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engine dies

Steven Bills

NAXJA Forum User
One of my jeeps is an 89 Cherokee 4.0 completely stock with 233,000 miles. Occasionally, which is to say maybe 10% of the time, a sharp bump will cause the motor to die. While still rolling, I put the transmission in neutral and restart the motor and continue on. This is at slow to moderate speed. At freeway speed, the vehicle merely hesitates restarts itself and continues. It will go a couple of weeks without quitting at all and then die five times in one trip. I've jiggle and poked at every available connection to induce or cure the problem to no avail. Help.
 
I´ve played that game before and usually came up with a different solution every time. The MAP plug will stop you dead (been there), the six pin connector by the relay block/ignition module will stop you (filled with water, been there), the ballast resistor on the inside fender wheel near the EGR solenoid is worth a look (mine was cooked, messed with the fuel pump).
The CPS wire, often falls on the rear header, as does the front cable harness, that runs from the front end of the injector harness, around the front back under the motor (mine was cooked and chaffed).
Intermittant problems can be a pain. When they completely fail they are easier to find. I´ve unplugged and plugged connectors, rerouted some wires and generally just shaken things and sometimes cured the problem, without even knowing what I´d done.
The 101 connector, that big one near the brake vacume booster. Has a rep for causing the problem you discribed or other problems.
If it stalls, when backing sharply out of the throttle. A sticky EGR is suspect, especially if it happens at low speeds.
This could end up being a long list.
Check the grounds, near the oil rod bracket and the firewall on the drivers side. I just cleaned, installed some star washers and tightened mine. Really made a difference, picked up a thousand RPM top end and a whole lot of torque I never knew I had. Also have a couple of extra warning and trouble lights, I never knew existed.
 
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