Spending more to keep your car on road? CAR WIZARD shows why putting $3K into this '05 Jeep is wise

Head to policygenius.com/WIZARD to get your free home and auto insurance quotes and see how much you could save.
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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[@Iaminbread]

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.

[@plasma453]

Was going to say the same thing 👍

[@MaliciousSRT]

That thing is begging for an oil spray

[@terry_willis]

Bingo!

[@accordinglyryan]

Was my first thought as well

[@MrMcgooOG]

By George you got it

[@aipo86t]

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.

[@mph5896]

Those are all solid makes/models. If you can do the labor yourself, its a home run.

[@B0xlife1]

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.

[@samholdsworth420]

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

[@jefferyepstein9210]

Solid advice. Especially if you can get one that is rust free.

[@aipo86t]

@@jefferyepstein9210 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.

[@Flavius_Theodosius]

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.

[@jamesruiz4005]

I’m the 69th like

[@zacharyjones1492]

I just put 2500$ worth of work in 01 LeSabre with 120k miles. I couldn't find any car worth a damn for 2500$.

[@B0xlife1]

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!

[@zacharyjones1492]

@@B0xlife1 I have a 2015 Ford Flex Ecoboost as well but I chose to put the money in the Buick over the ford honestly

[@WhittyPics]

Lucky to find anything that runs for $2500

[@disgracebook5708]

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.

[@davepaturno4290]

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.

[@hifiman4562]

New mechanics will suddenly find themselves working on 90s vehicles.

[@davewalker1070]

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.

[@adamogden5212]

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

[@CRAPO2011]

Plenty of parts for a 2005 vehicle unless its somethinglike a SAAB

[@zyxzyx3030]

Bidin's economy...

[@letstakeagander4599]

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.

[@DJEyeBee]

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.

[@joshuatracy4829]

Tink it was a ho issue I have 2005 dakota with 4.7 and over 200k and no issues

[@adamogden5212]

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

[@rickshaw2425]

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

[@mystupidfacebook]

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.

[@JoeBidenIsNotMyPresident]

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.

[@seanhershey3390]

Yes...Yes he is.

[@labourlawact7826]

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.

[@danielmirlach4655]

Look up Planned Obscelence and how it started with the Phoebus Cartel and the story of the Centennial Light Bulb

[@labourlawact7826]

@@danielmirlach4655 true ☺

[@skippypasta-sauce3121]

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.

[@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.

[@dwightbetten7208]

Thanks for the advice.

[@adamlewellen5081]

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!?

[@mph5896]

@@adamlewellen5081 If you feel Dorman is a good product, feel free to use their items. My experience says no

[@steveauston6020]

Haha or don't buy a jeep! Problem solved👍😀

[@jameshinton9274]

@@mph5896 Dorman should’ve remained a hardware manufacturer only ! They did make high quality nuts and bolts ect.

[@alandyson3925]

More rust at the back of the Jeep could be from getting wet launching boat

[@rmklym7707]

not to mention the fishing tackle found there

[@ronruba407]

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

[@MeDicen_Rocha]

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

[@zaphodbeeblebrox5580]

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.

[@mikelemoine4267]

@@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.

[@philiplolmaster]

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

[@austinaubinoe2195]

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.

[@theshadowman1398]

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 )

[@bjkjoseph]

It’s designed to be thrown away

[@16driver16]

That doesn't work in the east coast those poor guys

[@Veldkamp88]

My 99 Grand Cherokee Laredo 4.0 still runs like a champ with over 275k!

[@volvo09]

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 :)

[@praveenhegde8107]

Designed for self destruction

[@mph5896]

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.

[@atx-cvpi_99]

The 3.7 and 5.7 engines made prior to 2009 also had this problem as well.

[@mph5896]

@@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.

[@jefferyepstein9210]

@@mph5896 Slant six was a 3.7 and is one of the most reliable engines ever made.

[@mph5896]

@@jefferyepstein9210 Newer stuff. Like 90's+. And you are still dead to me. ☠

[@jefferyepstein9210]

@@mph5896 😄😄

[@MrSamPhoenix]

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.

[@CRAPO2011]

The predecessors dashboard did look way better

[@MrSamPhoenix]

@@CRAPO2011 indeed, they were very high quality.

[@Sandbag1300]

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.

[@whatamisupposedtoputhere]

@@Sandbag1300 Hah, I remember that was in one of the advertisements when these cars were knew “room for both of us to grow”.

[@nobody617]

Indestructible

[@Graycole11]

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

[@pauldub77]

Probably a tow wagon, pulling a boat in and out of water, hence the rust at the back mostly (and random fishing line)?

[@glennbeadshaw727]

Well done Colombo I agree

[@originalsupermommy]

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

[@jakemathers366]

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 🤘🏼🇺🇸

[@billknoble4188]

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!

[@unstablebobgable]

The Car Wizards has the coolest walk on KZbin! 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!

[@hyper8545]

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

[@danielmirlach4655]

Fantastic review, great job Mrs. Wizard going into detail in the interior, very descriptive

[@TheDodgeboy87]

I had an 04 Dakota with that 4.7l in it. Was a damn good truck. Definitely moved out of its own way.

