I have a red top Optima and had yet to have an issue with this '93 XJ starting. I had a burnt out marker bulb, the left front #194 LL bulb, the small one in the vertical marker light. I decided to stop at the parts store and replace it and I did. When My girl and I got back in the Jeep to leave, it wouldn't fire up... just kept turning the engine but no spark. I turned the radio off... listened for the fuel pump... yup that sounds fine... had my girl turn the key to prime it whilst I looked under the Jeep for fuel spray... nope, that's fine. I could smell gas for sure with each turn of the key. Finally I treated it like a carbureted engine and floored it while turning the engine over... it stumbled with spark so I let off.... tried it again and she fired up with a cloud of smoke from the exhaust. The idle was rough but quickly smoothed out. Now the engine is running better than before?!?!

What Happened???

 

Anyone have this issue before?

 

your injectors might have been gummed up and that carb cleaner must have blew it out

 

I only sprayed it in to the Throttle body and the two holes on the intake for the vacuum fitting for the PCV and MAP sensor. I haven't added anything to the fuel that would go trough my injectors. This is part of my confusion.

 

I had something similar happen in my 97 xj about a year ago, after I replaced the TPS. She wouldn't start or idle unless I held down the throttle. She did it until I forced a ride around the block then she cleared up and hasn't given me any problem since. I chopped it up to the computer adjusting to the new part.

 

your injectors dont always just get clogged inside they can get dirt or debris on the out side and gum up its happend to me cuz my pcv valve was spitting oil into my intake and it gummed the out side of my injectors up so i pulled them and cleaned them up and ran perfect afterwords...

Edit: Dane5502 is probably right

 

It did it again!!! I have noticed that when I am slowing down to a stop that my rpm's raise up a bit and it feels like the engine is surging. Once I sit for a second at the lights my rpm's drop to normal. But this not starting thing is worrying me... all I did was change the CCV/PCV fittings and hoses, cleaned the TB with carb cleaner, disconnect the cruise control cable from the TB and then put it all back together. I triple checked everything before I said I was finished and all seemed fine. No oil drips from the valve cover, all hoses are as they were and the new fittings... well, they are new. Even the air cleaner is well... clean!

I just put $21 in fuel in her... maybe the last batch was from the bottom of the well and had water in it or something...

 

sounds like you flooded the IAC hole when you sprayed in the carb cleaner. By the way you should be using "Throttle Body Cleaner" in a fuel injected engine, not "carb cleaner".

You may need to disassemble the IAC and clean it up. Are all the vacuum lines connected and in good condition?

 

I used Valvoline HD Carb and TB cleaner... IAC? Idle Air Controller? The vacuum lines look great for being old. Got a pic of this IAC? I will get right on it... after all, it started this nonsense after I put HALF a can of this cleaner into the TB and intake lol.

 

 

Oh I sprayed the daylights out of the area where the red arrow is pointing... I mean I put alot of fluid in there and it was ALL brown and nastayyy!! Ok I will get on that and clean it up. Thanks for the pic.

 

yup that's your issue

 

 

I just sprayed it with some compressed air... a little moisture came out... I will have to remove it and clean it as soon as I have some free time... might as well take off the TB and clean it and the connections to both whilst I am at it.