so a little back information. i bought my 99 cherokee sport 3 years ago with ~160K, and never gave me any issues......its currently sitting at ~180K and as you can tell from the title, it wont start.

the motor just cranks and cranks but it never 'catches'......it doesnt even give the slightest inclination its going to start..

the spark plugs are new (<300 miles)
new oil/ filter
new battery

i checked the schrader valve on the fuel rail and its getting fuel, i also checked the spark plugs and they are getting spark.

we tried using starting fluid and that didnt have any effect what so ever.

the jeep used to be a daily driver up until the begining of this year when i bought a new car, the jeep has been driven very infrequently since then....

it had given me issues starting up after sitting for a week or two, but it always started up with a bit of gas.

i also had occasional issues starting when it was very wet out (im thinking it was due to the distributor getting wet).

i also had one mishap where i couldnt get my car to start in park( wouldnt even turn over), it would only start in neutral.....but that was a one time thing.


im planning on replacing the distributor this weekend because its cheap and easy enough to replace....

any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

Well you need fuel, air, and a blue spark to start it. What color was the spark when you checked the plugs? Most times when an xj cranks but won't start its the cps.

 

1. Finish that tuneup with a new distributor cap, plug wires and rotor. The importance of a solid secondary ignition (tuneup stuff) cannot be overstated.

2. Blue spark is critical to starting. Your coil can be tested for both primary and secondary resistances with a meter and a manual.

3. Verify your exact fuel pressure. You need approximately 49 psi of pressure to start the engine; just having fuel pressure is not enough.

Keep us posted!

 

so it may be the spark is not hot enough....i believe the spark was a yellow spark.

ill definitely replace the distributor.....but do you think itll be beneficial to replace the coil also?

also, how does one go about checking the fuel pressure?

and ive read about the CPS sensor, but would i be getting fuel and a spark if the sensor was bad?

 

Yellow spark is not good. Either test or replace your ignition coil.

You may very likely not need to replace the entire distributor; why not replace the distributor cap and rotor and do those plug wires too!

If you are getting spark, the problem is not likely your crank sensor. If the crank sensor fails, you (generally) have NO spark and no fuel going to the fuel injectors. Don't replace this sensor at this point.

Finish your tuneup and check/replace that coil and then see where you are at.....

 

So i got around to replacing m Distributor cap and rotor today....and unfortunately still no change at all.....

i was unable to verify the color of the spark though....

do yall think it may be the ignition coil?

is there an easy way to test it, multimeter?

 

When you test for spark, use a spark plug on the end of your coil wire and ground it with one side of a jumper cable set. You can hear the snap a good blue spark. If it is weak then there is almost no sound and the color will be yellowish.

 

Your plug wires could be the culprit here. You may want to borrow a coil wire from another vehicle(that runs good) to test your spark. If your spark looks good, you could do a resistance check on your plug wires.

 

so i measured the resistance of the wire that goes from the ignition coil to the distributor cap, and it measured ~5.3 Ohm.......for comparison i measured the resistance of on of my plug wires and it measured ~4.7Ohm.....but i dont know if thats within spec for these wires or not...

i pulled the ignition coil and i noticed what could be a small crack on either side of it, so i ordered a new one just to be safe.....lots hope that solves the issue.

 

so i just replaced the ignition coil, and im still not getting anything.......can anyone help?

im almost ready to have it towed to a mechanic, ide really like to not have to do that.

 

Whats fuel pressure ?

 

how would one go about measuring that?

 

Rent a pressure gauge , also you need to verify injector pulse you can have fuel and spark but if theres no injector signal it wont start.

 

ill have to stop by autozone after the holidays and rent a pressure gauge....


although im skeptical its a fuel issue because im not even getting it to catch when i use starting fluid.....

 

I'm sceptical also. The starting fluid at least makes it rev/try to catch.

As said b4... you need spark, fuel, and air.

You have some spark.
Maybe the throttle body's clogged?
That could be why there's no air/ starting fluid getting thru?

Also, call me crazy, but for air to pass the system, your xhaust has to be clear also... not clogged.

Check the cat?
Check for bannana's in your tailpipe?

Might be grabbing at straws. Just throwing out guesses.