-30 and wont start

[SkinnyRidgeMJ]

A couple of the Cherokees at work are cold blooded. When its -15 or colder I have to hold the throttle on the floor till it fires and feather it for 30 seconds or so. Just make sure you let off before the engine revs up. Oil doesn't really do its job when its that cold. Some may disagree but I do it a lot and works every time.

 

[heshhash]

Tried resistor bypass last night with no luck. Kept battery in the house. Put a trouble light under the hood this morning with an old matress on the hood. Battery is slow charging. Hopefully it will get warm enough outside to try starting it today (it is -24 outside not including windchill)

 

[heshhash]

Usually i park with nose into snowbank to block wind, but i had backed in to hook up trailer for work and now it is biting me in the arse. Once i do get this thing running, oil change and inline heater are first.

 

[birchlakeXJ]

Usually i park with nose into snowbank to block wind, but i had backed in to hook up trailer for work and now it is biting me in the arse. Once i do get this thing running, oil change and inline heater are first.

This weather is ridiculous; I live in central Minnesota and it's -15 right here mid-day (not counting wind chill). Low tonight here is forecast to be around -30.

Any chance you can just leave your XJ sit until Wednesday or Thursday when the temps are going to warm up to at least above zero?? A strategy to consider as today and tomorrow are likely to be the coldest weather we've had since 1996.

Good luck and keep us updated!

 

[heshhash]

If i cant get it running today i risk losing my job tomorrow, i missed 4 days last week already. That and i am getting cabin fever sitting at home. Also, i need to get to the bank tomorrow since i have no cash.

 

[SkinnyRidgeMJ]

If you have another running vehicle around then run a dryer hose from its tailpipe to the engine compartment of your jeep. Let it run for an hour or so and the jeep should start right up.

 

[heshhash]

If you have another running vehicle around then run a dryer hose from its tailpipe to the engine compartment of your jeep. Let it run for an hour or so and the jeep should start right up.

Considering how much junk we have laying around the place, that is one thing we do not have and one damn good idea. Maybe if i put roomies car tight to the bumper it could help.

 

[scottmcneal]

I don't live in this cold climate so i have no idea if this helps or i just sound like a fool. But can you run warm or hot water from a water heater though the motor? Like i said i may sound like a dummy but i live in So Cal and yesterday we hit 78 here.

Sorry if this is wrong.Won't be the first time i sound like a a$$

 

[heshhash]

With some adapters it would be possible, but due to antifreeze, u would need a dedicated water heater. Otherwise that very well could work

 

[RedHeep]

Wouldn't a block heater make more sense?

 

[SkinnyRidgeMJ]

Considering how much junk we have laying around the place, that is one thing we do not have and one damn good idea. Maybe if i put roomies car tight to the bumper it could help.

Maybe the hose off a shop vac?

 

[8Mud]

If you have another running vehicle around then run a dryer hose from its tailpipe to the engine compartment of your jeep. Let it run for an hour or so and the jeep should start right up.

I really like this idea . I've got ten feet of flex exhaust tubing in the garage and haven't found any use for it lately.

 

[8Mud]

If it is going to fire up at all a squirt of quick start (ether) usually does the trick.

If you try to drill the rubber elbow over the TB for a quick start spray hole, start with a small drill bit, then reverse the bit when you go bigger and kind of melt your way through. You don't want the bit to catch and tear the rubber up. Or maybe use a propane torch, heat up a piece of round metal about the right diameter and push it through. Either way I'd start small and gradually increase the diameter. In a pinch you can duct tape the hole shut until you find a more permanent solution to plugging it up. I found a nozzle extension for my can of quick start, some come with the nozzle extension. I did the same thing on my 96, drilled a hole through the resonator air box right over the TB opening and put a plug in the hole.

Quick start is a pretty good troubleshooting tool, if it starts and then craps out right away, you know it almost has to be a fuel issue. If it doesn't pop at all you know it is likely a spark issue. Don't forget to hold the throttle plate open when you squirt.

