Jeep Grand Cherokee Oil Leak Problems: Here’s What To DO!

Ask any owner about a common engine problem that has a direct relation to vehicle mileage. He’ll say it is oil leaking without a second clue. Oil leaking reduces driving taste, enhances vehicle maintenance costs, pollutes nature and finally pushes your vehicle to deep problems.

Every vehicle, from car to Jeep, pickup to Tractor, faces this problem like a curse, and it doesn’t matter whether it is new or old. 

As a luxury vehicle, a Jeep owner suffers the most if the vehicle has any leaking issue. Today I will talk about Cherokee leaking problems that might help your Jeep to get better mileage.

If your jeep Cherokee oil leak from the engine or fuel tank, you will face all the problems that I said in the beginning. You will suffer the most from the jeep leaking issue when traveling in an offroad area near Utah or Michigan. 

A brief overview:

Faulty oil filters, broken oil pan, valve cover gasket, and oil drain plug problems are the main causes of oil leaking in your Jeep Cherokee.

Experts also say that faulty installation and using polluted oil are also responsible for oil leaking in your vehicle. I have said everything in detail with proper solutions that may make the process easier.

Why Is Jeep Grand Cherokee Leaking Oil?

1. Oil Filter Problems

Oil filters play a major role in keeping a vehicle’s engine active and long-lasting. When you pour oil on the tank, it doesn’t go to the engine directly. Oil needs to be purified from some additional contamination, and an oil filter does the work perfectly. 

If there are any wrong chemicals, dust, or small metal parts mixed with oil, oil filters detect them and keep them away from pure fuel.

But, the whole process becomes abortive when oil filters fail to perform. When your jeep oil filter is faulty, you will find a lot of problems, from fuel leakage to engine failure. 

2. Broken Oil Pan 

Have you given a closer look at the Jeep’s oil pan under the engine? Is there any holes or scratch on that spare tank? The oil pan works as external storage where all additional pure oil takes a rest that is not needed for the engine. 

When you are using some older jeep Cherokee like XJ or ZJ, maybe the oil pans are damaged or abortive. As it is situated on the lower side of the engine, there is a chance that it could be hit on an off-road.

Issues with an oil pan are quite usual, and there are several causes behind it that may lead to oil leakage on your jeep wrangler or Cherokee.

3. Valve Cover Gasket Issues

Valve cover gasket is a trusted engine component to protect engine parts and constant oil flow in the engine. When your Jeep is leaking oil, this major engine component could be a related cause of oil leaking. 

This is made of pure solid metal, and there are a couple of holes with caps to protect the engine. Though it can tolerate much pressure and heat, sometimes it is so vulnerable that you need to drive your Jeep with bad piston rings and oil leakage.

4. Wrong Installation Or Fitment

Naturally, we try to install something newer, from Jeep lowering to swapping diesel engines. However, we forget about fitment without any reason. have you recently changed any parts related to fuel in your Jeep Cherokee?

Maybe changed parts are not well installed, and you are getting some fuel issues. 

After a long time driving on your Cherokee, like 3 to 5 years, it makes engine and fuel components slightly disabled. If you are one of those who drive Cherokee without regular maintenance, you might find some oil leaking issues. 

5. Using Poor Oil

There are different oil in the various fuel stations to use in your jeep Cherokee or wrangler. Usually, we take fuel from the station that is closer to our home without thinking about the vehicle’s safety and performance. 

When we use polluted oil in our Jeep regularly, most of the time, the engine function fails to perform well. It enhances engine heating and sometimes makes leakage inside your Jeep. It makes different fuel parts like oil pans or oil filters weak and rusty, which can lead to oil leaking. 

6. Faulty Oil Drain Plug

Sometimes an oil drain plug is considered one of the popular causes for oil leaking on your Jeep. If you have any fueling issue related to a drain plug, it is not a matter of extra headache.

Because you can easily replace it with a minimum budget of $20 to $30, and you also don’t need an expert if you have previous working experience in the fuel industry. 

