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Jeep Cherokee Grand Cherokee Engine and Performance Problems

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Comments

  • indianajamesindianajames Member Posts: 10
    I had exactly the same problem with my jgc 4.0 litre. Changed the coil, mps,etc. I also did not have a check engine light. Symptoms were just the same as yours. Finally I had the fuel tank removed and cleaned and a new fuel pump put in. The old one was running at 50% capacity.

    My Jeep is now running like a dream and has been for months.

    I have been told, subsequently, that this is not uncommon. It took me weeks however, to finally find the solution.

    I hope this will help solve your problem. Good luck.
  • kokomowjkokomowj Member Posts: 1
    I began having an issue where the motor would die randomly regardless of speed or gear. After research on these forums I opted to replace the Crank Position Sensor, Cam Position Sensor and PCM. I opted on my own to replace the Fuel Filter/Regulator and O2 Sensors.

    After all is done I can finally turn the ignition over which it would not do previously but now I get no spark, In fact I pulled the fuel line off the new filter and get no fuel flow. I hear the Fuel pump do it's 'hum' for the second as I turn the key but no fuel flow. I pulled the Air Ductwork off the Throttle Body and turned it over while spraying starter fluid into it to see if I could at least get a hit on the engine to try and start but no luck. Yeah, I know, a little Old School but I had to try. I am at the point of towing it to a dealer and that is gonna kill me. I did check the fuses and relays.

    I am at a loss... Does anybody have ANY suggestions?

    It is the 4.7L non-HO Gas Engine.

    I did try shifting to neutral to start just in case it was the switch in the shifter as I have read can happen but no luck.

    Thanks guys and girls for any advice!

    Adam
  • rnevillerneville Member Posts: 1
    Last fall my engine light came on, and I took my Jeep to the dealer to get it repaired. $100 later I was told that I needed to replace my gas cap. Before I could replace it, the light went out. I bought a new gas cap, but continued to use the original after cleaning and lubricating it as it appeared to be in new condition. About a month ago, the engine light came back on, so I then replaced the original gas cap with the new one I had previously purchased. But the engine light is still on, and I'm reluctant to take the vehicle to the dealer for another $100. Is there a way to reset the engine light, or could something else be the problem?
  • tuggajbtuggajb Member Posts: 646
    take it to auto zone they can read fault codes for you prob no charge
  • eric784254eric784254 Member Posts: 11
    how does it run with the check engine light on ? details
  • eric784254eric784254 Member Posts: 11
    check your charcoal canister, unbolt the canister and take off the hoses on top. pay attention on where they are taken off from as they need to go back on in the same order. inspect hoses for cracks or deteroration, if so replace them. check the canister, if it smells like gas, replace unit. i had a similar prob with my 98 jeep 4.0 and found out by trial & error that it was that. other things you might want to check are the crankshaft positioning sensor & camshaft positioning sensor. let me know how it goes, good luck
  • eric784254eric784254 Member Posts: 11
    being in your situation, i would go to a local parts place & pick up a haynes manual for it. the average price is roughly 20 bucks. it has how to for the shadetree mechanic. with basic hand tools & time/patience you should be able to get it running for her. let me know, good luck
  • kh75kh75 Member Posts: 4
    Hello,

    I hope your are recovering okay. I was rearended in my Jeep and I am now permanently disabled because of the accident, but thats besides the point.

    I have heard of this problem, Jeeps are known for having problems with the transmission suddenly lunging forward even when they are in park. The car wash I go to regularly recently redesigned the entire layout of the wash after a Jeep Grand Cherokee lunging forward(while in park) onto a 4-lane road and flipped over the cennter median.

    Now no one but a manager at the detail shop is even allowed to drive the Jeeps.

    Jeeps have problems with the neutral safety switch and most models have had a recall on this part. My 99 Limited had this recall. I was told that it is this part that causes the Jeeps to jump out of park.

    I know your jeep was totaled out but if you have your paperwork you can contact jeep to see if there was ever a recall on this part and if you had it replaced. If you did and you still had this happen I would contact a lawyer.

    I hope this helps.
  • kh75kh75 Member Posts: 4
    Try replacing the crankshaft sensor. We are on our third jeep and had this same probelm with all of them. On our very first jeep the dealship told us the same thing and after several months it finally died and then they figured out it was the sensor.

    We have also had problems with the camshaft sensor also.
  • asceasce Member Posts: 3
    Can someone help me with some troubleshooting?

