2.5 4cyl cutting out going up hill

[thicky]

i have a 86 2.5L throttle body 4-speed. i went wheeling today and every time i go up a steep hill it cut out like it had a carb. has anyone else had this problem before. im thinkin a sensor or maybe the fuel pump. but i really dont know. just lookn for suggestions before i start changing out parts. thanks for any help. :repair:

 

[chrisf608]

runnin outa power? so its missing under load or like stalling out briefly?

 

[thicky]

just kinda pops through the throttle body then dies.

 

[chrisf608]

how much fuel was in the tank?

 

[90 waggy]

i think this is a common problem for the 2.5.....

 

[thicky]

full tank

 

[cruiser54]

Check that wad of hoses that attach to and/or near the throttle body. They can cause wicked vacuum leaks. Also check and refresh the connection points of the ground strap from the back of the head to the firewall. Better yet, replace it with a good #4 cable instead. Under torque climbing a hill, that cable may be getting tugged on.It's real important to have that cable and it's connections tight and clean as your fuel injection system depends on it.

 

[thicky]

ok thanks ill give it a try

 

[joe_peters]

Hook up a pressure gauge and rig it so you can drive and observe it. Put it under a load and see what the pressure reads.

When was the last time the filter was changed?

 

[thicky]

ok i found 2 vac lines off, and pluged them in and no change, but it did drop the idle down which is good. so i changed out the ground cable on the head. and it seems to have fixed it!!! i just tested it on the small hill behind my garage and it didnt cut out . but its was cuttin out there before. i plan on testing it out better tonight, and a real test next sunday lol. thanks cruiser54 for the info. and everybody else also. u guys are so helpful. keep up the good work.

 

[airspeed]

My 88 Comanche 2.5 had the same problem, cutting out under load. Take a spray bottle of water and apply to plug wires while the engine is running. I had two old plug wires cross firing, but only under a load condition? New set at Auto Zone $8.49. Do that at night time and you will have a light show.

 

[thicky]

i have new wires too, but the ground cable did fix it

 

[cruiser54]

4.0s are not the only engine in the XJ/MJ family that suffered from poor grounds. When these rigs were new, we fixed many driveability issues at the dealership by refreshing the grounds--- and the Jeeps were new then. I'm sure many of those connections have deteriorated in the last decade or two and should be maintained regularly and improved if possible by adding more and better grounds.