What should I watch out for in a used jeep?
- Thread starter DMENTAL
- Start date
1045963
Diamond plating on the corners or rockers usually means they hit something and are just covering it up. Rust under the windshield frame. I've always looked under the Jeep for scratches left by rocks and stumps. I really don't trust a person when they say they have never taken their Jeep offroad, come on thats what you're supposed to do in it. Also look for bad mods people make to save money.[addsig]
Diamond plating on the corners or rockers usually means they hit something and are just covering it up. Rust under the windshield frame. I've always looked under the Jeep for scratches left by rocks and stumps. I really don't trust a person when they say they have never taken their Jeep offroad, come on thats what you're supposed to do in it. Also look for bad mods people make to save money.[addsig]
1045965
frame rust, body rust, (esp in places like under the driver's floor mat) not saying don't buy one with some body rust... but you will be able to knock the cost down more and more for each fault you can find. Test drive it in 4wd hi, lo, and 2wd... to make sure it works. check if the spare tire is FLAT!!(@#&@)(% some bastard forgot to take the spare off and change/patch it when he got a flat... i forgot to check
haha oh well they are tiny anyways[addsig]
frame rust, body rust, (esp in places like under the driver's floor mat) not saying don't buy one with some body rust... but you will be able to knock the cost down more and more for each fault you can find. Test drive it in 4wd hi, lo, and 2wd... to make sure it works. check if the spare tire is FLAT!!(@#&@)(% some bastard forgot to take the spare off and change/patch it when he got a flat... i forgot to check
1045966
I just went through all this recently when i bought my '82 CJ7 which was almost ready for the scrapyard when i bought it.
First off, check the frame thoroughly for rust.
Keep in mind that with older jeeps, a certain amount of body rust is expected. Body rust is easily repairable, but if your frame rusts through, thats bad.
Next, check for fluid leaks. Jeeps leaking a little oil is common. If its not leaking any oil and the engine does not look well maintained, find out if the previous owner was using that "stop leak" crap. Stop leak won't harm anything, but the minute you put new oil in, it will usualy start leaking, so be careful.
If you see any GREEN fluid leaking, see if you can figure out where its coming from. (Green fluid is coolant)
If the transmission or transfer case is leaking, that could be a pain in the arse to fix.
Listen to the engine, and make note of any smells. Pay particular attention to the exaust. If you see bluish smoke, thats bad.
Check all the hoses by squeezing them and bending them. You should be checking for deterioration, particularly on the radiator hose.
Check the suspension for signs of OBVIOUS abuse and damage. (bent leaf springs and stuff). Also, if you know anything about what you are looking at under the jeep, keep an eye on U-joints, ball joints, and the steering mechinisim.
Take it for a drive on a FLAT road, and let go of the steering wheel and see if it pulls in any direction.
Beat the crap out of the brakes, particularly the parking brake
On older jeeps with carburators, the stock Carter 2bbl is a piece of shit. Be sure to give it a good thrashing and make sure it will idle without stalling.
Have a gooooood look at the wiring. Check the battery cables for corrosion, and check the front and back of the fuse box for anything that doesnt look right.
A good test for the wiring is to jiggle around all the wires you can see while things are running to see if anything cuts out.
Be sure to check ALL the lights including dashboard lights and high beams!!!!
Doest the fuel meter worK? It does? Are you sure that's a Jeep?
Broken fuel gauges are pretty common, and a pain in the arse to fix. Not necesarily expensive to fix, but very troublesome and annoying to get rid of.
Most people here just live with it
How old is the vehicle, and what are your local laws for emissions checks?
Where I live, vehicles that are older than 20 years are exempt from emissions checks, but if you buy an older jeep and you gotta get smog tested? good luck to you... Jeeps aren't known for being "enviornmentaly friendly" if you know what i mean.
CHECK THE HEATER TO MAKE SURE IT WORKS!!!!!
Mind you, even when the heater is working, it doesnt pump out alot of air and sounds like crap. Thats something you can fix later by swaping the blower motor... The important thing is to make sure the air coming out is hot.
