Car Tech forum: 97 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo keep dying upon ignition

After buying and installing assorted sensors and also replacing two 50 amp breakers (automatic shutdown) with no change in the behavior of my 2000 GC, someone suggested that I pull the cables that go into the computer (PCM), clean all the cable points with contact cleaner then coat them with dielectric grease and reconnect them firmly into the computer. In my case that stopped the stalling and saved my sanity. If I had done this before I went out and bought new sensors the entire repair would have been less than $5. Give it a try, it is really a cheap fix and may just work for you. I firmly believe most of the stalling problems with the GC are related to the computer and if it starts doing it again, I will buy one online and install it myself and save a thousand dollars and may just prove my point.

My 2000 GC quite literally drops dead while going down the highway with absolutely no warning. Thank goodness it is steerable while dying or we would have been run over by this time. A check of the computer and the fuel pump pressure shows nothing wrong. So much for computers. All the gauges go to the 'dead position', if we sit and wait for about 5 to 10 minutes the gauges return to where they were before the death occured and the engine will start just fine. If I attempt to start the engine before the gauges are fully back where they were, it will not start and sound of the engine trying to start is even strange. Once those gauges are up, it will fire up and run until it decides to die again. Might be one day, one week or one month, no matter it is frightening to have it die when you are headed down a hill with no place to pull off out of traffic. Any suggestions. Thanks in advance

Exactly the same situation happening here. Thought is was the fuel pump at first, but it was fine. Then the mechanics started looking for error codes reported by the computer, but there were none stored in the system. Several suggestions were thrown out, but I wouldn't let them try any until they could convince me they knew what was really wrong. Finally today, after 3 days in the shop, they determined that the key needed to be reprogrammed. The security sytem was shutting the car down b/c of some bad programming in the key. This seems to explain why there were no error codes generated by the computer. I'm taking it today to have it reprogrammed (quoted $55 by 5-Star dealer, GA). I'll give an update once I make sure this works.

My 1996 Grand Cherokee was stalling too. Always a few minutes after starting, while driving in stop and go traffic. The last time it stalled, I noticed the air conditioning compressor was turning intermittently (must have had the defroster on.) I unplugged electrical connector to the AC compressor, thinking that the constant turning off and on of the compressor while the engine was cold may have been confusing the engine management computer. My car immediately began running normally and the stalling problem has not returned since, and that was six or seven months ago.

Now that the weather is warming up I have plugged the AC compressor back in but am careful not to leave the defroster on. We'll see if the problem returns.

I realize this is completely anecdotal but just wanted to add my experience to the mix.

Add me to the list of stalling 96 Jeep Grand Cherokees.
Mine started a few months ago...
First shop replace crank sensor, broke down again on way home. They change another crank sensor, nothing.
Sent to another shop, he couldnt find problem, sent to dealer, after a couple of weeks they replaced fuel pump, worked. They tested the fuel pump but it tested fine, took of the fuel rail and poured gas in and it wanted to run.
Ran for a couple of months then same problem. Back to dealer, he said crank sensor and replaced it. Broke down on way home. Then he said it was the computer needed to be re-programmed. Did that, wouldnt shift into overdrive after that and died the next morning in my drive way.
Sent to different dealer, he wants to change the wire harness to the computer for $350 labor only.
He states that the wire harness is NO LONGER available, Jeep has stopped making them.
Will probably sell it as is, I have wasted too much time and money on this.
Here is my description of problems:
Cranks fine, just doesnt appear to get gas. If you crank with pedal to the floor it will occassionally want to start. After it floods it will sometimes start, idle for 30 seconds to a couple of minutes then sputter (diesel) then die. Sometimes a small puff of smoke can be seen near the front of the engine.
Sometimes it drives for awhile then sputters and dies. Has done this at stop lights, turns and even highway driving. A couple of times it would make a strong "bump" at highway speeds but continue on.
Im surprised to not see a specific TSB on this but it sounds like it is multiple problems stemming from one thing that has yet to be pinned down.
If anybody needs a Jeep with exterior and inerior in good shape with strong tranny, let me know

The problems you are experiencing sound really similar to the problems my '97 Wrangler right now as well. Whenever I stop or the rpms drop below a certain point, the car stalls and it needs to be restarted. Sometimes I see a small puff of smoke near the front of the engine, and its accompanied by a really awful burning smell. Did you ever figure out what was wrong with your jeep?

