Help won't start

[blazinid]

So got a weekend day without the kids for a change. Decided to head across the canyon and do a little target practice with my neglected Springfield XD40. I had a ball blowin the crap out of some scrap lumber.

After I spent my ammo allowance I headed home the long way across the desert on the rather muddy trails. After getting all muddy I headed back into town and hit the car wash. I popped the hood and sprayed off the engine compartment. Hopped in and started it up and headed home.

This morning I go out to the garage to head to work and trun the key......nothing. Hook up the jumper cables to my wifes chevy and crank it over. It turns over but won't fire. After waiting a little while It finally starts, but if I don't give it gas it will die.

Anyways haven't had a chance to look at things but I thinking its got to be the alternator right? Any other Ideas?

By the way its a 1996 Grand Cherokee with the 4.0L 6Cyl.


Thanks for any help!

 

[Renegade]

Hook up the jumper cable to it again with your wifes car running. start your ZJ but dont remove the cables once it is running. If it continues to idle while taking a charge from an other car, then your alternator most likely needs to be replaced. However check ALL the connections on your alternator and make sure nothing has gotten lose from the recent off road trip. Could be something as easy as a lose cable not allowing the alt. to charge the battery.

 

[blazinid]

thanks, i'll give that a try tonight.

 

[monele]

If your alternator tests ok and the battery is good (hasn't dropped a cell or something) It is fairly likely for this to be a failing crank position sensor. They are notorious for giving up around 80 to 100Kmi. They also often start by kinda working when warm and not when cold. They're not terrible to change, nor are they super expensive. We change out my dad's a 85Kmi just for peace of mind.

 

[Root Moose]

Just a note on changing the CPS if it comes to that...

If it seems impossible to get to try adding/stacking socket extensions and a u-joint. Makes short work of it provided you have good tools and can get the removal torque through the u-joint.

 

[Renegade]

I was going to metion the CPS, however it seems that you said you had to jump start you ZJ. A failed CPS will not drain the battery. Unless it just so happened that your batter went dead the same morning your CPS decided to act up.

 

[98dango]

I would be more thinking of a fried alt with just washing the motor. This is good to do but you never want to spray directly on aney thing. Living in a verry wet and muddy cliamte we go threw a starter and a alternator once a year. If it starts with cables then its definatly the bat ot alt. I would not rule out a CPS but dosent sound as this is the porblem.

 

[blazinid]

Problem solved for now. I guess my daughter decided to turn all of my dome lights on in the middle of the afternoon. I never noticed them on and it totally drained my battery. I just wasn't patient enough to let it charge back up I guess. After getting it running, I let it idel for a good half hour. No more problem.