I've tried everything, and my jeep still won't start.

[xj2win]

92 XJ with 4.0 L. I'm visiting my sister out of town, it was running fine when I got here on Friday night. It sat outside until this morning, and the temps were down to -30 with the windchill for most of the weekend. I tried to start it this morning and it turned over but would not start. We took it up to the heated shop and thawed it out for six hours, still would not start.
I charged the battery, even connected a 225 amp jump-pak to it to try and start it. There is no moisture in the dizzy and it looks clean. I just installed a new coil on it trying to make it start. It has injector pulse and fuel pressure in the rail. I checked for spark and it had good spark, though it was only sparking about every half second which I thought was a little slow, but have never checked it before at startup. I don't know what else to do.

 

[Mark SS]

Check your crank case position senser. Two of my friends have 89's and they both had this problem. They said it was about $15 they think. It is on the front for your motor by the crank.

 

[RyanM]

tis the season for cks failure

 

[Ed in North Ga.]

The Crankshaft Position Sensor tells the engine that its turning over, send spark-
you have spark-
the fuel rail shows pressure- so you have gas-

your injectors are asleep.

inside your distributor, is a modified stator- on yours, its called a camshaft position sensor (aka: sync pulse generator)- your parts counter monkey will know it as a stator, or old school jargon ,"a pick up coil"
Do not confuse it with the Crankshaft Position Sensor- 2 seperate evil sensors with completely different ideas on how to start the brawny engine- and tell the brainy ECU its doing what it needs- The stator tells the ECU to fire the injectors-
fix stator, have gas pressure-have spark- now have drivable vehicle-hopefully.Thats the easy fix, it go`s down hill to harder fixes after that.

simplified test- get an idiot light from the parts store and test the injectors- no light means no injectors squirting expensive gas-

 

[xj2win]

Thanks for the responses. From my manual however, it appears that only the V6 cherokees, and 84-85 with a 4 cylinder engine had a pick-up coil, or cam position sensor. I'll try the crank position sensor and perhaps a MAP sensor if that doesn't work. The CPS is mounted on the transmission bellhousing, correct?

 

[Ed in North Ga.]

"it appears that only the V6 cherokees, and 84-85 with a 4 cylinder engine had a pick-up coil, or cam position sensor"

yer kidding, right?
If that were true, how do you think all the rest of the jeeps with fuel injection get their timing pulse? Those little wires off all our distributors arent terminated inside to a little elf with a calculator. In fact Ive always wondered what that big gold disc is inside my 1989 MJs distributor actually is...maybe...its an elf house!
Alot of times, your general manual will lead you to believe something, but it actually covers many- hence the word- "similar"- the 2.5 is similar to a 4.0-
The wording stinks, and sometimes its so general that it borders on vague -

Crankshaft sensor is on top of the bellhouseing - sandwiched between tranny and engine- plugs in the harness directly behind the valve cover- most of us test it by unplugging and replugging it back in- then running an ohms test if that does not work- if you replace it- DONT drop the bolts inside the hole. DO save your old one. Use extensions and a wobble joint-

Map sensor is easier to test- but....

you seem to be well on your way to replacing everything, so good luck on that.

a wise man told me- if you have gas in the rail, and it aint squirting out of the injectors, its not going to fire no matter how much spark you have- dont believe me- go research it- gas burns.:yap:
Find out why the injectors arent firing- and you win.

I`ll send you a PM with some reading material-
ED

 

[xj2win]

Thanks for the additional info. To be honest, I didn't know that the distributor played a role in injector pulse, I thought it just used the other engine sensors, and that the ignition wires terminated at their contacts, which of course recieve the spark from the rotor.

 

[RyanM]

ahh didn't see that you had spark, if you do, CKS is fine. how's your fuel pump

 

[Ed in North Ga.]

ahh didn't see that you had spark, if you do, CKS is fine. how's your fuel pump

If he has fuel pressure at the rail.....

 

[XJPhoenix]

The pick-up coil in my 1994 went when I stopped off for some gas on the way home from buying it!

Try the 'on-off-on-off-on' key trick. Your check engine light will start to blink, each set of blinks is a number. Every two numbers is a code. (ie: blinks twice, pauses, and then blinks twice more is a code 22) When the computer is finished giving you stored codes, it will give you a code 55, or in OBD I parlance 'th-th-that's all, folks!'