[@dakotakline461]

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.

[@HiroNguy]

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.

[@zephxiii]

Buddy has 250k miles on his with OG Engine and Trans, been pretty solid.

[@JL-ic1pm]

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.

[@Kenster1025]

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.

[@zezu4775]

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

[@Kenster1025]

@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.

[@melvingibson4525]

It is wasteful to throw away a car.. mechanics are going to be well respected in this new era

[@houseofno]

Seen an automotive junkyard lately? It's borderline criminal how wasteful motorists are with the use and throw away car culture.

[@root1911]

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!

[@volvo09]

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.

[@jeepindave5464]

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.

[@Soulmodulation]

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.

[@TSL73]

@@volvo09 I only buy laptops with removable batteries for a reason

[@Washman-jw3hl]

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

[@Welcometofacsistube]

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.

[@robertobuenrostro2781]

Oil leaks is a rust prevention. 👨‍🔧

[@drunk_by_noon9231]

And the oil changes itself, you just top it off every few hundred miles lol

[@mshef140]

I forgot about the new intro music. Makes me want to spark one and jam out

[@michaelalfonso9519]

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.

[@CarWizard]

We are doing all 3

[@EdsVideosRcool]

@@CarWizard Go for the upgraded bushings and they will last much longer

[@arcshinus7238]

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.

[@englishmuffin5274]

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.

[@tomashton1781]

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

[@platec4798]

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

[@richroggio]

That was a great video Mr. Wizard, I enjoyed it with Mrs. Wizard also✌

[@aviationoverview8302]

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.

[@HiroNguy]

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.

[@RobertSpiller]

I may get a JGC in about a week...is it a gas guzzler?

[@irieman442]

Totally agree with Alan. This is somebody that sank the trailer when launching a boat.

[@jaytitus902]

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.

[@silasmarner7586]

Nice music, and you even do a little head wobble dance. Good work Car Wizard.

[@jamesmeegan4755]

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.

[@mynameisnotbubby]

I bet the rear rust is from backing their boat in. Great video as usual Wizard/Mrs Wizard! 👍

[@CarsofGlasgow]

I agree

[@mshef140]

Not near salt water tho

[@zezu4775]

Not necessarily..???

[@zezu4775]

East Coast in Winter Time!!! Tons of Salt…

[@disgracebook5708]

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.

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

Or better still, rust killer/converter; then a primer; then a top coat...let it age over summer; then fluid film?

[@denniscolyn5435]

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.

[@stevenlamb4099]

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.

[@orornil1973]

love your channel. great info...was wondering if you had a video on cargo vans? looking to get one between 2000-2011. are there some models to stay clear of? thanks for the channel and help

[@jestucker2268]

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.

[@TheGilbertsonfamily]

We have a 2010 WK with the 3.7 and its been a great commuter vehicle. Very low maintenance for us.

[@TakuroSpirit77]

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!

[@bdsouza1977]

Great video, sir. Please do another with a rusty car. Some of us got into problems with rust like needing extractor or drilling bolts out. In Canada, rust is a big issue.

[@mikelemoine4267]

I forget which video I watched but they used a torch to make a super rusty bolt glow red, then it just unscrewed like it was brand new. I live in Florida so we don't have frequent rust issues, but my swimming pool filter had an issue where the nut that holds it shut rusted solid to the shaft that comes up from the bottom. It was in a position that made it impossible to tighten down enough to not leak. I lubricated it over and over for several weeks, then put it in a vice with two vice grips on the nut and it wouldn't budge. A new shaft rod and nut (which is imbedded into a handle with a bushing to seal it) were around $130. I tried the torch method and it also unscrewed with almost no resistance. The handle of course melted but that only cost $20 to replace and it's been great ever since. The biggest challenge I'd see is making sure you don't set the car on fire as any rubber bushings or sensitive pieces attached to the bolt will get very hot. For items not directly in the flame path, you can put a vice grip on the bolt between the flame and the fragile part (rubber, etc.) to act as a heat sink, and also have a helper with a spray bottle wetting the things you want to keep cool. I bought an old Jeep that had been up North and have done this on a few rusty items as well with good results. Hope this helps:-).

[@Browningate]

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.

[@sli-fox]

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.

[@SawmillerSmith]

I spray my used oil on the underneath of the truck. I have zero rust.

[@goobanet]

Greater amount of rust at the rear suggests it's been dipped in water at the boat ramp IMHO.

[@neilyakuza6595]

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.

[@DailyDriver.]

Wizard has sponsors now! I love it! Long live car wizard!

[@LMacNeill]

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.

[@RazorToshiba]

I bet you the rear rust is from frequently launching a boat, since it does have a trailer hitch, (not to mention that fishing line you found on the rear)

[@jynxclover2996]

good video as always. yall would flip out if you seen the clock on my 07 Mitsubishi Raider with the 3.7v6 that still runs like a champ @ 226,000 miles. ive always heard bad stuff about the 4.7s and glad i dont have one. The Mitsubishi raider, in my words, is more or less a Dodge Dakota but doesn't look like a refrigerator.

