ckid

2001 Cherokee Classic
176,000 miles (ish)
automatic tranny
All stock engine/electrical

Monday morning jeep ran fine. Monday evening leaving work, Jeep started, ran for 2-3 second, then died- no sputtering, just like I turned the key off. Tried several times, same results. Did not try holding key in start position instead of letting it return to run position. I have, over last couple of years had intermittent instances of losing speedo and tach gauges, airbag, engine lights coming on, and "no bus" on speedo- all at the same time, always while driving, no stalling when this happened. Usually a hard acceleration would put them back in working order, or it would be resolved after a few minutes by itself. Don't know if that is just a loose connection in the gauge cluster or if that may be related to the current problem.

Since it was at work and parked on a hill, had it taken to local mechanic. They've had it since Tuesday (today being Thursday), can't figure it out. They pulled two codes the first day they had it, but I don't remember off-hand what they were. I do know, though, that neither code had to do with the crankshaft position sensor. They told me they were going to look into each of them more.

Talked to them today, they said they are still working on it and that sometimes it starts and runs, sometimes it starts and stalls like the initial problem; so, when it runs, they park it and keep checking it until it doesn't run before trying anymore diagnostics on it.

The diagnostics alone are starting to add up to a bunch of $. I'm dumb on electronic issues. Anyone have any ideas of a direction I should insist they look into?

RTorrez1

You have 2 different problems. The gauges dropping out when drive is more then likely dirty or loose connections on the back of the instument cluster. For that all you have to do is remove the cluster and clean and re-grease all the connection and that should take care of that problem.
As for your other problem is does sound like that it can be your CPS. Most of the time it wont put out a code when they go bad. And I do hate to say it there are a lot of mechanics (even at a Jeep dealer) That don't know how to diagnose a bad cps.

ckid

OK. Since the gauge issue has been going on for a while, I didn't think it would be related. Now it's how to convince the mechanic that he should check something he doesn't think is broken.

ckid

Hey Robert (or anyone), after the jeep sat at the shop all weekend, I went in to talk to them about testing/changing the CPS. They insist is not a CPS problem, but a security system issue instead. They are basing this on the fact that when it does stall, it's kicking out a fuel shut off code. Therefore, they will not even look in the CPS direction.

Now, the strange thing is that I found out on Friday, the Jeep started and ran all day fine... same thing so far this morning. Could it be an intermittent CPS problem? I thought I read somewhere that a bad CPS would signal a fuel shut off when the ECU didn't pick it up? Is that correct, or do you think they right to be looking other places instead of the CPS?