DFlintstone

mini, more about HOW it cuts out might be helpful. Like does it sputter or miss, anything that points to the engine quiting, or does it smoothly bog down, like something in the automatic trans. bringing the engine to a stop? If it is due, IE, something you need to do anyway, you might want to go ahead and service your trans, just in case that clears it up.

With an automatic I guess I would rule out some odd problem like something in the drive binding up. That might drag it down, but with an automatic shouldn't kill it.

Take a set of jumper cables. Connect both clamps on one end to good clean metal on the engine. On the other end, connect one clamp to the Bat. Neg.(ground term.), and the last, (most important!) to a good chassy ground and try it like that. Unlikely, but a 2 minute test to rule out a bad chassey ground.

Slick761

Good call. I don't even want to touch this one without MORE INFORMATION!

cruiser54

Me neither.

supermini99

So whats that got to do with anything im posting this issue im having on here to see if anyone has any idea on whats going on with my jeep..

supermini99

When I put my jeep into reverse the jeep will only go to 1k rpm after that the jeep starts to buck back and forth and cuts out real bad.No backfiring just cutting out like its telling the ECU no more fuel if i keep trying to push the limits give it more gas the jeep eventually dies. Then when i put it back into drive after ttrying to push the limit in reverse it runs fine may bog a little but eventually clears out. Ive raised the jeep in the air and rotated everything and there seems to be no binding as for the bell housing bolts there fine. I also cleaned all the ground in the engine bay,cleaned the throttle body/all the sensors and still does the same thing this is why i am posting on a Cherokee forum to see if anyone has ne more ideas

Slick761

Bellhousing bolts might be fine but I think what flinstone was talkin about would be the torque converter bolts. Did you take the inspection plate off? Cruiser I know the nss has a circuit for every gear, I know you are very good with the electronics in these. Could a bad leg in the R portion of the nss cause something like this?

supermini99

The inspection plate is at the bottom of the transmission correct? The way it looks i can see what looks to be my flywheel If so yeah its been off since i bought the jeep ill try and tighten those bolts up

cruiser54

Yes, and we're giving you ideas. You must sometimes do certain things to eliminate them as possibilities. Both Flintstone and myself have given you things to try, things that don't cost a dime and we've learned from experience. Slick has, too. YOU need to put some effort into this. It's YOUR Jeep sitting in YOUR driveway. If you're expecting some "silver bullet" cure that you'll obtain using only a keyboard and monitor, let me know so I can unsubscribe from this thread.

DFlintstone

Guess this thread will out-live us, even suppermini.

"Someone on one of the forums found their engine to bell housing bolts loose causing this very same problem." That one wasn't mine but sounds worth checken....I see you did. These electrical wizards gave me an idea, check your backup lights. If somehow your trany has electrical control and there is a switch that gets switched when you put it in reverse...If they are working right that would be a sigh at least that wire isn't in the wrong place.

Also I'm still beating that drum, add a ground from your engine to the chassy. I don't care if the other looks OK. It's as easy as clamping on some jumper cables, just take a minute, then you will have shut me up!


"may bog a little but eventually clears out" (in drive) Mine did that.

A really easy check:
There is a gang of wires coming up the front of the engine that run up around the manifold heat shield to the injectors. (at least there is on my 90). The edge of that shield can cut into those wires, sometimes causing all sorts of problems. Mine blew the mouse nest in the air cleaner out through my front grille. Drove through the confetti! No sign of mouse. I moved the wires up an inch and secured them with a zip tie.

In reverse your engine torques the other way. (that's why I want the extra ground). Maybe there is some other wire/wires geting pulled. Power-brake it in reverse with the hood up and see how much the engine moves. Maybe you have a bad engine mount.

supermini99

Best thing said so far in this thread i will check all this out tommrow! But when u say bell housing bolts are these the bolts that are visible under the jeep and there the bolts on what looks to be the flywheel if so what shhould i torque them down too? And as for the reverse lights i have a reverse light out weird you mentioned that ill check that as well. For the harness that goes down in front of the intake manifold there is a wire thats wrapped up in shiny tape that goes all the way up the engine bay but from what i see it goes to the coolent temp sensor (bottom driver side first sensor under the car) ill check all these out tommrow

And on a short note sorry if i came off a little rude on one of the previous posts i didn't mean it. Im still new to my jeep still learning what does what on it doing research and trying different things out. But thanks everyone so far for the help its appreciated

Slick761

Bell housing is where trans bolts to back of engine. Torque is 30ftlbs. Flexplate to torque converter is 40 ftlbs (have to take inspection plate on the bottom front of bellhousing off). Neutral safety switch controls back up lights among other things... Location I believe is driver side of trans. There is a harness going to it.

DFlintstone

Thanks, "water under the bridge" Do remember we aren't getting paid or anything. Mine was a gang of a bunch of wires nearly the size of my pinky, about an inch. (KIDDING!) Was easy for me to miss, (for over a year), because it was on the bottom that the sharp edge of the heat shield was cutting into, only a little, sometimes. (you might not even have a heat shield).
Yea, the bolts that hold the motor to the trans. I'm about ready to head to Nantuckett and add that ground myself!

cruiser54

These Jeeps are NOTORIOUS for a poorly designed and underdesigned grouning system which gave us fits at the dealership when they were new. Add 20 years to that and guess what? They're now worse. Refreshing grounds is the number one thing to do to a newly acquired Renix Jeep if you intend on keeping it.

That involves removing the nut at the dipstick tube stud, scraping the paint and gunk off the block at the stud, polishing up the ring terminals on the wires (soldering the terminations ain't a bad idea either), and reattaching.
Wanna do better? Add a cable from that stud to the 8mm stud on the passenger inner fender below the upper shock mount.

Now go the the POS braided strap on the firewall. Remove the bolt using a 15mm wrench. Scrape the paint off down to bare metal. I add a #4 cable from the firewall to the rearmost attaching bolt of the fuel rail on the intake manifold. Be sure to leave enough slack for engine movement.

supermini99

So a update I went under the Cherokee today and torqued down the torque converter bolts down to 40lbs.BUT looked at the bell housing and you guys are right i think this could be my issue but dont know for sure yet the bell housing to the back of the block/motor has play like it is loose I see two bolts and cant see the rest. If i push up where the inspect plate is supposed to be i can see the tranny and motor moving in between there. Im going to take it top my nearest 4x4 shop tomorrow i hope this is my issue and i can get it fixed once and for all

DFlintstone

Cruiser You might not want to drive it like that, you are lucky if it hasn't already F***d something up. Can you tighten them at all? Just in snug would be a great improvement. AND ...well done. Took you long enough, but you did it!