what to do?

[Jeep or Tacoma]

My old faithful 2008 jku is starting to overheat especially in hot weather,. It supposedly the limited lifetime power train warranty. Have 158,000 on it. I also have a trans cooler, and a new radiator. but when it goes to 100 plus my temp gauge goes to the 3/4 mark especially if it is an up hill grade at all, as it has done 2xs in the last month. Normally and historically it has never gone past the mid line... And it is a nerve wracking feeling to be in the middle of the desert in 100+ heat and see your temp gauge climb. especially with 2 dogs in the car.

I am wondering if this is the beginning of the end of this motor. so I am trying to prepare my self for what to do next.

If jeep some how wiggles out of the lifetime warranty should I buy a new rubicon or Wait for the JL to come out and where in CA is the best pricing for one?

Have heard that Jeep is not honoring the lifetime warranty if the cost to replace the motor is more than the Jeep is worth. Is this True ?

so what would you do? wait and buy a new JL?
buy a 2017 JKU
I drove the chevy ZR2 and while it is pretty cool Indeed more interior space plus I want a Ursa Minor j30

so give me your thoughts. Thanks

 

[Bullseye240]

You could try some Evapo Rust. Drain the coolant, refill with Evapo Rust and drive around normal for a day or two. The block could be covered in rust internally from the water in the coolant preventing heat transfer. The Evapo Rust will remove that. You can then drain it and refill with coolant. If you plan on keeping it you could use Evans waterless coolant. Great stuff that contains no water, not cheap but works great. Since there is no water in it you can run the engine up to temperature and remove the radiator cap with nothing happening. Also with no water in it it has a lower surface tension and will have more contact with the block resulting in better heat transfer. The up side is you have almost zero chance of blowing a hose due to temp because there is no pressure in the system. I trust it enough that if needed in an emergency I would have no problem using a zip tie to hold a hose on if needed. You would have to use the prep fluid to remove all the water remaining in the system, but it is reusable. Also the Evapo Rust is non-toxic and can be poured down the drain after use if is is used up. When it turns completely black it's considered done. Just my thoughts if you planned on keeping it.

 

[Mud Dawg]

If you go "new jeep," certainly wait for the new model...

 

[HRPINDC]

My understanding is that Jeep will pay you Blue Book for the Jeep if the cost to repair is greater then BB. I personally would not buy a new vehicle in the first model year, especially one as heavily redesigned as the JL. Let them work the bugs out before plunking down your money.

Not to sound patronizing, but have you checked the simple things like, thermostat and hoses? Good luck!

 

[Jeep or Tacoma]

yes checked everything it only seems to be happening when it is extremely hot. and on an up hill grade. not necessarily that steep either.

 

[redhat6161]

I personally would not buy a new vehicle in the first model year, especially one as heavily redesigned as the JL. Let them work the bugs out before plunking down your money.

X2 on this - this is absolutely sound advice!

 

[Happykamper]

It is true that if the cost to replace motor is greater then the value of the jeep they have to pay you the value of the jeep. It's not as if they can just walk away !!! But the value of the JK and JKU being crazy as they are I seriously don't think you should be worried cause!!! Burn it out and get your new motor!! That's why my non V8 JKU has a lifetime warranty it's a 2012 and 129,000 miles with a new motor at 107,000 miles no issue from the dealer or factory!!! I'll NEVER get rid of this jeep !!!!

I did not read the rest of the comments as it's more fun to look back after you address a persons concerns

 

[Happykamper]

It is true they go off blue book if that's the book used in your area . So your jeep booked as a JKU sport with absolutely no adds at all. Has a rough wholesale book of 10-11k retail is 13k . That's with no adds ! No hard top no nothin so your in no danger of not getting your motor replaced unless you modified the motor . So your jeep for life is still a reality :$$$$$$ for a new Ursaminor

 

[vtsoundman]

Dont throw the baby out with the bath water just yet.

Lots of issues can contribute to a hot running engine, but you need to verify first.

Is it actually overheating (bubbling, steaming, limp mode) or just the gauge indicating elevated temps?

If just the gauge indicating a high temp, use a scan gauge or other OBD scanner to verify temps are doing what the factory gauge claims. Then go from there.

