1996 cherokee

[Jarade Frankenfield]

I have a 1996 jeep grand Cherokee. While driving motor and electrical shuts off. I put it in park and it starts right back up. Anyone experience this problem and what was the solution. Thank you.

 

[greg92jeepxj]

Welcome to jeepz.com . Although I haven't experienced this problem with a GC , I would say that generally when this happens there is a loss of contact electrically . Start simple , start from the battery and check all connections to be sure they are clean and tight . That goes for positive and negative on the battery , to the power distributor center ( PDC ) and all grounds as well. Clean and tight is important . There is a history of PCM connections becoming loose as well . This is more likely to be your problem . When cleaning and tightening , make certain the ignition is off , especially when working with PCM connections . It's always a safe bet to disconnect battery connections if you feel the work will be extensive and shorting is a concern . If no DTC's ( diagnostic trouble codes ) have set , it's not likely it's a sensor problem or the body control module . Don't over complicate by getting to involved in things like the BCM , just be concerned first with the path of electrical flow from the battery to its destination such as the PDC , ignition switch , PCM , etc. . If you feel the connections at the PCM are not snapped in well , the board connections internally could have become loose and cause this problem . If that is the case , PCM replacement may be necessary . Do not be forceful with PCM connections since it's easy to damage a PCM circuit board(s) by applying too much pressure . Take notice if the dash gauges are erratic just before the engine stall or if everything seems normal just like when you turn the key to ON position before you turn the key to START position . This would be an indication that the power feed from the PDC is loose or bad contact with ignition fuses ( blue 60 amp ) . Along with wiring connections , fuse and relay contacts need to be clean too . Electrical contact cleaners are best to do this job. Before guessing and part swapping , be sure to follow the cleaning and tightening steps first . Can't say how many times I've seen a bad battery cable sulfated stop electrical flow dead in its tracks. A good volt meter will help here to measure voltage , check continuity and measure draw which is always good to check of you can get the specifications from a shop manual . But generally , if a wire or cable can flow electricity , that's helpful to do further checking of electrical measurements need to be done. Continuity is not a given , resistance due to corrosion can still flow enough electricity to make you think the wire or cable has good continuity . That's why we need to do proper voltage drop tests starting from the battery positive . Let us know what you find and please post your results . Thank you for your membership here at jeepz.com .