• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

1997 XJ running great for 4000 miles then all of a sudden - nothing!! HELP!!

Camo-5

NAXJA Forum User
Ok. A little more detail.
1997 XJ with 170,000 miles on a 4.0L. Ran great for the past 4000 miles no issues whatsoever - until yesterday. I'm backing into my driveway after pulling my trailer around town with about 1000 lbs of shingles (ran great all day), when all of a sudden, it stalls. No backfire, just dies. I try and start it. Turns over strong but doesn't start - no sputters, just the starter cranking. I had the same thing happen on my CJ so I figured it has to be the coil. So I replaced it today. Still nothing. I inspected all the wiring - nothing. I checked for spark - nothing. So it's not getting spark. I checked all the fuses and relay's (underhood - are there other locations on a 97?) - still nothing. I'm stumped. The only clue is that the oil gauge bumps up a bit while trying to start, but the fuel, amp and temp gauge stay dead still.
Any ideas? The fuel pump isn't running, but that may be tied to the ignition issue or is it vise - versa? I really don't want to just start replacing parts at random. Any ideas will be investigated..
Thanks!!!
 
McQue said:
Have fun changing your crank position sensor.


The most likely cause of it cranks and cranks but won't start up is the Crank Position Sensor (CPS). CPS failure is very common. The CPS can stop working with no warning or symptoms and the motor will not run.

Symptoms -

Fuel gauge and voltage gauges may not work or display properly.

You sometime will have No Bus on the odometer after 30-60 seconds.

NO spark.

If the CPS is failed sometimes the OBDII code reader cannot make a connection to the computer or cannot read Check Engine Light/MIL codes because the CPS has failed.

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

You might 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 displays correctly, replace the cps.

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

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

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 and replace as needed. Do the same for the grounding wires from the battery and engine to the Cherokee's frame/body.



CPS Testing



Crankshaft Position Sensor Connector
.

standard.jpg


NOTE: To perform a complete test of the Crankshaft Position (CKP) sensor and its circuitry, refer to the appropriate Power train Diagnostic Chart. To test the sensor only, refer to the following:

PROCEDURE
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.
__________________
 
Excellent info! Thanks!

I've already swapped the relay's and that didn't do anyting (I now have a spare) and my voltage and fuel gauge don't register, so I'm on to testing the CPS (by unplugging it) after work.

I'm picking a cps up from Auto Zone on the way home and I'm crossing my fingers that it's the problem.
 
Well I picked up the cps and installed it - nothing. Crap. Battery is dead now too from all the cranking. I still do not have any spark or fuel. The volt / temp / fuel gauge do not move when the key is turned to on. This has to be a hint, but I'm too stupid to figure it out. Are there any other fuses or related relays other than in the fuse box underhood? I can't find my ohm meter, but I'm guessing the cps I pulled out is fine. What next?
 
Oh yeah, I did the unplug the current (old) cps and the voltmeter should move - it didn't.
 
Camo-5 I'm at the need to install CPS point, how did you get at yours?
I'm having a heck of a time trying to figure out how I'm going to get at it......
 
First of all....WOOT!!! Unfrigginbelievable. When my problem started I thought it was a fuse. So I checked the power distribution center fuses and relays - all were good. I consulted my piece of crap (you'll find out why) in-glove box crappy manual. After inspecting the manual and internal fuses, nothing jumped out as something that would cause this (ie power windows, wipers, etc.) everything listed in the manual worked. After replacing the cps tonight, I was thouroughly stumped. As I tried to get an error code yet again, I noticed my fuse panel on the passenger floor well. I figured at this point, what the heck. So I pop it open and low and behold, it looks nothing like my piece-of-crap-in-glovebox-manual. I started checking fuses. Of coarse, Number 11 is 'Transmission control module, powertrain control module, automatic shutdown relay, fuel pump relay'. Bingo! It was blown. Throw a new one in and VROOM. Starts right up. Looks like I have a spare cps now.....

RTFM, here is how I did it and I was grease and oil from armpit to fingertip!

Unplugging was easy so I'll skip that. On my 97 all I needed was an 11mm socket, 1/2" swivel, 2 - 3" extentions (didn't have a 6"), a 12" extention and a 1/2" drive socket. I jacked the front up form the bumper whiched gained me an extra inch between the footwell and the driveshaft (laziness kept me from just removing the driveshaft).

For the lower bolt, I used the tools in the following order 11mm socket, swivel,3" extension, another 3" extention and 12" extention. Only about 15-20 degrees of movement but it worked all right to break it loose. For the upper bolt, I used them in the following order: 11mm socket 3" extention, swivel, 3" extensoin, 12" extension. Only about 10 degrees on this one so it sucked. After they were loose, I just used the socket and 12" extension by hand. it was a tight squeeze and my left forearm doesn't have any skin left on it. Make sure the bolts don't fall into the opening in the bell housing because my grommet fell off after the first bolt was loose.

If you grommet doesn't fall off, take it off. I had to enlarge the opening about 1/4" toward the rear of the bellhousing because I actually installed the whole thing back in and the cps was hung up on the grommet and I had to take it all back out and open the hole in the grommet so that it didn't happen again.

Getting it back in was a pain the butt. Laying on the creeper behind the front left tire, I had to reach all the way up and over the bellhousing and over the top to be able to hold the grommet in place and start the top bolt. Took many tries but you can do it! Just make sure before you tighten down the bolts that the cps sticks through the hole in the grommet. From what I understand, the cps won't read through it and it only needs to be off my 1.0mm for it not to work!!

Let me know if you have any questions that I didn't cover here. I won't forget how much fun it was for a while. Good luck!!
 
Good to hear you got it fixed Camo, you also have given me an idea about the fuse block (inside).

The previous owner roached the electrical in mine, I've had to ALOT of creative rewiring and jumping with inline fuses to get Ugly Betty to run ... I may just look at good ole' #11 before the CPS arrives.....

But none the less, thanks for the write up, I'll check the tool inventory and make sure I have your set up....

R
 
Back
Top