cranking trouble

Hello everyone...Im new to here so bear with me...I have been searching all morning but havent had much luck with my exact problem. I have a 96 XJ 4.0...this morning with no warnings when i got in it to leave it wont crank...it turns over but will only crank when I give it a significant amount of gas. then it will crank but you have to keep the pedal halfway down or it dies. I just did a tune up last week - plugs, wires, cap, and rotor. I have been driving and everything has been great. I can also smell gas when I do this. I have checked the wires and everythings tight and connected.
- Im thinking Crank Position Sensor but wouldnt it not crank at all??
- My first step is someone said fuel filter.
This is my only vehicle so I need to find out. And taking to a shop is a last resort (poor college kid).

Lets start over.
Crank/turns over, means the engine turns when the key is turned.
Fires means it trys to start but will not stay running.

Sorry...It cranks/turns over when you turn key over...but will only fire when you give it a bunch of gas. It starts and you can keep it going w/gas but take your foot off and it dies. Also smell gas like you are choking something.

Not the fuel filter...just replaced...its is still only runnung when you give it gas.

Nevermind...ended up taking to shop...$100 and a fuel treatment later its up and running. They took off the intake into the throttle body and there was a lsignificant amount of carbon build up. So they used that special treatment stuff that goes into the engine instead of the gas tank. Runs like a champ now.

You paid someone $100 dollars to spray a $4 can of throttlebody cleaner into your engine? Wow....

ozflip said:

Nevermind...ended up taking to shop...$100 and a fuel treatment later its up and running. They took off the intake into the throttle body and there was a lsignificant amount of carbon build up. So they used that special treatment stuff that goes into the engine instead of the gas tank. Runs like a champ now.

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vertigospiral88 said:

You paid someone $100 dollars to spray a $4 can of throttlebody cleaner into your engine? Wow....

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Nobody suggested that he try some TB cleaner... how was he supposed to know what to do? Don't rub his nose in it.

yeah yeah i know...I read a bunch of things on here and I didnt see anything about checking the throttls body. Like I said its my only vehicle and I didnt have much of a choice. You live you learn I guess.

I'm not trying to "rub his nose in it," I really have no problem with the fact that he chose to take it to a shop -- I'm just floored that a shop would charge that much for a 20 minute job requiring no materials.... I work at a shop, if we charged people that way we would have no business.....

EDIT: Was it a dealership or a private mechanic? That may explain a bit....

iBran said:

Nobody suggested that he try some TB cleaner... how was he supposed to know what to do? Don't rub his nose in it.

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College town. Mechacic that was within like 300 yards from my place. Only reason I let them do it was my local shop back at home charges like $80 to do it b/c they had told me it would help gas milage. The place that did it charged $35 for the actual stuff. They said it was 2 bottles that went into the engine and one in the tank. I actually tried to get some myself a few weeks agi but couldnt find the kind my shop carries. "Everwear" was the name i think. Then w/ the labor it was just a couple dollars shy of $100.