Engine Quits while driving

Hello All. I have a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee "Special Edition". Got it 2 weeks ago & have driven it ... oh, maybe...5 days. The engine just Quits. Period. Nice when your in town, maybe. But when you're on the Highway and a Woman...not a cool thing. First problem, the keys were not programmed to the car. O.K. Dealership fixed that. Last night it quits AGAIN. Just driving along and it stopped. Two different times within 10 minutes. Lights on were "check guage" and "engine malfunction". By the way, when the "key problem" happened the light said "transmission overheat". Nice. Any comments? Please don't get too technical. I know nothing about engines and am doing research so I don't sound too stupid to the mechanics. How about the possibilty of an "oxygen sensor" problem? P.S. It smells funny, too. Much Thanks!

Welll I don't think the O2 Sensor is your problem.
Possible Catalytic Converter, but doubt it with the year of the jeep.

Does it start right up when you try to start it or do you have to wait?

Hello All. I have a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee "Special Edition". Got it 2 weeks ago & have driven it ... oh, maybe...5 days. The engine just Quits. Period. Nice when your in town, maybe. But when you're on the Highway and a Woman...not a cool thing. First problem, the keys were not programmed to the car. O.K. Dealership fixed that. Last night it quits AGAIN. Just driving along and it stopped. Two different times within 10 minutes. Lights on were "check guage" and "engine malfunction". By the way, when the "key problem" happened the light said "transmission overheat". Nice. Any comments? Please don't get too technical. I know nothing about engines and am doing research so I don't sound too stupid to the mechanics. How about the possibilty of an "oxygen sensor" problem? P.S. It smells funny, too. Much Thanks!

What do you think your smelling? Something burning, or gas like smell?

How long r you driving before it dies?

I've heard of a crank position sensor causing problems like this. My other guess would be fuel pump relay or something with the fuel system.

What do you think your smelling? Something burning, or gas like smell?

How long r you driving before it dies?

I've heard of a crank position sensor causing problems like this. My other guess would be fuel pump relay or something with the fuel system.

First, Thank you very much for your replies. I find myself very lucky to have experienced people such as you replying to me.

In terms of smell....it smells more like gas. How long do I drive before it happens: Humm, Funny, I drove all the way down from Miami two days before and this did not happen. Then Monday it happened 2xs within 5 minutes of each other after I'd been driving...15 minutes. Radio On. AC On. The morning this happened I had filled up the tank.
Since then (Monday) it has not happened again. I took it to a mechanic I trusted with my Sebring, he put it on the computer and could find nothing. :screwy: (Boy, I hope that comes out as a little face!) Thank you.

Welll I don't think the O2 Sensor is your problem.
Possible Catalytic Converter, but doubt it with the year of the jeep.

Does it start right up when you try to start it or do you have to wait?

Also to you, Thank you for your reply. I am lucky to have your advice. Yep. No problem with the start up. It's fine. 'Course it's HOT down here...no problems with coldness! If there is something wrong with a vehicle wouldn't it show up on the diagnostic equipment? (I hope that's not too dumb of a question.) Thanks.

Also to you, Thank you for your reply. I am lucky to have your advice. Yep. No problem with the start up. It's fine. 'Course it's HOT down here...no problems with coldness! If there is something wrong with a vehicle wouldn't it show up on the diagnostic equipment? (I hope that's not too dumb of a question.) Thanks.


Well the most common problem with jeeps is the intermitantness of their problems. If the problem was happening when they had it hooked to the diagnostic computer then it would come up.

Also to you, Thank you for your reply. I am lucky to have your advice. Yep. No problem with the start up. It's fine. 'Course it's HOT down here...no problems with coldness! If there is something wrong with a vehicle wouldn't it show up on the diagnostic equipment? (I hope that's not too dumb of a question.) Thanks.


I'm wondering if you have a gas leak, but then it would die all the time if it was that bad. Is the smell of gas strong? If so I would ask them to check the fuel pressure and for leaks.

Yes if something non-computer electronic controll system related is at fault the computer has no way of knowing.

O.K. Well, I am not going to get "negative". Fact is, I love the Jeep. It's under factory warranty and hopefully, whatever is the problem will be covered... It is intermittent, for sure. I've checked the gauges, read the Owner's Manuel, got the transmission serviced (which was o.k.). It's just strange how it just STOPS completely while I'm driving along.... The dealer who sold me the car swears it is the key?? As soon as the local dealership gets out of their hurricane related problems I'll take it there. Thank you for your help!