    I have a 1996 Grand Cherokee V8 and it won't start.

    I've had both the battery and altinator checked at Auto Zone and they were fine.
  • eric784254eric784254 Member Posts: 11
    check your cables, if that wont work then see fi your getting spark. pull aplug & stick that into the end of the wire, put it close to the valve cover or something metal & have some one crank the motor. let me know if you get spark
  • btonnebtonne Member Posts: 1
    96 JGC Lmtd with a little over 200,000 miles on original motor. New computer, fuel pump, fuel filter, water pump, battery, Spark plugs & wires,distributer etc. Did all this before my move from Indiana to Gatlinburg, TN. Jeep drove flawlessly down to TN, the next day my wife and I drive it to the store (about 8 miles away) and notice the engine light is on. On the way back from store jeep starts sputtering like the engine isnt getting gas (starving for gas) and dies. The oil prssr gauge would drop and go back up as motor was stalling and check gauges light came on, all other gauges were fine. After letting it sit about 20 mins I was able to start motor and drive it home. Next day same prob.. So I (not a mchnc by any means) installed new O'2 sensors and a new oil sending unit Changed oil to 10w40. Long story short(sorry) now pretty much same prob minus the oil prssr gauge going all the way down and back up the motor still stalls out after I let it idle for about a hour exactly. Just seems like after warming up it starts to sputter really bad like its not getting any gas(even when you give it the gas to try to keep it running! and dies. wait about 10 mins and it starts back up but dies shortly after. Running out of patience and really dont have the money to take to dealership! Can anyone help?
  • breakanglebreakangle Member Posts: 1
    I have a similiar problem with my limited. Its your pump. It has become ineffecient at low speeds and not circulating enough that is why at higher speeds the pump is more efficient....sry so late just joined this site!
  • evoyevoy Member Posts: 1
    hay man got the same problem would love to know how you got it fixed my next move is new computor thanks steve
  • campymancampyman Member Posts: 13
    Hey folks, I have a 2005 Grand Cherokee with 4.7 liter V8, 2 Wheel Drive, and the Trans will feel like it slips a little and the check engine light comes on and the code shows P0700 and U0513. It will not shift form 4rth into overdrive, any suggestions?
    Any help will be greatly appreciated. :confuse:
  • dvossbrinkdvossbrink Member Posts: 4
    I have a 2004 jeep GC Overland. It sounded like it had an exhaust leak and it could not be found It seemed to go away after it heated up. I now have white smoke coming out of the tail pipe but not all of the time. I did a test on the intake manifold with starting fluid but found no evidence of a leak there. Is there any other way for the coolant to reach the exhaust on this model? I have no evidence of leaking from the heater core no leaks in the cooloing system ect..... I am afraid it might have a head gasket going but it still maintains pressure in the radiator. I also get a gargling sound from the under side of the dash board in the passenger side. It sound like standing water and splahes around when I accellerate and go around turns.. This is very puzzling and I do not want to tear into it unless I am sure what the issue is any help would be greatful.1
  • jeep323jeep323 Member Posts: 3
    My truck has been out of commission for a while now. I'm thinking that its my fuel injectors after inspecting several sensors. Here is what my JGC does when i try to turn it on:
    1). As I try to turn it on it makes a clicking noise
    2). when it does turn on the motor accelerates as if i was stepping on the gas and the RPM shoots up.
    3). After a few seconds of (step 2) the RPM drops down as the acceleration decreases dramatically to a point were it wants to turn off. It continues to dance on the RPM scale from 1k RPM to 500
    4). When i would step on the gas pedal it wouldn't respond only if i were to press it down several times. but it would come in delay periods in between after i press the pedal.
    5).Finally it turns off on its own or when i try to shift it to reverse or drive.

    It be the obvious thing to take it to the mechanic but money is a lil tight right now so I'm open to any suggestions from anyone out there. :sick: :confuse:
  • tuggajbtuggajb Member Posts: 646
    i would try a tps first
  • jeep323jeep323 Member Posts: 3
    Sorry limited knowledge on terms. What is a tps or to do a tps?
  • tuggajbtuggajb Member Posts: 646
    throttle posison sencer (tells computer how hard you are mashing the gas )
  • bdf_techbdf_tech Member Posts: 1
    This is a 1989 4wd 2.5l 4-cyl auto 2-door Cherokee. Granted that by design it's not very powerful... But in addition it has a really annoying quirk.

