'97 5 spd issues

I recently picked up a '97 manual 5 speed Cherokee and have been experiencing a few odd quirks.

• I am learning how to drive stick and in the process I have naturally stalled the car several times. If the car is cold and I stall it, when I go to restart, the engine cranks and cranks but does not start. I usually end up depressing the accelerator slightly as I crank and that usually get its going. Any thoughts on what is going on? I don't think this is normal behavior.

• In the morning when I first start the car, it runs really rough in 1st gear. This will clear up after a minute or so, or when I shift up to 2nd. Could these two things be related?

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

jcjeeper89 said:

I recently picked up a '97 manual 5 speed Cherokee and have been experiencing a few odd quirks.

• I am learning how to drive stick and in the process I have naturally stalled the car several times. If the car is cold and I stall it, when I go to restart, the engine cranks and cranks but does not start. I usually end up depressing the accelerator slightly as I crank and that usually get its going. Any thoughts on what is going on? I don't think this is normal behavior.

• In the morning when I first start the car, it runs really rough in 1st gear. This will clear up after a minute or so, or when I shift up to 2nd. Could these two things be related?

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

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I'm guessing that the two are related, and that for one reason or another your engine is starting too rich. I've seen other vehicles that behave the same way (my wife had a Honda Civic that could be a bear to restart if it was shut down before it had a chance to warm up). XJ's should generally not do this, so I am guessing that you may have a sensor problem, a dribbling injector, or perhaps a bad fuel pressure regulator. If it clears up quickly, I'd be less inclined to think it's a sensor problem, but I'm still guessing that something is loading up the engine when it starts cold.

However, if you haven't already done some of the standard tuneup items such as plugs, you might want to check there too. Because the XJ has a very strong ignition system, it will start and run pretty reliably even when the plugs are worn way past their settings, and this could also contribute to a hard start when conditions aren't ideal.

On cold mornings all our jeeps, XJ, TJ, YJ are a bear to restart unless they have been running for about 2-3 minutes. I think when they stall they are running rich, very rich like the way a full choke can act. It is never a good idea to start and engine and just start driving, it is a good habit to get into to start and then look at the gauges. I very rarely go over about 35 for the first 5 miles or so. I always let mine start and run for about 2 minutes on cold mornings, maybe a minute in warm spring/hot summer. After you get used to it you will actually develop a feel for it.

These issues have been happening even in "warm" weather, about 50's/60's. I will probably replace the cap and rotor and wires and see what happenes. Fuel injectors look dry, haven't smelled any fuel.

Any suggestions on what senors to start checking if the tune up type things don't work? Thanks for the help.

jcjeeper89 said:

These issues have been happening even in "warm" weather, about 50's/60's. I will probably replace the cap and rotor and wires and see what happenes. Fuel injectors look dry, haven't smelled any fuel.

Any suggestions on what senors to start checking if the tune up type things don't work? Thanks for the help.

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The other thing that will cause it is carbon build up, mine runs much better after I clean the throttle body bore and intake with a good decarbonizing cleaner. If you throttle body bore is black it's time for a cleaning, just don't spray the stuff in the sensor holes/slots, I do it with the engine running. Might also want to do the seafoam suck thru the hose thing using that small blocked off fitting in the intake, stick hose on it, stick hose in seafoam can and let it pull down about half of the can.

Another piece to the puzzle:

The shift indicator (for best fuel mpg/emmissions) on the dash seems to be telling to to up shift at lower mph than usual. It'll tell me to shift up to 4th at about 32 mph.

This kinda sounds like a vaccume leak? I'm going to check my hoses and such tomorrow. Any thoughts/confirmation?

Thanks!

jcjeeper89 said:

Another piece to the puzzle:

The shift indicator (for best fuel mpg/emmissions) on the dash seems to be telling to to up shift at lower mph than usual. It'll tell me to shift up to 4th at about 32 mph.

This kinda sounds like a vaccume leak? I'm going to check my hoses and such tomorrow. Any thoughts/confirmation?

Thanks!

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The shift indicator on mine comes on way early under light throttle.
Just adjust your seat and steering wheel so you can't see it or give the Jeep more gas so it goes out.

I think it's just there for the entertainment value.