mkawski
10-28-2016, 12:30 PM
Hey everyone,
FYI I'm pretty new to car repairs, so please don't use lots of techie terms and just kinda "dumb it down" for me if you're explaining things
(I've done repairs for: head gasket, cylinder head replacement, clutch master cylinder, power brakes, new aftermarket water temp gauge, that sort of thing so far to give you an idea of my knowledge/experience)
I have a 1985 Cherokee, 2.5L 4cylinder carbureted
To give you an idea of some of the ongoing problems:
-hard start, need to give gas and try 5-10 times
-power steering pump leaking quickly and whining
-carb prob needs to be adjusted
-A/C won't blow anymore
-at idle, if A/C running then car will stall out
So my car was running alright for a while, it would take a few tries (usually 5+) to start it, with my foot fluttering the gas and also holding the gas for 5 seconds down between one of the start attempts. After I start it and drive it a bit, then usually it starts easier.
Then I tested it by driving it to Flagstaff, and I think the distance/uphill/cold temps killed it. When I got there, I noticed that pulling out of a gas station my car turned on after a few times but then as I tried to turn out of the station my car just sputtered out and died.
The weird thing is that when this sputtering thing happened usually I'm in 1st gear, going up a slight uphill, and turning (power steering pump is also leaking and whining). I floor the gas but it just sputters out, if it catches then eventually it will start reacting to the gas, then once in higher gears and at higher speeds it runs just fine.
Thought it might be the power steering pump going out and pulling too much electricity, along with the cold temps messing with the carb fuel/air mixture.
So back in Tucson, its driving alright, not doing that sputtering thing anymore. One day I drive it around fine all day, then trying to leave a parking lot I don't immediately pull out of the parking spot and accelerate after turning it on, and it dies and won't turn on. There's white smoke, wires melting near the battery. Towed it home, trying to solve it from there.
Maybe wires had been exposed and touching metal? So I replaced them, (tried pretty hard and couldn't figure out what they go to, some appear to go through firewall into dash). Tried to start car again, this time other wires melted, some again near battery in other spot and others on drivers side near air cleaner.
I found lots of badly connected wires (twisted, barely covered with old electrical tape), exposed wires, wires that had melted:
Also replaced the starter cable (from power to starter) because some wires were exposed from insulation and covered in oil/car crap
Lots of questions:
Is all this connected? Is one thing causing another?
Planning to replace mechanical fuel pump, any recommendations? It is a mechanical pump in engine bay on passenger side. Was going to test if pump is working by disconnecting a fuel line to carburetor, turn ignition, see if fuel comes out (into a bucket). Can't find much info about a 2.5L engine mech fuel pump replacement, do you need to bleed the system and how? Release fuel pressure first?
How do you replace wires that are like 2 fused together like the trailer hitch wires? Can I just completely disconnect trailer hitch wires and forget about it? They appear to already be spliced with these blue connectors.
Could it be an issue with A/C blower motor causing wires to melt?
What is this silver box thing (best guesses so far from friends/car parts shops is that it is a relay, one person guessed "Choke Heater Relay")?
I have carb choke cleaner, would that help? I would adjust it but it is so complicated and not sure if I would just make it worse, only 1 person in Tucson said they do carb adjustments for like $300
I have tons of pics so if clarification would help on something let me know, I know there is a TON in this post.
I just want to fix this up so I can SELL it and have a reliable car that won't break down or not start when I need it to, so I can go drive out to the middle of nowhere and not worry about it.
Thanks guys!!
-Monika
FYI I'm pretty new to car repairs, so please don't use lots of techie terms and just kinda "dumb it down" for me if you're explaining things
(I've done repairs for: head gasket, cylinder head replacement, clutch master cylinder, power brakes, new aftermarket water temp gauge, that sort of thing so far to give you an idea of my knowledge/experience)
I have a 1985 Cherokee, 2.5L 4cylinder carbureted
To give you an idea of some of the ongoing problems:
-hard start, need to give gas and try 5-10 times
-power steering pump leaking quickly and whining
-carb prob needs to be adjusted
-A/C won't blow anymore
-at idle, if A/C running then car will stall out
So my car was running alright for a while, it would take a few tries (usually 5+) to start it, with my foot fluttering the gas and also holding the gas for 5 seconds down between one of the start attempts. After I start it and drive it a bit, then usually it starts easier.
Then I tested it by driving it to Flagstaff, and I think the distance/uphill/cold temps killed it. When I got there, I noticed that pulling out of a gas station my car turned on after a few times but then as I tried to turn out of the station my car just sputtered out and died.
The weird thing is that when this sputtering thing happened usually I'm in 1st gear, going up a slight uphill, and turning (power steering pump is also leaking and whining). I floor the gas but it just sputters out, if it catches then eventually it will start reacting to the gas, then once in higher gears and at higher speeds it runs just fine.
Thought it might be the power steering pump going out and pulling too much electricity, along with the cold temps messing with the carb fuel/air mixture.
So back in Tucson, its driving alright, not doing that sputtering thing anymore. One day I drive it around fine all day, then trying to leave a parking lot I don't immediately pull out of the parking spot and accelerate after turning it on, and it dies and won't turn on. There's white smoke, wires melting near the battery. Towed it home, trying to solve it from there.
Maybe wires had been exposed and touching metal? So I replaced them, (tried pretty hard and couldn't figure out what they go to, some appear to go through firewall into dash). Tried to start car again, this time other wires melted, some again near battery in other spot and others on drivers side near air cleaner.
I found lots of badly connected wires (twisted, barely covered with old electrical tape), exposed wires, wires that had melted:
Also replaced the starter cable (from power to starter) because some wires were exposed from insulation and covered in oil/car crap
Lots of questions:
Is all this connected? Is one thing causing another?
Planning to replace mechanical fuel pump, any recommendations? It is a mechanical pump in engine bay on passenger side. Was going to test if pump is working by disconnecting a fuel line to carburetor, turn ignition, see if fuel comes out (into a bucket). Can't find much info about a 2.5L engine mech fuel pump replacement, do you need to bleed the system and how? Release fuel pressure first?
How do you replace wires that are like 2 fused together like the trailer hitch wires? Can I just completely disconnect trailer hitch wires and forget about it? They appear to already be spliced with these blue connectors.
Could it be an issue with A/C blower motor causing wires to melt?
What is this silver box thing (best guesses so far from friends/car parts shops is that it is a relay, one person guessed "Choke Heater Relay")?
I have carb choke cleaner, would that help? I would adjust it but it is so complicated and not sure if I would just make it worse, only 1 person in Tucson said they do carb adjustments for like $300
I have tons of pics so if clarification would help on something let me know, I know there is a TON in this post.
I just want to fix this up so I can SELL it and have a reliable car that won't break down or not start when I need it to, so I can go drive out to the middle of nowhere and not worry about it.
Thanks guys!!
-Monika