Good morning 
.
I used to own an XJ, before a college student totaled it with her F-150. I replaced it with a 4L '97 WJ. When I had an XJ I used to play here as XJ Dreamin', but I figure that account has been deactivated. No need to reactivate it as, without an XJ, the dream is pretty much past.
Anyway... Knowing that some XJ owners also own WJs, I wanted to drop in and ask a question. Back in January the WJ started to lose ignition intermittently. While driving I would get short, sub-1-second, breaks in ignition. Within about 2 or 3 days that changed into just no ignition at all. I had it towed to a local garage, but, of couse, by the time they got around to looking at it it ran just fine. They didn't charge me anything and I put it back in service. A few days later - tow it back to the shop (that premium AAA membership really pays off when you're messing with Jeeps). Again, It was working fine when they looked at it but it did have a code for "Coil off-line" or some such. They looked at the coil and found the housing was cracked. Replace the coil (don't ask). Back on the road for a week or two and it starts skipping again. Back to the shop. They found that they could kill and restore the ignition by wiggling one of the plugs to the engine control computer. They said there was a bulletin that a solder join in the computer would break and it wasn't serviceable (again, don't ask).
Six months later, I go to start the WJ and it cranks, but no ignition. I remember about the plug so get under the hood and look. There are three plugs and the inboard plug is missing the clip that holds the plug in the socket. Wiggle the plug - turn the key - works great. Next morning, no ignition. Wiggle the plug - off you go. Third day (Friday) wiggle the plug - no go - #$%@!!. Get the 9yo to turn the key while I wiggle the plug - fires up and works great.
Monday morning: No ignition. Wiggle the plug - turn the key - it fires up and dies. Wiggle the plug - turn the key - it fires up and dies. Ggrrhh!! OK. It appears that, without the clip to hold the plug in, the weight of the cable is dragging the plug out of the socket. So... zip tie! Yes, I zip tied the wire bundle up so that it does not drag down on the plug. Works great!!
So, the question (questions, really). Back to the shop? What are the chances the shop screwed me on the coil and computer - when it was just the plug? What are the chances that they were right about the computer and I need another computer? If it is just the plug, how do you feel about JB Weld?
Thanks everybody. Long first post, I know, but then... it's not really my first post.
eversbane
(fka XJ Dreamin')
. I used to own an XJ, before a college student totaled it with her F-150. I replaced it with a 4L '97 WJ. When I had an XJ I used to play here as XJ Dreamin', but I figure that account has been deactivated. No need to reactivate it as, without an XJ, the dream is pretty much past.
Anyway... Knowing that some XJ owners also own WJs, I wanted to drop in and ask a question. Back in January the WJ started to lose ignition intermittently. While driving I would get short, sub-1-second, breaks in ignition. Within about 2 or 3 days that changed into just no ignition at all. I had it towed to a local garage, but, of couse, by the time they got around to looking at it it ran just fine. They didn't charge me anything and I put it back in service. A few days later - tow it back to the shop (that premium AAA membership really pays off when you're messing with Jeeps). Again, It was working fine when they looked at it but it did have a code for "Coil off-line" or some such. They looked at the coil and found the housing was cracked. Replace the coil (don't ask). Back on the road for a week or two and it starts skipping again. Back to the shop. They found that they could kill and restore the ignition by wiggling one of the plugs to the engine control computer. They said there was a bulletin that a solder join in the computer would break and it wasn't serviceable (again, don't ask).
Six months later, I go to start the WJ and it cranks, but no ignition. I remember about the plug so get under the hood and look. There are three plugs and the inboard plug is missing the clip that holds the plug in the socket. Wiggle the plug - turn the key - works great. Next morning, no ignition. Wiggle the plug - off you go. Third day (Friday) wiggle the plug - no go - #$%@!!. Get the 9yo to turn the key while I wiggle the plug - fires up and works great.
Monday morning: No ignition. Wiggle the plug - turn the key - it fires up and dies. Wiggle the plug - turn the key - it fires up and dies. Ggrrhh!! OK. It appears that, without the clip to hold the plug in, the weight of the cable is dragging the plug out of the socket. So... zip tie! Yes, I zip tied the wire bundle up so that it does not drag down on the plug. Works great!!
So, the question (questions, really). Back to the shop? What are the chances the shop screwed me on the coil and computer - when it was just the plug? What are the chances that they were right about the computer and I need another computer? If it is just the plug, how do you feel about JB Weld?
Thanks everybody. Long first post, I know, but then... it's not really my first post.
eversbane
(fka XJ Dreamin')
