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Maybe a fuel issue...hard starting...longer post

vertrx

NAXJA Forum User
Location
South Carolina
I have a 2001 Cherokee...several years ago I sidelined it, due to what I thought was a head issue. It has been sitting for about 3 years.

IN the last two weeks, the head has been replaced, gaskets, and what I believe was the kick down cable that goes down into the transmission.

The tank was about a 1/4 full so I dumped in 10 gallons of fresh fuel and, octane boost and fuel line cleaner. When it was time to start it, there was no joy. No fuel delivery so we took the tank down and replaced the fuel pump with a Delphi. In hindsight we should have dumped the fuel but didn't.

So, new battery and it starts but really stinks! Blows white smoke that smells like fuel. It starts but you really have to crank it. Yesterday, I pumped out all the fuel i could with a small pump from the fuel line up top in the engine bay. The gauge reads below empty and the light is on though the car still runs. dumped in 4 gallons and some fuel injection cleaner. Changed the plugs.

Now here come the new issues...cranked and cranked it and it would not run unless you keep the rpm's at 1800. White smoke blowing out the back. Stinks like fuel. Turned it off, went to eat dinner. Came back out and cranked and cranked it and it finally starts. Start the RPM's at 1800 and start letting off.

So it finally stays running, blowing white smoke. I take it for a run down the road and it seems to have a hard time getting up to speed though after kickdown and some big smoke, it now does not smoke. But on the way back, I noticed the oil pressure was pegged on the high side.

Park it and check the oil. Although I filled it with 5 quarts, it is reading way over, over the "do not overfill" wording.

It also still has a hard start issue but at least I can get it started ...after a while and it will stay running at about 800 rpm.

So...hard starting and oil pressure issue. When I start it up, it is at about 40 on the gauge, then it slowly goes up...Did I overfill this engine?

Sorry for the detail but I want to give a full impression.
 
I should also state that initially , the smoke smelled really foul.

When finally having started it, keeping the rpm's up at 1800, I should say that it took a really long time to start it. To keep it going, I had to hold the accelerator down to keep it running...1800 rpm's. That hopefully clarifies that aspect.
 
The overfull oil is likely because of excess fuel that is not being burned, which may also be the cause of the white smoke. I would guess you have a fuel delivery issue, possibly one or more faulty fuel injectors. Stop driving, and immediately change the oil.

The long cranking, needing to nurse the gas pedal, and high RPM's would be typical when the ECM reboots after long term storage.
 
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Appreciate the time taken for the response.

So change the oil first.

The injectors were changed several years ago...someone was selling new ones on here and I bought a set. That said, they don't have much use because after the install, the vehicle was sidelined for the length of time already mentioned.
 
Since it sat so long I would be leary of the injectors. Also since the ECU is sensitive to voltage I would be looking for corrosion on all your wiring paying particular attention to the grounds.
 
Take off the grounds and clean them don't just look at them and call them good. This is a big one. Reference voltages are only 5 volts, it doesn't take much to screw up those reference signals and make the computer go nuts.

Change oil due to above mentioned reasons. Hook a fuel pressure gauge up to the rail and turn the key to on. You shouldn't have a quick drop in fuel pressure. I forget the FSM specs for it but it should take quite a while to leak down pressure. If you are leaking down pressure too fast you have a stuck injector or bad fuel pressure regulator. Given your symptoms I'd be leaning toward stuck injector.

You should own a fuel pressure gauge (among other tools like a vacuum and compression gauge) if you are going to own these older Jeeps. They can be invaluable in diagnosing issues. They are pretty affordable on Amazon but you can also go to a local big box parts store and "rent" them.
 
In terms of grounds, I've got a bad one on the negative cable of the battery so I will address I need to do that first. Should have done that immediately.

Second, if a stuck injector, how is that fixed? Leaving in a container of injector cleaner or do need a new injector?
 
A cleaning kit will cost you the price of a set of injectors. I never recommend replacing a single injector except for testing purposes and diagnosing them isn't even easy.
 
I would remove, clean, and dry out the spark plugs. Extended periods of cranking can wet the spark plugs and the excess fuel will drain into the oil.

I would wonder if the fuel injectors are the wrong type or flow rate, or are just plain garbage.

I bought an XJ that sat under a tree for three years. After it was fixed, it started right up and I drove to gas station for fresh gas. I doubt the extended storage has much if any relevance to the symptoms you described, other than the immediate start up issues caused by the PCM reboot. The reboot symptoms will clear up after a short drive.



I would also consider the possibility that the head installation may have been poorly done and you are seeing coolant coming out the exhaust pipe.
 
Thank you for the insight and time you took to write it.

Let me start with the last comment. I bought a TUPY head used. Took it to my local cylinder head shop and he refurbished it, put new seals in it and tested it. All good. A friend of mine and I installed the head. FelPro gasket kit, cleaned everything while apart and put back together. Put a new precat pipe on it which I should not have done. I've now got something hitting it underneath. (Always something)

Drove over to the tire shop today. The old ones were dry rotted. Previous to that, changed the oil...pretty much full of gas and new plugs.

So, drive over, it was ragged on acceleration and getting to speed was leisurely. Not all that fast. Kept an eye on the oil pressure.

Hard start but the white smoke was gone. Not coolant, definitely gassy in smell!!!

What are the steps forward?

1. I'm going to put in replacement fuel injectors. Having them cleaned would still give me the old injectors which in hindsight and comment above might not be right. Rock Auto sells VDO among others. Any issues with those?

2. Get the muffler fixed next week, so I need to move on the injectors.

Anything else?
 
Sounds like a stuck injector to me. JHC7399 over on CherokeeForum.com sells refurbished, flow matched 4-hole Bosch for a good price. Lots of people reporting good luck with those (myself included. Ksuspension sells them too. Avoid the crap knock-offs on eBay.
 
Exactly on point. I just took a look at my PM's on Cherokee Forum and I did buy the injectors that are in the vehicle from JHC.

So, the question is going to be do I have them cleaned or do I buy a new set. I don't know what the cost differential is yet at this point. That will drive the decision I think.

Thank you.
 
Just to provide a conclusion, the last injector next to the firewall smelled of gas when pulled. All the other ones were fairly dry.

I went to the local Pullapart and disassembled several vheicles with factory injectors. Picked the best ones that weren't cracked and with the softest o-rings. (The ones I had in the vehicle were replacement Bosch 4 hole injectors)

Installed those the used ones, changed the oil...again...and it runs without issue. No hesitation, smoke or other issues.

Thank you for those who provided answers as without your input, I would never have been able to diagnose this particular vexing issue. Thank you!
 
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