BabeDaBlueOx

Ok . . Deep Breath .. Just picked up a 1988 Jeep Pioneer 4x4 , shes super clean inside, outside needs a lil love but the body is straight . She was sitting for about 3 months before we grabbed her. We took her home , changed out the oil, flushed the radiator and cooling system , ( which was a freeeking pain in the *** mind you , I had to go from the bottom of the radiator , thank you to whomever posted that thread ) . Installed the rear window , got all the lights and every thing working so she can drive on the street . Every thing was feelin good , smooth , I was all proud and ****e .. And then today , on the way up the mountain we started slidin around on the ice, after 2 lil fish tails we decided to pull over and put her in 4 wheel drive. ( DUH).. We started back up the hill , and we just died as soon as we crested , just , suddenly. It was not the alternator , or the started , or the battery , all of those things are in working order and new. I DID put in a botle of lucas with my full tank this morning before we left , that is the only thing .. SO, in theory , i could be full of it , I want to say its the fuel filter , or the fuel pump . There is not a hint of the smell of fuel even when i hold the gas down .. All lines seem to be solid , no pinches or leaks ..BUT , im stuck on the side of a high *** snowy mountain , and I dont want to drop a gas tank on the side of the highway if it is the fuel pump .. NOW , if i were to get a fuel filter , COULD that solve the problem on a temporary basis ( enough to drive about 60 miles or so ) , or should i just invest in the tow truck ??? Im not ballin so im trying to do this on a budget , but do it right as well ... Any suggestions ? thoughts? Ideas ?

+++SIDE NOTE , this is going to be an ongoing project , so any advice or jeep love would be greatly appreciated ..

BabeDaBlueOx

Was thinking the Lucas unding some gum and grime and it plugged the filter , is that a feesable thought ?

+++SIDE NOTE .... COULD it even be the O2 Sensor ???

Gee oh Dee

You really need to take a chill pill and ease up.

Do some diagnosing.

Check for GOOD fuel pressure at the schroeder valve on your fuel rail. It'll look like a tire valve stem.

Also, check for GOOD spark at the plugs. Should be bright blue/white and very snappy. Not yellow orange or anything.

Go from there.

I'll be real honest, I'd be trying to find a cheap/easy tow home where its easier to work on a vehicle, instead of fixing on the side of the road. But thats just me.

BabeDaBlueOx

Well yeah , obviously finding a tow home is the best route, not always an option though . And I did do some diagnosing , its not spark , or alternator , or starter . Ruled those out , checked the fuel lines , those seemed solid, Posotive there is gas in the tank . What I was asking is if the filter could potentially be a temporary solution. I did not smell any fuel at all when I cranked it over . Which leads me to believe it is what it is . Was simply asking for thoughts and or confermation that this is a feesable theory . And as for taking a chill pill , my daily drive that i just purchased 4 days ago is stuck on the top of a high *** snowy mountain pass , and im starting a job out there this week and im not ballin , so im trying to make this work . chill pills are not on the menu till she is back in my garage , just sayin , im here cuz i could use a lil help , straight up .

Gee oh Dee

And I'm saying, straight up, chill pill is whats gonna help. But I'm not gonna argue that.

It could be something as common as a crank position sensor not giving the system a signal to give spark or injector pulse.

What diagnostics have you done? If you've done any, you need to tell us all of what you've done. This is the internet. Diagnosing vehicle trouble is very difficult with minimal information and feedback.

A fuel filter is most likely not your problem.

AMG

So have you tested the spark with a spare spark plug? I am wondering if it might not be your distributor cap and rotor button.

mudderx

Could be 20+ years of crud in the tank plugging the fuel pick up? You fishtailed good a few times and now it wont run. Did you try pouring a little gas down the carb? throttle body? Could also be your carb (if you have one) is gummed up or the float is plugged.

schutbe

if you have an inline six cylinder it is pretty easy to check and see if your fuel filter is clogged if you don't have a fuel pressure gauge it is uder your jeep closer to the fuel tank mounted on the inside of your frame rail, pull it out and try blowing throw it the direction the fuel flows and you will tell if its plugged or not. it is something that can make your jeep stop running to but most of the time it stop off by making your jeep run rough but always worth checking out.

whidbeyislandxj

Try bypassing ur ballast resistor, its on the drivers side fender near the air box, its ceramic with 2 wires goin in it., my jeep stopped running, i thought it was fuel pump cause it didnt make any noise, i bypassed the ballast resistor and it ran till i got a new one 2 days later, just a thought if u think its the fuel pump.

The Blacksmith

AAA is cheap man. Nobody should leave home without it.

BabeDaBlueOx

(This is the misses now.) The only diagnostics that we've been able to do is check the battery, alternator and spark plugs.

We GAVE IT GAS when we were tryin' to start it up, probably the fourth or fifth time. And smelled NO gas at all! None whatsoever. The fuel pump was also not making the little 2 second "hey I'm working" noise that it does when you turn the key in the ignition. Fuel pump or something else? (Pardon my non-technical terminology, first car I've ever worked on, still a newbie.)

Haven't checked the schroeder valve yet, or poured gas down the throttle body or carb. Any other ideas?

alsxj

I would first check what people have stated already. Check the fuel schroeder valve on the fuel rail to see if you are getting any thing to the injectors at least. Its easy turn the key to run, then just unscrew the little cap off and push the valve in.
I put a red circle around the valve in the picture below if you don't know where it is.

If no fuel squits out go to the fuel filter like stated, take it blow through it, and when you have the filter out, turn the key on to run for a sec and watch the fuel line coming from the tank to see if the pump is pumping any fuel out. If all checks out then check your spark. The engine is cranking right?

mudderx

You should also check all of your fuses and relays, clean them up with a fine sandpaper/emery cloth and put them back if there good, even if it isnt the problem it wont hurt and most of the engine management systems are electrical so it could be something that simple. Does your fuel pump get power? If it starts and runs for a sec after you pour a SMALL (1-2oz) amount of fuel in the tb its a fuel problem (pump,filter). And not to be a pain in the *** but your not really giving us much info to help you, details are important, the more you tell these guys the more help you will get and there are some crazy smart people here.

alsxj

Speaking of fuses and relays check the fuel pump ballast resistor. Its on the driver side fender towards the front by the airbox. It looks sorta like this

Make sure the connecters are on it tight and make sure its not cracked, if it is cracked or broken, replace it. Its only a couple of bucks.

mudderx

And unscrew it and look at the back of it, it has a spring like fusable link in it. If that is corroded or burnt in any way hook the two wires together until you get it home. I forgot all about those, I had one on an old ford and had the same type problem. I forgot about it until I saw this...