88 XJ Fuel Injector Leak

I have an 88 XJ 4.0 with a fuel injector leak. It is leaking at the top of the injector where the wire plugs into it around the fuel rail. Is there a O ring that can be replaced or do I need to replace the entire injector?

Thanks

From your description it seems like it is leaking where mine was. So you will need to replace the injector. I went ahead and replaced all of mine. If one goes, most likely the others will soon follow. And the fuel rail is off, might as well do them all.

chris

Replace the injector. Replace all the injectors.

When ChryCo re-spec'd half of everything for the 1991 MY, they did away with the fuel injectors that RENIX used as well. Leaking at the body seam (it's just crimped, anyhow) is a known issue with 1987-1990 XJ/MJ w/4.0, and if you search for "engine fires" here, I'm sure you'll find out how serious the problem can be. If at all possible, DO NOT DRIVE your vehicle until you get replacement injectors. If you must drive it, make your first stop picking up a 5-10# A/B/C fire extinguisher (which you should have anyhow...)

You can usually get a set of "pull" injectors from a later 302 or 305 for quite a few bucks less than a set for your 4.0 - check www.fiveomotorsport.com or similar. They're the same injectors (Bosch, pintle-style, 19-20#/hr.) and should drop right in. Spring for a new o-ring kit while you're about it.

Again, REPLACE ALL THE INJECTORS, and if possible, DO NOT DRIVE until you have. We've lost enough XJ's to engine fires, I'd hate to add another one...

5-90

I'm willing to bet that 3 out of 4 of us who have the Renix XJ's have had leaky injectors.

I agree; replace all six and you should have a BC or ABC extinguisher in your cab somewhere.

Concur. I've talked to the service advisors and some of the techs at my local dealership (they all know me by now - I wonder why?) and they've reported that this is a typical failure at 150-200K miles - about the same timespan as the OEMR radiators (they use aftermarket for those as well - usually Modine.)

Again - THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH RENIX XJ'S, and should be addressed IMMEDIATELY. Failing to do so is likely to result in an engine fire!

As far as the fire extinguisher goes, you really should have one anyhow (I won't tell you about the time they guy got all honked off at me because I didn't have one that day... I put his motorcycle out, but he didn't approve of the way I did it, and jumped around like an organ grinder's monkey for about 15 minutes after the fire was out. Go figure...)

5-90

Thanks for the information. I found a set of injectors at a local parts store for about $250.00. I would rather spend the money and not risk a fire. I parked it as soon as I noticed the leak.

You'll need a new fuel line quick-connector and O-ring kit: 83 502 745 and 83 503 637 are Chrysler's part numbers. O-ring kit comes with upper and lower O-rings (different) and one for the fuel regulator, which you should also do at the same time.

I already have the O ring kit for the injectors. I did not know about the fuel line quick connector. I will look for that when I pick up the injectors.

I purchased injectors from fiveomotorsport via eBay which had better prices than their home site.

http://stores.ebay.com/fuel-injectors_JEEP-Fuel-Injectors_W0QQcolZ2QQdirZ1QQftidZ2QQtZkm

I went with the Bosch for my '89 I-6. Don't know the pros and cons between the Denso and Bosch but the injectors added new life to an tired engine.

Just for Info: Two factory injectors went bad around 160,000 miles and the rest starting going bad at about 187,000 miles.

coreys said:

I already have the O ring kit for the injectors. I did not know about the fuel line quick connector. I will look for that when I pick up the injectors.

Click to expand...

If you look to the rear of the fuel rail, you'll see where the supply hose connects, and at the front, where the return line exits the fuel regulator. I assume you're going to take the fule rail out?

There's a pic on page two, lower left. http://www.carquest.com/techbulletins/engine_controls/ec_summer_2000.pdf You remove the old connector, and push this one on with supplied plastic tool. It's real simple. Don't bother trying to save the ones already one there- you'll end up ripping the old O-rings, or they'll crack from age.

Thanks for the help everyone. I just purchased a new set of injectors off Ebay from fiive0motorsports for $160.00, almost $100.00 cheaper than the injectors I was going to pick-up tomorrow. I will swing by the dealer to get the quick disconnect. I got 210,000 miles out of the factory injectors.

Thanks Again!

i just had this problem and yes i did go buy a fire ext. and also have been driving on the jeep for some time now, the frigid cold has helped keep manifold cool enough to avoid an engine fire!

