XJ is stuck/Won't Start

I have a 2000 XJ 4.0L that has been running great but a couple weeks ago it wasn't starting great seamed to be starving for fuel. I went for a cruice today in the bush and all the sudden i start hearing a whinning noise coming from my rear gas tank area. It seamed to go away after a bit and when i got to a stop i turned the engine off and tried to restart and it chugged and seamed to be starving for fuel and then died. Each time i tried to fire it back up it got further and further from starting. Lots of spark, power but seams to be getting no gas! My thoughts are fuel pump has bit the dust and now im oing to have to swap it out in the middle of the woods haha should be fun. Can anyone else help me on this topic ie always worked on my own vehicles and am capable of changing out the fuel pump. Let me know what all you experts think. thanks so much!!

Blaker

Deffinetely sounds like the fuel pump. Take off the intake on top of the throttle body and spray some starting fluid in it and see what happens. If it starts then you know it's not getting fuel. I heard on the newer jeeps you have to drop the tanks to get the fuel pump. On my renix its on the side of the gas tank and is pretty easy to get at. Either way it's not a huge job. Pretty much self explanatory. Drop tank, disconnect hoses, electrical, turn the clip that holds it in and pull out. Repeat.

ya im thinking fuel pump as well just wanted some more input before i head up on the quad to work on the xj. Ill take some starter fluid up and see what happends. the fuel pump is in a decent spot and i dont believe i need to drop the entire tank. thanks for the help anyone else have any ideas? Fuses....etc

If you turn the key to the ON position, the fuel pump should energize, run for 2 seconds, then stop. If it is doing this and you still are not building fuel pressure, replace the fuel pump assembly. However, if you are not hearing the pump for 2 seconds with the key on, the "control electronics" could be in play including the fuel pump relay located in the PDC (power distribution center) the black box under the hood. This relay can be swapped with another one in the PDC for troubleshooting purposes, as these relays are of the same part number.

On the 97-01 XJ, the fuel tank does need to come down to replace the pump assembly.

As long as you are going in, replace the entire assembly which consists of pump/regulator/filter/checkvalve. I recommend searching for a BOSCH unit. Stay away from Airtex as they do not have a good reputation.

Here is a link to a good thread on the "how-to" with good pics.

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/fuel-filter-pump-replacement-97s-up-138580/

well good news is i finally got my jeep out of the woods. I got up there tried cycling the keys a few times to see if i coul hear the fuel pump run. nothing. I then tried to tap the fuel tank nothing. So i give a spray of engine start directly into the throttle body and still no start or even close. WHat in the heck is going on? anyone have any input?

If you spray fuel into the intake and you have spark, it should run.

In your initial post, you mention you have "lots of spark".

How did you confirm this?

It appears that you might not have spark after all................

If you have no spark, the first thing you should do is to test your "crankshaft position sensor". It is IMHO, the most common sensor failure on the 4.0

I thought i had spark but apparently not. I have good turn over from batter to starter though. How would i check the crankshaft positioning sensor?

blaker_99 said:

I thought i had spark but apparently not. I have good turn over from batter to starter though. How would i check the crankshaft positioning sensor?

Click to expand...

This thread contains information on testing the crank sensor. Should be job #1 for you.

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1044073