96 xj runs really rough and bucks at lower RPM

[juicebox]

ok so i have an update on the xj. not the best news but im getting somewhere.

i ended up testing both the crank sensor and tps. both were giving me weird readings from what i think they should have been. i ended up picking up a new crank sensor for a good price. after i installed the new sensor (witch is a pain by the way) the jeep seems to run better wile driving but also seems to idle a little rougher.
the jeep runs smoother wile driving down the road but will still bog down and jump around when its held around 2000 rpm.

does anybody else have any more ideas. im going to replace the tps next pay day since it gave me weird readings too.

 

[oldseddie]

As mentioned previously this could be caused by distributer needing indexing for cam position sensor. If the injectors are spraying at the wrong time it causes all kinds of weirdness that mimics tips problems.

 

[juicebox]

so guys i think i may have solved my problem and im almost embarrassed to say how easy and simple of a fix it was. wile i was trying to index the distributor i noticed to wires on both ends of the cam position sensor connecter had dry rotted and the wire cover had came off. the wires were shorting together and causing the cam sensor to have false reading.
i ended up just cutting the connector out and hard-wireing the sensor directly into the harness. the engine runs smooth now through the entire rev range.

i wouldnt think that the sensor shorting would cause all my problems but as of now it has been. just wanted to give feedback to the fix and to let others know of possible thing to check.

again thanks for all of the replies.

 

[Runnin'OnEmpty]

Good catch! And thanks for posting your results.

My 96 is on it's third cam sensor, and it only has
64K miles on it. One of mine had questionable
wiring just like yours...

 

[juicebox]

well guys looks like i spoke to soon. the xj drove great for about 20 miles then started to act up again. this time i checked the codes and now i only have missfire codes on cylinder 1 and 6. i think 6 could be because of a very weak lifter i found wile i had the valve cover off. still going to mess around with the wireing to make shure that is not the problem.

like i said it drove great untill i stopped at a red light and felt the motor to run rough again and the mil light come on. ran codes and have a mulitple missfire code and missfires on 1 and 6.

 

[Wayne Sihler]

Were the wires removed from the injectors when doing the head work?
On my 96 the connections between the injector and harness work themselves loose over time and I get the misfire codes.A good contact cleaning and tweak of the contacts helps,,so do the wire ties that hold the two together.

 

[juicebox]

yes i did disconect all injectors when replacing the head. ill have to check that tomorrow.

i also wanted to swap around some injectors to make shure that wasnt the problem as well