Been working on fixing up a stock 2000 cherokee. Picked it up for cheap. Wasn't running and had. even sitting for a while. Threw in a new alternator and new serpentine belt, flushed radiator, changed oil, new battery and cleaned out all the leaves and birds nests from under the hood. Interior is another story. Starts up and runs but having an issue somewhere. Runs great cold but as it warms up engine smokes. Smells almost as if something is burning under the hood. If you put your hand near the engine it feels real hot but it's running around 210 on the gauge nothing more. When I changed the oil it was under 6 qts and dark. Coolant looked like it hadn't been done in a while and was almost brown. Not sure where to go next or what to do as far as getting it on the road. Bought it to use as a second vehicle and beach rig/ trail rig but it's been a garage queen for weeks. Any Ideas? I can figure things out with guidance but by no means am I a mechanic. 
Cherokee help!
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Are you saying smoke comes off the engine? Or out the exhaust?
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did you use antifreeze/water mix?
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210 is pretty warm but if you used antifreeze mix then it's probably not boiling out somewhere. Could be a stuck thermostat making it run hotter than normal, they get crusty when not in regular use and start to stick. By engine smoke I guess you mean coming off the engine? Might be burning off residue left when you were changing fluids, or 210 is hotter than it used to run and so some stuff is burning off that didn't at lower temp. It should probably run about 195 or less, especially this time of year.
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if the rad fliud was brown it might be a head gasket or cracked head issue. this works for testing. r there any codes?
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2000 and 2001 had 0331 heads known for cracking. Any signs of coolant in oil (milky brown looking stuff).
If smoking off engine, could be valve cover gasket is shot.XJ's with 4.0 DO feel very hot when you lift the hood.
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210 is the normal temp for the 4.0, so you're ok there.
Check the oil for signs of muddy water in the oil, might look like clay if you look into the valve cover.
The coolant could be from mixing coolant types, or could be from a bad gasket or cracked head. I'd monitor that regularly for the color changing, some is likely from residue in the system, though.
Any chance the smoke could just be water and junk cooking out of the exhaust pipe from sitting so long?
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Any chance the smoke could just be water and junk cooking out of the exhaust pipe from sitting so long?That was my first thought. Determine the smell; does it smell like buring rubber, electrical, oil, anti-freeze.....? Also try to pin point were the smell is coming from (which can be difficult with the engine fan running. If it's been sitting that long and animals appear to have gotten under the hood, it could be an exposed wire melting on the exhaust manifold or other hot spot on the engine.
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Agreed about what some of the others have said.
Cherokees always feel hot under the hood. 210* is normal operating temp.
Your 2000 is one of the Cherokees notorious for the head cracking. The brown coolant could simply be from it sitting for a while and there is some oxidation in the cooling system. With the symptoms of smoke from under the hood along with the discolored coolant, my first suspicions would be a gasket and/or cracked head. Slimer is right to try to identify the smell.
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That was my first thought. Determine the smell; does it smell like buring rubber, electrical, oil, anti-freeze.....?
or if it smells like dinner, maybe it's one of those critters that had taken up residence.
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You can pressure test the cooling system and look for leaks.
Please don't start pouring stop leak stuff in it,whatever you do.
I think you can put a 4.0 HO head on it if you need to replace it.
If these guys say 210 is good I've got to believe them, I've never run one myself. I think at this point I would drive it for a while and see if it cooks off or not. -
Just for sh@ts and giggles, check all the fuses, make sure the right amperage is in the right slots and also look for "custom fuses" made out of pieces of wire, pennies, bullet casings...
You never know what a previous owner did to bypass a problem. I'm wondering if you have a circuit getting over loaded. Also thinking you may have something grounding out (frayed wire rubbing on something metal)
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Ive been working on one that had a bad valve cover gasket for quite some time. A lot of oil had run down under the manifolds and along the bottom edge of both. If you look up under the drivers side you would see oil there, and dripping down the rear of the block. It smoked every time it heated up until I got under there and cleaned it off with some brakleen.
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...if you pop the hood then start the jeep and let it run you don't notice it for a while unless your at the right angle.
Don't sniff at it while at a right angle.
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Does the oil pressure gauge on the dash read anything? If so, its likely your just burning off old oil and junk from the motor. As other have said, 210*F is right where the Cherokee should be running, and yes, things do get very hot under the hood and even on the outside surface of the hood.
As long as you know the oil pressure is good (telltale sign of a cracked manifold is low or fluctuating oil pressure) I would let it run and see if it eventually burns off whatever is smoking.
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