Starts and then stalls, need some advice!
 

Hello! I just picked up my new to me cherokee and I'm having an issue with it. It drove great on the test drive and on the way home but once at home it wants to stall every time I start it. The previous owner had it for the past 10 years and it is in very good shape overall... my luck this would happen.

Anyway to the point, it's a 1999 cherokee classic, 4.0L automatic, 4dr, pl,pw,ac,cruise etc. It will start and run for a few seconds and then dies. If I hold the gas it will remain running until I take my foot off then it sputters, hiccups and stalls out.

I am thinking it is either an alternator or coil. If anyone has any suggestions that could help I am all ears. Thanks!

Re: Starts and then stalls, need some advice!
 

Could be it knew you had an astra before.. kidding of course..

Ummm.. sounds like an idler issue, could be the idler is set to low. Ether that or the intake is clogged up really bad needs to be changed, or the injectors are dirty.. possibly carbon build up in the manifolds.. geeze tons of things especially with a 10 year old truck.

Re: Starts and then stalls, need some advice!
 

haha no i've decided to keep the astra as my daily and have the XJ as my fun vehicle. The car has been sitting for at least a month but not long enough for the fuel to go bad. It could be tons of things, the first time it stalled I was driving it and it died. I had it running once when I held the gas but it once i take my foot off it sputters and dies. No codes.

Re: Starts and then stalls, need some advice!
 

does it have a chip key that's what they will do too

Re: Starts and then stalls, need some advice!
 

I don't know if I have one. It is a 2.5" key with an oval shape end, it is black with a Chrysler emblem on it.

Re: Starts and then stalls, need some advice!
 

After working on it today, I had it start and run for 15-20 seconds. I thought I had fixed the problem and began cleaning up tools when it sputtered and died.

- I replaced the cap and rotor
- cleaned the battery terminals
- fixed a battery ground that was broken (negative battery terminal to inner fender)
- cleaned the throttle body and IAC
- swapped the fuel pump relay with the starter relay
- checked the condition of the spark plugs
- heard the fuel pump turn on with the ignition

Any help is much appreciated.

Re: Starts and then stalls, need some advice!
 

Crank position sensor

Re: Starts and then stalls, need some advice!
 

the oval end is about 1/4" thick if so then you have a chip key and the key could be no good or the computer may have failed.

Re: Starts and then stalls, need some advice!
 

my guess, change the IAC. the fact that it runs with your foot on the gas tells you this is most likely the key problem.

Re: Starts and then stalls, need some advice!
 

So a big update. I replaced the entire negative terminal and ground to fender cable as both were rotten and falling apart. I found an IAC at the wreckers and cleaned it well before installing it. I had the battery fully charge over night and had it tested, it came back in good condition!

I turned the key and it fired up instantly! I was very happy, i let it sit and idle for 5 minutes while I "again" cleaned up the tools. I sat in it and revved a few times and all sounded great. I took it around the block and ALMOST made it back home when it suddenly died.....

I fired it back up, it ran for mere seconds before dying again. I fired it up again and this time would only stay running when I held the gas. I fired it up and briskly floored it to my house where it died again..

So this is where I am at... I thought I had it all well and working but I am thinking this could be a fuel pump? Any thoughts or help is much welcomed!

Re: Starts and then stalls, need some advice!
 

You could try resetting the adaptive memory in the ECM. I had a much similar problem in my TJ. Would run as long as you had your foot on the gas and would die as soon as you let off the gas. I stored mine over the winter and had some battery issues when I fired it up again a couple weeks ago. What I was left with was this start/stall problem. I did some research and found this procedure, followed it and so far so good. I also found the same procedure quoted in the factory service manual for the TJ. I wouldn't expect the XJ to be a whole lot different. Apparently this reset procedure brings everything back to factory settings and the ECM will learn your driving habits over the next 50 starts. Sounds like black computer magic but it has worked for me. See below...

Disconnect the POSITIVE battery Terminal and touch it to ground ( not the battery negative terminal ) for 30 seconds. The engine block will work as a ground. This is to discharge the PCM capacitors, which maintains the Adaptive Memory.

Reconnect the Battery Cable
Turn Ignition Switch to the “ON” position but DO NOT start the engine
Turn Headlights “ON”
Turn Headlights “OFF”
Turn Ignition Key “OFF”

Hope this helps.