    When under hard throttle acceleration (what other kind is there with a 2.5l four?), motor doesn't seem to be pulling at full power. But when the throttle is backed off halfway or more, the motor actually "surges" and runs stronger at part-throttle than it does at full throttle. Also occurs in normal driving, just not as obvious. Not a misfire, just weak...

    For various reasons, over a couple of years, have ended up replacing EGR valve, dist. cap & rotor, wires, plugs, fuel filter, tried swapping fuel pumps, swapped to a different throttle body (& checked correct fuel pressure), replaced O2 sensor, catalyst (loose pieces were rattling around inside), replaced water temp and inlet air sensors, swapped ignition module and MAP sensor at one point or another, bought a new (high-altitude) CPS, etc. Last update was to add a "torquer cam" (great results from that). But still it surges.

    Took it in to Jeep dealer for analysis -- they "tweaked" the TPS setting, then told me their best guess is that this is caused by "a slow computer" (a $500 replacement based on a guess?). I've been in electronics many yrs; generally you either have a good computer or a dead computer -- a "slow" computer would have to violate numerous laws of physics... (the Renix CPU is like the Eagle; not much in the way of retained error codes or diagnostics to look at)

    Starts & runs (as well as can be expected), gets good mileage, but the non-linear throttle response is crazy. Any ideas, or anyone seen this on another Jeep? Maybe it's generic to the 4-cyl?
  • berttbertt Member Posts: 3
    Man, I am experiencing similar problems with my 1997 JGC Laredo 4.0 with 175,000 miles on original engine. Several months ago, although the engine would turn, my Jeep would not start. I replaced the fuel pump but was informed that it was not the issue. My backyard mech told me it was the crankshaft sensor. The manual states that a faulty crank sensor would cut off power to the fuel pump and injectors. I purchased a crank sensor from CarQuest. I noticed that, prior to replacing the crank, he removed the spacer that it came with. About a month later I am still experiencing the same problem, and it also sputters and shuts off. Then after 10 minutes turns back on. I then replaced the ignition coil. Same problem. Replaced the camshaft sensor. Still the same problem. Changed the MAP sensor. Going crazy here! Problem still persists. I called the dealer and they said that the crank needed to be installed with the spacer. I went and purchased the spacer, installed it properly, or at least I thought so. Still shutting off. I read the manual once again, and considered the EVAP canister, Air charge temp sensor, charge air temp sensor, coolant temp sensor, O2, TPS, etc, etc, etc.... Love my Jeep but bank account is shrinking here. Need your help. feel free to email me at [email protected]
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    feel free to email me ...

    Let's keep the discussion here so everyone will benefit. :)

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • berttbertt Member Posts: 3
    Coll! Any advise for me on this one? I'm getting real p.o.'d looking out my window at my Jeep just sitting there.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Did any codes ever get thrown off? Maybe you can borrow a code reader and see if any are stored, then post them here for someone to interpret.
  • berttbertt Member Posts: 3
    Initially I had a mechanic scan it with the scan tool. The only code was for the crankshaft position sensor. I replaced the cps but after several days, same issue. Since then I replaced ignition coil, fuel pump, map sensor, camshaft position sensor only to have the same result. I've been on countless forums only to find that many other Jeep owners suffer from the same problems. On one forum a guy wrote about how he thoroughly cleaned the three plugs to the pcm with electronics cleaner and filled the prong slots with conducive grease. He claims not to have any problem now. Another wrote about buying a brand new pcm from the dealer. Another wrote of new O2 sensors. Another wrote about replacing the EVAP canister. I'm confused. I love my Jeep......a lot! Please help.
  • dvossbrinkdvossbrink Member Posts: 4
    It could be many things here is a list to start checking. Egr comes up alot when checking resources.

    1 Inspect M.A.P. Sensor Faulty M.A.P. Sensor.
    2 Inspect EGR Valve Improperly Functioning or Faulty EGR Valve
    3 Inspect Fuel Injector Dirty or Worn Fuel Injectors.
    4 Inspect Idle Air Control Valve Damaged, Loose, or Faulty Idle Air Control Valve.
    5 Inspect Idle Speed Actuator Damaged, Loose, or Faulty Idle Speed Actuator.
    6 Inspect Throttle Position Sensor Faulty or Incorrectly Connected Throttle Position Sensor.
    7 Inspect Fuel Filter Clogged or Dirty Fuel Filter.
    8 Inspect PCV Valve Plugged or Damaged PCV Valve.
    9 Inspect Carburetor Worn, Faulty or Damaged Carburetor.
    10 Inspect Valve Burned, Worn, or Sticking Exhaust Valves.
    12 Inspect TimingSet Slipped TimingChain or Worn TimingGear(s).
    13 Inspect Fuel Pump Faulty Fuel Pump.
    14 Inspect Camshaft Camshaft Lobes Worn.
    16 Inspect Point Set Burned, Worn or Incorrectly Set Ignition Points
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Thanks for that. It should help the OP.