How To Solve Jeep Cherokee Oil Leaking Problems

  • First, you need to find out from where the oil is leaking in your Jeep Cherokee. If you give a closer look under the vehicle, you may find a leaking position. Then examine all the parts related to jeep fuel that I have told in this article. It may seem difficult when you are not habitual working with engine and oil parts in your Jeep.
  • You can hire a jeep mechanic at a lower rate for a better diagnosis of your Cherokee. I think this is the best option for an owner who is just trying to learn the jeep engine mechanism. 
  • If your Cherokee is comparatively new with all the authentic papers, you may find 3 or 4 service warranties. Check all the buying papers and take your vehicle to the supplier garage to solve this leakage issue.
  • If your oil filter is corrupted or rusty, that creates the leakage, don’t try to add any metal seal kit to solve this issue. Changing a faulty oil filter from time to time is better than repairing it. It’s my personal opinion, and you can go with other methods with your mechanic’s suggestions.  
  • As most of the time, oil leaks from the valve cover gasket, you should check this engine component from time to time. There are multiple holes available in the gasket, and if the leakage is from there, fix it with melted metal or use any powerful seal kit. Never forget to have a discussion with regular mechanics on this issue.
  • Add yourself to different Jeep and Cherokee forums to get authentic reviews about Cherokee’s oil-to-engine components. Buy oil from a trusted fuel station that has excellent customer support and authority in the fuel industry. 
  • You should take care of your Jeep regularly if you want continuous performance. Wash your Jeep from time to time, including the interior and engine parts. Remove dust, corrosion, and pollution from the oil tanks and change the engine coolant from time to time. 

  Causes and solutions of Jeep Cherokee oil leaking without mechanic cost

Responsible parts or components for leakingExact causes      Solutions      Cost
Oil filter problemsFail to purify oilTry another piece$10 to $20
Broken oil panleakExchange or Metal plaster$50 to $120
Valve cover gasketScratch and crackSwap or use melted metal$25 to $50
Faulty oil drain plugLoosen bolts and corrosionNeeds cleaning or changing$20 to $30
Wrong fitmentLoosen nuts and boltsTighten all nuts and bolts$50 to $100

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How much does it cost to fix an oil leak on a Jeep?

No one can give you a clear answer until he knows the exact cause of oil leaking. If the drain oil plug is the exact cause of oil leaking and you have some knowledge about replacing it, you need only 20$ to 30$ to fix it. When you have a deeper issue about oil leaking, you need to spend more, and sometimes it can reach 500$ with mechanic cost.

2. How do I know if my Jeep is leaking oil?

There are some popular symptoms to know whether your Jeep is leaking or not. Oil scattered on the engine, fuel dropped on the parking area, overheating engine, black smoke, and bad smell from the smoke are the most common and popular symptoms to find of oil leaking from a jeep wrangler or Cherokee. Today’s jeeps are too automatic that you and find out any leaking from the dashboard’s light when the engine is on. You can also monitor Jeep’s speed and mileage regularly to know it better. 

3. Are oil leaks worth fixing?

Why are you asking about this when you can’t ride properly without a solid fuel system? Yes, fixing an oil leak is really worth it when you have a Jeep Cherokee, Wrangler or Grand Cherokee. When your Jeep is leaking oil, it breaks the comfort zone on the front seat and makes your vehicle faulty in the long run. So, leak fixing is essential to save the extra cost and ensure pure riding.

4. Do all Jeeps leak oil?

No, no vehicle leaks oil until there are issues related to engine and fuel system. from Cherokee to grand Cherokee, and Rubicon to Willys, every Jeep provides quality interior, exterior, updated features and engine to its customer. But, when you drive it 100k to 200k without proper maintenance, some of the fuel function becomes rusty, and then oil starts to leak. 

5. Is a small oil leak OK?

No, it indicates your vehicle is going to have a major issue within some days, or it needs adoration. Still, you can ride miles with that leakage when you have emergencies. In the automotive industry, nothing remains small when it starts. This small oil leakage can lead to deep engine issues when you think still it is small. So, it is not a good idea to sit idle when there is a small oil leaking issue in your Jeep.

Conclusion

I know all of your sorrow and thinking when your jeep Cherokee oil leak. This article may help to take a further step when your Cherokee has a leaking issue.

Nevertheless, it varies from process to expenditure when your jeep Cherokee faces diesel engine reliability. “Prevention is better than cure” is an authentic proverb for a human and vehicle owner. Always take care of your jeep before something happens in the engine and fuel tank.

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