tupton
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- South Charleston, WV
OK guys,
A few days ago during a trail ride we had just finished a moderately difficult section and had stopped to take a few minutes break. I was still in 4 low at this point, and when I tried to start again the xj barely started. It was like the engine was starved for fule, air or both, like it had a bad choke. I was finally able to get it started, but it barely ran for the first few minutes and then it ran moderately rough for a few miles. The CEL came on, but after a few miles it ran fine.
(Side note - The same thing happened a few months earlier, so I took it to Advance to have the codes pulled. It gave a 'Missfire detected in cylinder #3' So I changed my plugs and all was well)
Back to the recent ride. Ran fine until near the end when after another few minutes of being turned off it was hard to start. After getting started it again ran a little rough. Then I get a flashing CEL. That's when I got a little worried. I stopped to ask a few of the other riders and no one seemed to have a concrete answer.
A few Observations:
1)Idle seems OK, but the exhaust is a little funny. Instead of a steady flow, it comes out in shorts spurts, much like the chug-chug-chug of a big ol chevy V8. First thing I suspect is missfiring, but then engine is NOT missing. RPMs are OK. Also, while in idle CEL stops flashing and is steady.
2) While accelerating, either in park or while driving, engine seems sluggish. When rpm's approach 3000, the engine drops them down (someone told me it was a rev-limiter). Also, after accelerating CEL starts flashing again.
I decide to call it a day and head home, all the while being limited by sluggish engine and 3000 rpm limit. I make it home being careful not to put too much strain on the engine (limp mode). Before I get home I stop at Advance to have them pull the codes. I turn the engine off for no more than 5-10 minutes, and the codes I get were 'Multiple cylinder missfires detected' and also 'Missfired detected at #2, #3, #5 and #6'!!!! I kind of laugh and decide to take a look in the morning. I go back to the jeep and it starts and drives like normal!! It had only been off for a few minutes. CEL is still lit, but it is steady now , not flashing.
Sooooo,
I have searched through this forum and I was wanting to know wgere to narrow my troubleshooting. My father-in-law thinks it is a clogged cat convertor. I have been stuck in a few mud holes and it is possible some muddy water made it to the cat. I don't know. Also, what about some of my sensors going bad? The xj only has 49000 miles. It didn'y have any problem holding idle, even with the flashing CEL, so I doubt it is a bad TPS. I also read about a service bulliten concerning fuel vaporization around fuel injector #3 that could cause missfires in cylinder #3. The fix was extra insulation around that fuel injector. What do you guys think? Any help is appreciated!!!
A few days ago during a trail ride we had just finished a moderately difficult section and had stopped to take a few minutes break. I was still in 4 low at this point, and when I tried to start again the xj barely started. It was like the engine was starved for fule, air or both, like it had a bad choke. I was finally able to get it started, but it barely ran for the first few minutes and then it ran moderately rough for a few miles. The CEL came on, but after a few miles it ran fine.
(Side note - The same thing happened a few months earlier, so I took it to Advance to have the codes pulled. It gave a 'Missfire detected in cylinder #3' So I changed my plugs and all was well)
Back to the recent ride. Ran fine until near the end when after another few minutes of being turned off it was hard to start. After getting started it again ran a little rough. Then I get a flashing CEL. That's when I got a little worried. I stopped to ask a few of the other riders and no one seemed to have a concrete answer.
A few Observations:
1)Idle seems OK, but the exhaust is a little funny. Instead of a steady flow, it comes out in shorts spurts, much like the chug-chug-chug of a big ol chevy V8. First thing I suspect is missfiring, but then engine is NOT missing. RPMs are OK. Also, while in idle CEL stops flashing and is steady.
2) While accelerating, either in park or while driving, engine seems sluggish. When rpm's approach 3000, the engine drops them down (someone told me it was a rev-limiter). Also, after accelerating CEL starts flashing again.
I decide to call it a day and head home, all the while being limited by sluggish engine and 3000 rpm limit. I make it home being careful not to put too much strain on the engine (limp mode). Before I get home I stop at Advance to have them pull the codes. I turn the engine off for no more than 5-10 minutes, and the codes I get were 'Multiple cylinder missfires detected' and also 'Missfired detected at #2, #3, #5 and #6'!!!! I kind of laugh and decide to take a look in the morning. I go back to the jeep and it starts and drives like normal!! It had only been off for a few minutes. CEL is still lit, but it is steady now , not flashing.
Sooooo,
I have searched through this forum and I was wanting to know wgere to narrow my troubleshooting. My father-in-law thinks it is a clogged cat convertor. I have been stuck in a few mud holes and it is possible some muddy water made it to the cat. I don't know. Also, what about some of my sensors going bad? The xj only has 49000 miles. It didn'y have any problem holding idle, even with the flashing CEL, so I doubt it is a bad TPS. I also read about a service bulliten concerning fuel vaporization around fuel injector #3 that could cause missfires in cylinder #3. The fix was extra insulation around that fuel injector. What do you guys think? Any help is appreciated!!!
