Car Tech forum: 99 jeep grand cherokee Laredo, keeps stalling

HERE IS SOMETHING YOU NEVER THOUGHT OF.... I have replaced every sensor, the ignition switch, coil, computer... still no fix...

Ran a scan and got the PO0351 code - coil issue - had already replaced it... made no sense... Decided to look at the distributor and replace it to... along with the cam sensor, the plate inside the distributor on my model. There was vertical play, up and down about a 1/4 inch which is normal, but I found it had horizon play about 1/32 back and forth, signs of ware. I marked everything before I pulled the old one so when I installed the new one (80 bucks at www.oreillyauto.com/ ) it would line up.

When I was installing the new one it did not line up when it dropped down into the slot, approx 30 degrees off for some reason... Dang what the hick is going on here, also I notice the bolt holding down the distributor was not tight when I was removing the old one, brain saying Hmmmm!. Note I have owned this Jeep for 10 years and have never loosened or taken the Distributor out for any reason.

This is what I found somehow the bolt loosened itself about 1/4 inch up over time. This allowed the distributor to work its way up when running until it jumped out of the slot on the cam. Then as you attempted to start the car again it would drop back down into the cam slot. Sometimes it would be 180 degrees out... thus no start, as you tried to start it again it would work its way back up move and sometimes drop back down in its correct position then the car would start...

I am sharing this to maybe help someone out there experiencing the same issues. So, you need to check your Distributor!!! I also noticed the washer on bolt that holds down the distributor was just a plain washer, This could allow the bolt to loosen over time... GM should have put a lock washer here instead... a 2 cent washer cost me over $600.00 plus I had to buy my wife a new used car 8K and months of aggravation...

Dang! Dang! Dang!