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • myjeepymyjeepy Member Posts: 1
    I am having a problem with my 2007 jeep grand cherokee too. When I go to start it randomly it tells me "transmission over temp" in the message board and will not roll over or start. I had it towed to the dealer ship and no codes or anything they took a guess and said the transmission control module or something like that could be wrong of course this is a guess and at $625 dollars to for the part is crazy for a guess...and I am out of warranty at 67,000 miles anyone have any idea or has this happened to you. :sick: :confuse:
  • jeepster17jeepster17 Member Posts: 2
    I am having the same exact problem that you are. Luckily my jeep is under warranty, this is the third time that it has been towed to the dealership. They replaced the battery and the starter, worked for a couple weeks, and back to the same thing. I will keep you posted on what the dealer tells me. I only have 500 miles left on the warranty tho so I hope they are not trying to delay me...
  • myjeep3myjeep3 Member Posts: 1
    My jeep is doing the exact same thing. The dealership has looked at my car 4 separate times. Replaced the ESM and a wire that had moisture on it. Car did not start again the other day after the last time I picked it up. Does anyone have a solution to this issue?
  • jeepster17jeepster17 Member Posts: 2
    Just got my car back from the dealer! According to my receipt this is what they did: Check engine system wi tech B212C stored intermittent, disconnect starter solenoid wire, check for voltage 12v, replaced solenoid wire end. This is after replacing the starter and battery on two other visits to the dealer. I really hope this was the solution. I hope this can help everyone else, if you find another solution please let me know... It's quite frustrating watching my jeep get towed into the dealership, especially for the 3rd time with the same problem.
  • russ543russ543 Member Posts: 4
    when i bought this jeep i couldnt fill the gas tank over 1/2 cause it leaked.i changed the tank and drove it for about 2-3 hours after and it started to spit and sputter if i slowed down it would idle but a little ruff. let it sit for a minute it would act like it run again go to take off and it would spit and sputter again then it died and wouldnt start again. i put a fuel pump (mechanical fuel pump) and it started for about 1-2 minutes and idled fine and then it died and did not start again. ??????whats wrong???
  • ibt2ibt2 Member Posts: 1
    Hey, where exactly is the oil sending unit located on the '99 Grand Cherokee. About to replace mine due to pressure problems, but not sure exactly where to find it.
  • kelii777kelii777 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 4.0 grand cherokee laredo that is suddenly failing (bogging out and misfiring) upon hard acceleration, uphill, or otherwise under load. For the most part it idles perfectly.

    But I cannot make it up a hill without it bogging out and dying. I checked the cap and rotor and found fluffy corrosion and replaced them. The problem remained. I replaced the plugs and the problem remains.

    All I can think of is it's either an ignition or fuel delivery problem.

    Can a coil start to fail where it just can't deliver enough current to the plugs when the demand is high? Or should I start looking elsewhere like the fuel filter etc?

    This is a '94 with 140,000 well maintained miles, and otherwise runs perrrfectly.

    One other thing is that this happened about a year ago for a day or two, then suddenly stopped and has worked normally until now. Now it's constant and is unusable.

    Anyone ever experience something similar?
  • wpgdodgewpgdodge Member Posts: 1
    You can't repair this part. It is a very common problem with this model. The part # is 55111009A0 and you can buy it for 177.00 msrp and the dead cost is 118.99. You can buy it from your Chrysler/jeep retailer for somewhere between those prices.
  • dvossbrinkdvossbrink Member Posts: 4
    1 Inspect FreshAir Intake Hose Clogged or Damaged FreshAir Intake Hose.
    3 Inspect Throttle Position Sensor Faulty or Incorrectly Connected Throttle Position Sensor.
    4 Inspect Fuel Filter Clogged or Dirty Fuel Filter.
    7 Inspect Fuel Injector Dirty or Worn Fuel Injectors
    Inspect Mass Air Flow Sensor Damaged, Loose, or Faulty Mass Air Flow Sensor or Circuit
  • epitaphofnowepitaphofnow Member Posts: 2
    I've been dealing with the issue for a while now and I'm out of ideas.

