XJ 4.0 loses power on left turns

96 XJ 4.0 AT loses power when you make hard left turns. The seller was *very* upfront w/this detail long before I did a test-drive. What do you all think?

Shamus

Reply to
Shamus in CO
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Loses electrical power, as in dash lights etc., or loses power like the engine wants to stop running but the lights etc. keep working?

Chris

Reply to
c

Reply to
Shamus in CO

OK, obviously it is fuel injected, so that rules out float levels, lol. It could be something that is causing the fuel supply to stop, or something that is losing electrical contact due to a lose wire, bad ground, etc. I would check for any lose connections. My gut feeling though is that it might be a fuel issue. The fuel pickup in the tank may not be "right" and may be sucking air when you make a left turn. You could probably test this by jacking the left side of the vehicle up as high as possible (safely of course) and see if it does the same thing.

Chris

Reply to
c

Shamus in CO did pass the time by typing:

Long shot. Check the motor mounts to see if the driver's side is broken.

Check all the throttle body links and hoses for anything that could be binding up.

Not so long shot. Crank the steering to full lock left plus just a touch more (don't keep it there, it's hard on the pump) see if that lag is caused by a binding steering system causing more drag on the PS pump and therefore on the engine. Try the same thing to the right. Should put the same lag on the engine if everything is normal.

Another. Pop the cap off the distributor and see if there is oil in there. That shouldn't be causing any problems unless there is a lot. (there should be none) If there is oil in there you need to replace the distributor. (easy job)

Hard to tell for sure, there could be all sorts of things even down to bad diffs (but you should hear that easily).

I'm guessing here (as if you can't tell) :)

mmm.. Guinness. :D

Reply to
DougW

The moral of the story: a: check the coil b: before you start guessing and throwing money into it, you may be wise to shell out a few bucks to have it checked by a qualified, well equipped shop.

Good of the seller to be forthright, maybe they have tried a few things and could pass on some more info.

-Brian

Reply to
Cherokee-LTD
44's... just in case!"

-Brian

Reply to
Cherokee-LTD

Just a question on the dist cap....how would oil get in to that except by an crack on the outside that had oil dumped on to?

I'm not all that engine savvy but thought that the dist cap just sat on top of a spindle with a gear on the end of which poked down in to the motor somewhere.....

sb

Reply to
SB

Cherokee-LTD did pass the time by typing:

You never know when that rough running is being caused by having too small a tire or the cabin noise from being too close to the road.

Now you can justify larger wheels and a lift kit. :)

Reply to
DougW

SB did pass the time by typing:

The distributor sits down in the block and its gear gets oil from the engine. There is a seal (bushing) pressed into the shaft that keeps oil from getting up to the cap and rotor. As that bushing wears, oil can work up into the base of the distributor and start to foul the internals. Generally the dist gets so much slop it throws the timing off or starts damaging the posts.

Long time back this was more important because the points sat low enough to get crudded up with oil.

It does. There is also a small blade on the end of that shaft that turns your oil pump and the little gear is turned by your camshaft.

This is my experience.

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Reply to
DougW

I've never held it in my hands so I'm trying to picture it....but I guess I could see how it'd get up there....but inside.... I don't have one on my '02 (coils??/ignition module??).

Reply to
SB

When the top seal fails on the oil pump, the distributor can get filled up.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

SB wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

I would be looking for a wire on the exhaust manifold or on the pipe that is 'almost' touching. Turn a corner and gravity does it's thing.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Shamus >

Reply to
Mike Romain

Mike Romain did pass the time by typing:

Heh..

Like this one for my O2 sensor that was burned.

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That happened down on the engine just forward of where the O2 sensor harness clips to the oil pan. There is a bolt and clip that holds it to the engine block. Seems it can get a _tad_ too close to the header or get pinched in the clip. The excess heat also makes the wire brittle, I had to clean and strip about 4" of wire and re-inusulate it with rubber tape. (splicing is optional)

To reroute it I used the upper rear PS adjustment bolt to hold the clip in and ran the wire way clear of the header.

Sorry, no pics. :( I need to clean up some space on the ol website.

Reply to
DougW

DougW did pass the time by typing:

Missed one. This is the clip.

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Reply to
DougW

: >> I'm guessing here (as if you can't tell) :) : >>

: >> mmm.. Guinness. :D : >>

: > LOL!!! I will archive this message for the next time my XJ is running : > rough... "Honey, look here, it might be the diffs. Why don't I swap in those : > 44's... just in case!" : : You never know when that rough running is being caused by having too small a tire : or the cabin noise from being too close to the road. : : Now you can justify larger wheels and a lift kit. :) :

Ahh yes... I found that my Astro was too light in the rear for the snow... the addition of three amps and 2-12" subs has really planted those rear tires in slippery conditions.

-Brian

Reply to
Cherokee-LTD

Reply to
L.W.(ßill)

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