Of course during a road trip, while camping.

1997 Jeep Cherokee, i6, aw4

Started not wanting to start, just barely got it into town. Found the connector to the alternator (the power) was melted out and jiggling around. Removed alternator, the bolt was melted, did a jury rig fix and took plastic shield off, new connector and a couple bolts and that seems to be working.

Battery seems to be cranking fine now.

But.

Still rough start and rough idling. Ran codes, got p0121, trottle pos. sensor. Replaced with new. Car revving high, drive 20 yards and it dies. Limp it back to oreilly lot and put old sensor back on. Still hard starting and acting like it'll die while driving.

Also saw O2 sensor "inc" when running. Has a new upstream o2 sensor as of about a month ago.

Help? Not sure where to look, don't want to get stranded in the middle of no where.... 82 year old mom with me ....

 

Sounds like when the charge wire quit, you ran your battery down. Can't explain why it "melted" except for an overcharge. Did you run through any water recently? Readiness monitors can "reset" (incomplete) when the battery is disconnected for a long enough time.

I would check the battery state and check for charging. A voltmeter across the battery terminals should show 12 V (usually a bit higher) with the key off. Engine running should be around 14V. Check the battery cables and their respective connections at both ends.

While you're at it, double check for any broken or corroded fuses.

 

OK, replaced IAC sensor - seems to have fixed the dying problem!