3.1 TD, Service is going to cost R38 000 what should i do!!!???

**Andre** · 2010/01/22, 05:28 PM

Van Zan

From your comments it seems that you have not owned a Jeep. The price for the front propshaft scares me as well because it is too cheap. The propshafts on a GC cannot be repaired and the last price I knew was around R7000.

**creepyjeep** · 2010/01/22, 06:07 PM

fix it and keep it another year at least.
you know the car,"better the devil you know" and all that.
that diff price isnt more than a toyota diff overhaul,thats what they cost,but after 200k did you say? well i suppose its fair comment to say it has given good service.
certainly i wouldnt like a hefty repair bill like that but it seems the norm,just look at any manufacture thread.
i guess we have to start comparing the prices to what it will cost to replace the car...... maybe 400k?
good luck with your decision.

**Chris_4x4** · 2010/01/22, 07:05 PM

Hi Jeep Lonehill,
I also have balked at the prices of some repairs, so the ones I CAN do, I do myself,
the simple parts of the service are Change Filters and oils with a modest amount of effort you can do these all yourself,
I had a broken drivers side mounting dealer price - R1800,00so I removed it (yes it did take some effort and about 2 hrs as I had no idea of how to do it) but I had it remoulded in polyurethane for R165,00 and then refitted it in 45 mins (much better idea of what I was doing)
There is a prophaft co in ElsiesRivier in cape Town whom I just had my front shaft balanced by (R180,00 same day service) , the owner told me that the front shaft fails at the non plunging CV and he has 30 on its way to him shortly.
My front right CV needed replacing and I found a perfectly good one second hand from American Softline for R1800,00 which I fitted myself, (most of the Jeep is well engineered for DIY!
If you think of taking some of these things on , get a manual , that much is essential, but as long as you are not a stumbling idiot, there are many things you can do yourself, so do not loose heart!

**RedLineR** · 2010/01/23, 08:44 AM

JeepLH, at your age my first reaction would be to simply sell it.

But you have to look at it from the other angle as well.
Let's say you get 55k for it. What can you buy for 55k? Can you buy your Jeep for 55k?
If you can't replace the vehicle with a similar vehicle then it's not worth selling it.

Unless you are considering financing a more expensive vehicle.
Then you can either save the 55k for accesories for the new vehicle or use it as a deposit on the new vehicle, or both.

But if you're not planning to go that route, rather keep it.

**jeepcommander** · 2010/01/23, 10:14 AM

Locate some decent second hand parts and fix it. New parts in the old girl is a waste of money. If you cant find second hand then bring them in from the US. Jeep SA is the only source of new parts here and they are priced likeways. The US has many after market parts suppliers who may be able to help. The internet is your friend. Some of these parts companies actually offer online chat so you can talk to someone in the store about your query.

Cheers

jeeplady74 · 2010/01/23, 12:55 PM

Hi, as a female jeep owner, i have found some mechanics will try and overcharge me, unfortunately for them, i have become quite learned on my Jeep problems. Whenever I have anything done, I source and supply my own parts, then only pay for labour, most recently had to recon the steering box. Price from agent and others R7k-R8k. Organised gasket and seal kit from the US for R350.00. Labour charge was R2500. Total cost R2850.00. Much cheaper. Just my opinion

jeeplady74 · 2010/01/23, 01:01 PM

As a female Jeep owner I often find mechanics trying to overcharge me. I have become rather educated on my car by now and I source and supply all my own parts as often Jeep Sa can't get them. For example, Had to recon the steering box recently, price from agent and others R7k-R8K. Sourced seal and gasket set from US and paid R358. Labour was R2500.00. Total cost R2858.00. Big saving!

Often consider selling it, but I have fixed so much I would only Lose out. At least I got a Reliable Landy to drive when the Jeep breaks down lol

**Jeep Fan** · 2010/01/23, 02:14 PM

Get second hand parts from a scrap yard, especially the diff. There should be plenty available.

**Ced** · 2010/01/25, 09:56 AM

I cant even find a second hand tail light so I reckon you will struggle to find a diff

**CJ v H** · 2010/01/25, 11:41 AM

Hi Jeep LH,

Surely the labour cost of R1263.74 (incl) per hour can`t be right?

Regards

RedHeart · 2010/01/25, 01:50 PM

I own a 2002 Jeep Cherokee Country 2.5 Turbo and I had the gearbox reconditioned at Gearbox Exchange in Bellville last year September and it cost me R16,000.00 (rounded) They had given me very good service and so far I am happy. The turbo was replaced and ceramic coated by Precision Performance in Montagu Gardens and there also I had very good service and it cost only R32,000.00 + vat. The agents want to replace it for R64,000.00. I do think R16,000.00 for the diff is a bit stiff...

Originally Posted by Jeep_lonehill

History: Jeep Grand Cherokee 2001 3.1 TD Laredo.
Full service history. The last service was done at 190 000 kms by the stealers and cost R20 000. The car has been driven 99% of time on road by my father. Now i have been driving the car for the past year and a half. The car has not been driven hard and has been in my family since new.

Current: Now I have taken the Jeep to a mechanic in randburg (i'm not going to mention the company name for now until I make a decision). It's not a 'stealer'. He has worked on the car before and seems to be quite honest.

