HeepinAlong

i have a 96 xj country, 180k miles. a year ago i replaced the tps, cps, and map sensor. about 3 months ago i drove the jeep 50 miles, started dieing out. found out it was the altenator. replaced the altenator and battery, fixed that. since that day, it has been having a hard time starting up and idleing. i pulled into a parking lot, stopped, put it in reverse and gave it a lil gas, it died. later found out there were 2 wires on the rear of the connector that connects to the tps that were bare wire and they were touching, grounding out an causing the fuel pump not to prime. so i taped up the bare wires pretty good and that fixed that. but whenever i turn the ignition on, fuel pump primes, then i start the jeep. it is a very very sluggish start up. sounds like a muscle car with huge cam lobes. smokes alot of white smoke while this is going on. after about 15 seconds, it will go up to about 2000 rpms, clear out and go to regular idle. the air intake filter is insanley loud when you start it up, sucking in ungodly amounts of air. its like the air/fuel mixture is messed up. if it was getting too much air, it wouldn be smoking like it does. It also smells like straight gas under the hood. ive checked for leaks, no leaks. about an hour ago i changed the fuel filter, it was filthy. it still does it. i have checked distributor cap and rotor, spark wires, spark plugs, fuel lines, fuel pump, sensors, the list goes on. i cant find out what the problem is. does anyone have any answers or advice ???? im clueless. i drive the jeep daily, its my only vehicle so i need this fixed. i dont really wanna take it to a mechanic because i dont like paying out the *** for something, and i dont like other people working on my vehicle. any advice would be greatly appreciated.
thanks.

Gee oh Dee

First off, your post was VERY difficult to read.

But...from what I gathered, you may have a bad head gasket, or even a damaged or cracked head (unlikely). Drain the oil, check its condition. Check the coolant for oil.

When was the last time you CHANGED spark plugs and wires, cap and rotor?

How did you 'check' them?

Radi

Checked for leaking injectors? If you connect a fuel pressure gauge, does the rail hold pressure after shutdown?
Missing any antifreeze?

HeepinAlong

Head gasket? how would that have to do anything? my head is fine, i just changed the oil last week, and changed the coolant about a year ago, it was fine. i have never changed the wires or plugs. they are MSD so im guessing those are aftermarket not stock?

HeepinAlong

yes to the fuel rail pressure question, and i have antifreeze

Radi

Leaking head gasket can cause several of the symptoms you describe. It's not the only possibility, but it is one possibility.

HeepinAlong

well i do need a head gasket, but how would that make it be sluggish startup? to me its a air/fuel problem, but obviously i dont know what it is

Gee oh Dee

You could be leaking coolant or oil into the cylinders, which could cause that air/fuel mixture to be off.

Remember that part where you said it smokes alot of white smoke?

White smoke is coolant being burned. Blue smoke is oil being burned. Black smoke is too much fuel being burned/not burned.


Figure out where the white smoke is coming from if you wanna rule out the HG.

hankthetank

sluggish start and bhg....hmmm coolant in the cylinders? No compression? 1+1=2?

HeepinAlong

i replaced the intake/exhaust gasket, valve cover gasket, and put E3 spark plugs in it. my lifters, springs, rods were completley covered in a black goo fuel mess. so was my intake.i cleaned my lifters n stuff, and poured a little bit of seafoam on top of each lifter, then filled the jeep up and put a pint in my gas. i have been driving it very easy and slow and not long distances n it seems to be running better. but, it still has trouble idleing when warm and hot

Radi

Fuel tends to thin out the oil (and ruin your bearings). Antifreeze can emulsify into the oil and make a gawdawful milkshake-ish goop (and ruin your bearings)
If you haven't already addressed the source of the contamination, it would be prudent to do so ASAP.