ugh...I'm sorry this is my first post, but I need help.

I'll save the story and just provide lists.

Problem
Will not start. Will crank, everything powers up as normal but it will not start.

Symptoms
- no fuel at fuel rail (tested by pushing in the valve on the side)
- having a hard time hearing the fuel pump running when key is first turned to "run"
- does not smell flooded after multiple starting attempts, after pumping gas pedal
- will crank in neutral as well as park, reverse lights come on normally

So What Did I Do?
- Thought maybe it could be spark plugs? Replaced with Champion copper gapped to .035, still no start
- Did not (yet) check distributor cap/rotor and wires
- Disconnected the CPS - did not change voltage/fuel gauges
- Reconnected the CPS - crank crank crank still results in no start
- swapped relays around, no change, still no start

And if this helps...

Existing Trouble and Recent Issues
- Replaced battery about a week ago. It was drained all the way down by the electric radiator fan which did not automatically shut off when I turned the Jeep off, so it sat for about an hour and ran the batt down. Not enough juice to crank, so I got a new battery. Also tried to disconnect the fan so it wouldn't happen again while I was out of town, tried to do this during freezing rain with no gloves, and accidentally pulled the wires out of the connector. It solved the problem.
- As I mentioned earlier, replaced the spark plugs the day it wouldn't start
- The night before I discovered it wouldn't start, it cranked for much longer than normal, started, then immediately died. Tried again, same thing. Strong smell of gas. Third try, kept my foot on the gas and trans in Neutral for about a minute and it stayed running. Drove it home for the night and next morning it will not start.
- I do have an oil leak, but not from the valve cover or oil pressure sensor. That gasket and sensor have previously been replaced. The engine from the intake manifold down is pretty dirty and caked with dirt and oil.
- I have occasionally, although not recently, had a problem with the throttle response...it seems to get sort of stuck at a certain RPM no matter how much gas I'm giving it, it will bog down, and usually make a small "pop" sound and go back to normal. If I'm on the interstate sometimes it will not "pop" and rectify itself. Like I said this has not happened recently (last few months).

Anyone have any ideas? I was really hoping it would be the CPS because that seems easier/cheaper than what my gut is telling me...fuel pump...

 

have someone put their ear to the rear fender when u turn the key to listen for the pump.

also check the pcm harness where it connects to the pcm. wiggle it around a bit. up and down. and if you get the jeep running. wiggle it again to see if it stalls out the jeep. it can sometimes make the rpms go really low till it almost dies but then goes back to normal,

you may as well change the cps, its very common that those fail on jeeps, they tend to when you are in heavy traffic or just driving on the free way, scary.
if you do DO NOT buy it from autozone, get NAPA or OEM from the dealer. trust me on that

 

Check fuses? Especially auto shutdown fuse. Check O2 sensor wiring for possible short situation. If fuel pump is functioning, when was the last time the fuel filter was changed? Just throwing some ideas out there. ..

 

I'll do that when I get home! If I don't hear anything, is that more indicative of the pump itself? I may be getting ahead of myself...

Dumb question - PCM is that guy next to the battery where are the relays are, right?

Kinda what I'm thinking. I've got 260k on the odometer and it probably hasn't already been replaced. Might as well do it. I was wondering, is it possible to accumulate so much oily dirt crap on the engine that it would screw with the sensor? I'm wondering if I should take it off and clean it, see if that does anything.

Thanks for the advice!

 

I'll check my fuses and see if anything looks bad. Not sure how to do the O2 wiring but I'll look it up.

Not sure when the last time the fuel filter was changed. I'm at least the 3rd owner of this Jeep, it seems like the previous two took pretty good care of it. It hasn't been changed since I've owned it, got it late February.

 

its possible. maybe try spraying some start fluid into the throttle body and try to start . if she fires, could be the pump , filter, fuel related problem, if she still doesnt then it could be a spark issue, (again the pcm can cause this) i believe the pcm is on the left inner fender, theres a big harness plugged into it, you cant miss it lol

also tune it up with new cap and rotor coil, its cheap easy and probably needs it anyway

as for the cps, i would just change it, i dont think cleaning it would help if it was faulty

 

Updates!

Tested my CPS with a multimeter...getting zero resistance so I'm pretty sure that means it's good.

Wiggled what I think to be the PCM. Kind of a black box on the driver's side fender with some wiring going to it. Nothing!

Also, just for the fun, I replaced my fuel filter just to see what's going on, maybe give me a clue why I've got no fuel in the fuel rail. WELL. When I disconnected the lines going to it, there was hardly any pressure built up, which seems strange considering how many times I've tried to start it...

I had a buddy get in and turn it "on" and try to crank it while I was under it, with a bucket of course, and nothing...not even a drip coming from the tank.

Have I narrowed it down to the fuel pump?

 

Maybe. Can you check the voltage to the pump? Also, swap out your ASD relay with one that works. Double-check your ASD fuse. The ASD is designed to cut off the fuel system if popped. They are all located in the fuse box under the hood. These are the easy, cheap checks before tearing into the Jeep to replace the pump.

 

Good idea...do you know how I would test the voltage?

I've swapped the relays around, and they're either all good or all bad because nothing changes. I might as well pick a new one up tomorrow just to be sure.

If that don't work, it's fun times with the fuel pump tomorrow!

 

Ok, more updates:

Turns out it was the fuel pump. I replaced it with a new Bosch pump and it fired up no problem after about three tries.

Only thing is, I guess I was careless or the clips that came with my fuel filter are weak, because it leaks gas everywhere coming out of the filter. I have it under control, but it's too dark to try to fix tonight.

Should be easy enough.

Thanks everyone for all the help

 

How hard was it to change out the fuel pump?

 

Sorry for the extreme delay in response.

It wasn't hard at all.

The ring that holds everything in place on the outside of the tank acted like it didn't want to turn to come off. A little PB blaster on the outside helped. Used flathead screwdriver wrapped in a rag and a rubber mallet to gently tap it off.

The pump assembly came out fairly easily. I was careful not to bend the little float thing.

Had the back end jacked up a bit so I could reach the whole thing a bit more easily. This brought the fuel level (just under half a tank) a little too close to the fuel pump opening and I took a bit of a gasoline shower. Not fun in cold weather. Note to self, for future reference, don't do that.

Taking the pump out of the assembly took some figuring out but I got it eventually. The Bosch comes with a different shaped black rubber gasket on the end that did not fit with my fuel pump assembly. Used the factory one and it worked fine.

The entire assembly was much easier to put back in than it was to get out and the ring popped back on perfectly. Again, I was careful to not create any sparks since I was drenched in gasoline and stuck under my Jeep.

As for the leak I developed after replacing the filter...Even though it was colder and darker and raining, I felt like fixing it sooner rather than later was better than having a huge puddle of gasoline in the carport, where people like to smoke. I don't remember how we fixed it but a buddy and I did. I think I may have cut the new hose a bit too short.

Runs fine now. Well...that part works fine. It's an XJ so it has developed new problems since then, I guess to make sure my life isn't too easy.