soulaflight

Okay all fellow users out there. Plenty of times have I scoured this website with different search tags, and I have finally decided to join and post my problem. My apologies for any re-post issues.

I also apologize for the length.

Rig:
95 Sport, L6 4.0. Engine has been replaced, appx 75K miles ago with a rebuilt engine (I don't know exactly what, but it was a legit engine, not some redneck rebuild. I can ask my brother and repost if it was anything modded)

Problem: It started literally right when I bought the vehicle off of my brother. He had it for quite some time, so I knew all the history and the Jeep itself very well before hand.
One day, after driving a short way and stopping at the store, I came back out, turned the key, nothing happened. Didn't turn over, click or anything. Was about to attempt to jump it, and it turned over fine... Next morning, the car would turn over, but not start. It was trying very hard to turn over at that... After all the basic checks, I concluded it was a crankshaft position sensor, because the one currently on was missing a bolt... So I replaced it, and engine started again. Well, the CPS I bought was cheap, and it seemed like it was trying too hard when I turned the engine over. Additionaly, it wouldn't start when the engine was warm... So I bought a better CPS, replaced it. This fixed the cold start struggle, but the engine would still not start when it was hot. It would turn over with a steady wah, wah, wah. But the engine would never actually kick and start... Well, I was sands money, and desperately needed the car for work and what not. So I made sure I never tried to start it while it was hot, and only drove it if I was to park it a while. The few times I did attempt to start it while it was hot, it killed the battery... I came up on another car to drive temporarily, so I stopped driving it til I was ready to fix. These problems had been occuring about two months... NOW: I need to fix it. Have been driving it the last few days. Engine now gets hotter than normal operating temp, not quite red, but far passed the standard 210F area... Did a manual code check with counting the blinking check engine sign, and if my read is right, it says there is a problem with the Secondary Cooling fan... For a long time I had been thinking of a coolant temp sensor problem, which I have incurred with other vehicles (which ultimately lead to the demise of another vehicle)... So today, I tried disconnecting the temp sensor. Sure enough, the secondary fan stays on, the engine does not get hot AND the car will start when it is warm... Awesome, I need a new one, right?
Well, one more kick... My distributor is loose. I didn't know this, but my other brother noticed it while we were looking under the hood. So if the engine has ran for a little while, it turns over like normal, and fires like its about to start, but then doesn't, almost like its low on fuel. Well, while I was trying to start it, my brother very very slightly twists the distributor, and it starts instantly. Tried the whole process again, same result...

I personally know nothing about timing, and have heard that timing on this jeep is fully computer ran.

Do I need a new temp sensor, is my timing off, and why did all this happen at one time, remembering the CPS problem?

Turbo X_J

You got the condensed version of that? ^^^^^^^

salad

Wtf? Thats quite the list. The only thing that would tie those together is a major grounding issue. Do some searches around for ground refreshing. Most of the Renix stuff I think applies but the HO engines have extra grounds on the passenger side of the block.

Barring that these have got to be coincidences... Jeep sounds in pretty rough shape man.

Which transmission do you have? If its the AW4, have you read about the NSS issue?

Also which CPS did you buy? Dealer? Almost all others are varying levels of garbage.

Radi

Baptism by fire, eh?
Replace the temp sensor.
If the engine consistently starts/refuses to start based on twisting the distributor..check the cap/rotor for wear, the coil wire for proper resistance and good connection
Or just replace the cap, rotor and wire set since you probably need it anyway.
Also the cam sensor wiring for intermittents or damage, (connector coming out of distributor) and the hold-down clamp that locks the distributor in place.
And FWIW: don't get aftermarket CPS's, lol.

Why did it happen all at once? Because it can!