XJ engine dies intermittently. Any ideas?
 

1994 UK Cherokee Limited, 4.0l Auto, mileage 85K
For the past couple of weeks, only on about three or four occasions, the
engine has started to die but usually just manages to pick up. This may have
happened more often but was noticeable when idling or moving slowly. Today I
was driving on a fast road at about 60 when the engine stopped completely.
Rev counter went straight to zero. No backfiring or spluttering and the
momentum of the vehicle enabled me to get it to the side and out of danger -
although absence of power steering made it a bit of a struggle. After a
quick check of HT leads for anything obvious (they are not very old and
appeared fine), started up again and it ran sweetly without any more trouble
until I got home, about 20 miles.

With such an intermittent problem what might be the areas to consider?
Anyone had similar experience?

Frank

Re: XJ engine dies intermittently. Any ideas?
 

In <v4vUb.246$DG5.45@newsfep3-gui.server.ntli.net> Frank Pell wrote:

>
> With such an intermittent problem what might be the areas to consider?
> Anyone had similar experience?
>
> Frank
>
>
Not experience with an XJ, but I have owned several other cars and
trucks, and I woul have the alternator tested. I had a chevy truck once
that would only run until it reached a certain RPM, then would just die.
It turned out to be the alternator was tit's up. To test it, you might
just run it at an idle, and rev up the engine slowly and see if it
finally dies. You may have reached high enough RPMs to trip the
alternator the one time, then after it happened, you may have
unconsciencely shifted at less RPMs trying to ensure it would get you
home. Most people when they cannot determine what is wrong with their
vehicle, tend to drive it softer until they get it home.

--
Jeff Ramsey
ramsejc(no-spam)@tubafor.com

Re: XJ engine dies intermittently. Any ideas?
 

In <v4vUb.246$DG5.45@newsfep3-gui.server.ntli.net> Frank Pell wrote:

>
> With such an intermittent problem what might be the areas to consider?
> Anyone had similar experience?
>
> Frank
>
>
Not experience with an XJ, but I have owned several other cars and
trucks, and I woul have the alternator tested. I had a chevy truck once
that would only run until it reached a certain RPM, then would just die.
It turned out to be the alternator was tit's up. To test it, you might
just run it at an idle, and rev up the engine slowly and see if it
finally dies. You may have reached high enough RPMs to trip the
alternator the one time, then after it happened, you may have
unconsciencely shifted at less RPMs trying to ensure it would get you
home. Most people when they cannot determine what is wrong with their
vehicle, tend to drive it softer until they get it home.

--
Jeff Ramsey
ramsejc(no-spam)@tubafor.com

Re: XJ engine dies intermittently. Any ideas?
 

In <v4vUb.246$DG5.45@newsfep3-gui.server.ntli.net> Frank Pell wrote:

>
> With such an intermittent problem what might be the areas to consider?
> Anyone had similar experience?
>
> Frank
>
>
Not experience with an XJ, but I have owned several other cars and
trucks, and I woul have the alternator tested. I had a chevy truck once
that would only run until it reached a certain RPM, then would just die.
It turned out to be the alternator was tit's up. To test it, you might
just run it at an idle, and rev up the engine slowly and see if it
finally dies. You may have reached high enough RPMs to trip the
alternator the one time, then after it happened, you may have
unconsciencely shifted at less RPMs trying to ensure it would get you
home. Most people when they cannot determine what is wrong with their
vehicle, tend to drive it softer until they get it home.

--
Jeff Ramsey
ramsejc(no-spam)@tubafor.com

Re: XJ engine dies intermittently. Any ideas?
 

Ninety nine percent of the time it will be Crank Position Sensor:
http://www.off-road.com/jeep/cheroke...tdcsensor.html
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

Frank Pell wrote:
>
> 1994 UK Cherokee Limited, 4.0l Auto, mileage 85K
> For the past couple of weeks, only on about three or four occasions, the
> engine has started to die but usually just manages to pick up. This may have
> happened more often but was noticeable when idling or moving slowly. Today I
> was driving on a fast road at about 60 when the engine stopped completely.
> Rev counter went straight to zero. No backfiring or spluttering and the
> momentum of the vehicle enabled me to get it to the side and out of danger -
> although absence of power steering made it a bit of a struggle. After a
> quick check of HT leads for anything obvious (they are not very old and
> appeared fine), started up again and it ran sweetly without any more trouble
> until I got home, about 20 miles.
>
> With such an intermittent problem what might be the areas to consider?
> Anyone had similar experience?
>
> Frank

Re: XJ engine dies intermittently. Any ideas?
 

