argh, 90 xj starting revisited (cps?)

Damn, just when I fix one thing its another...

The other day in traffic it died at a particularly busy intersection here in town, but after the hood up and me plugging and unplugging the cps sensor a few times it starts up and I drive to where I was going. An hour after there I go to leave and it wont start. I try my tricks again for about

15-20 minutes... no go. So we push the thing over to the side to park it and so I can get a ride, and just for fun I tried it again and now it will start.

Got it home that night and now it won't crank again. Just sitting there cold this time. I replaced the cps sensor a few months ago, and cleaned all my connectors. Seems like its heat related most of the time, as if by me lifting the hood so air can cool it a bit seems to work a little. The temp needle doesnt' show it getting hot though. My idle is low I know and only when its in gear... maybe I need to change the auto tranny fluid?

I'm about this close | | to selling it only because with this new job I need very reliable transportation. Any more ideas?

Troy

Reply to
Troy
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When my 88 did that it had a rotted mesh ground strap from the rear of the engine head to the firewall.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >
Reply to
Mike Romain

Heh yeah checked that. Seems good, I tugged on it a few times and it holds well. I was just outside trying to mess with it and remembered another guy I talked to who had the same problem and he replaced his ignition control module... Said it was a royal PITA but it hasn't given him problems since. I'm wondering if I'm going to have to do the same. Is there a way I can tell if its bad?

Troy

Reply to
Troy

Remove the ground strap, clean it, clean the connections on both ends and see if that helps. Check every wire and every ground before you go shotgunning new parts at it.

Carl

Reply to
Carl

AutoZone can check some Ignition Modules, give them a call

Reply to
billy ray

I had similar symptoms with my '89 YJ. Pep-boys checked my ignition module, told me it was bad, sold me new one, no problem since. Joe C

Reply to
Joe C

I've had a couple of ECU problems that sound similar - runs fine until it gets hot then rolls over and dies until it cools down. The difference is that this one seems to be bad cold as well - which sounds more like a contact problem (maybe inside the module). Being a long-time electronics victim, every one I had would come alive if I cooled them then die again as they heated up. Any way you can cool them seems to work - pour some water on them, wet rags, CO2 blast or

- as a last resort - piss on it. It is a little inconvenient to reach, tho.

Most parts stores have tester that can verify the problem before you spend any m> Heh yeah checked that. Seems good, I tugged on it a few times and it holds

Reply to
Will Honea

Another alternative to cool it is to get a can of compressed air used for dusting off computer parts. Hold it upside down and it emits a freezing stream that cools and evaporates on contact.

Carl

Reply to
Carl

Just to be clear on the symptoms: Won't crank or won't start?

"Cranking": Electric motor spins the moving parts of the gasoline motor.

"Won't start": No spark at the plugs/insufficient spark at the plugs for ignition/spark and fuel not meeting at right time, right place.

There's a world of difference right there.

Your factory dash gauges are vague indicators only, not precision instruments. They are there only to show you if something is seriously out of range. Needle someplace in the middle: Normal. Needle pegged: Something not normal.

I don't see that helping much.

At 17 years old I'd guess that most of the trouble-free and reliable life has been sucked out of pretty much any passenger vehicle.

Reply to
Lee Ayrton

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