Best guess is you have a voltage issue to the ignition module, whatever the reason. Strip back a little insulation on the larger yellow wire going to the ignition module and put a jumper wire directly to the battery plus or the large lug with all the red wires on the starter relay. Then you are sure to get all available voltage to the ignition module. There seems to be a lot of line loss in that circuit anyway. If they have been salting the roads where you are at, that salt spray can get into places it shouldn't be and cause voltage bleed. A very faint sound likely frying bacon is a tip off. I've had it happen on the outside of the battery, either salt spray, coolant or acid vapors that settled on the battery and turned to kind of a conductive coating. A little line leak (voltage bleed) here and there adds up. Salt water, coolant, mud and battery acid conduct a whole lot better than plain water and can cause issues, especially when it gets really cold and you need all the voltage (and amperage) you can muster.

 

[winterbeater]

Being that it takes so long to charge the battery back up after a failed attempt, I'd pull the spark plugs to check their condition. Then shoot them with a shot of spray start to make sure they are dry and clean.

 

[heshhash]

Cleaned the plugs today, charged battery, put jumper cables on for extra boost, still a no go.
I did notice i got 2 leaky injectors dripping on the intake.

 

[heshhash]

Todays update- charged warm battery, cleaned the 5 plugs i could get at, removed ignition coil and brought it inside to warm up. Took a few cranks but it started up, it was shaking horribly like it wasnt running on all 6. So now i am starting to think my coil is going bad, sound like a good assumption? I did wind up taking last plug out after to find it was gas fouled. Would it running on 5 cylinders shake horribly?

 

[8Mud]

Anything is possible, but some other things are more likely. Like you have a high voltage (spark) going to ground someplace, before it reaches the plugs. Or you have low voltage going to the ignition control module, or even the connection between the coil and the ignition module is corroded and/or loose.

It generally won't vibrate the motor much if you drop one cylinder, two and things tend to shake a lot depending on which cylinders are not firing.

Did it smooth out any after you ran it for awhile?

Lots of things can give it the shimmy shake. Not enough air (IAC), too much fuel (misfires or bad sensor) or not enough fuel (low fuel pressure or some sort of physical obstruction in the fuel supply), really weak spark (low voltage to the ICM or high resistance in the plug cables) and/or spark archs to ground someplace before it reaches the plugs (usually moisture, high resistance and/or the cable end not stuck in all he way).

The rotor and cap is a common spot for high voltage spark to go wrong. Moisture inside the cap, plug cable ends not in all the way or the cable ends wet.

You can ohm test the coil, one way it should be around 1 ohm, the other way it is usually between 11,000 and 15,000 ohms. It won't be exact, but if it is way off, it can be an indicator of a bad coil. But like I said, it is more often something else causing you grief. NAPA used to have a special tester for the ICM and coil for the Renix XJ.

If you have an after market (not XJ type) coil on there it could be burnt up. Round coils seldom last long in an XJ, the ICM is too hot (efficient) for them.

 

[heshhash]

It would stay running more than 20 seconds at a time. Battery died before it cleared up. Pulled all the plugs after and the were gas soaked, also gas in oil now. This is getting frustrating. I have minimal tools and no test equipment.

 

[Alaskan89XJ]

Leaky injectors is a big time fire hazard.

Take your battery to have it totally checked out at NAPA, or where ever you bought it.., should be a free test. Yours may just be a lemon. What amp settings have you used on your battery charger to charge battery, and for how long?

Try switching out your new TPS back to the old TPS.

You are certain that your ignition wires are absolutely in their correct positions, both on coil, and from coil to the correct plugs?

Clean your ground(S).

Check the wire connection to your CTS, coolant temperature sender located driver's side of block, which sends a signal to your ECU, (brain under dash).

You said you detected gasoline in your oil.., was that from a smell test of the oil on your dipstick? Anyway, flooding your the tops of your pistons with gasoline will leak down through the gaps of your rings, i.e., 'wash-down'. You will want to change your oil, and filter.

You said: "It would stay running more than 20 seconds at a time. Battery died before it cleared up".

I cannot understand what you meant, or possibly implied in the quote above. If your XJ idled for longer than 20 seconds, was it still acting like it was missing an active cylinder? =OR==> Did you mean it would NOT run more than 20 seconds at a time? I will stop trying to speculate, lol. Listen, write down some notes as you go through whatever you do, and keep us posted.:compwork:

 

[Talyn]

Battery died before it cleared up.

What is the alternator doing?