ethanol blend in 96

Ive been having issues with random bogging when speeding up. Randomly would just lose power, felt like the timing was being retarded.

Ive switched to straight unleaded 87 and not had any issues since.
Only been a couple days, but it was an every day issue.

Anyone else had any issues with 10% ethanol?

My 96 has been doing the same and I haven't figured out the cause yet. I have four hunches. One is something with the TPS, it kind of seems like a timing issue maybe, but my shifts are fine and the tranny uses the same TPS my motor does. The next possibility is something with the fuel regulator and/or fuel pump, it seems like it may be a momentary fuel issue. Somebody mentioned in another post, when the brushes get short in the fuel pump it can randomly bog momentarily. Third is my water pump went out and spewed coolant all over, maybe the coolant is partially shorting a sensor circuit and causing the PCM to screw up fuel, spark or whatever. Last hunch is an intermittent CPS issue, it starts just fine. But it may be related to the possible sensor short issue, the CPS shares sensor in voltage with other sensors and a short in one sensor, can affect the CPS in voltage. It may run with a partially shorted engine temp. sensor (for example) but may run poorly if the CPS in voltage is low. I have no CEL or stored codes in my on board computer, which may or may not be relevant.

It only happens every so often. And has actually gotten better since I replaced the water pump and cleaned the coolant off the front of the motor. I figure sooner or later it will crap out completely or get so bad the XJ is undriveable and the troubleshooting will get easier. I've almost got T boned twice now, it crapped out and stuttered at just the wrong moment.

I don't use alcohol mix fuel anymore, for a few years I had to, that was all they had, now I have a choice.

One thing I have noticed is it seems to happen more often when the battery is low, like it has been sitting overnight and tends to happen in the first few hundred meters driving in the morning. And also tends to happen when I do many stop and goes, like when I stop at three or four stores and pick up something quick. motor out, motor on repeatedly. Which can also be a little hard on the old battery charge. Seems like low battery may be an issue, I could be imagining it, but it seems so.

At first I thought it may be something with my temperature sensor, partial short from coolant spew or maybe just failing, but my aux fan comes on just when it should?

I'll follow this post, maybe we can figure something out together.

Yes sounds like the same issue. Supposedly the O2 sensors are known to be bad on mine. Picked up a couple new ones to change out soon. Waiting on shop time or 40°+ weather.

Changed the plugs and wires today. Not fun in the low teens, have a new thermostat to fix a likely sticky one. Also changed the rear pcv elbow, that was interesting learning experience.

I have similar issues. 98xj. I have given a full tune up, cleaned and polished throttle body, AIC and tps. I changed out my downstream o2. Changed the sensor under the distributor cap. Ended up taking it to a mech and they traced it to the tps on the bottom side of the engine. Worked fine for a week, now its happening again. My clockspring also has recently gone out with my airbags light on. No CEL . I'm thinking my next thing to do is drop my tank and clean it out and check screen and pump?
Its annoying.

I haven't experienced any running problems with ethanol based blends.
If anything, I don't have to add Heat in the Winter.

The one minor thing I have noticed is a slight drop in gas milage compared to straight gas.
But, that's a bit subjective.

I've run it in every vehicle I own since it came out. Mostly because it's very prevalant here.

I suspect the issue isn't the fuel.
The PCM will store a number of codes before flashing a cell.
Did you scan the codes?

I haven't scanned yet, next trip to a parts store I will make them brave the cold.

I'm cruising in the right direction on mine though. Jeep is running great now, not sure if I want to shake the tree and try blended again.

You do realize that they drop the percentage of ethanol in winter fuel blends due to cold starting issues?

That 10% you see on the pump is the maximum, not the blend that is always used.

Nope Im from Texas, we aint got none of that winter stuff... lol
In Nebraska now, winter blend or not no issues since leaving the blend behind.

Pchitti said:

Nope Im from Texas, we aint got none of that winter stuff... lol
In Nebraska now, winter blend or not no issues since leaving the blend behind.

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I'm going to have to ask the wife what she tanks, she may have been putting E blend in there.

Whether the E blend sucks the moisture from the bottom of the tank, the station has excess condensation in their tanks, or some greedy sucker is watering their gas, to much moisture in the fuel can sure enough foul the plugs and short out the spark.

I hate ethanol with a passion, you should see what it does to lawnmower carb over winter

Highest octane ethanol-free only

The one time wife's look for the lowest price tag... Gas pump

I do not think a ethanol blend would cause any mis-firing. You need to do some more tracing & check codes to determine your issue.

Madmanmarty said:

I do not think a ethanol blend would cause any mis-firing. You need to do some more tracing & check codes to determine your issue.

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Not probable but possible, ethanol bonds to water. Regular fuel (gas) and water may mix temporarily but don't bond, the water settles to the bottom. When the seasons change the fuel additives change, that water that settled to the bottom of the tank, either in your vehicle or at the station, can get sucked up into the fuel because of ethanol or additives and may foul the plugs.

The amount of water in your tank may surprise you. I once removed what I'd estimate as 3/4 of a gallon of ice from a 35 gallon fuel tank.

I've pulled, no start, fouled plugs out and tried to dry them with a cigarette lighter. Gas will catch on fire and/or evaporate fast, water not so much.

Change of season fuel causes a significant number of misses, stutters and hard starts most every year. It usually works itself out after the moisture gets moved through the system (either the station or your tank).

Fuel is not a blanket solution, but a possibility to consider before you buy a bunch of unnecessary parts.

From reading the posts it seems there are numerous threads about misses and stutters from the 96 model year showing up all at once. Other years also, but maybe the threads about the 96 just jump out at me because I have one. Not the first time a particular model year or series showed up with a sickness on numerous XJ's about the same time. I'm not discounting fuel as an issue, but it may be the same part or sensor is failing right about now on numerous XJ's. I tend to want to think out an issue and have a plan before I start swapping expensive parts out and/or start disconnecting stuff for testing. If it craps out completely it is usually a lot easier to troubleshoot than are the intermittent problems.

Codes can be a helpful diagnostic tool, they may also be absent for a bad part or present for a good part. I had one bad CPS on my 96 that was internally shorted and never did light a CEL or store a code. I eventually found it with an ohm meter and some luck. My confidence level on stored codes is around 50%, maybe it should be higher, but I remain skeptical.

I think my situation was a combination of poor maintenance, fuel that is less than optimal for older vehicles. I removed one variable and it was a noticeable difference.

Its not just the fuel, I'm pretty sure it will chug it down just fine now after a tune up and 02 sensors.

I too am having issues with my 96 similar to the ones above. Not as much a stuttering but a general rougher idle. My theory is when I found a station that sold ethanol free or "rec" fuel as its more commonly referred to in the Sunshine state, and reset my ECM to revert back to its original tables that were wrote for ethanol free fuel. Purred like a kitten. i dont have a reason to go to that side of town anymore, so Ive started using blended fuel again, but I havent reset the ECM to learn the burn of the Ethanol blend. Just a theory though. I plan on resetting the ECM tomorrow to see if it clears anything up.

YMMV