintenance and repairs. My theory is that engineers make a design and then the finance people chop away at it to manage costs and get the car to a price point at which is is profitable and sellable. They try to balance the functionality and reliability with cost, and sometimes cut it a bit too close, thinking a part may last for a certain number of hours, but failed to consider variables in manufacturing tolerances as well as how it will be used/treated after sale. They squeeze parts suppliers on price, and the part suppliers then do the same thing, making it as cheap as possible without getting themselves into hot water over failure rate. When every part of the car is cut down to the minimum quality/price, the outcome isn't always as intended. The MBAs and manufacturing consultants tell them to make things last "long enough", but not too long as that means they cost too much to make, and will hurt future sales opportunities. They have to take that advice for the most part, as their competitors do, so they will lose sales if they can't compete on price. Most people change cars before they get old enough to fall apart from planned obsolescence.
Used car prices are starting to drop in the UK, like you in the US cars prices have gone ridiculously high here, but they are dropping so the bubble is bursting here at least.
And if its been towing boats in and out the water, that'll be why the rear end is rustier than the front. Would explain the fishing line too.
Put LED light strips (adhesive backed) to the 4-post lift and you can light up the underside of cars any time you pull them on the lift.
EuroWerkstatt here in Vegas has this and it helps folks see the photos/videos of the underside of their vehicles (and what repairs are needed).
Fantastic review, great job Mrs. Wizard going into detail in the interior, very descriptive
I really had a hard time paying attention after you said "door hinges".
Door hinges. Jeebus.
Thanks, Mr. and Mrs Wizard!✌❤🙂🇨🇦
On the rear, for some reason all WK Grand Cherokees rust like that in the rear - no big issue. It just looks worse than it is. Just wire brush it to get the scale off and hit it with some Rustoleum.
I owned one of these jeeps for about 6 months. when I got it I paid around 2k and it had some problems. it looked ugly but worked well enough for me to go to school and work. I then ran into a transmission issue that costed about 400-500 to fix (just parts alone) but that made the transmission shift basically like new (the module I put in was 100k miles). I then drove it through winter with no heat but it still ran fine. I then got it fixed to be sold and it ran pretty good. I regret selling that jeep because it was still reliable for me and got good fuel mileage. I'm thinking of buying a WK Grand Cherokee again but going for 2010 model year instead. This jeep is probably one of the best for its value as it still is efficient at almost 15 years old. I did remove the air resonator box and replaced with a ram air intake and it did increase fuel mileage and performance at the cost of throttle response (not too big of a deal). In the time I owned that jeep, I still liked it even when I had issues with it.
I’m seeing that more and more. Especially with diesels older trucks especially its worth getting a old 99 Cummins going again. Most median tickets are $2,000-$3,000 with long lists of things to fix.
Got a 05 Jeep Cherokee with the 3.7 liter. No rust but have heard clunking when downshifting otherwise great car
I almost got a 2011 Mazda CX-7 for $4000 from a ford dealership here in Ontario. One owner vehicle, I got a hold of the entire service history, traded in in 2020 for a new ford. My insurance wouldn’t insure it until the rear bumper was replaced. Trying to find one up here and get it installed was going to be over a month before I could put it on the road. I told the dealership everything else I could do myself, but having to wait for the bumper killed the deal.
Oil leaks is a rust prevention. 👨🔧
And the oil changes itself, you just top it off every few hundred miles lol
Near 5:18 it appears at least one connector has been replaced. You can see the fresh clean wire and blue wire connection.
It depends on how many times a year you are getting hit with repairs. I had a 1999 Honda CR-V that I drove from brand new to 235,000 miles. It was a great car, and up until about 220K it was solid and dependable. After 220K, it simply started to fall apart. Power steering died, awd died, I probably put ten grand into it in repairs before the clutch grenaded itself for the last time and I sold it for parts. I should have sold it when it started to fail regularly, I'd have gotten more for it as a trade-in, and the money I spent on the costly end-of-life repairs could have easily covered a downpayment on a new vehicle.
Me too. 1 year ago explorerer 2010 90k miles tranmsision went. While Aramco was doing that wheel hub and some other 800 dollar thing regulating water flow broke. Plus ammo took 3 tenamsions to get q that would last more than 200 miles, they wouldn't even move quick on the 2nd one because it was new owner, he did t give a crap till I wrote him a lawyer looking letter about doing a charge back in 48hrs. So once I got that, I had another mechanic replace gas tank because it was reading as empty all time, but in doing that 900 dollar job he broke the gas pipe to be able to put gas in. So getting 10 gallons gas involved 25 minutes is slow pumping at the gas pump and some spillage. He wouldn't fix it for free. I flipped out on realizing I spent 8k on repairs, my car still wasn't working properly, came home in tow truck 5 times, had to buy 2 othwr used cars to get around during this 4 month period, and knowing my dad was paying 400 month for brand new suv car lease. So I sold the dam truck to get away from that money loser. Even both key fobs broke cover of them at same time. Entire car was designed to break. I bought a 77 dodge camper van last month e erythung works
Having removed more than one broken exhaust-manifold bolt myself, adding an extra hour to the repair job is a *BARGAIN!!* I would pay 2 hours not to have to deal with it myself. One of the worst jobs ever. Hopefully you won't have too much trouble with them.