%^$king jeeps

[nlarr81]

hi guys
so i love my 99 ranger and she has been good to me for almost 7 years now....but my wife has a 97 cherokee that she loves too.....but the jeep is a OPS....well not realy but i'm sick of working on it.....i'v been in the jeep forums, talked to jeep techs, even went to a local jeep club meeting.....
i am no closer to an answer then i was 6 months ago.....so i turn to the guys that alwas come up with an answer....
97 cherokee 4.0 4x4 auto
runs great then randomly it will bog,backfire(both the tb and exhaust),and have no power...but when you shift into N or P it cleans right up and idles awsome (so sick of this)
i"ve done the fuel pump,filter,plugs,wires,cap and rotor,coil,unpluged map sensor,unpluged both o2 sensors(i thing i'm missing something i did)

it seems to me that this cant be random (she said it was).
i have driven it but it runs great for me
i did see a crack in the exhaust man but i was thinking its from the backfires
so i dont want to fix that intill the problem is solved
i need to know what to look at next or how to talk her into selling.....

thanks guys
i'm sure if anyone can help its someone on here

 

[shane96ranger]

My buddy has a Cherokee that had the exact symptoms you are describing. It was the fuel pressure regulator.

 

[nlarr81]

your buddys cleaned up in N and P? the jeep tech said that the gear shouldnt make it run better
i guess the only way to test that is to get it running bad and put a pressure tester in the fuel rail?

 

[martin]

The jeeps are notorious for crank sensor problems. If it has egr, that could also be a problem. There are two or three different design of headers on those things and they are all prone to cracking, but they very rarely cause running problems.

 

[Ozwynn]

plugged cat?

 

[DangerRanger94XLT]

blow it up its a jeep!!!! i made a song called beep beep ima jeep just a big ole pile of heep

____________________________________________________________________________
1994 Ford Ranger XLT reg cab long bed 3.sl0w

 

[Heavyfire14]

blow it up its a jeep!!!! i made a song called beep beep ima jeep just a big ole pile of heep

now you gotta post up the song haha i needa hear/see this and ill give you a rep

 

[nlarr81]

The sensors are new and from jeep......i will look into the egr in the morning but I dont think it has one......i wouldnt think the cracked header would be my trouble and with it backfiring I hate to fix it just to crack it again......i did already get a junkyard one thats not cracked......

 

[nlarr81]

Any tips on talking the wife into selling it.....i'd love to hear the song to.......

 

[Heavyfire14]

Any tips on talking the wife into selling it.....i'd love to hear the song to.......

tell her that its a bad muffler bearing and that the blinker fluid was never changed and that the jeep is a lost hope and that you guys gotta sell it and buy a ford

 

[97RangerXLT]

since it clears up in P or N... I wonder if it is something with the IAC or TPS as both scenarios will cause the engine to rev a bit higher than in gear.

If it is bogging while driving (vehicle in motion) is it doing it while coming to a stop? If so, look at the torque converter lockup solenoid. it might now be disengaging, and you will have the same symptoms of trying to stop a manual without pushing in the clutch.

AJ

 

[03ranger4x4]

Could be the fuel pressure regulator, putting it in nuetral will put 0 load on the engine. And if its not getting enough fuel it may sound like it is running fine, but could be leaning out anyway. Hence why once in gear it has no power and runs like crap.

To check fuel pressure the cheap way, grab a shop rag and a needle type tire pressure guage. with the shop rag around the connection point to soak up any leaking fuel press the guage down on the shrader (sp?) valve on the fuel rail. Ive done this before and it does work well for taking quick readings. As long as you press down firmly no fuel should leak out at all, but if it does, its not alot and thats the point of having the rag. You can do this to see if the regulator is doing its thing or not.

Never hated on jeeps. Parents have a 2000 jeep cherokee they dont really drive anymore. And the only things its needed in its 160,000 mile life so far is belt driven stuff. Like the powersteering pump, alternator, and a/c compressor all have been replaced. Also, typical stuff like shocks and rear leafs (in northern jersey road salt DESTROYS the undercarrage) This thing has rust holes through the body on the floor. Still though, the engine runs like a top and all in all it has never let them down. Not once.

 

[RICO9]

The jeeps are notorious for crank sensor problems.

This is true, my 97 TJ did the exact same thing your wife's is doing nlarr. Crank sensor.

 

[nlarr81]

the fuel pressure is just under 50....i'm a fan if the cherokee..i'm just sick of chacing my tail.....i do something and then wait for the call sometimes its hours,sometimes weeks before it happens again....if it is a pressure problem is their a way to make it happen? if i could make it happen it would be easer to fix.......i got it for her becouse of the 4.0.....she has cooked a few motors in the passed......i did see a 83 f100 that is just ugly as hell.....but i bet she cant cook it.....and her and the little one will fit...

 

[adsm08]

The fact that it goes away in Park or Neutral, when the engine is fully unloaded and best able to run at a default setting would make the pressure regulator make sense.

The symptoms that you described could also be consistent with excessive fuel. It's not all burning in the chamber, it's blowing up in the exhaust stream, especially if this thing has AIR.


I'm not sure what kind of regulator it has on it. The best way to figure out if it's the regulator is to find out if it is related to a certain throttle position. I know she said it's random, but she is wrong and I'd say this goes back to the same principle as why Mary is wrong about math.

Make HER drive you around until it happens. Note speed, position, and engine RPM then drive through there until you figure out how to make it happen.