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Jeep Grand Cherokee Start Stall Idle Problems
My 95 grand cherokee starts fine until the weather starts to turn cold below 52 degrees, then when you try to start it it turns over but stalls right off , it sound like the gas is being shut off, after sometimes 10 or better tries it finally starts like it never had a problem at all, and after it does start the jeep will start fine for the rest of the day. My son is a tech at a jeep dealership and say's it is the first like this he has run into, he has tried many different things to try to correct this problem, but it is still happening , has anyone run into this problem?? help!!
See Also
Edmunds Answers: Grand Cherokee Cold Start Problems
See Also
Edmunds Answers: Grand Cherokee Cold Start Problems
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Comments
when in idle the rpm go up and down
i read alot about this problem on this forum and some other.
so people say to clean the troudle body. so I did.
some other pleople sugest to clean the idle valve located in the troudle body. dont remember what the name of the low idel valve. any way I clean the hold thing. and the problem still there
the I go into error code messenge and I get error 32 is have something to do with the egr valve. so I clean that too. the problem is a little better but still there. and the error code is no longer there.
but I still have small idle problem.
can any body help here.
Thanks
I finally decided to measure and inspect the electrical system using my electronics laboratory test gear (not automotive diagnostics equipment), because I design electronics for a living. I found that we had a "hard" i.e., sulphated battery, which meant that the 13.8-14.4 so-called DC voltage coming from the alternator was really a very, very bad/ripply voltage (since the battery was not able to act as a smoothing filter if you will.)
I put in a brand new battery, bingo! no stall problem anymore.
How can this be you may ask, well methinks that Chrysler has cheaped out on the amount of voltage regulation/ripple rejection circuitry in the ECU, and hence that could certainly lead to the above stall symptom.
Today's automotive technicians should be more than 80% focused on electronics rather than the mechanical, as that is usually the root cause of problems, unlike the old days. And heaven forbid that the great big software company should soon succeed in implanting Windows into our vehicles!!!
Hope this is of interest or helps*****
Engine runs smooth, I don't get it?? Did a spark plug, wires, cap & rotor replacement well over a month ago and check engine light still comes on?? Infinity radio comes on but no sound and everytime I turn the brights on and off the Security light clicks and blinks once?? Anybody have similar problems, any help would greatly be appreciated as I don't have a lot of $$ right now!!
some one sugest to change the spark plugs, rotor and distributor cap so I did.
I also change my fuel filter
when I change my distributor cap I find out it was a big crack on it
any way after all this the low idle and erratic continues.
any body know the solution to my problem????
I have the SAME issue regarding the idle problem: vehicle will not idle, I have to pop it into Neutral to keep it from stalling out. It is fine once I drive it for a distance (not sure exactly how far it takes, never compared) without stopping. All the above postings really helped with diagnosing.
One thing I had before this was when using lights at night, the interior lights will get really dim and barely visible, and I literally "hit" the headlights lever/dial to get them to come back bright again. Used to work, but that barely works anymore. Then started that idle issue, which went from a very few instances, to about every time I drive now. That with the flickering interior lighting, REALLY makes me lean towards the electrical problem and not so much the IAC, TPS, or PCV replacement.
Any thoughts??
What I mean by "Interior Lights" is the dashboard lights, clock/radio lights, etc....
Thanks
Did you ever get that problem fixed? I'm having the EXACT same issue with my '98 JGC 5.9. The lights on the dashboard have been dimming for some time now, and the engine has started to die when I take my foot off the gas. I'm hesitant to take it to a dealer since the problem doesn't always happen. It would be my luck that it would malfunction all the way to the dealer and then when the dealer checked it out it would be fine. Any help that you could offer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
-Scott
-Scott
Thanks for your time,
:sick:
Trelliswest
-Scott
Connectors get oxidized & throw off the ECU sensor voltages. Cleaning them with contact cleaner (non-solvent base!) & putting a little dielectric grease in them can often work wonders. Sometimes a ground jumper wire around a bad connector is enough to fix a particular issue - depends on the circuit affected.
For the Jeeps made since AMC got out of the game - ground cables are known issues. Just expect it to cause problems one day so go ahead now and spend less than $5 to replace the braided factory one from the engine to the firewall with a generic battery ground cable w/ eye terminals on each end.
While I focus on Jeep XJ's with the older RENIX based engines, I'll gladly help anyone I can or at least point you in the correct direction for help. You can contact me in this thread or on my email form at my website:
Another Freakin' Jeep Cherokee Website
There is also a electrical feed plug on the firewall than can, on occassion, give problems. It's low on the list of suspects but the vast majority of electrical connections to the interior run though it.
