Pyrrhic Victory

Hi everybody,

I'm new to this forum. In fact I don't even own a Jeep.

I found a 4.0 liter straight six that, according to the current owner, starts and dies a few seconds later. After that it starts immediately and dies again in a few seconds. The owner thinks it might be an alarm issue but he's not sure. It's very low mileage for its age and I need a second car. I found a lot written about this kind of problem with a quick search online but it's all bits and pieces. Is this a common problem or would this be a good buy, and if I should go see it what other symptoms should I look for?

Cheers, and thanks for the answers..

dave1123

Welcome to CF! Are you a Brit? it sounds like it from your "Cheers."

Yes, it's a common problem and has to do with the security system or sensors. On my '97, there was a little flashing red LED on top of the dash whenever the alarm was set. If you tried to start it, it would flash the parking lights and pulse the horn. My horns were burnt out, so it would allow you to start it, but it would die within a couple of seconds after you released the key. My lights didn't flash either, but I was told they were supposed to. You can disarm the alarm with the key fob or by locking and unlocking one of the doors with the key. Sometimes the hatch will work. In other cases, you have to disconnect the battery for a couple of minutes. There are ways to eliminate the alarm by grounding a wire somewhere, but I don't know the procedure for that.

The other thing is the CPS (crankshaft position sensor) although if that's the problem, it usually won't even fire.

I know you aren't going to buy it until you hear it run, so work with the owner to see if you can get the alarm taken care of. The 4.0 is a good engine and very reliable, but it's designed for torque, not speed, so don't expect it to be a rocket.

ThunderCougarFalconBird

I saw something similar with a 98 JGC. I can't remember the solution, but it involved the fuel pump fuse/circuit breaker or relay....