XJ in limp mode after carwash?

It's been warm up here (+8*C) for the past few days so all the snow has been melting on the roads... I put on a lot of hwy miles on my Jeep so it quickly got covered in slime and road salt.

Yesterday it got a bit colder out and the forecast is for it to continue to get colder still so I figured I'd wash that crap off before it got too cold... well that was a mistake. I washed it and the temp quickly dropped from -5 to -20 in the afternoon... my Jeep froze up as usual (locks/windows/doorseals etc...) but it also went into limp mode and it won't shift. It also has a rather high idle right now (1750rpm). No CEL though.

I'm sure water got into some sensor and froze so it should be good after the Jeep warms up and dries out but what should I look at? TPS maybe? If I can pinpoint the issue and dry it out myself that would make me feel a lot better then just hoping the issue goes away.

If you washed under the hood, most likely you hit the TPS. It will not dry out so it will be replacement time. You can troubleshoot it with a DMM. Do a search.

what year is your XJ. take a look at the T.P.S. see if it didn't get wet.i know that Chrysler with some of there later vehicles programed there p.c.m's and t.c.m's to not let the transmission shift if it went below a certain temp.(the number has faded from my brain).and would not lock the torque converter . they were trying to get the trans to heat up.but if this is the first time this has happened look at the T.P.S.

If ANY water got into the engine bay, your TPS is most likely toast.

If you replace it, be sure to adjust the new one after installation. Adjustment is important.

birchlakeXJ said:

If you replace it, be sure to adjust the new one after installation. Adjustment is important.

Click to expand...

Unless it's not a RENIX...

...and it isn't with a CEL.

ParadiseXJ said:

Unless it's not a RENIX...

...and it isn't with a CEL.

Click to expand...

You are correct sir! Good catch. I think I had "renix" on the brain from the other throttle position sensor thread that is currently on here. That one was a renix.

87-90 = Adjustable TPS
91 and newer = No adjustment. Just bolt it on.

New tps went in this morning and it runs like a dream. Will the other one dry out at all or is it totally shot?
Ie should I keep it as a trail spare?

Probably won't dry out. The only way I would dry it would be to put the oven on 180 degrees and put it in there for probably 8 hours.

Likewise... they aren't sealed very well where the rotating shaft enters the housing and it takes a lot more to get water out of a crack that small than it does for it to go in, due to capillary action. Once it's in, it's near impossible to get out.

Toss it.

If I was going to attempt to dry one I would put it under vacuum.