The car is now sitting at 200 000kms and has major mechanical issues.

List:
Engine mountings worn
Gearbox oil is leaking
Rear diff needs to be overhauled
200 000 kms Service
Brake booster needs to be replaced.
Coolant sensor faulty.

Attached is the quote. (sorry the quality is very low).The jeep is sitting in the workshop now waiting for the go-ahead.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...bryanjeep1.jpg

So an overview: (these are rounded off values, please see the quote)

the diff is R16 000
repair brakes and boosters R5000
Repair gearbox leak R2000
Engine mountings R4000
Propshaft R3000
Coolant sensor and small things R500
Labour R5000

Total R38 000

N.B.
I'm NOT questioning the prices here. I want to find out what choice to make!!

I need some advice please.....!!!!

Do I completely fix the Jeep for R40 000 and then sell it for book value? What would book value be??

Do I partly fix it and then sell it for a reduced price? What can I get? What should I fix?

Do I trade it in? I was told I would only get R25 000 if I traded in at current state.

Do I try find some of the parts in scrap yards and do the work myself? I don't really have the time but I want to save money.

Your advice is greatly appreciated

Thanks
Bryan

**jelo** · 2010/01/25, 04:59 PM

"The turbo was replaced and ceramic coated by Precision Performance in Montagu Gardens and there also I had very good service and it cost only R32,000.00 + vat."

GOEIE GENUGTIG! For that price you can redo a 3.9 V8 Discovery motor, do a 50mm suspension lift, put in a stainless exhaust and have change left over!!!!

**Selwyn** · 2010/01/25, 10:07 PM

Hi Jeep Lonehill

You say "The car runs just fine at the moment. No serious noises or vibrations." Leave it that way!
Does it leak oil and oil leave spots on the floor? Why is the rear U-Joint mentioned but the quote is for the front propshaft? Is the diff noisy? Engine mountings dont wear they tear if you drive like a maniac. My opinion - Whoever gave you this quote saw you coming. I would go for a second and third opinion without any mention of the existing quote, then do critical repairs (brakes if there is a problem, universal joints if necessary), service the Jeep and drive it. Worry about the remaining items at 300000Km. or when they really give trouble.

Selwyn

**Jeepiscool** · 2010/01/25, 10:27 PM

I can only agree with Selvyn: Don't fix it if it ain't broken.

**Gary 1942** · 2010/01/26, 08:31 AM

Hi Lonehill,

I bought the same vechile last week. It's extremely neat with FSH (160k on the clock). I paid R90k. I'm totally in love with it atm but i guess listening to stories like these i will encounter similar problems. Luckily my wife drives it daily to work(round trip of 3km) and i play in it over weekends. My feeling is similar to a few mentioned. Rather fix it and keep it. Shop around, i guarentee you will not find a vechile with the features of yours at this price. I have opened a new bank account fondly named "failure funds" where i try to put away some $$$ for future heartaches as you are experiencing. I have found that the guys on this forum are very helpfull and we can trust their judgement, its through sharing knowlegde that we can carry on Jeeping. If i received a quote like that i would probably head for the hills and never return, i wish you luck in finding a silution.

**JOHNNY JAY** · 2010/01/26, 04:58 PM

Hi Jeep Lonehill,
It really pisses me off when the stealers rip you guys off and give an excellent car a bad image.
I do all my maintainance myself and save thousands of rands.
If you can't do so yourself find someone dedicated to GC's who can take care of your GC.
Just tell me what complaints or symtoms you encountered that could be related to the quote that you got.
Maybe we can help you on this forum Dont lose faith in this car - it still has a lot of life left You will only lose if you try to sell it now!

**Jeepiscool** · 2010/01/27, 08:43 PM

While we've got all the oldish jeep guys here, does any of you know a good jeep mechanic in the Roodepoort/Randburg area? I used a local shop to service mine before my December trip, who seem to have done a good job until I discovered after the trip that he messed up the rubber connection between the air filter box and the intale manifold. Imagine I did a desert area trip, like into the Namib... could have lost the engine!

Jeep_lonehill · 2010/01/31, 11:39 AM

Thank you all for the responses, I've been away over the past week.

I just got a revised quote from the mechanic with a saving of around R2000..... still not great.

I did some shopping around this week and looks like if i do sell I'll be driving a Polo! Not a cool as a Jeep!

I'm going to do some further research this week on parts (especially the diff) and see if I can get the work done cheaper.

Will keep you posted.

**Stevh0** · 2010/02/02, 01:21 PM

did they hand you vaseline with the quote... holy poo!

Jeep_lonehill · 2010/02/02, 06:07 PM

So the time has come to make a decision..

I'm going to sell the Jeep as I just can't afford the service cost.

Anyone willing to buy her?

This is a one owner car with a full service history.

The car is in otherwise good condition and has only been in a very minor bumper bashing which the bumper was replaced.

Anyone got some advice what kind of price I should expect?

This price would be in current state and unserviced. The Jeep is in fine driving condition but needs to be worked. From what the mechanic has said the rear diff needs to be reconditioned in the next 500kms to be safe.

Any advice is greatly appreciated