Now comes the really weird part?

I had my front 3 injectors leaking just as said before in this thread from the top of the injector where the harness meets the injector.
if i pushed on the injector they would spew out fuel.

I'm thinking they are just seals gone bad? i did buy a new 12 pack of seals from the zone part#= 800-9220 and it comes with 12 brown donut shaped seals. beveled on the edge.
When i pulled the injector from the rail, the seals on the bottom match my new brown seals; the top black seal is flat around the edge and doesnt match!

my Haynes manual says not interchangeable!! get the kit from the dealer!

I did buy 3 new injectors from NAPA just in case the injectors were the problem....and the o-ring seals that are already on them are exactly like the brown donut ones i bought, both on top and on bottom!!

Are they interchangeable??? i need to know today, because i'm about to install the original injectors again with all 12 of these new same seals.

then if that doesnt work i will have to rip them apart again and just install the 3 new injectors with their seals, and see what happens.

or

should i just order the seals and wait for them since the dealer has both upper and lower in a single kit that i need?

if the new injectors i bought came with the same seals both upper and lower,
ARE THE O-RINGS INTERCHANGEABLE?

There are mixed opinions on this - some say that you can use fuel-rated o-rings that are the same size, and some not to. Apparently, the use a different compound for the upper and lower (the lower ones get warmer) and wanted them to last.

I don't see any trouble with using the "high-heat" o-rings on both ends of the injector, but I haven't done so yet (I've still got OEMR kits, I think.)

However, be sure of where your injector is leaking before you tear the fuel rail down. If it's an injector body leak, an o-ring job will NOT fix it, and you'll be wanting new injectors anyhow. Might as well do the job just once, it's really not that difficult.

And, if you've got one leaking, CHANGE THEM ALL. Chances are, the rest aren't far behind, and it's better to do a job once than several times. You'll spend the same amount of money by the time you're done, but end up wasting half a day with repeat work...

5-90

AS FAR AS WASTING THE DAY YOU ARE CORRECT!

I just finished the job; not quite, I had 3 brand new injectors from NAPA, and i thought it over and also after reading this thread i decided to buy another 3 new injectors.

I went to AutoZone and they had one in stock and ordered the other two for me in the morning.
The new injector they had came and looked exactly like the NAPA injectors.
they also came with new o-ring seals on each end. BOTH identical, matching the "high-heat" Bottom Brown O-Ring on the Factory injectors!!!!

That's not really what wasted my time because I could always take a few days and find out how to report misinformation in Parts store places...

***********I found out that when you try and install one of these new injectors in the fuel rail (using the supplied black high temp brown,but they're black O-rings) they: DO NOT FIT
***********


|:edit:| I do love my Haynes Manual, I never have doubted it until this time and really regret it since.......The Jeep Dealership closed one hour and ten minutes ago

Haynes? I use those to even up the odd legs on my workbenches. I miss Clymer manuals...

Chilton manuals are OK, but you really should invest in an FSM if you plan on keeping your XJ for a while - they're worth the money (say, $100 for earlier ones.) There's an outfit that's doing reprints of older FSM's - I'll have to see if I have the link anywhere...

5-90

http://www.books4cars.com/

Books4cars is a store here in Seattle that has FSM's for most model year Jeeps, several bucks cheaper than TheJeepNet.

Just so I have this straight: You advise getting the OEM set of "O" rings to use instead of the O rings supplied with the fiveO injectors? I ask because I'm about to change out my RENIX injectors (#3 is leaking from the body) for the 19# Bosch set.

Just remember to label the connectors that go to the top of the injectors from the wiring harness :lecture:
Did someone already mention that???I didn't see that anywhere

this is what i did, i bought the 6 new injectors, 3 from napa and 3 from the zone.
i then tried these damn injectors and they will not fit the fuel rail with the supplied o-rings so i had to order the o-ring kit from the dealer
i'm now waiting for them. i plan on using the oem parts for both the top and the bottom of the fuel injector.

You lubed up the o-rings before insertion?

FYI on the Dealer O-Rings: Just got a couple of sets and all o-rings were the same color. Guess the high-temp o-rings work both places.

QUESTION: Would injectors from a 94 Grand Cherokee 4.0L work on my Renix engine? There's a nicew one in the junkyard down the street.

How can you test a fuel injector?