    I've had my jeep for about a year and the last 6 months it's been doing this squealing thing that baffles me. It started with my AC compressor. No problem, pulled it off put on a bypass pulley and called it a day. Then it starts shredding belts, I poke around, found the idler between the bypass pulley and the alternator had some play in it. Charged it, squeal goes away. Then the tensioner pulley ate itself, replaced that. But now, I'm looking at this thing and it looks like my power steering pulley is canted inboard, and now it takes one or two of the serpentines off my belt, and then stops squealing.

    I'm thinking that the misalignment of the power steering pump is causing some funky pull on the alternator because that appears to be where the squeal is coming from. It's either that, or the solenoid in the starters sprag clutch never disengages and it's just being lathed into.

    Anyone ever come across something like this? What did you do to fix it?
  • jtny69jtny69 Member Posts: 1
    I experienced the same thing and it ended up being the fuel filter. Hope you figured it out
  • ryanvangoryanvango Member Posts: 1
    turn the key and it takes a solid 5-8 seconds to get goin, every time, for about a week now. clean plugs, new fuel filter and lines (changed 1.5 months ago), not a big gear head but lookin for some advice, any idea what it could be? it wasnt a gradual probel meither, 1 day it started up real fast next day 5-8 seconds, and it does that when i let it sit over night or for 2 minutes...thoughts?
  • helixmanhelixman Member Posts: 3
    Sounds like a fuel pump. Check your fuel pressure. You can buy a kit for around $15 with gauges, fittings and hoses. Go online for correct pressures of your engine.
  • knew1knew1 Member Posts: 1
    I had Goodyear give it a tune up and they replaced the coil. Then they also switched the injectors around to test . The check engine light went off now, but it still idles rough and a computer still says cylinder 3 misfire. They told me to take it to the dealer, that it might be a computer issue. Before I go there(!), any ideas?
  • bill202bill202 Member Posts: 4
    My Jeep has a misfire on the number 8 cylinder. I have had it tuned up, the coil checked and replaced the cam and crank sensors. The truck drives normal except when I start a cold engine. It runs rough for about five minutes and sometime idles rough at traffic lights. It takes about 100 miles for the engine light to come back on after being reset. My mechanic has had it about four times and wanted to eliminate the listed work and replacements. Now he says I have an internal problem, possibly a cracked head gasket. He said the fix is going to be expensive. Any ideas or similar experiences?
  • carlessness18carlessness18 Member Posts: 1
    I recently had the engine replaced in my jeep. When I picked it up I was told that the fan wasn't working but that it should be okay to drive home (where I planned to look at the fan myself). I drove the jeep 4 mi. and it stalled. We towed it to a nearby gas station where we managed to hotwire the fan to the battery. The fan worked but the engine still overheated.The gauge on the dash also didn't seem to be working. There didn't seem to be any coolant in the system. The hoses, radaiator cap, were not hot and there was no pressure in the hoses. Now the shop is saying that I need a whole fan, radiator, motor, and wire harness (they are only sold as an assembly). My question is... If the fan works hooked to the battery is there a sensor of some sort that could be bad rather then spending $1000 on a new fan assembly?
  • dmelrosedmelrose Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1997 grand cherokee lorado and had to change the water pump after it gave out on the highway. After I got it back I now have a check engine light codes that tells me a cylinder is miss firing and vacum or electrical problem. Where do I start
  • mjameymjamey Member Posts: 1
    thing will not start changed fuel relay, crank shaft sensor, and still will not start. not getting spark, what else is there that im not doing to solve my problem?
  • tx_tomtx_tom Member Posts: 1
    mine had the same problem i had the injectors cleaned with cleaner and did the same with the manifold took about an hour and havent had another problem since
  • arkjeepgurl22arkjeepgurl22 Member Posts: 9
    My 2000 Jeep cherokee has been overheating esp. when my air conditioner is on it also makes a squealing noise for a little bit when my air is on too. A few days ago it leaked out a great amount of antifreeze onto on driveway when parked and I have no idea what to do? What do you think is the problem? And what should I have checked? :mad:
  • kev21kev21 Member Posts: 1
    Hi,
    I have got a 2000 V reg JGC and I am trying to find a replacement engine for it, the one in it runs on a coil pack but I have been told that I can change it for the older distributor type. Is this correct? and if so what is involved do I have to change anything else?
    Thanks
    Kev
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Any time you have something leaking from a motor vehicle you should have it checked out.

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
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