[@forfluf]

6:41 Sounds like Christine after she spent the night running over bullies and torching garages. 🔥😂🔥

[@joebufford2972]

I spotted those door hinges immediately even before you said something because I'm a carpenter and wondered right away what in the heck are those doing on that car!

[@admranger]

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.

[@admranger]

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).

[@tomashton1781]

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

[@scottimusgarrett15]

I really had a hard time paying attention after you said "door hinges". Door hinges. Jeebus. Thanks, Mr. and Mrs Wizard!✌❤🙂🇨🇦

[@rodbecker332]

More rust in the back could be from backing a boat or jet ski down the boat ramp.

[@vr4787]

I miss the 4.7 in my 06 Dakota, it was a good little V8 work engine, pretty reliable so long as you kept up on maintenance. Never had the head gasket issue after 103,000 miles

[@sterileeasteregg]

Tow haul option fishing line in back wheel the back is more rusty from putting boats in and out of the water

[@ICanFeedTheDog]

As a 5.7 hemi owner. It is definitely warped exhaust manifolds causing bad gaskets. Just go headers. They won't warp again

[@dodgeguyz]

No, it’s from too small of hardware!

[@michaelgreer8659]

My 05 grand, 3.7 has over 300000 miles on it. It's been an amazing vehicle.

[@DickDawsonTheShills]

The head bob during the question music was too funny! hahahahaha Love the Wizards!

[@bryanbeane7328]

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.

[@jolo121]

Yes Exhaust Manifold is problem leaking through cabin. Great heads up on manifold pricing thx

[@jolo121]

Vacuum lines / parts on WK's typically need replacing

[@brianeno1062]

I saw this in one of these videos: use acetylene until cherry red, then squirt water onto the bolt

[@Washman-jw3hl]

I thought I had a cracked manifold on my 01 Grand Cherokee. The day before I was going to start working on it I found out it was the connecting rod end cap that came off. I got lucky it sat in the right spot I was able to start it up and limp it the last ¹/⁴ mile home. 😬

[@jeffzekas]

Hey Car Wizard, what’s the deal with house hinges on the Porsche replica? Is this a good thing (re-purposing) or laziness of design?

[@KDBHonda256]

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.

[@Hotlog69]

I think these are very sporty looking Jeep. Especially the high performance 5.9 ones with those big chrome wheels!

[@chadlumpkin2375]

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.

[@austinaubinoe2195]

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.

[@twobabejinkins1736]

I was wondering if these Jeeps made the Wizards bad list ! Thanks for the info !

[@mikepayne5277]

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.

[@dingdang3845]

“Guess that problem” is fun!

[@Weidjeep]

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.

[@walterhubicki5207]

I've had 4 4.7L in Durango's. Put well over 200,000 with no blown head gaskets. I have had sludge from not changing the oil but never the head gaskets. The exhaust leak.... Every one of them!!! Lol lol

[@mph5896]

The old 2005-2009 Durango's. I used to buy those for around $2k 6-8 years ago as government surplus. They were tanks.

[@dennisschmitter7310]

I have found many with clogged radiators causing the head gaskets to fail. I personally think it electrolysis due to the way the cooling system is set up.

[@zanzeroth]

Scraped down the side, sounds like your escribing my 08 jeep commander. That thing lived off road though for most of is life.

[@robertvance1873]

And at that age and miles he mentioned about the radiator cap I would install a little bit less in pounds Cap on it to take any extra stress off the cooling system.

[@AU9377]

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.

[@TheWombat2012]

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?

[@diablocls55]

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.

[@derek17005]

A melamine sponge (Magic Eraser) will get that steering wheel looking new again FYI. Just use light pressure. Also works great for dirty plastics on the door panels.

[@loanshark214]

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.

[@mds2465]

My friend has one just like this one. Her's is silver and it's a 2WD model! I actually just worked on it a couple weeks ago.

[@crankshaft1885]

I own one over here in the UK. Its been LPG converted majority of its 122k miles. Issues I've had have been gearbox related - I serviced it and didn't install the filter correctly so it dropped out and left me stranded. So sorted that with a new filter. Unfortunately 4k miles later the solenoid pack needed changing so had to do it all over again! Doh! But that being said even at 100k the gearbox oil was still bright red with only a thin film of build up on the sump magnet.

[@asaprulers226]

I always clean the sludge off of the run off for the oil

[@mg1822]

Put a set of Jet Hot coated headers on that bad boy! Repair and upgrade it!

[@Internetpirate3]

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.

[@bizjetfixr8352]

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

[@milesparris4045]

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.

[@mikelemoine4267]

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.

[@tedjerdee1028]

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

[@peeweeacres]

WIZZARD what do you think of NHOU oil undercoating for corrosion control ?

[@CarsTrucksWhatever]

those also come with a Mercedes Diesel CRD and the 3.7l v6 and the 4.7l v8 have issues with the rocker arms poping off