Re: Starts and then stalls, need some advice!
 

i had something similar happen with my 99 WJ. really rough idle, stalled a couple of times but smoothed out somewhat once on the throttle. then it started getting worse. finally got an engine code, turned out it was my upstream O2 sensor. after replacing the sensor, looked like things were ok, and then it happened again. i drained the electrical system by disconnecting both cables from the battery and grounding them out for ten seconds. i reconnected the battery, fired it up and its been running like a top ever since.

try disconnecting the upstream O2 sensor, and start it up. if it doesn't stall after the usual point, this may well be your problem.

good luck, keep us posted.

Re: Starts and then stalls, need some advice!
 

Crank position sensor problems are very common on Jeeps. They will NOT usually throw a code, which makes it difficult to diagnose, even if you have a scanner that reads live data. I don't like to suggest changing parts without hard evidence but it's the only thing I can think of that fits your issue. I assume you checked the fuel pressure and changed the fuel filter.

Re: Starts and then stalls, need some advice!
 

Everyone has said CPS from the get go and I believe they are correct. I ran more tests late last night and the jeep fired up.. seconds later it died. I tested for spark at the coil and there was non. Still no codes..

I assume the CPS sends a negative signal to the ECU and won't let me start it again after it dies. Since a bad CPS won't allow the ECU to send spark to the coil I can only assume the crank sensor (the most common failing part) is defective. My coil has a lot of dirt and rust on it so I will replace it anyway just to rule it out.

I have a CPS on order, I will post back letting everyone know the results after installing these new parts. Thanks again for all the help!

Re: Starts and then stalls, need some advice!
 

The one and only occasion my 89 Pioneeer died while I was driving was due to the Crank position Sensor.
It would die, restart, only to die again.

Obviously, can not assure yo that it's the problem, but worth checking out.

Good Luck.

Re: Starts and then stalls, need some advice!
 

I'm surprised you had to order one, they are usually in stock everywhere.

Re: Starts and then stalls, need some advice!
 

It is alive! Thanks to everyone who replied and bestowed their cherokee knowledge! I swapped in a new crank sensor today and she fired up and idled great. I cautiously drove her around the block hoping she wouldn't stall and she didn't. I am still a skeptic but for now it's running, it's driving and it sounds great.

On a side note, I read a lot of reviews stating how difficult the CPS job was. I used 2 9" extensions, 2 6" extension, 2 u-joints and a 11mm deep socket (if i recall correctly). It was out in less time than it took to assemble all the extensions on my ratchet lol putting it back together i had a friend hold the new one in place while i put the screws in by hand from under the jeep and tightened with the ratchet.

Thank you again.

Re: Starts and then stalls, need some advice!
 

Thanks for coming back with your solution and how you did it. It's not too bad to change on an xj but it's a pain in the butt on the zj or wj due to accessability. It can be made a little easier by unbolting the cross-member and lowering the transmission a few inches.

Re: Starts and then stalls, need some advice!
 

Figured that's what it was, I have changed literally 30 or more of them, very common problem. Glad to hear it's working.

Re: Starts and then stalls, need some advice!
 

Grats on the XJ! 1999 is a fantastic year! Hopefully yours isn't as rusty as mine.

I would continue looking at your electrical system for this issue. If your negative-to-fender cable was that bad, immediately ALL of the cables coming off of the battery are in question. First step is to disconnect all of them, clean them until shiny with something abrasive like a wire brush or sand paper, remove residues with a hexane electrical cleaner, apply an electrical corrosion preventative like NOALOX or OX-GARD (Home Depot has this stuff - and note these are conductive, NOT dielectric grease) and reassemble. If you notice any brittle or corroded cables they should be replaced. The copper conductors in stranded cables will continue to rust out up into the cable jacketing.

How is the engine dying? Are you losing it slowly at idle or does it just cut off? Slowly dying at idle points towards a charging system problem or IAC/TPS issue.

When you say you "cleaned the IAC" - did you push the pintle in or drop the unit? Have you tested the TPS?

Like a previous poster mentioned, CPS is a very common issue, but based on what you've already revealed (and how much they cost) other things should be addressed first.

In the 97+ XJs the fuel pump and pressure regulator are in the tank and the rail is always within 5 PSI of 49 PSI. If your fuel pump was failing you'd notice hard starting and probably a power limit if not enough fuel is delivered.