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4.0 L Jeep Country wont start

AfricaXJ6

NAXJA Forum User
Location
South Africa
Hi All,

I am form south africa and need help with my 1998 jeep country; 4.0 L auto.

I was driving the vehicle in the morning. no porblems. then in afternoon on my way to the mall, the engine just cut off. tried starting , engine turns but does not fire at all.

could it be the fuel pump of filer. Where do i locate the filter and pump on my vehcile. How could i get access to it easily.

All assistance in solving the starting problem will help.

collin
 
Check for spark at a spark plug first. Then check for fuel at the fuel rail, there is a shraeder valve near the front on the fuel rail, just like a tire air valve. Then go from there.


You can check the fuel pressure at that valve with a gauge. Should be 50 psi for yours IIRC.
 
If you hear the fuel pump run for 3-5 seconds as you turn the ignition key, it is OK and probably not the source of your no-start. 1998-2001 the fuel filter is not serviced unless testing shows low fuel pressure or lack of fuel volume.

The most likely cause of it cranks and cranks but won't start up is the Crankshaft Position Sensor (CPS) located on the transmission bell housing. Often this part is also referred to as the CranKshaft Position Sensor (CKP) CPS/CKP failure is very common. The CPS/CKP can stop working with no warning or symptoms and the engine will not run or the engine may randomly stall for no apparent reason.

Typical Symptoms –
- Starter cranks and cranks but engine won't start up and run.
- Fuel gauge and voltage gauge may not work or display properly.
- You sometimes will have No Bus on the odometer after 30-60 seconds.
- A failed CPS/CKP may or may not throw a CEL trouble code.
- No spark at the spark plugs.
- Fuel pump should run and prime for 3-5 seconds.

Begin with basic trouble shooting of the start and charge systems. Remove, clean, and firmly reconnect all the wires and cables to the battery, starter, and alternator. Look for corroded or damaged cables or connectors and replace as needed. Do the same for the grounding wires from the starter to engine block, and from the battery and engine to the Jeep's frame/body. You must remove, scrape, and clean until shiny, the cable/wire ends, and whatever they bolt to. Jeeps do not tolerate low voltage, bad connections, or poor grounds and the ECM/ECU may behave oddly until you remedy this.

Exchange the fuel pump relay and the ASD relay with one of the other similar ones in the PDC to eliminate the relays as the cause of the no-start. Check the ASD relay fuse.

Confirm that the fuel pump to runs for 3-5 seconds when you turn the ignition key to ON.

Eliminate the NSS as a cause of no start. Wiggle the shift lever at the same time you try to start. Put the transmission in Neutral and do the same. Do the reverse lights come on when the shifter is in Reverse?

Inspect the wires and wire connectors at the O2 sensors on the exhausts pipe. A short circuit from melted insulation or from broken O2 sensor wires can blow a fuse and the ECU/ECM will loose communication. Don’t get tunnel vision and assume the sensor is bad (unless it tests bad with a meter). Damaged wiring or a dirty connector can inhibit the signal from making it to the computer. Inspect/test/clean/repair wiring or connectors as necessary.



If the CPS/CKP is failed sometimes the OBD-II trouble code reader cannot make a connection to the ECU/computer or cannot read Check Engine Light/MIL codes because the CPS/CKP has failed. Disconnect the code reader, disconnect the CPS/CKP wire connector, and reconnect the code reader. If the code reader establishes contact with the ECU and scans, your CPS/CKP is failed and needs to be replaced.

Crank Position Sensors can have intermittent “thermal failure”. This means that the CPS/CKP fails when the engine gets hot, but works again (and will test as “good”) when it cools back down.



Diagnostic steps to confirm the CPS is the cause of your no-start


1) You should be able to verify a bad cps, by unplugging it, and turning the ignition key to on. If the voltage gauge and/or the fuel gauge now display correctly and/or the No-Bus is gone, replace the CPS.

2) If the CEL does not come on when the key is turned to the RUN position... then the CPS/CKP is bad.


3) Unplugging and reconnecting the CPS sensor where it connect to the main harness near the back of the intake manifold usually resets the ECU and if the jeep fires right up after doing this you can bet that the CPS is faulty and needs to be replaced.

The 2000 and 2001 will have the CPS in the same location on the bell housing, but the wire connector is near the Transfer Case, not as shown in the diagram below. Simply follow the wire from the sensor to the connector.



CPS Testing


Crankshaft Position Sensor Connector (CPS/CKP)


standard.jpg

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TESTING PROCEDURE 1991 – 2001 4.0L H.O. engines

1. Near the rear of intake manifold, disconnect sensor pigtail harness connector from main wiring harness.
2. Place an ohmmeter across terminals B and C (See Image). Ohmmeter should be set to 1K-to-1OK scale for this test.
3. The meter reading should be open (infinite resistance). Replace sensor if a low resistance is indicated.

TESTING PROCEDURE for 1987 – 1990 4.0 L engines

Test # 1 - Get a volt/ohm meter and set it to read 0 - 500 ohms. Unplug the CPS and measure across the CPS connector's A & B leads. Your meter should show a CPS resistance of between 125 – 275 Ohms. . If the CPS is out of that range by much, replace it.

Test # 2 - You'll need a helper for this one. Set the volt/ohm meter to read 0 - 5 AC volts or the closest AC Volts scale your meter has to this range. Measure across the CPS leads for voltage generated as your helper cranks the engine. (The engine can't fire up without the CPS connected but watch for moving parts just the same!) The meter should show .5 - .8 VAC when cranking. (That's between 1/2 and 1 volt AC.) If it's below .5vac, replace it.


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standard.jpg

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Hi All

i swapped teh relay in the engine compartment fuse box. teh jeep fired first time.

Could this be it?

tomorrow i will buya new relay.

regards

collin
 
Which relay, the fuel pump or the ASD relay? Regardless, if you swapped a relay and that allowed the engine to start, you now know which relay is bad.
 
Gotta look at cause and effect. If swapping the fuel pump allowed the engine to start, one of two things is in play here.

1. The original fuel pump relay is bad or at least intermittent

2. Just re-seating of the relay may have been all that was necessary to restore electrical contact. In that case, the original fuel pump relay may be good.

Relays aren't expensive. Never a bad idea to have one as a spare.
 
hi

thanks for the reply.

i took the jeep for a test drive.all worked well.

however, after the drive., i open the relay box to check the relay. it felt relatively hot when compared with the other relays. Could this be a sign that something else is not working optimally.

regards
collin
 
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