I have a 1996 Cherokee classic that is all stock other than a lift and tires. It has the 4.0 6 cylinder. In the past it has been running fine and will decide just not to start on random occasions. The first time this happened it would start and run only when you would pump the gas while turning it over. I figured it wasn't getting enough fuel so I changed the fuel filter and that seemed to do the trick.
It ran fine for a while and then the same thing happened again. Drove it home fine one night and came out the next morning to a jeep that wouldn't start. This time it seemed as if it wasn't getting spark. It would turn over and over but just wouldn't start. Even with starting fluid I had no attempt to start. I got busy and didn't have time to work on it for a while but when I came back to work on it then battery was now dead. I had it charged up and put it back in and what do you know it started right up.
Now I am having the same issue again. Drove it somewhere with it running like a top and then couldn't get back home. Same thing as last time. It will turn over and over but won't start and starting fluid has no effect. I've checked spark plugs, the distributor, spark plug wires and all seem fine. I even changed the ignition coil. Still no luck. Does anyone have any ideas on what might be going on?

 

Pull battery, charge it, does it start right up again and run for a few days before the issue occurs again? If so have alternator and battery tested. If the battery get low, later models will not run off the alternator.
If it still won't start check/replace the CPS.
But do the free stuff first.

 

When you say you checked the spark plugs, do you mean if has a good spark?

 

I changed the CPS and it started right up. Thanks for the help. I would have never thought of that.

 

there seem to be a lot of Crank Position Sensor no-start threads lately

 

I wish jeep would have put the cps in a easy location.

 

you know the engineers were laughing when deciding where to put things, knowing that one day end-users would be trying to change them out at home