'98 - no start, no gauges
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Joined: Aug 2022
Posts: 5
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From: Tyler, TX
Year: 1998
Model: Grand Cherokee (ZJ)
Engine: 4.0
OK, bear with me. I did search and found a few possibly helpful threads, but wanted some fresh input.
About 1/4 mile from home, running 35-40 mph, it died, as though out of fuel. I suspect I lost power to the pump, or the pump relay.
First time anything similar has happened. It gets driven regularly, has over 200k. Always has started easily. Now just spins over as though no fuel.
Gauge showed over 1/4 tank before leaving. Everything looked normal. I was taking it for a state inspection. For the first time ever, I had a vehicle
fail. This one was a surprise. No horn. Investigation turned up two burned horn coils, relay ok, horn fuse blown. New fuse did not blow, so horn coils
burned open, apparently. Why I didn't hear it? I'm 95% deaf, and park away from the house, so if for some reason the horn pad/switch shorted, and
the horns stuck on, I suppose this could have happened. I'm sure they are intended for intermittent duty. At any rate, a generic single tone horn was
installed, and was energized. Relay was opened up thinking it was stuck closed. No. On to the steering wheel. Pulled the gray wire that comes from
the clockspring and no horn. Ground it, and horn works. To the salvage yard. $6 and another bad horn switch (fixed it though, another story for another
time).
A few test starts and restarts and all seemed well. So off I go to the inspection station. Now I get only the alert lamps self test, and starter engaging,
but no run, and no reading on any gauge. Voltmeter with key on does not read. I had run it enough to warm up, but temp gauge shows <100, Nothing
on any gauge. Low fuel light is on, despite the known fuel in the tank. Fuel gauge reads below E.
Where to start? The only thing I have disturbed is the horn switch and horn relay (removed to stop the horn) and the yellow airbag connector. I don't know
the system well enough to know what can kill all the gauges. I believe there is a common buss, but what it should read and where to check it I do not know.
Plus the scan tool will not connect, so no codes are available if they are logged.
Any help appreciated!
t
About 1/4 mile from home, running 35-40 mph, it died, as though out of fuel. I suspect I lost power to the pump, or the pump relay.
First time anything similar has happened. It gets driven regularly, has over 200k. Always has started easily. Now just spins over as though no fuel.
Gauge showed over 1/4 tank before leaving. Everything looked normal. I was taking it for a state inspection. For the first time ever, I had a vehicle
fail. This one was a surprise. No horn. Investigation turned up two burned horn coils, relay ok, horn fuse blown. New fuse did not blow, so horn coils
burned open, apparently. Why I didn't hear it? I'm 95% deaf, and park away from the house, so if for some reason the horn pad/switch shorted, and
the horns stuck on, I suppose this could have happened. I'm sure they are intended for intermittent duty. At any rate, a generic single tone horn was
installed, and was energized. Relay was opened up thinking it was stuck closed. No. On to the steering wheel. Pulled the gray wire that comes from
the clockspring and no horn. Ground it, and horn works. To the salvage yard. $6 and another bad horn switch (fixed it though, another story for another
time).
A few test starts and restarts and all seemed well. So off I go to the inspection station. Now I get only the alert lamps self test, and starter engaging,
but no run, and no reading on any gauge. Voltmeter with key on does not read. I had run it enough to warm up, but temp gauge shows <100, Nothing
on any gauge. Low fuel light is on, despite the known fuel in the tank. Fuel gauge reads below E.
Where to start? The only thing I have disturbed is the horn switch and horn relay (removed to stop the horn) and the yellow airbag connector. I don't know
the system well enough to know what can kill all the gauges. I believe there is a common buss, but what it should read and where to check it I do not know.
Plus the scan tool will not connect, so no codes are available if they are logged.
Any help appreciated!
t
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