Another Non-starting XJ

I have a 91 and it won't start.

What i have tried.

Neutral Safety switch: I was having some trouble getting the XJ to fire in park, so I had to start it in neutral. I followed the cleaning procedure i found here and thats fixed now.

I pulled the plugs and regapped them. I found that the cap and rotor where fairly corroded and needed replacement, so I replaced both of them. I reconnected the plug wires back according to my manual.

I replaced the CPS sensor. I got one out of a crashed jeep in a junk yard, but I find it hard to believe that it could be bad too.

I replaced the PCM, again out of the junk yard, I actually pulled two, one surprisingly for my year and one for a 1996. No love

I have fuel at the rail and I think that I have the right pressure, the fuel pump spins up for the same amount of time that it always has. I managed to spray myself with fuel at the rail so i don't think that is the problem.

when i pulled the plugs I did smell fuel on them. I also tested the spark against the motor and there is a spark.

I checked all the fuses and I couldn't find any that are bad.

I'm starting to fear the worst.... any thoughts????

and yes I have done a search......

I'm sure you have but did you check the starter?

actually it looks like he checked everything buy the starter and the battery.

Yes you say it won't start but will it turn over? If it does turn over does turn at the same speed it usually does or a little slower? If it doesn't try the old screwdriver across starter to see if starter is good or not. If it is then check the ignition switch located at the bottom of the steering column under the dash to make sure it's lined up properly and connected as it could have gone bad.

"I reconnected the plug wires back according to my manual."

Are you saying that when you changed the distributor cap, that you didn't reconnect the plug wires the way they were before changing the cap, and then reconnected them according to your manual?

2.5 or 4.0

The battery is a new red top, that I got about 2 months ago. The starter turns the engine over just like it's going to start, but it doesn't fire. For a couple of turns it feels like the engine is gaining compression, but no spark

It's a 4.0 HO it a 91 larado

where is the ignition switch? do you happen to have a picture of it? Also I know that there is a computer in the cab? Do you know there that is located?

As far as the dist cap, I know that I should have disconnected/reconnected the wires at the same time, but i didn't. I have the hayens manual as well as the jeep factory manuals. I have them connected like this


-------> front of engine
0 2 _ are the cap screws
0_ 6 4_
0 3 1
0 5

try this thread, sorry there was one with a picture but I couldn't find it.
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=18250&highlight=firing+order
or maybe better
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=57461&highlight=firing+order

It's got to have fire & gas to start. The first step is always to find out which one you don't have (if either). Stick a screwdriver in the end of a plug wire and hold it close to a ground and see if you are getting spark. If you are getting spark dump some gas in the Air Intake.
good luck!

for what it is worth, my hanes manual shows the distributor rotating the wrong way. If you do that it will never quite catch.

and the triangle to start also requires AIR. Fire, Fuel, Air

When I get home from work if nobody else has gotten a pic yet I'll take a pic of my dist an the wire routing so you can check it compared to yours. Sounds like the wires weren't hooked back up right since you've got fuel, spark, and the engine's turning over. If it was the ignition switch it probably wouldn't even turn over.

Use this thread to check your Distributor wiring...

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://tomasz.korwel.net/images/dist/disconnectdistributor.jpg&imgrefurl=http://tomasz.korwel.net/2006/12/&h=375&w=500&sz=42&hl=en&start=15&um=1&tbnid=uYDQzJRL30MjRM:&tbnh=98&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcherokee%2Bdistributor%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den

McQue said:

Use this thread to check your Distributor wiring...

Click to expand...

Well I setup my wiring according to that link that you sent. actually I didn't change anything. It looked like it was right anyway. I also turned the crank to top dead center and double checked. Still no love.

Any other ideas? And thanks to all for your help.

Jeff,

I know you checked TDC but are you sure about the rotation of the distributor/rotor? Since you didn't replace the spark plug wires to the same orientation as the old ones were - and you installed them according to the manual......... It's very possible you might simply need to rotate the firing order clockwise or counter clockwise one position to get the rotor to connect to the correct wire when that cylinder is at the top.

Sounds like it may be firing the plugs during an open exhaust stroke.

See if someone can crank it over while you go to the tail pipe and listen. If you hear air rushing noise or thudding/popping noises, I'd say the firing order is just a bit off.

I had something similar happen to me when I swapped in a replacement engine and used the original distributor/wires. I swore up and down that I had the wires positioned correctly to the #1 wire and TDC ........ but I took the bolt out from the engine block that positions the distributor and rotated it while cranking it and it fired right up once I turned it about 1/2" counter clockwise. So, I moved each wire over one spot clockwise, bolted the distributor down - and problem was solved.

You didn't mention why you were doing the work in the first place. Was it routine maintenance or was it having problems before the parts were replaced?

what happened before it stopped starting. Did it die while driving or just went to start in the morning and nothing happened?

YELLAHEEP said:

You didn't mention why you were doing the work in the first place. Was it routine maintenance or was it having problems before the parts were replaced?

Click to expand...

Troy,

I was having trouble with the NSS. But it did fire a few times after I did the work on that.

This really sucks too, I just found some new parts to upgrade the old girl with. Like the steering off of a v8 ZJ. Now I'm starting to think.... it might be the end.

Sponge Bob said:

what happened before it stopped starting. Did it die while driving or just went to start in the morning and nothing happened?

Click to expand...

Basically went to start it in the morning and nothing.... All the other stuff that I did has been trying to get it back started.

Do you all know where the fusable link is on my jeep? It's one of the few things that I haven't looked at yet. Would that even cause this type of trouble?

Also would anyone have a ECU that I could use to test and find out if that's the issue?

Why is it that mechanical is easy and electrical is such at pain.....

Bump