If you are or have experienced a jeep shutting off while driving and not starting, you are not the only one. Jeeps are notoriously bad in this regard, and it seems at any given time there is at least one person out there with the same problem, there are a number of things thact could cause it and this article will address the common causes of jeep randomly shutting off while driving, lets dive in.
Why does Your Jeep Shut off while driving and not starting?
In short, the most common cause of your jeep shutting down while driving and failing to start is a bad fuel pump or damaged crank position sensor, 95% of this problem is caused by either one of these or both. The other 5% could be bad wiring, MAF, or Coil packs.
Failed Fuel Pump or Regulator
First off the fuel pump is by far the most common cause of jeep shutting off while driving, and it is an easy fix. The Fuel Pressure regulator regulates the amount of pressure coming from the fuel pump so that all fuel injectors get a consistent amount, if this is bad or not functioning your jeep will shut off, if you have checked to make sure your fuel pump is working and is getting good pressure but it still doing it you need to replace your fuel pressure regulator.
Bad crankshaft position sensor
The CMP sensor determines if the engine is even firing and your jeep will shut off while driving if this is bad, however like the fuel pressure regulator it is not the most common cause of a jeep shutting off while driving. if your jeep is cranking over but not starting the crank angle sensor(CAS) may be bad and putting out an incorrect signal to the ECM if this is true.
Bad coil packs and or coils
A while this is not the most common cause of a jeep shutting off while driving and it is usually a simple fix, if one coil pack or the snout has a bad connection to the ignition module for example, and is putting power to it you will have issues getting your jeep started, now this could be because of mainly a bad fuel pump but I feel that whether it is or not there are some simple things you can do to make sure your jeep starts every time.
Bad MAF
The mass airflow meter is used to determine how much fuel to inject, so if it reports a bad reading the vehicle will not start, this is also a common issue and can be easily replaced.
This one is not as common but could be the culprit in your jeep shutting off while driving and not starting, the way this sensor works is that it determines how much air the cylinders get and sends out a signal to the ECM, if for some reason, for example, you have gotten debris into your airflow tube it can cause issues, I have seen this happen many times to jeeps, new owners.
Wiring Problems
Jeep’s wiring harness can also be a culprit to jeep shutting off while driving and not starting, this is not as common as the other items but it could be the culprit you are looking for.
The reason why this is not that common is that most people don’t change their wires to match what jeep came with but if you are doing your own work or have done a lot of Jeep work in the past you could run into this issue.
What to do if your jeep shuts off while driving:
Attempt to check your fuel pressure, if it is good and you still have a problem you may be looking for a bad fuel regulator, If your fuel pump is the issue then it’s best you replace it but first be sure to check all connections. If you find that your jeep is not cranking over, you need to check your CMP sensor, and if bad then have it replaced.
It is also advisable to take your Jeep for proper diagnostics if you have a mechanic or a trusted person to help you get to the bottom of this problem, it is never a good idea to start replacing parts until you know what exactly is wrong.
Final Thoughts
The most common reason for a jeep shutting off while driving is a bad fuel pump or crankshaft position sensor. While the other 5% can be easily replaced it should be noted that my experience with these is that they are not as common as the fuel pump issue. I hope this article helped you.
