01 Cherokee six cylinder automatic. 130k

Start vehicle and drive approx 30 miles.
Stop/turn off vehicle. Start vehicle and drive short distance 1 to 2 miles.
Stop/ turn off vehicle. Vehicle is on a slight grade - (down or up) . Start vehicle. Vehicle runs very rough. Rev engine and tach stops about 2000 with full throttle depression on pedal and vehicle intermittently misses and lopes down and back rapidly to 2000 rpm while holding it at full throttle .
Turn off vehicle. Let it sit for an hour.
Start vehicle-- everything is fine except engine light is on.

Take vehicle to expensive (any) repair shop and they can't find anything wrong with it. They put in some injector cleaner just for the heck of it. About half a bottle.They charge me $80 to turn off engine light.

So that's how it all started. Then a month later..........

The next time it was the same deal with starting and stopping but I was sitting on a level grade. When I started the car and drove away from the McDonalds at 2:00 AM the car was running rough. I got on the freeway and the engine light started blinking and remained blinking until I made it home about 25 miles later. The engine seemed to only be running on 5 cylinders. I had to be very carefull to fuel it (pedal) a certain way under 2000 rpms so it wouldn't miss big time. It ran rough went I kept it under 45 mph and under 2000rpms but when I got on it - it would miss bad.--I had to keep fuel to it when braking - I thought for sure it would stall if I didn't. I normally would have stopped when it started the rough idle but it was 2 AM and I live out in the sticks and I didn't feel like walking home. I still have to give kudos to the ole Jeep for not quitting on me when in a pinch.

I went back out the next day and started the Jeep and it runs smooth just like the first time the problem happened. Now the engine light is on . The car runs alright now and I'll be darned if I want to pay 80 bucks to get the light turned off. So it's two questions
1. Anyone know what this missing type problem could be?
2. How do I turn off the engine light cheap?

Thanks guys-
BTW - if you wonder why I was at McDonalds at 2 AM-- I play bass in an Outlaw Country band and I was hungry after the gig.

 

Its an XJ, Cherokee or Jeep. The ONLY acceptable term. Not a truck or car.

Not sure whats going on, but buying an inexpensive OBD2 reader wouldnt hurt. And if youre having all that trouble and engine light is on, there IS a code its throwing that could tell you EXACTLY whats wrong. Sears usually charges like $25 bucks to read the code. Or hit Amazon and buy a code reader. This is what Ive got and love it! Good luck!

 

The check engine light is on, there is at least one stored code that will reveal what is wrong. Go to someplace like Autozone and have them retrieve that code, report back, go from there.

BTW: flashing check engine light can be really bad news.

 

pull the codes, see what they say. Autozone or any parts store can pull them for free. Blinking check engine light usually means misfiring, doesnt it?

 

Yep, it blinks when there are too many misfires, warning you that raw gas is hitting the cat and will destroy it.


ETA: You can buy a code scanner that'll do the job for less than $80. They're worth having around.

 

what is the "cat" ?

 

catalytic converter... also known as a cat. I would get your code read as previously stated flashing codes can be very bad.

 

catalytic converter....

 

As others have mentioned, there is only 1 effective strategy for troubleshooting a vehicle with a check engine light.

PULL THE CODES. Anything less is pure guesswork. Use the technology provided to you by your Jeep.

For an 01, you will need either a code reader, a scan tool, or bring your vehicle to a parts store like Autozone who will read it for free.

Once you have the code, post the EXACT code number here for comment. Not just a description. We must have the codes in order to help you.

 

I can sell you used code reader for $30

 

Your Cherokee is a car, better yet its a station wagon. Get over it.

 

It being an 01 and having seen prior threads with this sort of issue,


Heat soak of the injectors? Most likely one or both of the middle ones. Explains the misfire and better running after cooling off. Run the codes, but they'll likely be just for a misfire. Insulate the injectors and see what happens.

 

My 01 has a piece of foil covered insulation that sits on top of the intake under the injectors... Does yours?

 

Sounds exactly like heat soak. 2000 and 2001 with extra cats in the exhaust manifold boil fuel in the injectors if you run it until its hot, then let it sit briefly. Chrysler issued a TSB calling for the injectors to be wrapped in reflective foil.

For the cost of that mechanics visit you can get your own code reader that will clear em too. Cool part is you can keep it forever. Check for the foil and get the codes and let us know what you find!

 

Okay - can I wrap the injectors with chrome tape?

You know -- I did take it to the repair and they said they could find nothing wrong with the injectors.

It does have the heat shield foil. I'm thinking this Chrysler heat deal may be it.

I'll take it to Advance and check out my options . The Jeep runs okay now. It has only done this twice in about 9 months of using it. I let it go on blinking because I was in the middle of nowhere at 2 am. I normally would not have done that. I did have some moisture come out of the tail pipe when I started it the next day. I put my finger in it and it did not smell like gas.