Jeep Cherokee hard starting, part II

Clay hacked up a hairball and the stain left behind looked like this:

Have to agree here with Clay. Should not apply any gas during cranking. It's easy on the I-6 to check the fuel pressure with a guage. You might try checking with your local auto parts store to see if they rent one. Mine did and that's when I found no pressure was built up to start. In my case, no voltage is going to the tank.

You should have at least 20lbs pressure before cranking and over 30 when running. If you're not getting any pressure, your fuel pump might be going bad. Good luck!

~Casper

Then again, could be electrical. Your battery in good shape? Sounds like the starter is taking all the fire away from the ignition. Soon as you release the key, it has enough spark to run maybe? I dunno...

Bud wrote: ...when I stop cranking and turn the key from START to ON,

I haven't been able to go out every day, and my Jeep will sit for 3 or 4 days. When I go out to start it, I turn the key on, wait 2 seconds, turn it off, then on, wait two seconds, then off, then go for the start.

This recharges the fuel rail and it starts right up. If I don't, it won't.

This only happens when it sits for a few days. It does run better with my new fuel pump. The old one crapped on me at 72,000.

Not enough electricity getting where it is needed.

Surprisingly I will say you should check the body ground strap that runs from the engine head to the firewall. I suspect it is rotted or the connections are dirty on it. If it doesn't pass clean electricity, then the engine control modules don't have enough power when the starter is cranking.

If that strap is ok, then I would suspect a dirty connection on the starter solenoid relay. There are a bunch of small wires there that direct the power when the starter is working.

I would still be cleaning the TPS connection like I mentioned earlier. It causes one of your symptoms. That connection can be cleaned with WD40 even...

Mike