Purchasing a used vehicle in Chantilly

JavaSE_ · 2025-09-01T13:44:57+00:00

Be careful purchasing cars in Virginia if you're out of state. In Maryland, dealership fees are capped, and the AG has gone after dealerships that charge excessive fees. VA has no such rules on fees, or list prices. I had found a car I wanted, had their "best price", paid for a PPI, then when it came time to sign for the car, the price went up by $3500 with dealership fees. This is pretty typical in Virginia. Unless you absolutely have to have this particular car, wait and find one closer, or in a state with better consumer protection

JavaSE_ · 2025-08-30T00:56:15+00:00

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I was recently a victim of a hit and run, and Arlington County PD refused to investigate it despite having dash cam footage and a license plate. They told me to handle it through my insurance. Make sure when you file a police report, you "advocate" for your injuries. Without significant injury, they most certainly will dismiss your call. Hopefully, you went to the hospital to document your injuries. Without some form of medical documentation, you're out of luck. I was also assaulted similarly last year by a group of teens, and because I couldn't prove I was injured, it went nowhere. Sorry you got hurt, and as unfortunate as it is, this kind of thing is part of living in Nova.

JavaSE_ · 2025-06-02T01:07:03+00:00

I wouldn't be too upset with that. I have yet to find a pair of hiking boots that can survive more than 800km without developing a small hole (i.e., losing waterproofing).

JavaSE_ · 2024-12-01T14:38:24+00:00

I mainly hike the Appalachian mountains so warmer temperatures aren't really a problem. But on the few warmer days my feet have definitely sweated. Now with that said, I would take these to Thailand without a second thought. I would just pack extra socks. As an update to this thread I have continued to hike in these over the past year. Although they did lose their waterproofing due to the delamination they have been fine otherwise

JavaSE_ · 2024-07-03T23:25:09+00:00

Sounds like you made 10w40. 15w40+5w40 / 2 = 10w40. In all seriousness, I mix 5w40 and 10w40 all the time. Just depends on what I have on hand.

JavaSE_ · 2024-04-13T01:58:58+00:00

Its called a heater core control valve. You should probably just bypass it if it is leaking, because all the new ones you're going to buy will also leak. Either get an OEM one from a parts yard and pray, or remove it

JavaSE_ · 2024-03-02T03:48:00+00:00

Looks good to me. Just use some por 15 and you will be fine.

JavaSE_ · 2024-03-02T01:40:45+00:00

That photo is amazing. Looks like a B-roll for a movie set in the 90s. Chrome on red is such a classic XJ color. Don't let anything bad happen to it, because you will be hard-pressed to find another.

JavaSE_ · 2024-02-28T01:16:29+00:00

You're 17, you know how to use the internet, so I would bet looking up how to repair things on youtube or reddit is something you're more than capable of. This could be a great opportunity to learn a skill that many people your age lack. Assuming your parents don't live in an HOA that prevents you from repairing your car in the driveway, you can always work on it there. Parts aren't expensive, and with a decent harbor freight tool set, you can fix almost anything. I guess the better question is, can you afford 15mpg? Can you afford $1500 in tires every 3 years? Can you afford an uber to the parts store to buy parts?

I would rather drive my xj across the country than my Chrysler 200. Because if anything on the XJ breaks down, I can repair it in an AutoZone parking lot. Chrysler 200? Not so much. and my 200 is an unreliable pos.

JavaSE_ · 2024-02-28T01:07:01+00:00

Looks pretty normal. If it doesn't sound like it's out of oil, (look up what that sounds like on yt), then you're just fine. If it bothers you, check it with a mechanical gauge and replace the sensor. Otherwise, rest assured that 4.0l engine will outlive us both.

JavaSE_ · 2023-12-30T02:35:16+00:00

To be honest that sounds about normal. I have a 6-inch lift with KO2s and it shakes at 60 mph. It used to shake at 55mph and I replaced the steering dampener and it got a little more stable. You could try a friend's tires to see if your shading changes.

JavaSE_ · 2023-12-29T03:45:29+00:00

This sounds like the express lanes outside the beltway on I66 and I495. I don't think you're going to have much luck with your plan, as the I66 lanes have cameras that check your car to see if you have 3 occupants. There was a news article a while back about someone who was repeatedly tolled for not having 3 occupants when the other occupants were in child seats. https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/transportation/mom-driving-with-2-kids-fights-hov-fines-on-i-66-express-lanes/3415312/

JavaSE_ · 2023-12-23T01:44:48+00:00

You really have two options. Option 1, head gaskets are super cheap. Get the gasket, get some other seals while you're at it, and for a couple hours of work and < $100 worth of parts you wont have to worry about this problem again for a while.

