I just bought a 1999 Grand Cherokee, it has been running great..this morning, it started right up and died immediately. This has occured over and over.
The fuel gauge shows that the gas tank is empty. It's has at least a half of a tank of fuel. Also the inside lights and locks are acting weird....
Any ideas?
PS. I checked the fuel, thinking maybe somebody sucked out the gas. It is still in there.

Please Help

Other gauges acting up also? Sounds like the bad connection at the battery terminals or bad battery syndrome.
Clean the connections at the battery and check the battery.

Bad Idle Air Control Valve.
Make sure you have a clean and tight connection to the battery first, like bob said.

Other gauges acting up also? Sounds like the bad connection at the battery terminals or bad battery syndrome.
Clean the connections at the battery and check the battery.


I checked the battery, it seems fine. again the vehicle starts up perfectly, then dies shuts off in about 3 secinds, it will start right up agian and die again in three seconds. over and over. (during the three seconds it runs fine)

Also the remote locks all the doors except the driver side and it stopped flashing the lights and beeping the horn during romote lock and unlock.

Agian for some reason the fuel gauge slow the tank is empty....I get the feeling the computer thinks it is out of gas or the security system has the cut off the gas.

Is there anything besides the battery I could check?

I checked the battery, it seems fine. again the vehicle starts up perfectly, then dies shuts off in about 3 secinds, it will start right up agian and die again in three seconds. over and over. (during the three seconds it runs fine)

Also the remote locks all the doors except the driver side and it stopped flashing the lights and beeping the horn during romote lock and unlock.

Agian for some reason the fuel gauge shows the tank is empty (its not)....I get the feeling the computer thinks it is out of gas or the security system has the cut off the gas.

Is there anything besides the battery I could check?

Still sounds like a bad battery. I had my 93' and 96' GCs do the same thing when the battery was failing.

Just re checked the battery...it is fine. Where else should I look?

I am pretty sure this is the security system...I called Jeep, they said I need to have it towed in.
Are there any other options to reset the system on my own?

Yup, sounds like the security system. I swapped out my PCM last year and it would start - run 3 seconds - and die because my key didn't match what the PCM was expecting. I don't know why yours stopped working, ground's, failed key-reader SLIM? in your steering column. Have you tried your second key? Only way to reset it that I know of is to remove the battery cables for a minute or so.

remove the negative cable from the battery for a few then hook it up and unlock the drivers door, this will reset the alarm. then try to start the jeep.

I took off the negitive cable for a while. Put it back on and unlocked the door. She happily started up..
Now the gauges are going on and off, the windows will not work...the codes coming up are P1698, p1686 and P1687.....
At least it runs now, Thank you all.
What do I do about the codes? and windows and the gauges?

If you are sure the battery posts are clean, (I'm still suspicious about that, it doesn't take much to throw the PCM for a loop) then it looks like you have at least a problem with the key SKIM getting read properly - here are trouble code diagnostic descriptions:

P1686-
No SKIM BUS Messages Received
No CCD/J1850 messages received from the Smart Key Immobilizer Module (SKIM).


P1687-
No MIC BUS Message
No CCD/J1850 messages received from the Mechanical Instrument Cluster (MIC) Module



P1698 (M)-
No CCD/J1850 Message From TCM
No CCD/J1850 messages received from the electronic transmission control module (EATX) or the Asian transmission controller.

You can try to drive it and see what happens.

I clean the battery posts, the battery seems to be fine...I will replace the battery and see what happens.
Regarding the codes, is there something I should do?

I clean the battery posts, the battery seems to be fine...I will replace the battery and see what happens.
Regarding the codes, is there something I should do?
I'd say just drive it - if everything works ok, have someone with a obdII tool erase the codes and see if they return. There isn't anything critical about those codes... with the exception of getting stranded if it recurs.

I'd say just drive it - if everything works ok, have someone with a obdII tool erase the codes and see if they return. There isn't anything critical about those codes... with the exception of getting stranded if it recurs.


