1990cherokee4x4

Hmm test the plugs
I guess you should check the injectors them selfs
Can't remember how to do it but it's on YouTube
Other than that I can't think of why it would miss if they all work

OnAll4s

Well after checking a lot o things. I pulled the dist cap off and there were some shaving in there. Plus the tapping that I thought was from a defective lifter was actually coming from the distributor, used a stethoscope... Lol So I'm waiting to see if it happens anymore after reseating the cap. If so I will replace the whole thing.

1990cherokee4x4

Shavings anywhere is never a good thing
You may try cleaning it with some electrical cleaner and drive it to see what happens

OnAll4s

I doubt it, as I said the cap and button only have 900 miles on them.. Lol... Im probably going to just replace the whole dist assembly. It has a little side to side and up and down play to the shaft.. Man I'm never gonna get this thing lifted...

1990cherokee4x4

Sounds like a plan
Hope that fixes everything

1ATony

Did you ever figure out what was causing this. I'm having the same issue with my ZJ.

If I take off going from 2-3 (sometimes) it falls on it's face and then picks right back up and runs fine like nothing ever happened.

It started after I filled up last week. Hoping it's just bad gas or something.

OnAll4s

Haha... yea sorry I haven't checked this thread in a while. I refused to listen to my girls advice and check the plugs ( they had less than 3k miles!!!) Come to find out a piece of carbon had lodged itself in the tip of my #1 spark plug cause it to short and melt.... so check your plugs

notfondofgrease

Read the whole thread. Sounds like alot of what I have been experiencing.

To say I am anything of a mechanic would be like saying the Kennedys are not gun shy. That said, this is what has been going on and it has been going on since I bought the vehicle which is a 1997 grand cherokee. The engine just cuts out and sounds like it is firing on only a few cylinders, sometimes it stops but usually it just fires right back up again on its own.

When I first tried to have the problem fixed it would never do it when I brought it in. I had to drive from CA to NY so when my ck engine light went on I went to a garage to have it looked at.

1ignition coil changed
worked for a while and then did it again.
2 some sensor was changed (sorry I am not sure which one)
3 batery was changed
4 ignition sensor was changed 4 more times at no cost to me but much to the frustration of the mechanics.
5 rotor in distributor cap was said to be loose and was changed, ran like a top for about 700 miles and then had the same problem.

Decided to just go on with my trip even though it was a bit nerve racking never knowing if it would start up again and the backfiring.

Made it to NY, still doing it but I have reaally made it a point to see any thing that may be happening at the same time as it goes out.

It seems that about 70% of the time it happens after I have been stopped (pull into the store for coffe etc) and then start up again. Or, when I am in traffic.

I have noticed that when running the engine temp is about 180 If I start it up after I stop, it is at 200 before I get going and cool down again.

I though perhaps (and again, I know nothing about anything mechanical) but could some peice of metal be expanding from the heat like the thing the rotor turns on causing it not to fire momentarily and then gas goes in and then it backfires??

I have it at the dealer now. They tell me that since the check engine light is not on and the computer is cleared ( I had a short in the interior lights that was draining the battery and would disconnect the cable at night so as not to run down the battery)

The mechanice who worked on it before kept saying it might be the computer.
I really don't understand how a computer would act so randomly or maybe it is just my denial of not having to want to pay for a new one.

I really cannot afford to keep chasing it down by changing parts and still having the same issue.

I love the car, when it does not have this problem it runs like a sewing machine (it is a 6 cylinder)

Does anyone know if this problem is inherent with this model??

Any thoughts would be appreciated and if you would I don't know what all the acronymns stand for, so if you use one just spell it out for me once so I can understand.
Thanks