1989 4.0L Cherokee crank/start/revving issues.
03-07-2018, 02:23 PM
#1
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Year: 1989
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0 L
1989 4.0L Cherokee crank/start/revving issues.
So I just purchased a 1989 Cherokee 4.0 on Sunday, drove it for 30 minutes and seemed to run great. However on the way back home it killed on me once, but immediately fired back up afterwords till I got home and parked it. Now my XJ sometimes starts, other times doesn't, and when it does start it has a choppy rev when I give it gas but a smooth idle. So far I have replaced the fuel filter, ignition coil, & ignition control module. The fuel pump Is buzzing in the back so I havnt touched that yet. Spark plugs look good and so do the wires, cap, & rotor. Any other suggestions?
03-07-2018, 05:54 PM
#3
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Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
I'd be a bit nervous about that noisy fuel pump. A fuel pump that gets noisier over time can indicate failure in the near future.
You could check fuel pressure (31 psi at idle, 39 psi with vacuum line leading to the regulator disconnected), but for peace of mind, may want to swap that pump out with a Bosch. Never install an Airtex fuel pump on the XJ. Search for lots of stories on that.
Freshening grounds, cleaning idle air control and throttle body, you have a little work ahead of you.
And yes, definitely check out cruiser54's site as noted by freegdr. He knows your vintage XJ very well and has a wealth of information and tips on his site. You will want to BOOKMARK that site for future reference.
http://cruiser54.com/
Good luck, enjoy your XJ!
You could check fuel pressure (31 psi at idle, 39 psi with vacuum line leading to the regulator disconnected), but for peace of mind, may want to swap that pump out with a Bosch. Never install an Airtex fuel pump on the XJ. Search for lots of stories on that.
Freshening grounds, cleaning idle air control and throttle body, you have a little work ahead of you.
And yes, definitely check out cruiser54's site as noted by freegdr. He knows your vintage XJ very well and has a wealth of information and tips on his site. You will want to BOOKMARK that site for future reference.
http://cruiser54.com/
Good luck, enjoy your XJ!
Last edited by tjwalker; 03-07-2018 at 06:01 PM.
03-07-2018, 10:38 PM
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Year: 1989
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0 L
Figured it out y'all, it was a bad crankshaft position sensor, specifically the cable that runs to the sensor from the clip. It looked like over the almost 30 years this cable got eaten up by oil, and road grime. I bought some plastic cable wrap to put around the new sensor cable to help prevent this from failing in the future. Thanks for the advice guys!
03-08-2018, 06:02 AM
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Year: 1990
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0
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