Bob, Thanks for all your help....we are going to drive it and see what happens.

Bob, Thanks for all your help....we are going to drive it and see what happens.

Have you considered the onboard security system? I have had the kind of problems you describe at verious times after disconnecting the battery for a time. If this might be the case, read your owners manual on how to reset the security system.

So here is the lastest....
The Cherokee is running fine, however, a few things no longer work:
a. the courtesy lights (works only if you open the back doors or tail gate, not front doors)
b. none of the window controls work (they will not go up or down)
c. The alarm non longer blinks or arms
d. The steering wheel contols for the radio does not work (the radio and cd palyer do work fine and so does the cruise control)
e. The overhead console works, but no longer will calculate any gas mileage information, the compass works but the tempurature does not.

All these things worked fine, proir to the start of whatever went wrong...

I still show the codes; P 1698, P 1687, P 1686....
All this being said, the car is running fine.

Have you considered the onboard security system? I have had the kind of problems you describe at verious times after disconnecting the battery for a time. If this might be the case, read your owners manual on how to reset the security system.


Oh, I am sure you are right, the sucurity system has something to do with it... I just do not know what to do about it. The manual does not say much and the local dealer suggested (earlier) that I should just have it towed in, (made me a little mad) when all I needed to do was unhooked the negitive battery cable for two minutes.

The forum already has me back to 90%, now I need the last 10% to have the jeep working. I would love to tell the dealer, it was all stuff that I could fix without getting harpooned by them.

a. the courtesy lights (works only if you open the back doors or tail gate, not front doors)

b. none of the window controls work (they will not go up or down)

c. The alarm non longer blinks or arms

d. The steering wheel contols for the radio does not work (the radio and cd palyer do work fine and so does the cruise control)

e. The overhead console works, but no longer will calculate any gas mileage information, the compass works but the tempurature does not.

That's the d*mnedest thing I've ever heard.
There has to be a common thread for all this, but I think the security system is/was part of the problem, not the cause - like those codes, its just telling you that the pcm or bcm is not communicating with some of the electrical components.

I hate to see you get hosed by a dealership, but unless someone has some good ideas its time to bite the bullet.

Disconnecting the battery usually erases codes but does not set them... except for the code that shows the battery has been recently disconnected.
As a last resort before taking it in I would disconnect the battery one more time - while its disconnected, turn ignition to start for a few seconds, then wait at least two minutes to make sure any residual current is bled off the solid state electronics.

I had a very similar problem with my JGCL 99 once. Very strange things like the ones you experienced started happening. Particularly the engine dying immediately after it started. To drive the Jeep I had to keep my foot on the accelerator for a few minutes and then it would be OK until the next time. The security system seemed to have a mind of its own. One time the inside light would not go off and I dorve home with it on from work.
The last thing that happened was the vehicle stalled in traffic.
Got a new battery and the problem ended. It took me a few weeks to figure it out.
Try it. It will cost you less than $100.
Gold

As it turned out Bob D had the answer....I pulled the negitive battery cable, put the key in and turned it, discharging the residual power in the system. I let it sit for anohter couple of minutes and then connected the negitive cable agian....this time she started right up and now works perfectly.

Interesting foot note: My wife took the car in the next day for a smog check, but since the cables had been disconnected....the computer did not contain any info, they could not complete the smog check, we have to come back in a few days.

its exactly the problem i ve got, i know its been a wile but did you had that trouble again? me i ve tryd to reset it removing de ground and put it at start, but still the same....start and shut down after 2-3 seconds :frown:

here s an update, ive send it to the dealler, they worked on it for 2 days, finaly found out it was the BCM , changed it from one at the scrapyard, they reprogram it, and got my truck back today, works good now, the only thing i worry about is i hope no electric problem did busted my PCM! anyway, if anything else happen, i ll write it down.