South or North Carolina Jeep shop wanted

[mattsmall1972]

Hi folks,
I have a little 1994 YJ 2.5L FI that my wife and I love. We bought it a couple of years ago and it's a little beater that does everything we want it to do, except run when we want it to. We've had multiple problems with it not starting a lot of the time and it shut off today while my wife was driving it. We've had it in and out of our local mechanics and it's always come back to life, but then the problems happen again. It seems like a fuel issue and we've had multiple fuel issues fixed, but the problem keeps coming back.
We're at the point where I am willing to throw money at the problem to make it go away. I would convert to carb or put in a new engine or whatever, but I just want it to work. Does anyone have a great shop in South Carolina, or even North Carolina to take it to?
If not, what would it take to convert this to carb to simplify life?

Thanks,
Matt

 

[JPNinPA]

So please describe what happens and exactly how.

Example: When we start the engine within 10 min after it ran for 10-15 min and was at temp, the engine stumbles and sometimes dies. So there is some who what when and how...


Regards,
JPNinPA

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[mattsmall1972]

Doesn't start or takes a long time to start. Seems like fuel problems.
It shut off yesterday while my wife was driving it. She said the RPMs seemed really high and then it stumbled a bit and shut off. It would not restart until we got it home and then after cranking a bit, it restarted.

I'd really like to know a good Jeep specialist to take this to.

 

[k-2]

should not need a jeep specialist, this is basic automotive 101.

And going to a carb set up is going backwards big time.

BASIC tests
If you can get any codes in system, Fuel injection always get fuel pressure and then with KOEO observe pressure drop.
High RPM suggests a vacuum leak - use the old school carb spray trick to locate....

 

[JPNinPA]

To start
Turn the key to on without starting. You will hear the fuel pump. Wait 5-10 sec then turn the key to off. Then on again without starting. Do this three times then start. If it fires right up its the check valve that is a part of the fuel pump.

As mentioned above get fuel pressure readings key on before start, during idle and at a higher rpm.


Regards,
JPNinPA

Sent using TapTalk

 

[mattsmall1972]

I would like to agree with you both. A little more history...

The jeep has had this problem for over a year now. It runs great some days and on others, it won't start. My wife thinks it's related to moisture conditions, but I think it's fuel. We've had in the shop for weeks at a time without the problem occurring so they can't figure it out. The coil was changed once to see if that was the problem. It works good for a while then came back. I noticed fuel leaking (intermittent) around the fuel filter and a pinhole leak was found. After repair, it ran good for a while until it wouldn't start at all. I sent it to another shop and some kind of fuel line issue was found. We got it back last week and it ran good until yesterday when my wife took it out. She said the RPMs seemed high, so she turned around to bring it home when it stalled and refused to start back up. Once home, it started back up.

I have a fuel pressure gauge hooked up to it now. It reads a "jumpy" 30 lbs at idle. With the regulator hose off, it reads 39. I let it wait a long time (several hours) until it got to 0 and it started right up.

I think the FI works fine but I can't figure out where this problem is. I would take it to someone who really understands these jeeps, but don't want to throw good money after faulty solutions. I always figure a carb solution is simpler so I would go that route if it would work.

I am very handy with tools but definitely am not a mechanic. More ideas needed. Thank you.

 

[mattsmall1972]

This morning the Jeep won't start. The fuel pressure gauge reads 0 and does not increase for any reason. I have never heard the fuel pump start up so I am not sure if it's coming on or not. I think I need a new fuel pump and/or check valve.

 

[k-2]

things to check - fuse, relay, ign sw - then is 12v at pump
REMEMBER if not running pump oly has 12v for @2seconds-

 

[jclem2]

Kind of sounds like a intermittent fuel pump. Problem is, they're hard to test for because they at intermittent. Drop the tank and replace the pump.

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[mattsmall1972]

I found the problem and it's not what i thought it was...

The zero reading on the fuel pressure gauge was false. Somehow it went bad while still connected to the rail. Since the fuel pressure had been reading good before then, i decided to check spark.

i bought the inline spark tester and could see that spark was there but it was weak. While looking at it, i could see that there was an arc jumping from the spark wire leading from the coil to the distributor. I replaced the wires and plugs immediately and now it starts perfectly.

its amazing to think we've been fighting this for so long. When this originally started, I thought it was a spark problem because I checked and was missing spark but on second try, it was there.

The intermittancy of this issue has been tricky. I had it in a shop for weeks last year thinking they would figure it out - they said spark was great so I believed them. They changed the coil (or said they did...) but no change in behavior.

Thanks everyone for helping out. We're so excited to have our jeep working now.