Definitely get it checked out while it's on warranty. If it is the catylitic converter (as dksob81 suggested earlier), the warranty on the converter is longer than the typical car warranty (due to clean-air regulations). If it died after filling up with gas, did you go to a name-brand station, or a discount place that might have had rusty fuel tanks? Sometimes bad gas can clog a fuel filter in one tank-full.

I know the keys are picky on the newer cars, but I haven't heard of a key causing the car to die while driving. As in most cases, the more info you can provide, the easier to troubleshoot (see if there's a pattern of when it dies:
- how long the engine has been running
- how many miles you've driven
- idling vs. fast driving
- controls running at the time (A/C, radio, etc.)
Let us know what you learn.

I gotta tell you, You Guys are The Best!! Thank you sooo much for your information. My research has made me wonder about the converter, too. I get good gas (I heard about the discount places. They are tempting, because we are paying almost $4.00 a gallon down here, but No. Only good gas for me.) Oh, by the way, about the keys...what happened was that the dealer thought I might want some extra keys so he had 2 new ones made that were not Jeep keys and had not been programmed to the vehicle. I think the new keys are fine. Thanks Again!

I was going to replace my catylitic converter once because it was rattling and I thought it was shot. Someone at AutoZone said "you'll know when the converter is bad because you'll have engine trouble and the check-engine light will come on". My engine worked fine, so I didn't replace it - good diagnosis! Another car died and restarted (kind of tempermental), and when the Check-Engine light came on, the codes pointed to the catylitic converter or oxygen sensor (the bottom line is there was an error code that eliminated some of the guess work).
Good luck, and keep us updated!

Have you checked the battery terminals? Sometimes the negative one gets loose because the person who disconnected it last (a lot of repairs should be done with the negative cable disconnected) didn't tighten it enough. A bad ground would cause your car to stop in the middle of driving. Think about it, you've got a 2004. How many problems can it have?

Oh you Guys are soo Good!! I'm going to put your names in my "Clone Club".
I didn't think I'd have a problem so soon, but, last night 2 miles from home, the "Engine Malfunction" display came BACK on! The car did not quit, like it has been doing, but the display is still on today. I checked all gauges, as suggested, nothing unusual. AC on and c.d player. This a.m. I called the dealer who last serviced the Jeep (150 MILES AWAY...) and was told to have the vehicle flatbedded to them. Remember, the local dealer is still having Hurricane Wilma issues. Sooooooo, talk abt. "bad timing".... I am taking serious DEEP, Yoga Breaths and trying to make this all fit into a preeetty tight schedule. Obviously, I'm going to have to get this done. Thanks for the support. Happy Holidays to all of you!

UPDATE: With all your suggestions in handm I am taking the Jeep to the dealer on Tuesday. In the meantime, seems like EVERYBODY I know is telling me I have a "Lemon" on my hands.... Last thing it started doing was just not starting. Malfunction light goes on, but car doesn't. After about 15 minutes, it starts up again. Or, I'll be waiting for a light to turn and is stops. I read a review on the Grand Cherokee and it said that all was good until they got re-designed in "2004". Then they became "unreliable". My son seems to think that because I started using medium, not regular fuel, it's having this problem. Well, I'll check back with you on Tuesday. In the meantime, the Jeep is hibernating in the carport. (I've had it less than a month, and it's been in the carport more than on the street!) Later.

UPDATE: With all your suggestions in handm I am taking the Jeep to the dealer on Tuesday. In the meantime, seems like EVERYBODY I know is telling me I have a "Lemon" on my hands.... Last thing it started doing was just not starting. Malfunction light goes on, but car doesn't. After about 15 minutes, it starts up again. Or, I'll be waiting for a light to turn and is stops. I read a review on the Grand Cherokee and it said that all was good until they got re-designed in "2004". Then they became "unreliable". My son seems to think that because I started using medium, not regular fuel, it's having this problem. Well, I'll check back with you on Tuesday. In the meantime, the Jeep is hibernating in the carport. (I've had it less than a month, and it's been in the carport more than on the street!) Later.
Well if it had been wrecked before you have a problem.If not i would switch the fuel pump relay .that fixed a durango i was trying to figure out for a day

Well, my friends, my Jeep has been at the dealer's for almost a week now. The mechanic says there is "nothing" wrong with my car. They have driven it, and it does not stop or stall out. The computer has no messages, they've had it on the diagnostic equipment, checked everything I asked (which is the advice I got from you all....), and there is nothing wrong. (In other words, it's all in my head?) Tomorrow will make 7 days since it was flatbedded away (for the second time). The dealer mechanics sound like they have had it with me. So, I'll be going 150 miles to pick it up, and 150 miles to bring it back. What can I say. Happy Holidays to all of you and your families! And, thanks again for your help.