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View Full Version : at wits end, ready to part her out....



robselina
08-01-2005, 03:53 PM
This is REALLY pissing me off. I've @#$#@$% had it with this POS and am ready to go buy a subaru wagon that will probably serve us better anyway....that takes $$$ though and if I can save this thing, I'd rather do that, here's the deal:

6-8 months or so ago, it developed a running problem. Once you'd driven about 30-40 miles, the engine would start to run very oddly. The engine would run for 1 second, then be off for 1 second. This was totally independent of load, speed, tranny gear, etc. Once it developed that problem, you had it for the rest of the day, even if the vehicle was left for an hour to sit. In the morning though, it was usually fine.

Anyway, no codes so started replacing parts. Did 02 sensor, TPS, AIC, coil, fuel pump, fuel filter, fuel pump relays, ignition relays, plugs, wires, cap, rotor, catalytic converter and probably a few other things I'm forgetting. The problem would appear to go away then come back. We noticed it was fouling fuel filters very quickly (within 2 days) and flushed out the tank and that problem has stopped (fouling filters I mean).

About two months ago it developed a new intermittent trick: leaving stop lights or signs, it would suddenly die. Very quickly, as if you had just shut off the ignition. No warning, no hesitation or other problems, it would just quit. Both problems hung around for a while and then it started to get really bad with the dying. If you even touched the gas it would stall out. No code but the crank position sensor didn't seem to be spitting out info so we replaced it. Wasn't dying leaving lights for a couple of days but instead would refuse to start. I didn't seem to have power in the cab and sure enough if I would even touch my ground at the battery it would set the silent alarm off (like when you reconnect the battery). Anyway, connections were all tight and the battery was about 12 months old so I replaced it and it's been starting fine since. Took it on it's first trip out of town after that and 70 miles out of town the idler pulley seizes and spits of the serpentine belt, have to get towed home. Anyway, that's another rant altogether since I replaced the @#$#@ idler and belt about 3 months ago but what was noteworthy is that it died again on that trip as I limped onto the onramp. Got it fixed just before the weekend and it died on me again today leaving a stop light.

Sorry for the long post but I wanted to have some background history on what it's been doing for hte last six months incase it's pertinent...so, what would cause the engine to die when leaving from a full stop?

As I said above, I replaced the TPS...could the TPS cause an engine to stop completely? With the issue with the battery I've wondered if I could have a faulty/intermittent ground, but none of her issues seem vibration dependent.

thoughts anyone?

OverkillZJ
08-01-2005, 03:56 PM
Does sound electrical... Hell, do our ECU's go bad sometimes?

Jeepinparrothead
08-01-2005, 04:00 PM
Yes the ECU goes bad it will make it do really wierd things like that. So maybe I would look into that. Not cheap however. As a mopar is around 360, but it might fix the problem all together.

robselina
08-01-2005, 04:56 PM
I've been considering it. I think NAPA can test my ECU for standard operation, but if it's intermittent then who knows....

LouisianaZJ
08-01-2005, 05:30 PM
i have heard of similar problems

couple xj guys had the stall out after the engine heating up, ened up beng wires that were resting on the intake manifold and meted once they got hot. i would try to go thru some of the exposed wires and check for cuts or melted parts

i would also try to swap in an ecu from another zj for the day to see if that is i before you buy shit

zjeepin
08-02-2005, 03:57 PM
i had a similar problem with an xj i swapped an entire drivetrain into. Drove me crazy for a couple of weeks until i noticed the ground wire on the block, right beside the oil filter was loose. You've had alot of work done on the that thing, what i'd do is go under the hood while its running and wiggle wires and look around you'll probably find the sudden dying problem is very simple.. The loose ground was going into the alt and ended up toasting the terminal on the alt dammit.

robselina
08-03-2005, 06:31 PM
i had a similar problem with an xj i swapped an entire drivetrain into. Drove me crazy for a couple of weeks until i noticed the ground wire on the block, right beside the oil filter was loose. You've had alot of work done on the that thing, what i'd do is go under the hood while its running and wiggle wires and look around you'll probably find the sudden dying problem is very simple.. The loose ground was going into the alt and ended up toasting the terminal on the alt dammit.

I'll check the grounds tonight, see if I get lucky!