need help to make goatfest, jeep wont run

this is what is going on:

idled fine, reved good every time ive started it over the last 30 days during the buildup. finished the build and went to take it for its maiden voyage today and got to the gas station with it running like crap. guage said E so i went to fill the tank thinking it was empty, but it only took 5 gallons, so whoops guess the gauge is wrong. that means there was at least 10 gallons of bad gas in the tank. the exhaust makes my eyes burn which leads me to believe this is true due to running really rich as its idling rough and not burning gas as it goes through the system.

This is what I have done so far:

replaced fuel filter
swapped MAP sensor for a known good one
siphoned all the gas i can out of the tank (barf) 3 5g buckets full
put in new clean gas
checked for spark - good spark on all cylinders (ouch)
all injectors ticking strong and good pressure at the fuel rail
cleaned and replaced IAC valve
removed and cleaned plugs, no wear at all showing on them (less than 500 miles on them and the cat since my last smog check) filed clean and electrodes washed with acetone then dried to make sure no bad gas traces remain
replaced o2 sensor (it was broken)
checked wiring to the coolant temp sensor at the back of the head, the CPS, the TPS, the MAP sensor, the o2 sensor, and the ECU. all look fine no rubs or stress marks.
checked all grounds and + cables.


So... now it idles fine for 10s or so, then sputters and dies. if i touch the pedal when its idling good it dies. the exhaust doesnt smell like bad gas anymore and the fumes dont make my eyes burn standing next to the jeep so I dont think its running rich anymore. key cycling only shows a "battery disconnected in the last 50 key cycles" code which is true, i just put the battery back in the jeep last night.

If anyone is in the position to help me out i'll buy you a tank of gas, lunch, a lapdance at the boobie bar down the street, whatever it takes to get me to goatfest. :helpme:

HELP!!!!!!

edit: sorry everything but the tank, windshield, hatch, and chassis is 95 4.0 auto HO. every line, every hose, every wire, everything is from my old rig.

Try disconnecting the cat or exhaust before the cat. It could be clogged.

E

GrimmJeeper said:

(less than 500 miles on them and the cat since my last smog check

Click to expand...

Monkey55 said:

Try disconnecting the cat or exhaust before the cat. It could be clogged.

E

Click to expand...

nope

Cal and I are chatting right about it right now. He mentioned that you checked the pressure by pressing the valve and it shot fuel. Any chance you can get your hands on a real gauge ? Harbor freight has them for $20.

http://www.harborfreight.com/fuel-injection-pump-tester-92699.html



k.

chances are slim, ive spent way more than I care to post on the jeep in the last 30 days and lets just say i got my card declined for 13$ at the auto parts store this morning. when running it will spray fuel a good 6", cycling the key it will pump out about an inch.

ive got one you could borrow

jeep? will it fit coilovers? Busy tomorrow morning around 6am Matt? you know where I'll be

lol no, fuel pressure gauge.
6am? youve been breathing too much bad gas fumes! i werk!

lemme know, i could leave you the fuel gauge outside, im working 10 hour days these days...

thanks, seems like it has good pressure though. I'm going to try to throw a few more gallons of good gas in there in the morning to see if that helps, maybe i didnt get all the bad gas out when siphoning and its not diluted enough.

I'm no jeep expert but it kinda sounds like the fuel pump is going out. I have a good spare that I removed because the sending unit was bad if you need it?

i have a known good spare one on the shelf, im going to swap that in tomorrow morning. thanks for the offer.

Mine was doing the same thing a couple years back. I just ran a full tank threw of 91 and along with seafoam and it never happend again.

I've not learned enough about these things to really say, but a couple of things come to mind, since you've tried everything else.

Reclogged the new fuel filter with debris.
Could you run a hose to clean gas, bypassing fuel pickup in the tank?
Touching the throttle and having it stall makes the TPS really suspect

If this came on suddenly after putting the first few miles on it, it sure sounds like fuel delivery, specifically debris or bad gas. Even though the injectors are pushing fuel, could the pattern be so bad because of clogging that is isn't running right?

Could there be two things biting you at once? Perhaps clogged injectors causing rough running, and a sticky TPS causing the stall when coming off idle?

Just a couple of extra thoughts.

David Bricker / SYR

Josh had a similar problem at the Christmas party last year, it ended up being a anti-theft computer issue. I don't know if the '95's had these or not, but it may be worth a look at.

I also have a code reader if you need to borrow it, of course I am in China, but you can swing by the house and let the wife or kids know what you are looking for.

Edit: better yet, go tell the Mrs. that since Brendan doesn't wheel his junk anymore, because he travel so much. that you are going to take it out to make sure the Jeep doesn't forget what rocks are

Dude, Hope you get it figured out. Would be a real bummer if you didnt make it.

Good luck!

Damn Mike, that sucks. You have worked so hard to get that thing done for this trip. Wish I was closer to help, load all your camping stuff in big purp and head this way and ride out with us!

did you check the ballast resistor

its ma 95 HO no ballast resistor

sounds like a fuel delivery issue to me. when you changed the filter, was that befor or after you flushed the old fuel out? is it possible you re-clogged the filter? my guess is fuel pump not strong enough. seems you tried most everything else i can think of. maybe check the distributer cap and rotor, and plug wires (hard to check, ohms). normally an ignition issue would allow a decent idle, but as soon as a load is put on, it looses power. cutting out sounds more like a fuel issue. one last thing, try disconnecting the battery again to clear the ecu. wish i was closer, i have a code reader you can use too.

Check your grounds man!

I had the same problem on the 97 MJ. I almost pulled my hair out. It was a loose ground on the fender well.