Limbo1208

1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo runs great while I'm driving until it randomly starts to stutter and die. Jeep is still getting fuel during process because it will occasionally backfire. Wait a while and it will start again and drive like nothing is wrong until the next time it does it, could be that same day or it could drive fine for month. taken it to multiple shop and no one can figure it out.

tjwalker

One of the primary suspects is a "crankshaft position sensor" beginning to fail. It is possibly the most common sensor failure on the 4.0 engine. SEARCH and you will find a ton of threads on this.

Limbo1208

I replaced the crankshaft position sensor little over a year ago and it didn't fix it. I also went through and replaced all plugs, wires, coil, and cap n rotor and still does it.

PatHenry

Take a thorough look at all the grounds and battery cables. By this I mean take them off, clean them up to bright shiny metal and then reconnect them so they are tight. This is the first step with any electrical problem on a 20+ year old Jeep.

Next inspect the vehicle wiring - you replaced the CPS, but how did the harness look? On some models the wiring is dangerously close to the exhaust pipe and can get burnt.

Fully load test the battery. XJ's are notoriously picky about having a solid battery, I don't know if GC's are the same way, but it's a cheap and easy check and needs to be eliminated as a possible cause. Most auto parts retailers will do this "on-vehicle" for free if you take the car to the store.

Additionally do a proper check of the fuel pressure. Simply noting that it backfires is not sufficient to determine if the fuel pump is holding proper pressure. The factory service manual will tell you exactly the steps to test and what the pressure should be. On the XJ 96 was a transition year so pressures vary - I'm not sure if the GC was also in transition or not.