peachferrari

Hey everyone. I'm not a JK owner yet but may be very soon. I'm looking at a 2011 4-door, of course 3.8 and with the 6 speed. Anything in particular I should look out for? The dealer did mention a slight transmission leak, which from the research I've done so far seems to be fairly common. They claim it's only a drop here and there, I'll be checking that out.

Anything else to watch out for? I'll probably be looking at it this weekend since it's a few hours away. According to their "inspection" everything else is in good order except for the TPMS light, which I suspect may just be that they didn't put the sensors in the aftermarket wheels/tires since it's modded a bit (lifted, not much else I don't think). I'm fairly mechanically inclined but just wondering if there are things particular to these Jeeps.

Thanks!

resharp001

Those 3.8Ls have common issues with lower intake manifold gaskets and upper oil pan gaskets. You might take one of those little inspection mirrors to help you get a good look down into the valley under the intake manifold for any signs of coolant....though I'm sure not easy to see. I'd just get a good look up at the engine from the underside and inspect for any signs of leaks......but if it's too clean I'd guess the dealer probably cleaned things up good if anything was there. All in all these things are pretty easy to work on. Our radiators are a common replacement regardless of 3.8 or 3.6L. Anything suspension related is easy to fix....though usually it's better to buy something that has not been modified before. Most folks just turn that TPMS off and I'd agree.....it's likely just missing sensors if those are aftermarket wheels.

Take a decent flashlight to help with engine inspection.

Mark Doiron

Resharp covered a couple of the things. I'd also add that the driver side exhaust manifold is prone to cracks. I did replace my radiator at about 185,000 miles. That is, I was headed for a long trip above the Arctic Circle and my mechanic recommended it not because it was bad, but because it could strand me far away from parts. He suggested 200,000 miles is a good time to look to replace even if it hasn't failed because the plastic side channels become brittle and prone to breakage. As for your six speed leak, mine has never leaked and I'm at 278,000 miles now. At some point during a clutch swap I did have the front and rear seals replaced on the engine, transmission and transfer case. If it's at the rear, then it's not too bad to replace. If at the front, it's a bit of a pain. And how do they know it's the front transmission seal? It may be the rear engine main seal, which is a quite common repair on the 3.8L motors. Another common problem area will be your clutch throwout bearing. Don't be surprised if it makes funny noises when the motor is not running and the pedal is pressed. Bottom line is, you can spend a lot of money chasing the fix down and not fix it or have it return in six months. Or just consider it part of the character of the vehicle. At 278,000 miles, my JK has a lot of character. LOL. Anyway, good luck with your new (I hope I haven't talked you out of it) rig!

peachferrari

Sounds good, thanks for the help.

And yeah I don't think they've determined the exact source of the leak. They have inspections done (not sure if before or after they buy their cars at auction) and whoever did the inspection mentioned it but also put "further diagnosis required". So obviously they didn't know for sure where it's coming from. I got looking at the pics more closely and it does look like there are a couple of other small mods--it has a cold air intake with a sort of vent in the hood to feed it, and it appears to have a B&M shifter. Both are probably things I would do anyway but I'll see what kind of shape they're in.

resharp001

Got a link to the ad?

peachferrari

Yeah, ;thought about posting it originally but didn't. Here it is: https://www.nexgenmotorsutah.com/use...4057/vd/292390

resharp001

So that was a red jeep that has been painted......not super well based on the door jam peeling. They just painted over all that plastic. They could have replaced that plastic rear bumper for like $25 before painting at least. Not sure what they have going on in front of the grill there, and that hood scoop is sure interesting. Not to dog on it, but the quality of paint, overspray, and peeling would really make me question a lot of other things that were done.

peachferrari

Yeah that was one of the first things I noticed since I could tell it's not a factory color (though I do like the color). I'm sure it's not hard to replace the rear bumper and I'd probably just leave it black. The hood scoop sits right on top of the cone filter on the intake, but if there isn't any kind of pre-filter inside it I'd be adding something. There's an engine bay pic in the Carketa inspection report they have linked there and you can see how the intake sits.

It is a branded title, which is mostly what this dealer sells. From what I can make out it was stolen at some point, mildly damaged, and recovered the next day. That said I'll be sure to check everything out good. They tell me it drives very well and tracks straight and all that, and supposedly only the bumpers and driver's door were damaged. I'll be sure to see how all the doors close etc.

And where would one pick up a bumper cover for $25? I'm seeing $120 plus just with quick searches

Sixty4x4

Dealers will tell you everything you need to know except the truth! That thing looks like it has been ridden hard and put away wet. Sorry to bust your bubble but with the mileage and cover up paint I would run and see if you can find a private sale where owners usually spill their guts about a vehicle due to most of them being honest. Something to ponder - how does that dealer know how good it is? they just traded it or salvaged it (check that if it was stolen), made it look good and say it runs great. Get your own PDI inspection as I also never trust a dealers inspection. Strictly my opinion here but you asked for advice/thoughts.
All the best in your pursuit to get a JK.

peachferrari

It's all good, you can't offend me. I have actually sold cars for a couple of dealers so I know how things go. That said, the last 2 cars I've bought from private sellers both had all kinds of things they didn't tell me about, so there's that.

I definitely have no problems walking away if things are bad when I see it in person. I've learned how to take the emotions out of it.