thanks guys! my daily is a 97 civic so i do have a car for work and picking up parts. the jeep is just my winter truck. i picked up a new cap rotor and plug wires before work. will replace in the morning and give a update. and i am going to grab a scanner from my fathers house. ill keep posted. thanks for all the input!

 

ok little update. i just got the new cap, rotor and wires on. nothing has changed.
i had the jeep running with the hood popped. jiggled some of the wire harness around and it died like it would if i were driving. if i touched the air box or wires i would hear the fuel pump relay or ignition relay clicking and the pump would prime again. so im guessing i have a bad wire somewhere? this is super annoying!!!

PS: after the jeep died the odometer read "no bus" other than that i cant get it to display any codes or anything. if i hold the trip reset and turn key to on then off as i still hold it it will read 2.4 for whatever that stands for....

 

have you checked the grounds????

 

1. You cannot get codes on a 99 without a scan tool or a code reader. The luxury of using the odometer technique went away in mid-1997.

2. Refresh your grounds. Use the pics CCKen provided to you

3. If you can wiggle a wiring harness and it creates a symptom, concentrate on that area. Cause and effect principle.

 

Huh.. Good to know! Thanks.

 

C-Ken, that braided firewall ground on a 97-99 is for radio only? Not crucial?

 

According to the 1999 FSM, Section 8F, Audio Systems, The braided ground strap is one of the radio noise suppression devices external to the radio internal circuitry. Other radio external noise suppression devices are:

Radio Antenna Base Ground,
Radio Receiver Chassis ground wire or strap,
Resistor-type spark plugs, and
Radio suppression-type secondary ignition wiring.

Not listed in Section 8F that I found interesting in Section 8D, Ignition System, is that the tip of the distributor rotor is silicone-dielectric-varnish-compound coated for radio interference noise suppression. The FSM states that if the tip of the rotor appears charred, do not remove the charred compound. Go figure...

The FSM says no more about the braided strap other than what is in Section 8D. I think, however, that this strap may serve more purpose than just radio interference suppression. It could be, however, that the OBDII Cherokees had revised ground points from previous years and as a result this strap no longer serves as a critical chassis/engine ground path.

Edit: Now that I think about it, I think that ground cable at G100 was added to provide the main ground path to chassis ground points and that this braided strap is there to pick up ignition noise, not as an engine-to-chassis ground path.

Here's a test that can be performed to see if the ground path of this strap to G100 and G101 are good:

97 + XJ Body Ground Connection Test

This test checks the condition of the vehicle body ground connection (Braided cable on firewall to engine cylinder head bolt). This test should be performed with the battery positive cable removed from the battery.

Start: Disconnect both battery cables, the negative cable first, then the positive cable. Reconnect the battery negative cable and perform the test as follows:

(1) Connect one ohmmeter test lead to the vehicle fender. Connect the other test lead to the battery negative post.

(2) The resistance should be less than one ohm.

(3) If the resistance is more than one ohm, check the braided ground strap connected to the engine cylinder head and the vehicle body for being loose, corroded, or damaged. Repair or replace the ground strap connection and replace bolt at firewall connection or nut at engine cylinder head bolt connection, if required.

Finish: Disconnect the negative battery cable. Reconnect positive battery cable, and then connect the negative battery cable.

 

im taking it in to a shop to have them look it over, this weather and my work schedule just arent working for me.

 

1999 cherokee sport for sale! haha -_- but for real tho

 

It's not your DD so just work on it as you can. The simple plugs/cap/rotor replacement didn't work so do what has been suggested - check and clean your grounds and focus on that harness area. Follow the wires and see of there are any problem areas.

 

we getting 9" of snow as we speak. so now i have no daily haha. id rather have a shop tell me the exact problem rather than dumping another $300 into the thing with no results. its not worth it to me. as im just going to sell it come spring