99 Shuts Down Suddenly, Won't Restart; Later Runs Fine
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Model: Cherokee
99 Shuts Down Suddenly, Won't Restart; Later Runs Fine
This is my friend's stock, fairly clean 99 Sport with 118K miles. I've done a good bit of the basic maintenance on it since she bought it, so I'm reasonably familiar with the vehicle.
Twice now, she has been driving with the engine warm (~20-30 miles) and it has abruptly shut down as though the key were turned off. It will not restart. Both times it was towed to a garage (two separate ones) and both times the mechanic reported that it started and drove just fine. It has never thrown a code when this happens. The two events were three weeks apart, and it ran perfectly well in between.
I've searched the forum for ideas and haven't seen anything exactly like this. It seems from the threads that a failing crank position sensor usually (sometimes?) throws a code, and further, it evidences some poor performance rather than this on/off behavior.
On advice of a trusted mechanic I know, I replaced the pickup coil (cam position sensor) in the distributor. Other than obviously being old and hardened, there was no obvious deterioration.
I'd really like to fix this for her, since her commute is almost entirely on congested streets and this is becoming dangerous.
Twice now, she has been driving with the engine warm (~20-30 miles) and it has abruptly shut down as though the key were turned off. It will not restart. Both times it was towed to a garage (two separate ones) and both times the mechanic reported that it started and drove just fine. It has never thrown a code when this happens. The two events were three weeks apart, and it ran perfectly well in between.
I've searched the forum for ideas and haven't seen anything exactly like this. It seems from the threads that a failing crank position sensor usually (sometimes?) throws a code, and further, it evidences some poor performance rather than this on/off behavior.
On advice of a trusted mechanic I know, I replaced the pickup coil (cam position sensor) in the distributor. Other than obviously being old and hardened, there was no obvious deterioration.
I'd really like to fix this for her, since her commute is almost entirely on congested streets and this is becoming dangerous.
#3
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Year: 1998 Sport
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
It does sound like the CPS is on it's way out. A lot of the time it will not put out any codes. That is why so many shops have a hard time figuring out the problem
Last edited by RTorrez1; 04-06-2013 at 09:16 AM.
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Year: 2000
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 L
CPS or maybe CTS?
Had my 2000 die like that twice. Let it sool off and it restarted.
Then finally, wouldn't restart again. New crank sensor did the trick.
Don't get the $10 one off ebay. (Don't laugh too hard, had to learn for myself.)
Buy two, with a replacement warranty. A couple places will do that.
I also had issues with my coolant sensor. That will shut the engine if it's faulty. Thinks it's overheating.
Then finally, wouldn't restart again. New crank sensor did the trick.
Don't get the $10 one off ebay. (Don't laugh too hard, had to learn for myself.)
Buy two, with a replacement warranty. A couple places will do that.
I also had issues with my coolant sensor. That will shut the engine if it's faulty. Thinks it's overheating.
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I did replace the crank position sensor today, with a NAPA unit (needed to get the car on the road, and not sure I could find a Mopar one this morning).
We'll see. If it runs more than three weeks, I think it's good.
We'll see. If it runs more than three weeks, I think it's good.
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