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Please Help Me

R

roboter

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Loomis California
Did the search. Read the tech right ups and I'm still lost. Guy's I can't start my Jeep. It was running great before I did some new owner maintenence on it and the only thing I did was change the oil and transmission fluid. I pulled the pan on the tranny and had a buddy unbolt the dipstick tube. Could something have shorted out/disconnected when he removed the tube? I looked at all the wires in the area and nothing. I checked all the fuses in the block and cab. I pulled the battery to reset the ECU. It's a 1992 with the 4.0 H.O. It does have a computer right? Could the computer be fried? It has a Clifford alarm in it if that has anything to do with this problem. My buddy said that when he pulled the tranny tube he got "zapped" from somewhere if that makes a difference. Sorry for the long post but I just bought this Jeep last weekend and it was running awesome. I'm not much of a mechanic and now can't afford a mechanic as all the money I had went into buying this, my only vehicle. :tears:
 
Probably need a little more information - does it not crank at all? Does it crank, but not start?

Have you checked for fuel and spark? Fuel you can usually smell, and a quick check for spark would be to remove a plug, leave it plugged into the cable, and touch the ground strap on the plug to the engine somewhere - so you can watch the gap. You should see nice, fat blue spark when it fires (you may want to keep your hands away from the plug gap, by the by. 45kV can hurt. Put your other hand in your pocket or grab the back of your belt when you do this.)

When diagnosing a "no start" condition like this, we need as much as you can give us. Help us help you.

5-90
 
It does crank over but it will not start. I get spark and I'm getting fuel. I don't know if it matters on this engine but when I was doing my maintenence, I forgot to unplug the hood light. I looked at the battery indicator on the dash and it's on the first white tick above the red zone when I go to start the Jeep now. The motor turns over but does not fire. Before this problem happened, it would fire on the first bump of the key. :dunno:
 
If you've got fuel, air, and spark, you've got what you need to run. The Crankshaft Position Sensor is working (it drives timing for fuel injection and ignition firing,) and your starter is just fine. Your ECU should be working, since you've got fuel and spark (how have you verified spark, anyhow?)

The IP voltmeter is a notorious liar - if I want an accurate reading of battery/system voltage, I'll use my Fluke on the battery terminals.

I'll keep chewing on this - and if anyone else has any ideas, please!

5-90
 
Further updates here. I have a Clifford Polaris 3 alarm and I set it to valet mode which disables it. (Thinking maybe the alarm got fried) Anyways, same thing, it cranks but no start. When I checked for spark, I used a cheepie HF spark check tester light. The bulb was kinda dim but it did show juice running through it to the plug. Don't know how bright the bulb has to be for proper ignition, if being bright or dim matters at all. :confused:

Sorry if this is surpurflous info. Just trying to leave any stone unturned here.
 
Go buy a spark tester that looks like a spark plug with no center electrode.It will only fire with a lot of spark,it's so hard to tell you what to do long distance.Is the engine turning over quickly or just barely?Are you sure you have fuel pressure?Crank it over and then try to relieve the pressure at the rail,be careful fuel will fly.If you have good pressure,fine if not then we can go from there.:eeks1:
 
roboter said:
Further updates here. I have a Clifford Polaris 3 alarm and I set it to valet mode which disables it. (Thinking maybe the alarm got fried) Anyways, same thing, it cranks but no start. When I checked for spark, I used a cheepie HF spark check tester light. The bulb was kinda dim but it did show juice running through it to the plug. Don't know how bright the bulb has to be for proper ignition, if being bright or dim matters at all. :confused:

Sorry if this is surpurflous info. Just trying to leave any stone unturned here.
Click to expand...

Those testers are of limited utility - they don't tell you "how much," just that something is happening (they're un-quantified inductive pickups.) Pull a plug and check for spark that way - you'll probably also see a light "mist" spray out of the spark plug hole - that's fuel. It still won't tell you "how much" fuel, but at least you'll see the spark and see the fuel.

