car sputtering and stalling

mightysmiting · 01-14-2006, 01:43 PM

I just bought a 1992 yj 4.0L yesterday. This moring when i got half way down the road it started sputtering. It got worse so i decided to turn back and was barely able to get home. Now it wont even start or if it does it will stall immediately afterward. ANy ideas what my problem might be? I replaced the spark plugs but that provided no change.

azheights · 01-14-2006, 01:51 PM

I had a similar problem recently...especially on right turns. The Jeep would sputter and sometimes stall.

I changed the spark plugs, ignition wires, distributor cap and rotor, and fuel filter....no change.

Then I figured it had to be a fuel problem and I removed the gas tank, replaced the fuel pump and cleaned the tank out really well...no change.

At this point I was so frustrated because I had spent two days and over $250 to no avail.

In desperation, I started wiggling everything under the hood. I wiggled a wire connected to the MAP sensor and the car immediately sputtered and stalled! It turned out that one of the wires (there were 3) had its insulation worn and was shorting out. The Map sensor regulates fuel/air flow with the computer. My mechanic fixed it for me with only a hour of labor and no charge for the wire.

So...the moral to this story is try wiggling wires before doing any more major mechanical work. It might save you a lot of time and money.

01-14-2006, 01:51 PM	#2
azheights Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 94 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	I had a similar problem recently...especially on right turns. The Jeep would sputter and sometimes stall. I changed the spark plugs, ignition wires, distributor cap and rotor, and fuel filter....no change. Then I figured it had to be a fuel problem and I removed the gas tank, replaced the fuel pump and cleaned the tank out really well...no change. At this point I was so frustrated because I had spent two days and over $250 to no avail. In desperation, I started wiggling everything under the hood. I wiggled a wire connected to the MAP sensor and the car immediately sputtered and stalled! It turned out that one of the wires (there were 3) had its insulation worn and was shorting out. The Map sensor regulates fuel/air flow with the computer. My mechanic fixed it for me with only a hour of labor and no charge for the wire. So...the moral to this story is try wiggling wires before doing any more major mechanical work. It might save you a lot of time and money.