88 XJ won't start

I have no business responding to this, because I don't have an XJ.

I'm sure someone else will tell you to clean your CPS plug, and Mike will pipe up and tell you to check your ground strap.

Heheheh I have a 90 XJ and I replaced the cps sensor and even spiffied up the ground strap. It then only once in a while didn't start when cranking it, mostly when my girlfriend was in the car, so she would just give me that look like "what a piece of crap I can't believe you bought this thing just to have 2 jeeps we should have taken mine".

Since then I have taken some contact cleaner spray and cleaned and sprayed every electrical connection under the hood. Haven't had a problem since. But before I did that I'd usually just open the hood, unplug and plug back in most connectors I could see, and put the ignition forward for a few seconds and back again for about 3 or 4 times, then it would crank.

Troy

Check to make sure you Crank Position Sensor is working properly. My Cherokee was going the same thing until I changed it out.

Don't forget the dielectric grease while you have the connectors apart.

Well the CPS seems to be the problem because I disconnected it and reconnected to a couple of times and it started. The time is now it keeps holding a very high idle like 2500 rpms and won't kick down does anybody have any ideas. And thank you very much everyone for the help!!!

Double check the tb butterfly is closed and that the connector on the idle air motor is connected. If there is any crud built up on the throttle body then clean it. Especially the idle air passage.

Could be it has lost the throttle position settings. Turn the ignition to on (not start) get under the hood and move the throttle plate from full closed to full open, hold it open for a few seconds then slowly return it to full closed. (do this about three times) then get in and turn the key off. Then start the engine.

You forgot the part about walking one complete circle around the vehicle, then spit three times before trying to start it.

bllsht proclaimed:

I thought it was walk three times widdershins, spit once. Lifting the hood and muttering obscure incantations, optional.

Ya know, I'm gonna try that next. I've found out that after driving my xj and it gets really warmed up and all, then park for more than 30 minutes or so that it wont crank, so I open the hood and plug in, plug out the cps plug a few times, then try to start it and after a few times it actually does start. Danged thing is that it's a new cps sensor that I put on a couple months ago. It was such a PITA that I don't really wanna put another one back in, but what in the hell could be going on wrong here?

Troy

He might not even need to change it out. My `89 would fire right up after unplugging and replugging the CPS. It happened about 3 times a year.

What? You guys don't have to do the goat sacrifice too? Man, you're gettin' off easy.

Bill Kearney proclaimed:

Well, see there is this guy here that claims Bill stole his boy friend, and well, I guess he chased Bill down and got the goat back, and since then goats been sorta scarce lately if you know what I mean.

Its the CPS plug!! The clip is broken off and if you unplug it and plug it in about 3 times it starts right up.

I use a spray contact cleaner on them to keep them working. They are computer pins with a scratch contact in the socket. Every time you pull it apart, it scratches a clean contact. The cleaner makes that work better then you could plastic zip tie it together.

Mike