My XJ died HEEELLLPPP!!!!

On friday the fourth, I purchased a 93 XJ two door 4x4 for $800.00 It was running ok but with a little roughness at low RPM at time of purchase. I put new tires on it and did a tune up (plugs, wires, distributor car, rotor button, air filter, and fuel filter. It fired right up and ran like it was brand new for about 30 miles. Then this morning on my way to work, it just died all of a sudden. I checked the plug wires and the coil wire that I replaced and they are all connected. When I turn it over, it tries to start and it fires about every 10 revolutions so thats telling me that it is maybe a fuel problem. I work for uncle Sam so I cant affrord to just start replacing parts until I find the bad one. What are the common problems with a XJ with 183k with the symptoms that I have described. I always wanted an XJ and now that I have one, I cant drive it. Will someone help me to ol' boy back on the road?

Also, I added some STP injector cleaner in it as well if that has some significance. Do you think that by doing that I knocked a bunch of crud loose from the tank and clogged the filter?

If you want to save money your going to have to make some tests, first is do you have spark, whats your fuel pressure? did any hoses come off.

Ft. Polk, my brother was 101st Airborne and was stationed there. OK in the winter, crappy in July.

First off, pull a spark plug and see if they are wet with gas. If so you will need to pull all the plugs and crank it over a couple of times to try and dry out the cylinders.

while you have the plugs out, insert one back on the wire and put the metal threaded part in contact with the block and have a buddy crank it. Make sure you are getting regular and even sparks. It will crank really easy with all the plugs out.

If you are getting a regularly timed spark, you can probably rule out ignition. The next thing is to check for fuel pressure. Turn on the key, but don't crank it. There is a schrader valve on the fuel rail. It looks like the valve in a tire valve stem. Press in the center. You should get a health squirt of fuel. If not, you aren't getting any fuel. Possibly a fuel filter, but rarely. The only good thing about fuel filters are that they should be changed periodically anyway and aren't too expensive. Past that, if you don't have fuel, most likely you have a fuel pump issue. They can get pricey. Doesn't the post have a place you can work on vehicles? Can you get a buddy to drag your rig over there so you can borrow a fuel pressure gauge?

If you have spark and fuel, post back and we can proceed to the next step.

The jeep has good spark. I didnt have a chance to check the fuel pressure yet. Is it the little valve on the intake manifold? can I just put a tire pressure gauge on it?

No, it is on the fuel injector supply rail and a tpcm will not work to measure the fuel pressure.

Check all wires and fuses (fusible links under hood near battery). I had a O2 sensor wire melt on the exhaust causing a short. It happened after I replaced my rear seal. I made the mistake of not noticing the wire on the exhaust, took off down the road, and it cut off on me about 20 minutes or so later. After hours of trying to figure out what it was I noticed the wire. I replaced the sensor, and a fusable link (added fuse instead of stupid link) and it fired right up.
Good Luck!

Thanks guys. Im going to try to find a piece hard line to temporarily by-pass the fuel filter to see if by putting the injector cleaner in the tank, it caused some crud to dis-lodge and clog the fuel filter. I will also check all the wires around anything hot. Gosh, what a bummer.... but at least I have some good advise to use from you guys.

Did you test the fuel pressure at the fuel rail???

Might be the cps sensor,
When I got my 1991 4.0XJ it had 164,000 miles, the people that had it before let it go cheap because it would stall out. When it stalled for me the engine would turn over, every other time it would fire up an stumble and the cut right out again. Don’t know if that is typical of the CPS problem, but it might be worth checking.
Oh, in the first week of owning it I replace the cps,fuel pump,fuel filter and the ignition coil, the ingition coil was just to be sure. When the fuel pump was replaced it was real weak, it also took for ever to start up, another symptom. With the new fuel pump it had a quick start up, and the acceleration 4.0 should have.
Just a thought,
1991 4.0 automatic np231, 1984 Wagoneer 2.8 5sp np207

IT LIVES AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!! Instead of bypassing the fuel filter (for fear that I would send some crud into the injectors) I took the old filter (that I knew woked) and put it in. Nothing! As I was cranking it, my buddy heard something coming from the air box so I checked it out. It sound like the timing went 180 degrees wrong on it. So what did I do? I pulled the distributor cap off and there it was.... A defective, shattered, mulitated rotor button. I pulled the old one out of the trash as a quick fix and it started up with no problem. Once again Jeep the Jeep lives! Thank you all for the advise and I will keep you all posted on the progress I make with a 4.5 inch lift, accessories, etc. I just have to find out why my transfer case or front drive shaft is making a chattering noise.