I just bought an 88 xj and I can't get this thing to start it has fresh gas plugs are good. The xj has been sitting for a little under a year with a supposed bad tranny but I can't tell until I can start my rig.

It has an msd 6A ignition but I think that's bad and so I bought an ignition coil to see if I could get it going but that was a failure. The wiring is done all jerry rigged.

Before when I tried starting it the xj would wobble like it was damn close to turning over but just didnt start.

Maybe some of you guys could point me in the right direction on what to check as this is my first jeep and I know nothing yet.

And I have searched just couldn't find anything pertaining to me I believe.

 

Google up the Renix FI Manual its a pdf over on pirate4x4.
Start there with sensors and the CPS (crank position sensor).
Now all bets are off if someone has monkey rigged the wiring that bad.
If it was me, I would start off removing anything not stock, and get it back to being relaible.

 

Yeah I'm trying to get it back to stock cuz I do not like msd for a stock vehicle pointless to me. Ill check that out also thanks!

 

I was told that I should prime the pistons by putting a very small amount of gas in each piston once I take out the spark plugs. Have you guys heard of doing that?

 

I wouldn't, just use starting fluid down the intake.
Do you know if the injectors are firing? You should be able to feel it click when cranking it over.
If so then are you getting gas?
I just cured a miss from a bad set of plug wires. Might be worth checking too.

 

You know that's a good question I can't remember if I felt anything clicking or not.

And how would you know if the plug wires are bad?

I'm kinda new to the whole engine and fixing stuff on it for the most part so please bear with me.

 

plug wires can be tested for continuity with a multi-tester but I have no idea the resistance should be.

My plug wires was bad because the engine had say for 10 years.

Have you checked the Crank Position sensor?

 

Ill check the resistance on the msd wires that are on there now.

Oh just so you know the xj supposedly sat for a little under a year so the plug wires could be bad.

And no I haven't checked the CPS yet I ran out of daylight here so I will be. Tomorrow when I wake up tomorrow. the CPS is easy enough to check I think.

Oh and I haven't downloaded the pdf file you told me about yet as it won't allow me to look at it at all (have to fix that also)

 

Ok so I bought a new ignition coil and installed it, I checked the ohms on the spark plug wires and everyone zero'd out when I put my meter on the ends of the wires except the #5 wire it stayed around .33 - .45 so I'm assuming that the wire is bad????

But what's weird is that before the engine sounded like it wanted to turn over but now it. Doesn't even try to, all it does is just crank but no rumbling of the engine.

I tried to find the CPS but couldn't find it on the tranny at all.

So what else could this be that's not starting it?

I've heard of people "priming" their engines with gas and all that.

 

Steve,
The CPS is behind and just below the intake manifold on the bell housing.
You can just see it down there with a light.

 

Ok ill check it out.

So from what I've read on here is that I need to make sure its connected and that its seated properly correct and obviously not broken.

 

Its mounted with two bolts.
REally can't get it in wrong.
So just check it with the multi-tester, you want 200 +/-75 ohms. (ie from 125 to 275 Ohms)