JeepinJenna

Hey I need some help please!? I have tried to search here but I couldn't find my situation. So sorry if this was already asked. I have a 1999 Jeep Cherokee 4.0L Automatic Sport. Lately it has been having this sputtering isssue where when I start me car and after about 2-3 mins it will start sputtering to almost to the point where it will die. Lately when I am running late I don't let it warm up (i know bad) and I will be driving it while it sputters and sort of clunks and I have to give it a lot of gas to keep it from dropping rpms. It will sputter for about 2-3 mins and then stop and run perfectly fine. It has died a few times when I am going at a low speed while it's sputtering... Sorry I don't know all the correct terms or even how to explain this very well but it happens everytime I start up my car. Any ideas or advise is welcomed. Oh and my boyfriend has replaced the crank shaft positioner to try and fix this but it hasn't helped. THANK YOU!

thunderwasp

if fuel filter hasn't been changed in a while that would be a cheap place to start. Does it idle smooth and only sputter when accelerating? If fuel filter doesn't do it I would try plugs & boots next. Without actually hearing it run its hard to say. Is the service engine light on?

JeepinJenna

When I have time to let it warm up at an idle it will sputter then too. When it starts the RPMs are just below 1k and soon after it will start sputtering to where it will slowly drop RPMs to almost zero and then quickly shoot back up to 1k RPMs. This will happen everytime I start my car after it has sat for atleast a half hour or so. And while I am driving during the sputtering without lettingit warm up, it does the same thing just at a higher RPM. It almost makes bog while Im diving. But once it's done with the couple minutes of sputtering it run fine.

JeepinJenna

Anyone??? Help please!

rich

No CEL's did you try the fuel filter,check fuel pressure whens the last time you did a tune up?This was all mentioned above????????

NH_Jeep_XJ

If it just started all of a sudden then...

It could be water in your gas tank too. Run some drygas through the system it's cheap and see if anything changes.

Do you buy your gas at the same location ? Try another station and type of gas. Some filling station underground tanks do have water in them.

Air Filter clogged ? Yes, open the hood and the air filter cannister and Take a look at the air filter and make sure it's not clogged.
Hold it up to the light and you should see some light coming through and it shouldn't be very dirty on the side away from the engine if at all.
If it's dirty then replace it. It wouldn't hurt.

Also make sure no mice have made a nice nest in there. They tend to move inside when it begins getting cold out and will chew on the paper filters and even stuff leaves and acorns and other crap inside which can effect your air flow to the engine.

Unfortunately it's not as simple as going to your local parts store and buying a bottle of fixitall since we don't know what you have/haven't done to to your Jeep maintenance wise, but we can start with the simple and cheap fixes first.