getting desperate

You guys are my last hope before I just tow it to a professional. I dumped the xj in some water and banged it around pretty good. It still ran but the radio, and instrument cluster stopped working so I started home. Thats when it died. I towed it home and jump started it (figured the alternator was gone) and it started but ran horrible and everytime I touched the throttle it backfired out of the intake, in fact with the air tube removed I could actually get a flame to shoot out! This is what Ive replaced so far: Alternator, battery, computer, complete distributor, plug wires, ignition coil. And Ive flushed the fuel. And yes the distributor is clocked properly. All of that and all Ive managed to do is get the instrument cluster to work. The price tag is starting to get rediculous and wheelin season is getting good, I need to get this fixed! :rattle:

Usually when the ICU goes you can't start it at all. Once I put in a junk yard ICU and it ran like crap for one start before it died. This is another expensive part $140. It is located just below the coil. Try and swap one in from a friends car, I know this may hard since you are in Italy.

You don't mention the year, but what about the throttle position sensor? On Renix models, at least, this is pretty sensitive to flooding (others have had to replace them after too-vigorous engine cleanings), and if it's really bad, or even well out of adjustment, it will make your engine puke.

If you dunked it deep enough to have to replace the computer, you may also need to do a really exhaustive testing of the wiring harness and connectors, with an ohmmeter.

Also, are you absolutely sure the distributor is clocked properly? Even if you're about 98 percent sure, you might just try reinstalling it one tooth different in each direction. When I did one a few years ago, the correct position was not a very good match for the pictures. Mine started well one tooth retarded, but spat and wouldn't accelerate. One tooth advanced gave hard starting, but it ran well.

Did you just fire it up after the dunking, did it hydrolock stall ? If you just fired it up and there was water in there you could have done some physical damage to the engine. How long have you given it to dry out ?? Might want to do a compression test on each cylinder and see if you bent a valve AND hook up a mechanicl oil pressure gauge to check oil pressure for a true reading...

If all that checks out I'd start pulling connectors and spray clean them out with contact cleaner ALL OF THEM...

You didnot say how deep you dunked your ride. But if you flooded the intake and filled a cylinder. That would have locked the engine up tight and you may have shaved a couple of teeth off the timing gears. Never seen it in car or trucks but it happens with marine engines if there running and get swamped. Just a thought.

Andy

Sorry its a 96 with 8 inches of lift and I had the water over the hood ( I swear it didnt look that deep). And I clocked the distributor one tooth in advance and one tooth retard and it wouldnt even start, dead center it at least starts. I cleaned out the TPS with break cleaner and let it dry, guess I'll buy one of those now. Also it stalled in the water but fired right back up and pulled itself out, and its been in the garage drying for over three months (thats why Im getting desperate). As far as some of those tests, they are above my mechanical grade and would need a pro. Any help is greatly appreciated

My bet is the TPS and or the CPS. Both are pretty sensitive to water and have a reputation for crapping out for no apparent reason. I put hood vents in mine a while back and left it out side in the rain for a couple of days. It didn’t take long for the TPS to take a dump. I can only imagine what being submerged would do to it. At least both parts are relatively cheap.

I just ordered both. Considering their price it looks like I should have started there. Thanks for all the help!