Have you verified the fan is operating at full speed when this happens? Fans on the 3.8 vintage Jeeps are more prone to failure due to its open motor frame design. There is also a resistor wiring harness, TIPM issues that may contribute.

Did they change the radiator hoses? Hoses can collapse restricting flow...and are more prone to do so while hot. Inspect the hoses...look for twists/kinks and feel for soft spots - especially the lower hose.

Thermostats can be bad, not installed correctly, etc...wrong coolant could have been used or added at some point since the change (esp if you got to jiffy lube places)...

My old faithful 2008 jku is starting to overheat especially in hot weather,. It supposedly the limited lifetime power train warranty. Have 158,000 on it. I also have a trans cooler, and a new radiator. but when it goes to 100 plus my temp gauge goes to the 3/4 mark especially if it is an up hill grade at all, as it has done 2xs in the last month. Normally and historically it has never gone past the mid line... And it is a nerve wracking feeling to be in the middle of the desert in 100+ heat and see your temp gauge climb. especially with 2 dogs in the car.

I am wondering if this is the beginning of the end of this motor. so I am trying to prepare my self for what to do next.

If jeep some how wiggles out of the lifetime warranty should I buy a new rubicon or Wait for the JL to come out and where in CA is the best pricing for one?

Have heard that Jeep is not honoring the lifetime warranty if the cost to replace the motor is more than the Jeep is worth. Is this True ?

so what would you do? wait and buy a new JL?
buy a 2017 JKU
I drove the chevy ZR2 and while it is pretty cool Indeed more interior space plus I want a Ursa Minor j30

so give me your thoughts. Thanks

sent via the cone of silence

 

[Comanche Scott]

I wouldn't want to be stranded in 100+ degree weather with my girlfriend and our dogs, so I'd probably not push too hard unless I was by myself, with good cell reception, a sun shade, electric fan and plenty of beer on ice in the cooler.
Then yeah, I'd push it aggressively, but not abusively.

Second or 3rd year JL would be a pretty cool rig.
They've got some pretty nice campers out for the Colorado though...

 

[lumpskie]

I'm of no use here. But owning a Wagoneer, I would be giving high fives to people if it only went 1/4 above normal, pulling up a hill on a 100+ degree day!

 

[cody93225]

On my 2015 and on my brand new 2017 with less than 1000 miles they would reach the 3/4 mark on the temp gauge when doing big climbs in 100 degree weather. Usually it will pull itself down after a minute or two. If your Jeep isn't overheating I wouldn't worry about it yet.

 

[vtsoundman]

My old faithful 2008 jku is starting to overheat especially in hot weather,. It supposedly the limited lifetime power train warranty. Have 158,000 on it. I also have a trans cooler, and a new radiator. but when it goes to 100 plus my temp gauge goes to the 3/4 mark ....

How did you make out on the troubleshooting?

sent via the cone of silence

 

[Charles R]

Something to always keep in mind when it comes to big warranty repairs is that dealers want written records of the service history. I've seen more than a few claims rejected because the owner doesn't have receipts for all the oil changes done. But with a full set of receipts, you can even claim a higher value in the case of a buy out.

 

[1stDeuce]

With modern antifreeze, there should be zero rust in the engine, but a flush probably wouldn't hurt anything, and might rinse some crud out, you never know...

I don't suppose you've flushed out the radiator fins with a hose lately? Particularly if you're prone to driving through puddles like you're on TV, the radiator fins get clogged with mud and bugs over time and you get poor cooling. Strangely, this seems to affect Jeeps more than any other vehicle...
Sometimes it's best to remove the electric fan so you can get right at it from the engine side. Just be careful not to bend the fins over.

Also, over time bugs and junk can also block off the AC condenser in front of the radiator. This also keeps airflow from getting through, and you'll overheat. They sell combs to straighten the fins, but usually a good cleaning from the back side does the trick.

Oh, and if you've added a winch, bumper, and lights to the front, I'd expect it to run hot uphill in 100F plus temps.

If the engine is going, the only thing that would make the temp climb is a blown head gasket. Most auto repair shops and dealers have a tool or test strips that will tell right away if exhaust is getting into the coolant.

With regular maintenance, that engine should go well past 200k. Subtract miles for extended oil changes and really overheating it.

Good Luck!