 

[truck2hi2cu]

:shiver: :shiver: :gonnablow i also have a problem with no start/took my toy for a short ride .shut it off for 10 minutes tried and wouldnt start.no power to coil,so i changed crank sensor/still nothing!!!so i tried ign switch/still nothing called local dealer and they said computer/well still nothing!!.i disconnected battery for a overnight charge /just for fun i reconnected battery and turned the key...and it started and ran for 30-40 seconds and quit####i have done this about six times with same results.PLEASE HELP///TIME TO FIX IT OR SHOOT IT!!!!!!!!thanx /vinnie 92xj 4.0 auto 4wd

 

[xj2win]

Well I just got off the phone with the Jeep dealer in town, and they only list a cam position sensor for 94+, the year ODBII was introduced to the XJ. To the fellow that posted above me, check your MAP sensor, that's pretty much the only thing you haven't replaced that would cause it not to start.

 

[RyanM]

If he has fuel pressure at the rail.....

lol sorry didn't read

 

[McQue]

In your original post, you said you had injector pulse...How did you determine that?

You can ask them for the Distributor ignition pickup

If you drill down at the Rock Auto website for your vehicle, you can find it in the Distributor folder..

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/raframecatalog.php

 

[Ecomike]

I had the same exact problem once, drove me nuts for days, it would only start once it had been running, i.e. hot, there were many mornings when it never started, turned out to be a bad AIT, Air Intake Temperature sensor in the intake manifold. You can check it with an ohm meter. 100,000 ohms at -40 F, 25,000 ohm at 0 F, 13,500 ohms at 20 F, 3,400 ohms at 70 F.

I think the 92 CTS, Coolant Temperature Sensor is still in the drivers side block, just above the oil pan, hiding behind an engine mount, , if so it has the same ohm readings as the IAT, if not, if it is in the thermosata housing it has a different resistance table. I think they moved it to the thermostat housing in 96, OBD-II. Anyway, either one could be bad, and could overcompensating and either flooding the engine or staving it for fuel.

Check the spark plugs for excess fuel, check the oil for a fuel smell. If it gets flooded, you can unflood it, and force it start by holding the gas peddle to the floor. That lets it have more air and tells the ECU to stop opening the injectors until it senses the engine running.

Lastly, the IAC, Idle Air Controller could be stuck in the closed position, or clogged with dirt, thus starving the engine for critical starting air, thus rapidly flooding the engine. Try flooring the gas peddle and see if it starts next, first!

 

[Ecomike]

:shiver: :shiver: :gonnablow i also have a problem with no start/took my toy for a short ride .shut it off for 10 minutes tried and wouldnt start.no power to coil,so i changed crank sensor/still nothing!!!so i tried ign switch/still nothing called local dealer and they said computer/well still nothing!!.i disconnected battery for a overnight charge /just for fun i reconnected battery and turned the key...and it started and ran for 30-40 seconds and quit####i have done this about six times with same results.PLEASE HELP///TIME TO FIX IT OR SHOOT IT!!!!!!!!thanx /vinnie 92xj 4.0 auto 4wd

Try the items I just posted, namely get an ohm meter and test the IAT and CTS, and look up some threads here about the IAC, learn how to remove and safely clean and oil the IAC, Idle Air Controller, also called an Idle Speed Stepper Motor. Might also remove and clean the throttle body while you clean the IAC, but not required. Also, there is relay, I think it is called the +B latch relay that resets the IAC when the engine is turned off that if it failed would leave the IAC in the wrong position for starting the jeep and would flood the jeep before it could start.

 

[Ecomike]

Well I just got off the phone with the Jeep dealer in town, and they only list a cam position sensor for 94+, the year ODBII was introduced to the XJ. To the fellow that posted above me, check your MAP sensor, that's pretty much the only thing you haven't replaced that would cause it not to start.

God I love it, I get better answers than that at Autozone! OBD-II was introduced to the world in 1996, interesting to hear that Jeep had it 2 years before the rest of the world, not!:laugh2::roflmao:

MAP sensors on Jeeps almost never fail!!!

The Cam Position Sensor has been in the jeep, 4.0 engine distributor since 1987. The Renix FSM calls it a "Synch Signal Generator"!

 

[xj2win]

Well I finally found it throught NAPA and the Stealership when I asked them for a stator or pick up coil. I'll research the IAC and coolant temp. sensors. I think that something is throwing off either the spark or injector timing. I used a multimeter on the injector wires, and it was getting a good voltage pulse. However, after making sure it had spark we poured some gas into the intake throat and it still didn't even sputter, which is why I believe one of the timings to be off.

 

[RyanM]

a bad coil could be giving you spark, but weak spark, not enough to combust.

 

[xj2win]

Already put a new coil in it, nothing.