Gave up and pulled out the pcm. Sent if off to see if it is rebuildable. Source we found runs $300 for rebuild. Hope it is rebuildable due to the fact that if one is built from 'scratch' would require us to take Jeep 75 miles to nearest dealer to have the security feature reprogramed.

After numerous trips to the machanic to address the intermittant stalling problem, it turned out to be the Computer and a faulty wire. The Jeep Repair Manager said they are seeing a lot of high mileage 97's with the same problem. Not cheap but now I have a safe car again.

Good luck to all who still have the same problem.

Geolander

Sorry, the dealer didn't say which wire. I even asked them to just fix the wire first before they put in the computer, but they said they were afraid the short would zap the new computer too. I looked at all the wires and connectors coming out of the computer after they fixed it and none of them looked new or repaired. Who knows? It may have been just a smoke screen so they could do the work as opposed to me taking it from them and back to my mechanic (who would have charged less to replace it). Total cost was $960.00.

Geolander

That's great news. I hope it stays fixed..

So far, so good. Not so much as a hiccup.
Would love to know where you got the pins and part number for future reference. Thanks

I must be doing something wrong, but I can't locate your May 18th posting regarding your stalling problem being fixed. Can you email what the solution happened to be? Thanks

knb2000@kanab.net

How bout sending a copy to david@sunsationcreation.com

Thank you in advance!

Could you please send a copy of your post on Jeep stalling fixed, I cant find it on the site and I would really like to read it, I purchased a 96 GCL about 2.5 years ago almost immediately it started having this stalling problem it was purchased for my teen daughter so immediately I took it in to the mechanic, he stated that it was the caty. converter and muffler, so we had it replaced-maybe 2 weeks later happened again, took it back to mechanic said it was ECM(very expensive) so I took it for 2 oppinion-they said some kind of sensor O2(i think)replaced it still had problems, took to a couple more(6) mechanics, noone could find anything wrong with it, so finally took it to the Jeep dealer, they had for a couple weeks, they could find no problem, but said it was probably the ECM. So we brought it back home and left it sitting for about 5-6 months, when we tried to drive it again it of course still had its problems, so I purchased a new ECM and installed it, wouldnt crank at all, called ECM company and gentleman explained that it could be the ECM for a vehicle w/ security which mine doesnt have so sent it back, got new one, installed it, didnt work, called company back they said to send in my
ECM and they would test it, did that it was fine, so back to square one. One day my son left on interior light and killed the battery, so we purchased and new one and low and behold we had no problems for about a year (give or take) well now its back, it will die whenever it feels like it, it backfires and smells horrible of gas, it is so strange my daughter can drive to work and its fine, 6-8 hours later when its time to come home it wont crank until after you have flooded it out and wait anywhere from 10-30 minutes. I do know that there is a crack in the ex. manifold but was told that would not cause this problem, so I havent fixed that because its very expensive and if its not going to be driveable I figured why invest that much in it if thats not going to help. I am really at a loss and could use some help, for this is becoming very frustrating so any advise would be very much appreciated. PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!THANK YOU.
I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks again. Gail Parish

Another forum member has been really helpful with our stalling GC and possibly he has already contacted you with links to read. We have discovered that by following one of the suggested 'fixes' and replacing the 50 amp breakers (the 2000 GC has two)the stalling has stopped. These breakers are referred to as ASD relays which means "automatic shut down," and when they get old and tired they get very hot and do exactly that, shut down the engine. A ridiculously cheap solution so far. My husband also cut vents into the cover of the box to allow air to flow over the top of those relays and breakers helping to cool them. So far so good. If it stalls again, I will be sure to let you know.