Jeep occasionally (1 in 20) will crank but not start. 1997 XJ aw4 i6 all stock.

Cranks good and strong, newish (1 year) battery. Plugs are new in last couple months.

Replaced crankshaft position sensor. Replaced "camshaft" sensor (the one that sits under distributor cap, not sure real name).

Can anyone recommend next steps?

Thanks.

 

Close enough! Camshaft Position Sensor.


When it won't start, do you have spark? Have you verified fuel pressure with a gauge?

 

To check the spark, you remove the plug wire from one of the plugs and put it against a ground and then attempt to start the jeep again?

Fuel pressure seemed ok (via the field method of pushing the shrader valve with a stick and seeing fuel spew out)

Thanks BRM.

 

He spelled it out which avoids the confusion of everyone calling the crank sensor the CPS. Per the FSM, the CPS is the camshaft position sensor, and CKPS is the crankshaft position sensor.

 

Really? Where's that in the FSM?

That's really the best way to deal with it, but knowing that it's already that way in the FSM is nice.

 

Dang it, now I can't find an example in the FSM now. All the FSMs I quickly searched spell it out. I found a previous post that did a quick survey of the FSMs

1988-1990:
engine speed sensor and crankshaft position sensor--CPS.
synch pulse signal (stator) and synch signal generator

1995:
crankshaft position sensor (note: CPS is used only once and that is in the description of the crankshaft position sensor connector figure)
camshaft position sensor

1999:
Crankshaft Position Sensor
Camshaft Position Sensor

2000-2001:
Crankshaft Position (CKP) sensor
Camshaft Position (CMP) sensor