Every time a fellow member has a problem with their YJ my YJ seems to do the same thing!

Flyer58

Flyer58

YJ Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 12, 2020
Messages
924
Location
Magnolia, Texas
My YJ normally runs fine without any trouble. Enough to say it's normally dependable. But lately, every time a fellow member here has a unique problem it seems like my YJ ends up having the same problem within the same week. Maybe it's sun spots or solar radiation, I don't know.

Last week it was a fuel leak and strong smell. Today it won't start. I just drove it around town two days ago without a hitch (problem).

Starting with the last thing I touched, I unplugged the fuel pump relay and jumped the connection. No pump action.

Maybe it's the ground, maybe it's the pump, maybe I should have taken everyone's advice and cut out the pump's easy access panel in back. Now I need to drop the tank and do a little more work.

Maybe I should check the fuse first.

My anger is offset by the fact I have two racks of pork ribs in the smoker right now.
 
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Check the connector first. You should be able to reach it or inspect it from the drivers side in the gap between the frame and body.
 
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Not sure about the smell, but something relatively common I've seen if you installed an aftermarket fuel pump + sending unit, is that the hose that connects the pump to the top of the unit can bust open lose pressure. Probably need to drop the tank. Thankfully that job has never been too difficult the times I've had to do it, but I know it can be a bear for others depending on climate.
 
DOWNS said:
Check the connector first. You should be able to reach it or inspect it from the drivers side in the gap between the frame and body.
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Just checked it and the plug was locked tight together but when I bypassed the pump relay again it all worked ok. I'll pull the plug apart and clean the terminals again, Hopefully it's not the ground on the pump. I verified that was clean and secure last week.

Thanks, if it's not the plug it's close to the problem.
 
machoheadgames said:
Not sure about the smell, but something relatively common I've seen if you installed an aftermarket fuel pump + sending unit, is that the hose that connects the pump to the top of the unit can bust open lose pressure. Probably need to drop the tank. Thankfully that job has never been too difficult the times I've had to do it, but I know it can be a bear for others depending on climate.
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When I had the pump out last week that short hose looked good. The vent hoses on top were a little brittle and one had disconnected from the vent valve. I bought two new vent valves and a longer length of fuel vent hose as the old one barely reached between the two vents. This time I used hose clamps to keep them attached in place.

Thanks for the suggestion.

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One person has a problem then every other person. It’s the chi coms that are sending all the parts over here. They are designing them to fail so they can just walk in and take over while we are trying to fix vehicles. I’m telling you it’s a corn Speer acee. Also, they don’t want us to have cool vehicles like jeeps because in their minds we don’t deserve them because we are all hung like stallions. They don’t think we should have it all. If you don’t believe me, LOOK IT UP.
 
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As it turns out I'm glad it didn't start. Since I reinstalled the tank last week I forgot to put the license plate back on over the gas cap.

Someone somewhere was trying to tell me something.
 
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Well I did track the problem down to that pump three wire connector but didn't fix the problem. I cleaned and sprayed a corrosion inhibitor in both side of the plug but found there must be a loose connection somewhere in or around the plug. By jumping the relay I can hear the pump running but if I lightly tap the connector the pump will momentarily cut out or stop all together. The two halves are a tight fit with no wiggle room so it might be where the wire go into the plug and it could be on either side. I don't think it's up or down stream from the plug. There's little to no slack going towards the pump and no change if I pull that end of the harness so I believe the ground connection and the tank is still holding tight.

I'll check it closer with a multi meter and maybe need to change the connector.

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Ok, I think I have it fixed for now. I did a continuity check to a known ground and got the tone and then low resistance on both sides of the connector. So I'm guessing after 31 years of vibration one of the pins has a miniscule gap to the female end causing an open circuit when connected together.

I ever so gently made a slight bend in each of the three pins hoping the curve would create a better connection and so far it's working. I can now tap, twist and tug on the connector and the pump continues to run.
 
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Yeah, back when I had the engine out I cleaned up a bunch of grounds and connectors. The fuses and relays looked like they had barnacles growing on them.
 
Dorf said:
forums 101
every post is NG
(no good) as in car is NG
there are no post like
"gee my jeep just went 30 years and no failures"
no car did.
in the olden days we had USEnet, and the car section was called NG.
nothings changed, same gripes endless , on cars and well all machines on earth of any kind.



best is: post all evidence and mods to the car first. and tell the drive line and win.
be willing to do tests to find the causes. and buy tools.
GuE$$ing can be super expensive, aka, throwing parts
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Time to put a jack under the headlight and change the vehicle? :)
 
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