XJ4LIFE52

My 2001 XJ has had the same problem for a while now. After turning the motor over for about 10 to 15 seconds it will finally get a spark and fire up. It has fuel pressure as soon as I turn the key. I've also tested the fuel pressure which was good. I know its a ignition/spark problem but can't seem to pinpoint the culprit. Once running she runs strong like there is no power loss.

Here is a list of parts I've replaced recently.
Crank position sensor
Ignition coil
Rebuilt injectors
New Bosch fuel pump
New autolight plugs
Cam position sensor

I am almost positive it is an electrical issue. My next guess is the ECU. I am sick of throwing parts and money at it. PLEASE HELP!!

413maxwedge

How much did you yank on the plug boots and springs,and are the originals?(replace them if they are old if you want can't hurt)You say coil did you replace the whole thing or just one?What is the plug gap,champions are the best plugs for it but what you have will be alright.Are you sure you got the right plugs also?Only asking questions.

BuckB91XJ

Do you remember if you had this problem before swapping out your Fuel Pump? This is a typical symptom of the one way check valve being bad in your fuel pump. That is a valve that prevents all of the fuel from draining back into the fuel tank when the Jeep sits in between starts.

tjwalker

You have addressed the usual suspects to be sure.

Don't know if this will help, but if this were my vehicle, I would freshen my grounds. I saw similar symptoms once in an older XJ and fresh grounds helped dramatically.
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Grounds can be the root cause of many electrical gremlins. Refreshing grounds is NEVER a bad idea, and the investment of your time in this procedure is always well worth it!

You can't tell much of anything by looking at ground connections!! You must remove, scrape, clean until shiny the cable/wire ends and whatever they bolt to. Be sure to remove all paint from any ground connections.

Start with the one on the back corner of the head, and where it attaches to the firewall, as it deteriorates over time and is an area that makes it susceptible to damage. Best to replace that woven cable with a #4 or #2 gauge cable. You can attach the one end to the intake manifold if you would like.

Next go over to the engine dipstick tube stud. Remove the nut and clean the wire ends and scrape the block until shiny at the stud. Reattach tightly.

If you are so inclined, add at least a #6 cable from the negative terminal of your battery to one of the bolts on your radiator support.

XJ4LIFE52

I've replaced the entire coil. It comes as a brand new unit from jeep "mopar", so everything on it was new. Still, same issue. I also put an after market check valve and sifter screens on the pump when I replaced the pump(forgot to add that to my list). Still, same issue.
I have not checked the grounds yet, but will tomorrow. However the only way I could see that causing a problem is if the grounds for the coils are bad. But I'm definitely going to check.

I still think its an electrical issue. Every time I start it, it smells like fuel. Out of the exhaust. So it has fuel pressure, just no spark....

I appreciate you guys helping me trying to diagnose my problem! Hope we can figure it out!