98 Sport, engine trouble!

Alright guys first off I want to introduce myself, names Drew. Just bought a 1998 XJ sport 2 days ago. Well today I was driving down the road and the engine started sputtering a bit, I kept driving and after about a quarter of a mile the engine sputtered and the check engine light was flashing and then it died. I sat there for a minute and then tried to start it back up. It did start back up but was still sputtering like before and died again shorty after that. From my experience I would have to say that it is something fuel related. Was wanting to get a more experienced opinion on the matter. As of right now it will crank crank crank but not start. I really gotta get this fixed tomorrow so that I can get to work Monday. Any help would be great

Thanks :repair:

First, hook up an OBDII scanner and read the error codes, then proceed from there.

Will it still show even if the check engine light is off now?

It should have stored a code, even if the CEL isn't currently lit. Also, as a general rule of thumb, the more people know about your XJ, the better information they can give you. Year, engine, drivetrain, mods, and recent changes/maintenance are always good to include. HTH

It is a 1998 Cherokee Sport 4.0L automatic, I just bought it two days ago so as far as knowing what has been done to it I could give you an honest answer. Thanks for the help, working on hunting down an OBDII scanner now.

If you can get it running and limped into an Autozone, they'll read the codes for free. If not, you'll have to get creative.

I have an autozone about a mile down the road from my house, if I have to I would trust a tow strap behind my 4runner lol

They should give you a little slip of paper with the codes and possible culprits- with that, and some basics, someone here should be able to get you pointed in the right direction. Good luck.

Getting the code(s) from the engine really is the best way to start.

The codes are invaluable in providing clues and narrowing down the circuit to concentrate on.

Post the EXACT code here for comment (not just a description).

Well this morning I woke up with the thought of before doing anything going to get a couple gallons of gas and see if it was just out of gas. Well I went and got the gas got home put it in the jeep and it started... so now I know that my fuel gauge doesn't work correctly. I immediately took it up to auto-zone and had them scan it and all it was, was misfires on multiple cylinders. The guy was nice enough to go ahead and delete those codes and I went on my way. Also, does anyone have any idea on what it would take or cost to fix the gauge correctly?

Thanks for the help guys, feel pretty retarded that I didn't do that before asking but like I said I just bought this jeep 2 days ago and the previous owner didn't say anything about the gauge being off.

MrDub1173 said:

Well this morning I woke up with the thought of before doing anything going to get a couple gallons of gas and see if it was just out of gas. Well I went and got the gas got home put it in the jeep and it started... so now I know that my fuel gauge doesn't work correctly. I immediately took it up to auto-zone and had them scan it and all it was, was misfires on multiple cylinders. The guy was nice enough to go ahead and delete those codes and I went on my way.

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Most likely the misfires were the result of it running out of gas. The one time I ran my 2000 completely dry, it threw codes for exactly that on multiple cylinders.

Also, does anyone have any idea on what it would take or cost to fix the gauge correctly?

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Chances are it's not the gauge but rather the sending unit in the gas tank (or possibly the wiring from it). Compounding this, an additional possibility is that the fuel filter (also in the tank) is clogged, making it difficult for the fuel pump to pick up the last couple of gallons. Out of curiosity, how much fuel did it take to fill it? From completely empty, it should hold at least 20 gallons.

The bad news: the fuel pump, fuel filter, and fuel sender are all one unit in your year. It is possible to rebuild them; hit up the search for threads covering how to do it. Depending on much effort you feel like putting into it, though (and given that no matter how you slice it you've got to drop the tank), just replacing the assembly may be a better bet.

I haven't filled it yet, but will let you know as soon as i do!

casm said:

Depending on much effort you feel like putting into it, though (and given that no matter how you slice it you've got to drop the tank), just replacing the assembly may be a better bet.

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IMHO, slapping in a new fuel pump assembly is much easier, less prone to other stuff failing, and if you are doing the work yourself, not that much more expensive. Search for a BOSCH assembly if you decide to replace, stay away from AIRTEX.

Well this morning I filled it up on the way to work. Before doing so I made sure that I drove it to about the point where it "ran out of gas" the first time. I filled it up and it took 17 gallons, so there is definatly about 3 gallons down in there that it is not able to pick up... I added some gummout fuel system cleaner to the tank just cause I had it with me, I also added some stuff that is supposed to help get any moisture out of the tank. Anyways I am thinking that I will just drive it for a bit and when it starts to warm up and I actually feel like going out and doing some work on it I will drop the tank and replace the entire fuel pump filter etc...

Thanks for all the help guys, glad I joined up on ...