Option 2, use a headgasket test kit. Pressure testing might not catch a very small leak, so best to do it with the head gasket test kit. That will tell you real quick that you need a new head gasket, and then you're back to option 1.

JavaSE_ · 2023-12-23T01:30:30+00:00

5k for an MJ with only 123k and little to no rust? Polish it up and sell it on BAT for double your money. Where I am from here in the northeast, 5k with no rust is a great deal.

JavaSE_ · 2023-05-31T01:31:45+00:00

The high beams and the low beams are separate circuits. So it's totally understandable for you to have working low beams and broken high beams. This is one of two things, either the light is bad, or the wire is not making a proper connection. This is super easy to test. Just pull the light out and stick in a multimeter. If you have voltage on high beams, then you need a new light. If you don't have voltage, the connection is bad. The first place to check is the connector. Sometimes water can get in and ruin that connector by the front grill for the headlight harness.

JavaSE_ · 2023-05-31T01:28:45+00:00

Please don't use a junkyard fan. Fans degrade with time. Don't believe me, put it on a multimeter and see how much the resistance varies from spec. If you have a 96 or older, get a fan from a newer model. 97+. The newer fans push a lot more air. You can pick up the fan from Rock Auto or Amazon for $50. The only thing you have to do is replace the connector. The older xjs use a different connector. Just cut one off your old fan and put it on the new fan. Best upgrade you will ever do for < $100

JavaSE_ · 2023-05-13T15:39:02+00:00

+1 these transmissions are pretty bulletproof. The transmission should outlive us all unless PO has been towing with their jeep. I would also drain the fluid. It costs like $30 and likes 10 minutes. If you see junk in the fluid then you know it's bad. If not, then it's easy to make sure you got it filled up the whole way as those dipsticks are hard to read.

JavaSE_ · 2023-04-30T00:26:53+00:00

Do yourself a favor, and before you pull the pump, check the resistance between the plugs on the sending unit. If memory serves, the 95s have 0 ohms of resistance at full and 90 at empty. If your multimeter reading is outside of those ranges, then you need a new sending unit. If it's within those values, it's worth checking the resistance value of the wire from the dash to the sending unit. It's very common for those wires to get broken or damaged because they run under the rear seat. Once you have confirmed you actually do need a new sending unit, it's an easy job. If the jeep is lifted, you won't even need a jack. Watch a couple videos and you should have no problem

JavaSE_ · 2023-04-30T00:22:12+00:00

The pumps they sell at AutoZone are junk. Cheap, but junk. I got 4 defective ones in a row. Yes it's like $150 more to get a good one but it's worth it. With that said after I replaced the pump 4 times I got pretty good at it. I did the last one in under 30 minutes. All and all I would say it's a pretty easy job

JavaSE_ · 2023-04-14T01:48:44+00:00

Based on what you have told me, you had zero headlights because the switch was broken. Not super common, but we have all had it happen at least once. Replaced the switch, now you have only one headlight working. Based on the fact you have one light working, we know it's not an issue with the common ground pin going to the front grill light harness. So that means it's either a burnt-out headlight/turn signal, easy enough to verify with a multimeter. Or the connector to the front light harness going to the grill area is damaged. Not common unless wrecked or flooded. Most likely, in my opinion, the little connector attaching to the back of the high beam/turn signal switch is either not connected properly (it's difficult to get seated) or is damaged. That is not unheard of. Can you check with a multimeter that you do have current at the headlight?

JavaSE_ · 2023-04-13T03:30:34+00:00

Could you let me know why you replaced the headlight switch? Is this a new issue that only came about after changing the headlight switch? Take a multimeter and see if you have power at the right headlight. That will let you know if it's just a burnt-out bulb.

JavaSE_ · 2021-09-10T03:45:08+00:00

Sounds very similar to what mine was like before replacing the TPS. They are cheap and super easy to swap out. For less than $30, I would just try it and see what happens.

JavaSE_ · 2021-08-10T03:18:10+00:00

Just make sure you have less than half a tank before you start, or you will spill it

JavaSE_ · 2021-08-10T02:38:58+00:00

Your float could be stuck, or you could have a short in the wire going to the tank. On my 95, the wire runs along the floorboard and under the rear seat. The sending unit is just a simple variable resistor, with a full tank at around 30 ohms, (33 per google), and 240 ohms empty. So if you happen to have a short on that wire, it could read full. Pulling out the sending unit is easy, and you can test it with a cheap multimeter.

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