My 2004 Grand Cherokee is having some intermittent issues. Every now and then for the past few weeks, the temp gauge will max out, "Check Gauges" light comes on and sometimes it will either stall or 3 minutes later drop back to normal. When it stalls, it typically takes a little time before you can crank the jeep successfully. Any Ideas would be very helpful before I take in to the mechanic.

 

Strong possibility the the t-stat is gummed up.

 

Does the temperature gauge on the dash just suddenly shoot up like a malfunctioning sensor or are you overheating?

 

The car doesn't feel hot at all however, it does shake or drive differently once this shoots up. ie (stalling, not starting).

 

I6? possibly the cooling fan module.

01+ V8?(hydromechanical fan) possibly bad cooling fan motor or pressure control solenoid at bottom of fan motor

 

Could be a defective Coolant Temperature Sensor or defective wiring at its connector. With the engine running, have someone watch the temp gauge while you wiggle the wiring harness at the temp sensor and see if the gauge reacts. Also, remove the connector and examine the pins and sockets for corrosion.

The PCM uses the ECT Sensor signals for temp indication and engine performance. Normally you would get a CEL with bad sensor wiring or sensor.

If you had a scanner hooked up it may show a pending CEL.

 

I drove the jeep all weekend to my national guard drill and it didn't happen once. I think it's only happening when my wife is picking up kids from school and sitting for long periods of time which may mean FAN. How can i isolate that so i know it's just the fan? I dont wanna buy a new fan and then it be a sensor or relay.