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Jeep cutting out

workman13

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Kansas
I have a 97 Cherokee Sport. It has recently started cutting out when driving. It bucks and seems like it is possibly missing. I have replaced in the last 4 months, CPS, MAP, TPS, plugs and wires and O2 sensor. I had an issue like this before but not as bad. It would stop when the O2 sensor was unhooked. I resolved that issue and it has been fine for over a month. When driving it the jeep will cut out like its missing sometimes doing it 4 or 5 times in a row. I have checked for vac leaks also. I have recently changed the valve cover gasket but can't remember if this started before or after that.
I had it checked for codes and nothing is showing up.

Any ideas?
 
Constant pedal (cruising ?) or when you let your foot off the gas pedal?

About the same RPM every time? High RPM, low RPM, mid RPM.

Cold motor better or worse? Does it tend to happen at operating temperature, early in your trip or later in your trip?

Have you checked the O2 sensor heater fuse?

Have you looked at your air filter recently?

What shape is your CAT in? Is it making any noise?

Just a few guesses.
 
It does it mostly when on the pedal. I only drive it in town 95% of the time so max speed is 50 and it does it all the way from idle to that speed. I recently replaced the fuse for the o2 sensor. There actually was not a fuse in there at the time and it seemed to get better once I put one in.
The air filter is new as well. Cat doesn't seem bad, has a small exhaust leak after the muffler but has had that for awhile and it never had this issue.

The CPS was from O'rilley's I believe. I replaced that several months ago and it had been fine after that.
 
The idle air control is one of the only sensors that I haven't replaced, is that something that could cause an issue like that? When I first bought the jeep I cleaned the IAC and throttle body trying to fix another issue.
 
IAC usually only causes issues at start up and when you let your foot off the gas pedal.

Is hot oil leaking on your CPS? This has caused me issues in the past. I cleaned the oil off of the CPS with spray solvent and things returned to normal, no more bucking and odd RPM loss. I have no idea why the oil on the CPS caused problems but it did.

Maybe do a volt test at the O2 sensor and see if you have heater voltage there. May be a cable problem to the O2 sensor heater.

Check the wiring on your rear O2 sensor and make sure it isn't cooking on the exhaust.

I had a similar issue once, it was the wiring to my ASD relay. The problem was in the harness (splice) near (above) the gas pedal. Sounds likes one of those things that would be impossible to find, I found it in a minute, in the middle of an intersection, in 18 inches of snow. Don't ask me how, it was either my psychic abilities or dumb luck.

A few more ideas.
 
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