Hi, so I have a '92 cherokee and it stalls or hesitates when i first start the engine after letting it sit for hours, like over night, and step on the gas. I'm not sure what it could be. I thought maybe it would be the fuel filter and changed it yesterday but it still did it this morning.

It only hesitates when I step on the gas, either to rev the engine in park or to drive, after 2 or 3 hesitations it goes away and drives with no problems what so ever. The hesitations only happen when I step on the gas after a long sit. It feels like the gas gets cut off just for a sec. I don't think it is the fuel pump because I can hear it working when I flip the switch.

The car will start up just fine and if I put it in drive and let it walk without stepping on the gas, it won't hesitate. Only happens when i step on the gas. Any advice or ideas?? Please help!!

 

Could be a number of things...

If you haven't replaced the spark plugs, cables, dist cap & rotor recently that would be a good place to start. Next would be the TPS

 

Yeah I already changed all of that about a month or two ago. you think it might be the TPS?

 

Do you have an engine light on? If you do see if you can pull the codes. That would help out a lot. Just curious did you change the plug wires when you changed the plugs. A bad plug wire could make it do that. And do you give the engine time to warm up before you smash the gas or do you just crank it throw it in drive and go?

 

Hi, yeah I've changed the spark plugs, spark cables, distributor cap and rotor. The engine light does come on, if i remember right it was code 36 which stands for the "air switch solenoid" and I have no idea what that is. I've talked to people from autozone, kragen, pep boys and the dealership and they do not know what it is.

What was weird is that this morning, around 11, i started up my jeep to go to work and i was going to be late so i just turned it on and put it in drive and took off without any hesitations.

Anyone else got any advice?? Any ideas what might be wrong.?

 

My 98 xj does this exact same thing. It's a 2.5l 5speed and it does just that on random mornings. I'll usually let her warm up and it will still do that after I give it more gas. I just give it a quick rev in neutral to get rid of it and she drives great the rest of the day.

It comes and goes (occurs more on cold mornings, and only after its been sitting for awhile). I've also replaced the dist cap and rotor, plugs and cables, checked and cleaned injectors, and keep my throttle body clean with an occasional can of sea-foam.

I think this is early signs of a fuel pump going out. I had this happen in my 98 silverado and we ended up having to drop the tank to replace it after it wouldn't start one day. Fuel pumps are pretty well known to go out in those trucks though so it could just be another jeep quark and may never go out.

Mines been doing it since I got it from my brother about 8mo ago, and he said he forgot when it even started. Haha so I guess it's fine for now.

 

Anyone else have any ideas what it might be?

 

Change your tps (throttle position sensor), on the back side of your throttle body. Should be two bout inch hex bolts holding it in place. Easy, cheap(er) fix. It helped my 95 out. Good luck to ya man.

 

I'm having the same problem with my 1992 Jeep Cherokee 4.0. Where is the best place to buy a throttle position sensor?