Werid problems with XJ

[Xjforme]

Hey guys, I need some professional help here. I have a 2000 XJ 4x4 Auto with 85,000 miles. The problem I'm having is to seperate issues. The first is the Airbag light goes on and off every so often and this is also accompanied by the gagues flat linning or not work until I slam on the break when everything seems to go back to normal????? Not sure what this is but it happens on a pretty frequent basis.

The second problem is when I start up my XJ maybe once a week, it has a hard time ideling and when I step on the gas it wants to die. It takes maybe 30 seconds and I'm able to step on the gas and it stops doing it, it's back to normal. it's almost like it sputters and then you lay on the gas and everything is fine.

any help would be appreciated.

 

[Shorty]

just guesses, but somewhere to start:

1. clock spring in steering column will give intermittant air bag light if it's failing and may also interfere with power from ignition switch to dash.

2. check for leaky injector

 

[Ugly's2000XJ]

When your guages drop out or flatline it is caused by the CCD Bus to get interupted. The CCD bus is the wires used to communicate between the modules, like PCM, to cluster, door module and air bag. The clockspring was a common issue. If you look in a service manual and find the BUS + and Bus (-) wires, you can check them when the condition happens. There should be 2.5V on each wire using a DVOM. If the voltage is 0.00 then mostlikely one of the wires is shorted to ground, if it is more than the 5.0v then its shorted mostlikely inside a connector.. Then look for corrosion inside a connector. Another good method is to remove each module on the bus one at a time, discconnect each one and observe the voltage. Check door jam wiring as I believe the RKE remote keyless entry module in the pass door is on the bus, just make sure no wires are broken in the boot. The cluster is also on the bus. I will grab my 2000 factory manual tonight and look at the CCD Bus wiring to confirm and get back with you.

My 2000 xj is doing the same thing as yours, I have it narrowed to a leaky injector(s), I haveto take the time to find out wich one.. The two problems do not sound to be connected..

 

[Xjforme]

thanks for the detailed information. I will check the injectors as well as the bus panel.

 

[99XJWhitey]

my 98 does the same exact thing (with the cluster and airbag light).
try smacking the top of the dash. If the guages come right back, the connector on the back of the cluster is loose. Ive seen a LOT of these acting like this.