I have experienced hesitation or sputtering in my '98 XJ 4.0 L. During these episodes I notice my tach jumping up a few clicks. Recently my engine has died, even when accelerating and it has taken a few minutes and up to an hour to restart. I thought the problem was fuel pump/filter related. I changed the fuel pump but the problem persists. Could faulty or dirty injectors be the culprit? Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

 

1. Is your check engine light on or have you seen it on? Scan the computer for codes or pending codes. You'll need a scan tool or a code reader.

2. Fuel injectors would not cause the vehicle to die and not restart for an hour. Unlikely related

3. What is the history of replacing all tuneup hardware? Fresh Champion spark plugs gapped to .035, quality plug wires, distributor cap and rotor

Without any real clues, you may have a faulty engine management sensor. Possibly the crankshaft position sensor; a very common failure on the Jeep 4.0 engine. They can be tested but if you test them when the engine runs; they will most likely test within specs. Use the SEARCH function and you will find a ton of threads on this sensor.

 

Thanks for the reply tjwalker. I recently replaced (less than 1000 miles ago) the distributor, plugs and wires. A little more history; I had to replace the head (cracked due to overheating) less than 1000 miles ago. I will look into threads for crankshaft positioning sensor.

No check engine light comes on during these episodes.
tm59