5-90
 
Hey guys thanks for all the replies. I'm going to charged the battery tonight and recheck everything in the morning then update. A shot in the dark there were 2 wires zipped tied to the Tranny tube. I had to cut the tie that had the wires secured to the tube after I dropped the pan. Maybe I unplugged something by accident? :doh:
 
Last edited:
safn1949 said:
Go buy a spark tester that looks like a spark plug with no center electrode.It will only fire with a lot of spark,it's so hard to tell you what to do long distance.Is the engine turning over quickly or just barely?Are you sure you have fuel pressure?Crank it over and then try to relieve the pressure at the rail,be careful fuel will fly.If you have good pressure,fine if not then we can go from there.:eeks1:
Click to expand...

X2
 
I was able to borrow a spare vehicle from my pops while trying to figure out the no start problem with my Jeep. Been busy at work so I'm just getting back to it. I read the no start FAQ by old man and yup, I washed my engine before changing out the fluids. The thing that got me was I started it right after washing and it ran fine.

Shut it off, took all day changing fluids and shock and I think thats when the TPS died. :(

Someone please chime in and assure me before lay out 50 bucks for a new one. :cry:
 
roboter said:
I washed my engine before changing out the fluids.
Click to expand...

Pull your distributor cap off. I'll bet it's got water in it. Wipe it out and spray just a little WD40 in it. Put it back on and I'll bet it fires right up.

Had the same problem once. Mine even cranked and ran for about 30 mins after I washed it, but then I shut it off checked some other stuff and it wouldn't crank. Spent about 10 mins looking at things before I pulled the D-cap and found it had water. Dunno why it cranked to begin with, but it did.

I hope it works for you.
 
AlabamaDan said:
Pull your distributor cap off. I'll bet it's got water in it. Wipe it out and spray just a little WD40 in it. Put it back on and I'll bet it fires right up.

Had the same problem once. Mine even cranked and ran for about 30 mins after I washed it, but then I shut it off checked some other stuff and it wouldn't crank. Spent about 10 mins looking at things before I pulled the D-cap and found it had water. Dunno why it cranked to begin with, but it did.

I hope it works for you.
Click to expand...

Yes, pulling the cap off is a good idea. No, spraying WD-40 in it is not.

WD-40 is a water displacer that leaves a film of corrosion inhibitor afterwards - and that film is non-conductive. You'd be better off spraying wire dryer in there, or even rinsing the cap out with rubbing alcohol (isopropanol bonds with water chemically, depressing the boiling point overall. This makes it easier to get rid of the water - and alcohol is a main component of "wire dryer" spray anyhow...)

I don't have the time to sit here and tell you how many jobs I've had that were easy fixes - just replace some critical component because it had had WD-40 sprayed all over it... I've said it before, and I'll say it again - "WD-40 is not a 'miracle in a can.'"

Use the right tool for the job - you would drive a screw with a staple gun, would you?

5-90
 
5-90 you are the man. WD40 left a bunch of residue crap and gunk on the metal parts after it uhh displaced the water.

I always swore by WD as it say's water displacing on the can.:eek:
I went out and bought some high quality contact cleaner that leaves no residue and went over everything that had WD. Recharging the stupid battery again so hopefully I will get it running this weekend.

Thanks to all...
 
Did you reconnect the ground wire on the dipstick tube im not sure if you have one or not but it is amazing how much hell a bad ground can be.
 
roboter said:
5-90 you are the man. WD40 left a bunch of residue crap and gunk on the metal parts after it uhh displaced the water.

I always swore by WD as it say's water displacing on the can.:eek:
I went out and bought some high quality contact cleaner that leaves no residue and went over everything that had WD. Recharging the stupid battery again so hopefully I will get it running this weekend.

Thanks to all...
Click to expand...

WD-40 works - for its intended purpose. If I've got some steel or iron stock I need to let sit around for more than a day or so, I'll pull it out once a month and douse it with WD. I'll spray it with WD before I shelve it.

However, that's all I use WD for. It's not even a lubricant, to me. I don't go through much of it...

5-90
 
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