1998 Jeep Cherokee 1998 Jeep Cherokee starts runs a while a

ERIC CALLAWAY

MEMBER
1998 JEEP CHEROKEE
6 CYL
4WD
AUTOMATIC
218,000 MILES

98 cherokee cranks and runs for a while and cuts off without warning. Sometimes its starts right back up but most of the time it takes 5 to 20 miniutes and it cranks back up and runs fine untill it cuts off again it just shuts down no sputtering just cuts off while driving at normal speed. Now when we have to stop it seems to have a low idle sometimes and we can shift it into neutral to keep it running other times we can stop and it runs on its own. I been told a number of different things it can be lost and dont know where to start help please I will be glad to donate a fair price as soon as my direct deposits hits the bank fri and we have found the issue cause im sure this will save me tons of time trouble and money thanks and please help this is my teenager jeep and he said it has nearly caused him to wreck. I have two other cars also but one at a time and I will be glad to donate a fair amount

2 Replies

LEGITIMATE007

MECHANIC
5,121 POSTS

Several things could be happening here, you say you have an idle problem too, but I dont think that is what is shutting the vehicle. Off. What you should do in a case like this is try to get it to happen while at home so you can check fuel and spark, then you know what direction to go. But if I was to take an educated guess as to what may be the problem I would say, for the shutting off of the vehicle without warning, may very well be the crank position sensor.. The low idle, is possibly just a dirty throttlebody and throttle plate that needs some cleaning, the idle air control valve may be faulty, but I would definitely clean it first. Another thing you could check is the fuel pump relay, the shutting off of the vehicle, is mostlikely electrical. And what happens with the electrical components, like relays and sensors is when they get old. They get hot and then cause an open circuit, until it cools down again and completes the circuit then everything is back to normal, until it gets hot again