Its happened twice. Hood wasnt even opened and sprayed under... Any thoughts?

 

The washing and the dying may just be coincidence? Is there any other indication of what might be wrong, like dash lights or weird smells or sounds or anything? What happens when you turn the key to start? Did it die while driving or just not start at all after the wash? Hard to say with the little info provided. My first instinct was that water got splashed up onto something electrical from underneath or in the wheel wells, like distributor or coil wires or alternator wires or something. Does it work fine after it dries out? More specific info/description of the problem will get more specific answers!

 

My buddys ride hes all pissy so im havin trouble gettin info. He washed it and drove it a mile or two and it died, no lights on in the dash. He had this problem once before and took every wire connector apart and dryed them. Didnt help, had to let it set a day or two to restart. Jeep runs tip top, no hacked wires or anything, its unmolested.

 

It turns over, no fire. Fuel pump is workin, idk ab spark but its weird that it starts at the carwash and dies after gettin on the highway... Where is that water going to make it not run.... Ya know...

 

ya hard to say. did he get water in the gas, like there's a hole in a filler tube or something? Does he have any modifications like a cowl intake or hood vents that might let water get where it shouldn't be? If it cranks that rules some things out. How old are his plugs, wires, distributor cap/rotor etc? If it worked again after a day or two and runs fine until he washes it again, it definitely sounds like the water was the culprit; and if drying the wires didn't help it could be something like a sensor or switch like the IAC, TPS, NSS or maybe even shorting O2 sensors? Did he spray up from underneath or just the top and sides? Tell him without more info it's just random guessing (or a job for some kind of psychic medium lady), and to quit washing it if the jeep doesn't like water!

 

Lol.

Its totaly stock. He did spray underneath. Hes got a code now. Intermittent cam crank signal lost. I think im going to have to go fix it for him. Hes all boo hooey right now... Good lord

 

I never had that problem. Maybe because I haven't washed mine going on 3 years...

 

Well at least you have something to go on now that it gave you a code! Might just be water getting in the wire harness. If it tests fine maybe just try some dielectric grease in the connector?

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f51/testing-cps-5563/

 

Might be onto something here. If he is getting the P1391 code, I'd start by unplugging the crankshaft position sensor connector under the hood, thoroughly spray the connector with electrical contact cleaner, add a dab of dielectric grease to the connector and reconnect. Could do the same thing with the connector for the camshaft position sensor while you're at it.

Also ask him how old his distributor cap is. That is another thing that hates water. If it has 50k or more on it, swap it out and any other tuneup parts that also may need replacing. Not a root cause for that code; just something to consider when under the hood.

 

All, i repeat all the plugs were dryed and inspected, cap and rotor plugs and wire were all replaced, i believe im going to have to trace the wires from the cam and crank sensors for bad spots... All connections are dry and good, last time too.

 

I'm curious as to what the result of this will be... I have a 96 cherokee that had a similar problem. I had it out for a day in the woods... and it stalled out in a mud hole. I let it sit for a little and it started back up and ran fine for the rest of the day until I took oit to the car wash and sprayed all the mud off it. after that I couldnt get it to start again... whatever happened I cant get a spark anymore.

I've replaced everything short of the coil so far (coil passed the multimeter test per the hayes manual)...cap, rotor, plug, wires were all recently replaced prior to the issue but were clean, dry, and looked to be in okay condition still. In an attempt to bring some spark back inmyt jeeps life, I replaced the CPS (common recommendation for this issue), distributor & pickup plate (despiration attempt)... at this point I'm contemplating trying a new coil, but I'm out of ideas myself...

Anyway, good luck and hopefully your solution will give me some ideas!

 

It was wrecked drivers front, i told him to take the pcm out and inspect all the wires from the firewall to the pcm. Its hard to get him to do anything right now...hes lost his confidence in his jeep.... It angers me cuz its not that hard to fix this

 

Or just let him sit for 3 days. In all the 20 other "washed and now won't start" threads, 3 days seems to be the trick.

 

Ic.. My bad.

 

Thats not a solution.... Let it set for three days... Get a voltmeter out and see where the problem is. If this jeep wasnt 2 hours away id do it for him. Not going to let it set. It does work but id like to know what is going on..