Ninety nine percent of the time it will be Crank Position Sensor:
http://www.off-road.com/jeep/cheroke...tdcsensor.html
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

Frank Pell wrote:
>
> 1994 UK Cherokee Limited, 4.0l Auto, mileage 85K
> For the past couple of weeks, only on about three or four occasions, the
> engine has started to die but usually just manages to pick up. This may have
> happened more often but was noticeable when idling or moving slowly. Today I
> was driving on a fast road at about 60 when the engine stopped completely.
> Rev counter went straight to zero. No backfiring or spluttering and the
> momentum of the vehicle enabled me to get it to the side and out of danger -
> although absence of power steering made it a bit of a struggle. After a
> quick check of HT leads for anything obvious (they are not very old and
> appeared fine), started up again and it ran sweetly without any more trouble
> until I got home, about 20 miles.
>
> With such an intermittent problem what might be the areas to consider?
> Anyone had similar experience?
>
> Frank

Re: XJ engine dies intermittently. Any ideas?
 

Ninety nine percent of the time it will be Crank Position Sensor:
http://www.off-road.com/jeep/cheroke...tdcsensor.html
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

Frank Pell wrote:
>
> 1994 UK Cherokee Limited, 4.0l Auto, mileage 85K
> For the past couple of weeks, only on about three or four occasions, the
> engine has started to die but usually just manages to pick up. This may have
> happened more often but was noticeable when idling or moving slowly. Today I
> was driving on a fast road at about 60 when the engine stopped completely.
> Rev counter went straight to zero. No backfiring or spluttering and the
> momentum of the vehicle enabled me to get it to the side and out of danger -
> although absence of power steering made it a bit of a struggle. After a
> quick check of HT leads for anything obvious (they are not very old and
> appeared fine), started up again and it ran sweetly without any more trouble
> until I got home, about 20 miles.
>
> With such an intermittent problem what might be the areas to consider?
> Anyone had similar experience?
>
> Frank

Re: XJ engine dies intermittently. Any ideas?
 

You had an alternator stator come apart and cause a massive short,
when centrifugal force throws the wires out at certain RPMs. The
initially caused by turning it above ten grand, via a two to one drive,
something a Jeep engine will never do.
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

Jeff Ramsey wrote:
>
> Not experience with an XJ, but I have owned several other cars and
> trucks, and I woul have the alternator tested. I had a chevy truck once
> that would only run until it reached a certain RPM, then would just die.
> It turned out to be the alternator was tit's up. To test it, you might
> just run it at an idle, and rev up the engine slowly and see if it
> finally dies. You may have reached high enough RPMs to trip the
> alternator the one time, then after it happened, you may have
> unconsciencely shifted at less RPMs trying to ensure it would get you
> home. Most people when they cannot determine what is wrong with their
> vehicle, tend to drive it softer until they get it home.
>
> --
> Jeff Ramsey
> ramsejc(no-spam)@tubafor.com

Re: XJ engine dies intermittently. Any ideas?
 

You had an alternator stator come apart and cause a massive short,
when centrifugal force throws the wires out at certain RPMs. The
initially caused by turning it above ten grand, via a two to one drive,
something a Jeep engine will never do.
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

Jeff Ramsey wrote:
>
> Not experience with an XJ, but I have owned several other cars and
> trucks, and I woul have the alternator tested. I had a chevy truck once
> that would only run until it reached a certain RPM, then would just die.
> It turned out to be the alternator was tit's up. To test it, you might
> just run it at an idle, and rev up the engine slowly and see if it
> finally dies. You may have reached high enough RPMs to trip the
> alternator the one time, then after it happened, you may have
> unconsciencely shifted at less RPMs trying to ensure it would get you
> home. Most people when they cannot determine what is wrong with their
> vehicle, tend to drive it softer until they get it home.
>
> --
> Jeff Ramsey
> ramsejc(no-spam)@tubafor.com

Re: XJ engine dies intermittently. Any ideas?
 

You had an alternator stator come apart and cause a massive short,
when centrifugal force throws the wires out at certain RPMs. The
initially caused by turning it above ten grand, via a two to one drive,
something a Jeep engine will never do.
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

Jeff Ramsey wrote:
>
> Not experience with an XJ, but I have owned several other cars and
> trucks, and I woul have the alternator tested. I had a chevy truck once
> that would only run until it reached a certain RPM, then would just die.
> It turned out to be the alternator was tit's up. To test it, you might
> just run it at an idle, and rev up the engine slowly and see if it
> finally dies. You may have reached high enough RPMs to trip the
> alternator the one time, then after it happened, you may have
> unconsciencely shifted at less RPMs trying to ensure it would get you
> home. Most people when they cannot determine what is wrong with their
> vehicle, tend to drive it softer until they get it home.
>
> --
> Jeff Ramsey
> ramsejc(no-spam)@tubafor.com