Stupid jeep!

[Joopin]

It's only 7:20 am and this day is already sucking. Hopefully somebody can throw some ideas my way.
I was driving to work about 25 min ago, I stopped in a circle waiting for traffic to pass... BAM! An old guy in a ford expolorer rear ended me. I get out and look at his truck, he has a brushguard on it with no damage. I look at mine, my big slab of steel for a bumper is fine. We shake, and go on our merry way.

About 2 miles up the road (500 feet from work) my jeep starts sputtering and stalls. I had the music blasting so I didn't get to hear what exactly was going on, but I think there was a clunk in there too that started the sputtering. I then drift off the road into a dunkin donuts, and push it into a parking spot. The jeep will not start now, it just keeps cranking. I locked it up, and walked to work. I pray to God it's not the engine, I just put a new trans in this thing and I seriously can't afford it. But the milage is at 217k now... it runs strong and well maintained, but who knows.

Isn't this stuff supposed to happen on a Monday?

Joop

 

[Ken72]

Is there any gas getting to the engine? a piece of rust or dirt may have gotten knocked loose and was sucked up into your fuel line.

 

[yjdave]

could of knocked a sensor out. check flywheel first it controls spark. ya make sure you got fuel to the intake.

 

[Joopin]

Those are some good ideas guys, thanks. My dad said to check the distributor and rotor too, he said one of his cars didn't start after hitting a huge pot hole which cracked the rotor believe it or not. I hope it's something simple... oh and its Friday the 13th.... greaaat.

 

[Utah_jeepster]

Well my day isn't going that well either...but not as bad as yours....
I traded vehicles with the ole wiffie...hehe gets to drive her Dodge Ram 3500.
Well I just got a call from her saying the Jeep will not stay running. Oh no I think...I had a O2 sensor or something go out over night. So I kiss the toes of the boss and bow and scrape my way out of his office so I can go home and give her a ride to work.

Well my wife thinks for a moment and grabs my keys off the counter and sure enough...jeep stays running. Her key is a copy we just made sever weeks ago....guess what...I just found out I have a transponder in my key!

Thats great...shoot why didn't you tell me a little later ...like in ten minutes...so at least I could leave the shop and get the rest of the day off before you called!

I would pull your fuel line off the carb and try a few test turns...my bet is your not going to see any gas come spurting out.
Fuel is the first problem I would think of, the key here is you drove a few minutes before it died. That would indacate fuel because if it was the rotor or cap it would have died right away. Two miles sounds just about right to drain your bowls in your carb.

 

[Joopin]

I would pull your fuel line off the carb and try a few test turns...my bet is your not going to see any gas come spurting out.
Fuel is the first problem I would think of, the key here is you drove a few minutes before it died. That would indacate fuel because if it was the rotor or cap it would have died right away. Two miles sounds just about right to drain your bowls in your carb.

Well I have EFI, is there a similar test I can do?

 

[redrooster]

Turn the key to run and listen for the fuel pump to come on. If there is a schrader valve on the fuel rail, then you can press it and see if there is any fuel pressure. Gas should spurt out.
Does it have an in tank fuel pump or external?

 

[Utah_jeepster]

Sorry I missed that one....go ahead beat the Utahian for missing the YJ thing....Red's got the answer...but your fuel pump only runs about 5-12 seconds after you turn the key on...and not every time once you have pressure, not sure if the fuel pump sends a code to the computer when it die's...any one here know if it does?

 

[Joopin]

Well thanks for all the input guys, but it turns out my dad was right from the get go. We checked the spark, no spark. Pulled the Distributor cap, the rotor was cracked right in half. Bought one for 4 bucks and installed it... good as new! Well, as good as an old 4.0 can be. Thanks a bunch guys!

Joop

 

[Sparky-Watts]

Wow! That is totally bizarre that a rear-ender could crack your rotor like that! :shock: I never would have even considered it. As I was reading through it, I was thinking the response about the chunk of dirt or rust would have been the culprit. Had that happen in a company van last year after an unexpected off-roading experience (swerved to miss an old lady and took it over a curb, down an embankment, and airborne 10 feet into a parking lot). We pulled the fuel pump and could see several pieces of rust from the tank clotted around the pump intake.

Glad ya got it worked out!

 

[CrashNBurn]

Oh dude I know how you feel, bought an 88 YJ last fall and I have been sinking money into it left and right. Got in a little smash up and broke the transfercase casing, 500.00 later for a new T-Case. One thing after another. But I love doing the work myself, but HARD on the pocket book.