99 TJ 2.5 Hesitation

If it was mine, and it only cut out occasionally, under a load, I'd change the plug wires.

-- Old Crow '82 Shovelhead FLTC 92" 'Pearl' '95 Jeep Wrangler YJ TOMKAT, BS#133, SENS, MAMBM, DOF#51, SPUNGER#2

This is exactly how my '98 TJ 2.5 started behaving prior to my replacing the crank position sensor. Seems the wire between the sensor itself and the plug on the other end came into contact with the exhaust manifold and melted the insulation, causing a short. Until I discovered this, I went absolutely crazy replacing things like plugs, rotor, cap, throttle position sensor, etc. Something to check out, at least.

Mark '98 TJ '98 XJ

I too replaced the crank position sensor when my 97 was acting like that, had replaced everything else...that helped the problem...

Kevin

Before changing the plug wires there is a great old way to check them. Find a dark place on a dark night, turn out all the lights, pop the hood and leave the engine running. After your eyes get a little time to adjust look hard at the engine where the wires are. If your wires are good all you are going to see is a lot of dark, if they are bad you are going to see sparks along the wires and jumping from them to ground.

I've used that trick on both Jeeps with high energy ignitions and Studebakers with conventional ones, and it's worked great.

Jeff DeWitt

Jeffrey DeWitt did pass the time by typing:

Build what I have.

Go to RadioShack (or similar electronics parts store) and pick up a

110 VAC Neon lamp of some flavor. It has to be neon. Take a stick (dowell, etc) and mount the lamp to it. Run one lead to the end and secure it to a nail or some other metal doodad you can point around. (I used an old cup hook screwed into the end of a dowell) Secure the other end to a bit of wire and an alligator clip.

Now just ground the clip to the frame and run the metal tip around the spark system. If the lamp lights you found a crack.

Or you could just feel around with your hands. If there is a crack you will find it. Especially if your other hand is resting nicely on the radiator brace.

I always like to check them during the day by grasping the wires and running my hand along each wire. Wetting your hand prior to doing this will ensure that you will get good results.

Reminds me of the student who grabbed the high voltage lead on an old vacuum tube amp during a lab experiment. When he leaned over the bench to connect it, his metal zipper made contact with the grounded bench. OUCH!!

Images of the city cousin pissing on the electric fence...

I did this with a 5 horse Briggs and Stratton engine by accident, tightening a broken spark plug wire without shutting down. That was awful enough that I can't even imagine what a car would do.

Matt

The pissing on the fence theory was debunked by Myth Busters, was it not?

The only 'myth' I saw was what he sprayed out of his mouth when contact was made! Ever get up against one of those real farm jobs? One controller runs as much a 5 miles of wire and we had to keep cleaning the fence rows since there was enough energy in that puppy to light a good fire if the weeds grew up and contacted the wire. You don't need a light bulb to tell if it's on - you can hear the hum as it charges, all the way out to the end of the line.

Ah, the good old days. We had > The pissing on the fence theory was debunked by Myth Busters, was it not? >

Eric did pass the time by typing:

That was someone pissing on the third rail. Lots of current. An electric fence puts out a hell of a lot of voltage but very little current.

I'd love to see them disprove that. :) OF course 90% of the show would be NC-17.

10% lead in, 1% pissing on wire, 89% running around with dick cupped in hand whilst screaming at the top of ones lungs. (1)

But it would be entertainment. (2)

(1) from memory (2) in retrospect