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94 Cherokee wont start intermittent sputter

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Old Jan 9, 2015 | 06:03 PM
  #1  
MonacaYankee's Avatar
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From: Georgia
Year: 99 94
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: I6
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I was driving along slowing down for a red light and my 94 cherokee shutoff and stranded me on the side of the road. I had a buddy yank me to a parking lot.

It intermittently sputters when trying to start it. It has started with my foot halfway on the gas, reved up to around 3k or so then immediately back to 0.
Has started and idled without shutting off twice. Both times I shut it off to see if it would restart and both times it would not. And reverts back to sputtering or just trying to start.

Check engine light flashes when trying to start it. Fuel pressure is good. It shoots out a stream across the engine bay from the fuel rail valve.

I did not check for spark, it obviously gets intermittent spark. It has spark plugs/cap/rotor with 5k on them but unknown plug wire miles. New tps sensor a few weeks ago.

Last edited by MonacaYankee; Jan 9, 2015 at 06:07 PM.
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Old Jan 9, 2015 | 08:05 PM
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From: North Carolina
Year: 1996
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Engine: 4.0 L V6
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Did you have any abnormal indications during your drive prior to the stop? ie: sputtering, abnormal throttling, etc.

Sounds to me like a fuel problem and my first guess was a pump or even filter, however you said you've pressure.
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Old Jan 9, 2015 | 09:40 PM
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From: Georgia
Year: 99 94
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Originally Posted by macgyver
Did you have any abnormal indications during your drive prior to the stop? ie: sputtering, abnormal throttling, etc. Sounds to me like a fuel problem and my first guess was a pump or even filter, however you said you've pressure.
Nope, just quit on me. I just put a new fuel pump and filter on it in the parking lot and it is doing the same thing.
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Old Jan 9, 2015 | 10:58 PM
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I'm kind of new to mechanics, but your problem sounds similar to mine -- what happened to my '96 cherokee is that with the winter weather, water was getting into my ignition coil due to cracks. The coil was stock so it lasted a long time -- but same symptoms. Sputter, shutoff, and no-start. Easy fix, just have two wrenches and a second person to hold the rear bolt on the little bracket that holds the ignition coil in because they're more than likely rusted to hell.

Good luck.
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Old Jan 9, 2015 | 11:57 PM
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From: Georgia
Year: 99 94
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Yeah I have read that the ignition coil or cps sensor can be causing these symptoms. I am probably going to change the coil and hope it will run better. I can change the coil easily in the parking lot so we will see.

I just fired it up in the parking lot and it ran and drove around good. I don't want to try driving it out of the parking lot and risk breaking down on the road though.
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Old Jan 10, 2015 | 11:30 AM
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From: Georgia
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Started up today and drove 100ft before shutting off. Going to replace the cps. It shuts off just like turning the key. Trying to restart and it sputters. Got it running once after and it was backfiring with little pops.
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Old Jan 11, 2015 | 07:38 PM
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From: Georgia
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Replaced the cps today. Took a few tries to get it started. Finally it fired up and I drove it home. Drove it several times today..no other problems.
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