# 96 Grand Cherokee dies randomly **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [September 10, 2012, 1:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-grand-cherokee-dies-randomly/74560 "2012-09-10T01:36:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![badbearing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/badbearing/32/10683_2.png) [@badbearing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/badbearing)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 5:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-grand-cherokee-dies-randomly/74560/21 "2012-09-11T05:57:55Z")
Secondary ignition has also been replaced. Plugs, wires, cap ---
**Author:** ![RemcoW](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/remcow/32/2471_2.png) [@RemcoW](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RemcoW)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 6:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-grand-cherokee-dies-randomly/74560/22 "2012-09-11T06:22:33Z")
Doesn’t mean you have 12V on the coil, tho. It could be a bad connection. ---
**Author:** ![Cougar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cougar/32/21348_2.png) [@Cougar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cougar)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 6:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-grand-cherokee-dies-randomly/74560/23 "2012-09-11T06:46:43Z")
From the sounds of it, you are chasing some old ghosts. It may help to start with putting the test light on the power lead to the ignition circuit after the ignition switch. You should be able to use a fuse tap in the dash fuse panel to monitor that point. Since the switch has already been replaced and if the lamp shows a failure at that point when the trouble occurs then you can suspect the trouble is somewhere before the switch. Another possible suspect for this trouble could be a relay. If a relay is used to power the PCM that might be an area to look at also. ---
**Author:** ![RemcoW](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/remcow/32/2471_2.png) [@RemcoW](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RemcoW)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 6:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-grand-cherokee-dies-randomly/74560/24 "2012-09-11T06:53:06Z")
Yup, I agree. That’s a very logical next step. Troubleshooting intermittent problems is difficult. The only way to do it is to instrument the system with stuff you can see/read. If it was easy, they’d call it ‘easyshooting’. ---
**Author:** ![badbearing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/badbearing/32/10683_2.png) [@badbearing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/badbearing)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 7:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-grand-cherokee-dies-randomly/74560/25 "2012-09-11T07:32:00Z")
im gna shoot the jeep pretty soon also so read that it dies at an idle or a stop sign ect. I will set up the light test Remco and see what happens. Sounds like i will need a test light for cougars suggestion its all getting a little overwhelming ---
**Author:** ![badbearing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/badbearing/32/10683_2.png) [@badbearing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/badbearing)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 8:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-grand-cherokee-dies-randomly/74560/26 "2012-09-19T20:41:19Z")
I FOUND IT! It was a bad connection. A design flaw I’d call it. ---
**Author:** ![Cougar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cougar/32/21348_2.png) [@Cougar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cougar)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 8:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-grand-cherokee-dies-randomly/74560/27 "2012-09-19T20:51:14Z")
Great news! Could you tell us where the trouble was? I assume the bad connection was in a connector somewhere. The info could help someone else possibly later on. ---
**Author:** ![badbearing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/badbearing/32/10683_2.png) [@badbearing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/badbearing)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 9:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-grand-cherokee-dies-randomly/74560/28 "2012-09-19T21:03:14Z")
I bought this rig cheap because of the problem. So im a little hesitant but its the right thing to do i suppose … The PCM has 3 connections they all come together and pull down on the plug-ins. which causes a bad connection on the circuit board. It was the first plug in. I recreated the problem parked at an idle by pushing down on it. I took the board apart and soldered the first 3 connections. FIXED. People are spending $350 on a new PCM and its a simple solder fix. I actually found the solution online. ---
**Author:** ![Cougar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cougar/32/21348_2.png) [@Cougar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cougar)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 3:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-grand-cherokee-dies-randomly/74560/29 "2012-09-20T03:37:15Z")
Well good work Badbearing. This is the kind of thing that is good to know about and can help someone else later on. The problem sounded just like a bad connection somewhere from the first post. I would not have suspected it to be inside the PCM though. ---
**Author:** ![RemcoW](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/remcow/32/2471_2.png) [@RemcoW](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RemcoW)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 3:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-grand-cherokee-dies-randomly/74560/30 "2012-09-20T03:54:44Z")
Nice. Congratulations on fixing it. Good job. ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 3:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-grand-cherokee-dies-randomly/74560/31 "2012-09-20T03:58:15Z")
Is there a pickup sock in the gas tank? My thought ! ---
**Author:** ![badbearing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/badbearing/32/10683_2.png) [@badbearing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/badbearing)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 8:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-grand-cherokee-dies-randomly/74560/32 "2012-09-20T08:10:58Z")
Thanks Guys ---
**Author:** ![badbearing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/badbearing/32/10683_2.png) [@badbearing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/badbearing)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 4:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-grand-cherokee-dies-randomly/74560/33 "2012-11-16T04:54:14Z")
Correction: It was Not the PCM but the connection Too the PCM. There are 3 plug ins on PCM it was the first one (closest to the fender) after a good cleaning with electronic cleaner I slid connector on and off 6-8 times then blew it out with air. No problems for about a month now Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Cougar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cougar/32/21348_2.png) [@Cougar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cougar)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 5:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-grand-cherokee-dies-randomly/74560/34 "2012-11-16T05:13:06Z")
Thanks for the update Badbearing. This info will most likely help someone else down the road. ---
**Author:** ![badbearing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/badbearing/32/10683_2.png) [@badbearing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/badbearing)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 5:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-grand-cherokee-dies-randomly/74560/35 "2012-11-16T05:17:26Z")
I’m sure it will help somebody. In my research I found it to be a problem in atleast 96-97’s [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-grand-cherokee-dies-randomly/74560.md?page=1)