by Judy (alpharetta, ga)
2001 jeep grand cherokee image
My 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee overheated an hour and a half into a 2 hr drive. We pulled over, added the green kind of coolant and started driving again. Soon after the pit stop we had to pull over when the car lost all power. We called a tow truck and they towed the Jeep to a local area mechanic, not a dealership. He checked out the car and said the thermostat was causing all the problems. He also said the engine had absolutely no damage. So I had him put in a new thermostat and a new water pump. We drove the car back home and the next morning a sign in the car or warning light said the coolant was low. I added about half a gallon of coolant when the engine was cold to bring it to the proper level. We let the vehicle warm up before we started driving. The thermostat needle stayed right in the middle, but I noticed the coolant bubbling in the reserve tank even though the truck did not overheat. I took it to the Jeep dealership the next day. While I was driving there it totally overheated. Now the dealer service department is saying it’s either a blown head gasket or a cracked cylinder head. My question is, do you think the engine or the thermostat caused all this from the beginning? Also if it was the engine, why would the first mechanic say the engine was good and do the other work? We really like this truck, but we’re not prepared to put thousands of dollars into it.Finally, if we don’t fix it how can we get rid of her with an unknown issue. Can we put it up for auction or private sell it if we disclose there is something wrong with it, but we don’t know exactly what?
Comments for 2001 jeep grand cherokee overheated
Average Rating 
Jun 30, 2010Rating
2001 jeep grand cherokee overheated by: Anonymous Thank you so much for answering. It bothers me because the out-of-town mechanic told me there was no engine damage and that’s why we went ahead with the thermostat & water pump at his shop.
Jun 30, 2010Rating
Overheated jeep cherokee by: Anonymous Sorry to here about your engine troubles. Bubbling in the reservoir tank coupled with overheating is strong evidence of either a cracked head or blown head-gasket.It’s hard to say why the out of town shop missed the call and only recommended a thermostat. Although that repair most likely did not cause the engine troubles you are now experiencing. Sometimes out of town shops would rather go for a quick repair then get involved in a large long distance engine repair.The original low coolant and overheat 1.5 hours into your 2 hour drive was most likely the cause of the problems with the engine. It does not take long for an overheat or low coolant situation to do damage to an engine. Again I’m sorry for your troubles but it does not sound like there was any foul play in the situation.