Jeep died while driving

I have a 97 jeep cherokee 4.0 aw4 tranny and np231. So while driving to work this morning I got maybe a quarter mile down the road and it died on me and wouldn't start.
I towed it home let it sit till I get off work about 8-9hours later she starts up just fine so what should I check.it cleaned the ground checked my connections and they all looked good. So does anybody have suggestions on what to check so it doesn't happen again. Thanks nate

Usually something like CPS (crank position sensor) , probably be good to check fuel pressure too.




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Cps is only a couple months old I will check fuel presure what should the psi be.

natesjeep said:

Cps is only a couple months old .....

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New does not mean it is good, especially if the CPS is not a genuine Jeep part. Test the CPS. Inspect the CPS wire plug and wire harness for damage and/or corrosion.

When you tried to start it after it initially died, did you notice if the fuel pump was working?

It sounded like it was turning on but was hard to here since I was in trafic.

CPS and the cam position in the distributor are the two usual suspects for stalling. CPS is so sensitive I always replace it with mopar, I've had a lot of bad luck with aftermarket sensors. They used to be slightly better but the last few years the Chinese part have gotten worse in QC.
Napa is the only name trying to keep standards up.

I'm not sure where the fuel filter is in a 97, 92 it's outside near the tank and easy to replace.
My first car was so sensitive to gas if the fuels filter slightly clogging would case it to stall and sputter. Sometimes it would start up later and run fine for a bit but by then I knew all its little tricks and would just replace the filter at work or school.
Never had this problem with the jeeps, but it's a possibility.


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When my 19996 xj was having CPS problems it would never die while driving but only when i was at a stop.

nickh5817 said:

When my 19996 xj was having CPS problems it would never die while driving but only when i was at a stop.

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My first 4.0 I got because the CPS was failing and the po gave up on it. It would fail at speed going down the road. But that may be a extreme case.


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Thanks everybody I'm thinking it might be as simple as the distributor cap is bad because the center part that sends the spark seems like it is getting stuck up like it has a bad spring (do they have springs).

Diagnosing and solving most issues is a step by step process of confirming that the basics necessary for operating are present. Cleaning, visual inspection, basic continuity testing, confirming tight wire connections and clean/snug ground connections. If you have a vehicle with an unknown maintenance history, assume that the routine maintenance may have been ignored. If you buy replacement parts, buy the good stuff, most "Lifetime Warranty" parts suck.