Ask about soft tops and hard tops. If it comes with both, then you're sitting pretty.
www.carfax.comis your friend. check the VIN# before you buy.
One of the best things about jeeps is that they are really easy to work on. Everything is niiiice and simple under the hood. Any one of these problems is repairable at a cost. Your best approach is to recognize these problems and use that information to haggle for the best price
[addsig]
I just went through all this recently when i bought my '82 CJ7 which was almost ready for the scrapyard when i bought it.
First off, check the frame thoroughly for rust.
Keep in mind that with older jeeps, a certain amount of body rust is expected. Body rust is easily repairable, but if your frame rusts through, thats bad.
Next, check for fluid leaks. Jeeps leaking a little oil is common. If its not leaking any oil and the engine does not look well maintained, find out if the previous owner was using that "stop leak" crap. Stop leak won't harm anything, but the minute you put new oil in, it will usualy start leaking, so be careful.
If you see any GREEN fluid leaking, see if you can figure out where its coming from. (Green fluid is coolant)
If the transmission or transfer case is leaking, that could be a pain in the arse to fix.
Listen to the engine, and make note of any smells. Pay particular attention to the exaust. If you see bluish smoke, thats bad.
Check all the hoses by squeezing them and bending them. You should be checking for deterioration, particularly on the radiator hose.
Check the suspension for signs of OBVIOUS abuse and damage. (bent leaf springs and stuff). Also, if you know anything about what you are looking at under the jeep, keep an eye on U-joints, ball joints, and the steering mechinisim.
Take it for a drive on a FLAT road, and let go of the steering wheel and see if it pulls in any direction.
Beat the crap out of the brakes, particularly the parking brake
On older jeeps with carburators, the stock Carter 2bbl is a piece of shit. Be sure to give it a good thrashing and make sure it will idle without stalling.
Have a gooooood look at the wiring. Check the battery cables for corrosion, and check the front and back of the fuse box for anything that doesnt look right.
A good test for the wiring is to jiggle around all the wires you can see while things are running to see if anything cuts out.
Be sure to check ALL the lights including dashboard lights and high beams!!!!
Doest the fuel meter worK? It does? Are you sure that's a Jeep?
Broken fuel gauges are pretty common, and a pain in the arse to fix. Not necesarily expensive to fix, but very troublesome and annoying to get rid of.
Most people here just live with it
How old is the vehicle, and what are your local laws for emissions checks?
Where I live, vehicles that are older than 20 years are exempt from emissions checks, but if you buy an older jeep and you gotta get smog tested? good luck to you... Jeeps aren't known for being "enviornmentaly friendly" if you know what i mean.
CHECK THE HEATER TO MAKE SURE IT WORKS!!!!!
Mind you, even when the heater is working, it doesnt pump out alot of air and sounds like crap. Thats something you can fix later by swaping the blower motor... The important thing is to make sure the air coming out is hot.
Ask about soft tops and hard tops. If it comes with both, then you're sitting pretty.
www.carfax.comis your friend. check the VIN# before you buy.
One of the best things about jeeps is that they are really easy to work on. Everything is niiiice and simple under the hood. Any one of these problems is repairable at a cost. Your best approach is to recognize these problems and use that information to haggle for the best price
Renegade79
New member
1046030
Make sure the body mounts aren 't rusted up through the floor. Though this is repairable its a quite a project with welding included.
[addsig]
Make sure the body mounts aren 't rusted up through the floor. Though this is repairable its a quite a project with welding included.
Tug-n-pull
New member
1046076
If the owner still seem to have any money he has not likely keep up his jeep!
If he is poor but looks like he once had money then he most likely took good care of his Jeep. Like some one here on the board says "J.E.E.P." stands for "Just Empty Every Pocket"
Just use good common sence and crawl all over, under, and around the Jeep. Look at every part. Lift the carpet a bit see the floor panels. Open the hood, look in the top of the oil filler cap for signs of water. Grab and shake anything that is a moveing part. Ask about a maintance record. Ask about the mods, and who put them on if there are any. Just common sence. When you start looking it over really good the price usually come down fast too. Good luck Tug
[addsig]
If the owner still seem to have any money he has not likely keep up his jeep!
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