Ignition system trouble after rain (questions)

kjrenegade · **Posted:** Wed Oct 12, 2005 10:35 am

So I get home from vacation yesterday to find out it has done little but rain here in the northeast. I go to start my sorely missed KJ, and it wouldn't idle, but just sputtered and finally stalled. I figured one of the coil packs must have gotten wet, so I would need to get it warmed up to solve the problem. After starting it the second time, it seemed slightly better, but the engine light came on, and the engine would cutout any time you tried to give it the gas. I shut her down and ran the codes. I don't have the exact codes with me, but there were four, and this is a breakdown of what they were 1)Coil pack on Cylinder #2 did not react as expected, 2)Cylinder #2 missfire, 3)Crankshaft position sensor error, and 4) the 0700 TCM flag to ECM.

I had let it run for a while at idle, and about 4 hours later when I started it, the problem was gone, but the light is still on. I drove it to work this morning with no problems whatsoever... So my questions are- Would a problem with moisture in the coil pack for cylinder 2 cause the crank-shaft position sensor and the TCM to throw a flag as well? looking at the engine from the front of the vehicle, which cylinder is #2? And last, should I just disco the battery if the light doesn't go out, and get on with life, or should I actually have this checked out?

TIA for the info and opinions.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Wed Oct 12, 2005 1:13 pm

Well, idk what to tell u, i would unhook the battery but what if later on down the road ur in the middle or no where and it does it again? if its under warranty i would get it looked at, couldnt hurt, or could it? lol.

kjrenegade · **Posted:** Fri Oct 14, 2005 12:31 pm

Thanks for getting back to me JeepJeepster. The Jeep has been fine since the problem first occured (about 130 miles ago). I'm 99% sure it was just moisture, and doubt I'll see it again, unless I leave it for a week in the rain.. I'm surprized it threw as many codes as it did, but then again, the KJ has more sensors than any other vehicle I've owned.

So my remaining questions are- which cylinder is #2, and when I disco the battery to reset the flags, which should I disconnect, the positive, or the negative cable?

WV(0)IIIIIII(0) · **Posted:** Fri Oct 14, 2005 1:41 pm

I don't belive it would be moisture, having my jeep up to the headlights in moiture. It could have something to do with the CPS not reading right or something along those lines. If a coil pack was doing something nasty then it would do it more often. You can reset the computure by holding in the trip button on the dash and cycling the key on and off 5 times.

kjrenegade · **Posted:** Fri Oct 14, 2005 3:09 pm

Hmm.. I'm left wondering what this could be. It has not even shown the slightest problem since the engine compartment dried up.. The exact codes were as follows:

320- Igniton/Distributor Engine Speed Circuit Malfunction
352- Ignition Coil B Primary/Secondary Circuit Malfunction
205- Injector Circuit Malfunction Cylinder 5
302- Cylinder #2 Misfire
700- TCM Code

That to me seems to indicate that code #320, was probably generated by the Crankshaft position sensor that threw a bad reading and screwed the whole pooch.. There was a lot of what I have to refer to as corrosion (white spots..) all over the front of the engine, plus plenty of wet leaves were blown up under there. If I remember correctly, the Crankshaft sensor relies on a magnet, so leaves or water shouldn't have effected it. It sat for 9 days, and may have been ridden hard and put away wet before I left.. The vacation seems to have wiped my memory (isn't that what they're for?!!).

I'm at a loss.. Thanks for the help guys.. I may just wait the 40 cycles and see if the engine light goes out by itself.. Where did you learn that trick WV? I've scoured the web, and I could find no way to reset the OBDII without cutting the power..

PitViper · **Posted:** Fri Oct 14, 2005 8:35 pm

The coils should be sealed so water should not be a problem unless the seal is broken some where. Also the part of the coil that goes over the sparkplug has a o-ring to seal it also. This is part of the reason KJ's are good at fording water. (I'm not suggesting using your KJ like a submarine though)

winkelhawk · **Posted:** Sat Oct 15, 2005 6:47 am

I had a very similar thing happen to me recently. It turned out to be a bad battery. After a bad storm and driving thru a lot of large puddles to get home, the truck would not start the next day. The only difference was that I had no codes at all. I replace the battery and it has been fine since. Good time to install an Optima.

Ignition system trouble after rain (questions)

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