starting issues

1999 cherokee 4.0 with automatic and a 231 trans

first had troubles a week ago jeep shut off going down the autobahn at about 80mph and it wouldnt restart. a day later it started fine. i figured fuel lines froze or something so i put some gas additive (heet) in it. then i drive it to work today about 30min commute drove just fine. went to leave work and it will crank but not turn over. it primes and the battery has 14 volts but im getting no spark from the coil pack. (i replaced the coil pack cap and rotor about a year ago.) so using a multimeter i tested the wire to coil pack and i cant remember the reading exactly but it was really low like 3 volts. so would it be a bad alternator? can they just stop working like that? any ideas would help as im in germany and i cant just run to the local parts store and start swapping parts.

Cranks but won't start--CKP/CPS crank sensor. Try unplugging/plugging it in a few times to "freshen" the connection. If the battery has 14 volts not running it is way overcharged. With a multimeter check the voltage between the battery terminals, should be about 12.5 volts without the engine running.

As it is priming the fuel pump that means the ASD relay is less of a suspect in the no-spark condition, and points back to the CKP/CPS crank sensor.

In the US a 1999 would have a distributor with a cap and rotor, in 00-01 they went to the distributor-less coil pack. Do you have the distributor-less system or is there a terminology difference?

i guess my terminology is wrong. ur right its a US spec 99 with a distributor i brought it over when i got stationed here. when i referred to the coil pack i ment the unit that sits next to or in front of the distributor. it has a spark plug wire that runs to the distributor and on the other side a connector with 2 wires. what is the CKP/CPS sensor and where is it located? it there a way i can test it?

The two small wires going to the ignition coil (coil pak) are what you should test.
Use you meter set to measure DC volts, low scale say 20 VDC.
Connect the two meter leads to the two wires in the connector.
Have someone crank the engine and look for the meter reading to "bounce" around.
.
If you have a timing light, clamp it to the large wire going from the coil to the distributer.

My coil had a problem that sounds like yours.

The CPS sensor is hard to test.
It has three wires, as far as I can tell, there should be no short circuit betaeen any of the three wires. A short circuit would indicate a failed one, but it could be failed and not have a short circuit.

See Tim_Mn's post in this thread: http://naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1025391 it will explain in great detail testing the CKP/CPS crank sensor.