If you have a straight drive - make sure there hasn't been any leakage of fluid from the clutch master cylinder down the inside beneath your dash onto the fuse panel, or any electrical connectors. It's nothing more than brake fluid and eats up many plastics & paint.
thanks so much!
Look on the firewall near the engine on the driver-side.
There should be a flat, braided steel cable bolted there that runs from that point over to the rear of the engine's head.
If that's gone then you should see the bolt hole there, perhaps with the bolt still there. (Metric size, I think.) You can just run the new cable from that point and bolt it to the back of the engine or head. (Not on the manifold or valve cover bolts - those are not good ground points either.)
I think I have a schematic on my site of the engine bay. Let me check & I'll repost.
On older 4.0L's the ground cable wasn't braided - it was just part of the engine harness but went to the same locations. Sorry, I thought you had a newer XJ (the forum format here isn't the greatest & I simply didn't pick up on it.)
Just to double check - post your model, year & engine size... but here's what to look for on a 4.0L engine:
Look on your engine's dipstick tube. (Holds the dipstick that you use to check oil.) It's bolted to the passenger side of the block. The bolt that holds it in place to the block should have a wire grounded to it.
THAT is the engine end where the OEM harness connection on my 1990 XJ goes to the block. Make sure your new cable is long enough to go from there to the firewall bolt.
To begin:
Engine end:
You can bolt your new cable to the dipstick tube bolt, or any other available bolt - but for simplicity - let's assume you choose that one.
Just remove the nut, pull off the existing ground wire, scuff up the area a bit with a wire brush if you'd like, install one end of your new cable there, reinstall the OEM ground wire, replace the nut & tighten. (Don't overdo it but get it tight.)
Firewall end:
Standing in front of your Jeep, facing the windshield... Look for a bolt on the firewall, about 8" to the right of center and near the upper side of the firewall. It should be a black wire with a metal connector on the end being held down by a bolt. Once you see it, just remove that bolt. The OEM ground wire will likely come off with it - no problem. Just remove the OEM ground wire and SCUFF THE WIRE's CONNECTION METAL with a wire brush or sandpaper. Install your new ground cable beneath the OEM ground wire and reinstall the bolt.
I'll have those diagrams up in a few minutes for you and post the URL here.
again, thanks so much for being here and your willingness to help out. i have been at my wits end with this problem for so long......fingers crossed!
Forgot to mention but I highlighted the areas to look for in yellow on the diagrams.
Your Grand Cherokee's engine is a newer version of the one in my standard XJ model Cherokee but we can treat it the same for this problem.
Grand Cherokees I've seen do have that ground strap as described but if your engine has been pulled / replaced / serviced in the past it may have been removed and not reinstalled... Or I may be all wet and yours will have the same standard black insulated wire as mine!
Either way - this ground wire causes so many erratic issues that drive people nuts it isn't funny. Should have been a factory recall item for correction.
Evidently, your OEM ground strap has been removed when the engine was worked on. It may even be hanging down behind the motor and still connected to the harness so do a quick check for that. (I've also seen them just ripped off and left hanging torn by mechanics who think the motor mounts will ground the motor properly. NOT! )
HTH
Feel free to access my mail form on my website and email me directly - I can give you guys my Yahoo name & I can walk you through it online. A link to mail me is on every tech page.
Link to my site:
Another Freakin' Jeep Cherokee Website
anyway, the cable is now connected to the engine/oil dipstick mount/ground and to the bolt sticking out from the dash. and i started it up and it still seems a bit rough and idle unstable. but we will see about the stalling tomorrow. if so, i will be asking what next...you mentioned another cable running to the battery before?
thanks again...i will keep you posted.
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tidester, host
I don't have a Grand Cherokee FSM ( factory service manual ) so I cannot verify the firewall ground point in the center... It may be there BUT when I personally helped someone with a Grand fix this I recall the cable ran to the driver side of the firewall. (Again - that Grand had a factory installed flat, braided ground strap.)
Is there a threaded hole in the location I described?
Or an empty one nearby that looks like it may had a bolt in it at one time?
If you used a bolt that had a painted area beneath it - you should ensure that there is good metal to metal contact. (We don't want to sand off all the paint... only a small area DIRECTLY beneath the cable terminal)
What about your gages & other erratic behavior? Was there any change in the other symptoms?
(Idle issues with these engines area also common - usually vacuum leaks etc...)
Has it thrown any codes / check engine light staying on? (You can get a free code scan at your local AutoZone.)
We'll keep at it until I run out of cheap/free ideas!