Hey guys and gals,
so my 97xj has recently started to have some issues that i assume are fuel related. on start up i often have to give it quite a bit of gas to get it to turn over. often, even after i get it started i have to keep feeding it fuel to keep it running, if i let off the gas it frequently dies. i took a video of me starting it up, hopefully gives you a better idea of whats happening than my terrible description. any help would be greatly appreciate. thanks as always!

 

one more thing, i did pull the IAC and clean it as best i could, but it doesn't seem to have helped. maybe throw a new one in there?

 

and another thing (sorry i didn't remember to include this all in the first post) the battery is only about 2 months old, no check engine light and for some reason the temp gauge is stuck at cold as if its not working, but the jeep doesn't overheat so i'm guessing its not a bad thermostat? thanks

 

First thing in any electrical situation is to check and clean your grounds and battery cables. It's cheap, easy and gives you a solid base for further troubleshooting.

Next is to check the fuel pressure. Get a Loaner tool from your local parts store and see if you're holding 49.2psi +- 5. If not you likely need a new fuel pump. However, there are several other things that could also be suspect.

As far as the temp gauge, does it kick up when you first start the Jeep? There's a gauge test process that you can do to see if your gauge itself is bad or if it's something with the wiring or sensor.

 

I think the MAP on a 97 is on the front of the throttle body. Might have a little elbow tube underneath. I'd check that. Also a bad vacuum leak might cause the symptoms you mention. I might check all the hoses, even the EGR valve. Can you hear any odd sounds, a hiss? If you can run it even, a quick little shot of starting fluid on a vacuum leak will change the rpm. BTW the O rings on the injectors can leak vacuum also.

 

Fuel pressure?

 

 

How do you know it's not overheating? It's probably not in need of a t-stat.

Does the temp gauge jump all the way up on startup? If the other gauges do, but it does not, the gauge itself may be bad. If the gauge does jump up on startup but then doesn't register it could be a bad wire, bad temp sensor, bad ecu, etc.

 

 

So the issue is with the gauge itself. On a 97+ the gauges should all jump up on startup.
So first thing to do is check the connection of the cluster. While all Jeeps are susceptible to it, the 97+ seems particularly prone to corrosion at that connector. IIRC correctly there was a recall that replaced the harness on some models.
So pull the cluster out and clean up the connectors really good with some q-tips and alcohol. Then re-connect the cluster and see if that helps. If so, put dielectric grease in the plugs and reassemble the cluster in the dash.
If not, you need to determine if the gauge is bad or if the wiring is bad.

 

 

If you pull the trim panel off the dash, the instrument cluster is screwed in, undo the screws and cluster comes out as a unit. There are 2 wiring harnesses (IIRC for 97+) that connect to the back of that cluster unit. Those are the ones to check/clean.
Obviously, don't completely re-assemble the cluster and trim panels until you've tested/corrected the gauge display.