wavingpine11
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Central PA
This actually isn't an issue anymore, but I thought I would describe my symptoms and the fix in case anyone else is experiencing this cold weather problem.
First off, my brother had been borrowing my 98 4.0 AW4 equipped second XJ since last May. I got it back to get it inspected, and have now had it back (keeping it now) since Thanksgiving. My brother said that the battery was in poor shape, and true to his word, if you left the interior lights on for a few minutes, the thing just wouldn't start. So it started poorly in the cold anyway due to not holding a good charge. But then, as of last week, it decided it didn't want to keep running after it started when it was cold out.
Because I knew the battery was on its way out, I wondered if that was part of the problem. However, I noticed that if I started it, then immediately gave it enough throttle to simulate a high idle, and held it there until the vehicle warmed up, then it would generally keep running.
So even though I was concerned about the battery, I also held the idle air control valve suspect. I bought a new one for about $90 at a local parts store, installed it, and the problem has been corrected. The business part of the old valve was covered in soot, but aside from that just looked like the new one.
I was going to add that the thing started and ran fine before it suddenly developed this issue, but now that I'm thinking about it, the idle was actually never very steady before. Even with the vehicle warm.
So the symptoms started as poor idle control, which I didn't pay much attention to, then progressed to an instant stall condition upon starting when cold in the mornings. In the afternoons, after work, it would still start without problem.
I replaced the IAC and the problem was resolved.
--wp11
First off, my brother had been borrowing my 98 4.0 AW4 equipped second XJ since last May. I got it back to get it inspected, and have now had it back (keeping it now) since Thanksgiving. My brother said that the battery was in poor shape, and true to his word, if you left the interior lights on for a few minutes, the thing just wouldn't start. So it started poorly in the cold anyway due to not holding a good charge. But then, as of last week, it decided it didn't want to keep running after it started when it was cold out.
Because I knew the battery was on its way out, I wondered if that was part of the problem. However, I noticed that if I started it, then immediately gave it enough throttle to simulate a high idle, and held it there until the vehicle warmed up, then it would generally keep running.
So even though I was concerned about the battery, I also held the idle air control valve suspect. I bought a new one for about $90 at a local parts store, installed it, and the problem has been corrected. The business part of the old valve was covered in soot, but aside from that just looked like the new one.
I was going to add that the thing started and ran fine before it suddenly developed this issue, but now that I'm thinking about it, the idle was actually never very steady before. Even with the vehicle warm.
So the symptoms started as poor idle control, which I didn't pay much attention to, then progressed to an instant stall condition upon starting when cold in the mornings. In the afternoons, after work, it would still start without problem.
I replaced the IAC and the problem was resolved.
--wp11