Put GumOut Fuel Cleaner in Liberty when empty,filled, now engine light on, rough idle

[thegreatgate]

Had 20 miles left until empty. Thought it was a good time to run in the gas station and get a fuel injector cleaner.

Looked for the one that specifically said put in when empty.

Poured in, put $40 in tank. Drove fine for a day.

Then sat for a day.

Then today I start driving, roads are slick, and it feels like there is a traction control problem. Shaky when hitting gas. Shaky idle.

The light is related to the engine/trans. I looked it up and it said possible problems are a gas cap that is loose, POOR FUEL QUALITY, etc.

I do not think this is a new problem, or just a coincidence. I think it is related to the fuel injector being put in a couple days prior.

I know nothing about fixing trucks/cars.

Any possible solutions. It even has the trans acting funny and switching gears funny. Not too terrible, just a little stall feeling from 1st to 2nd...

The yellow light on dash is flashing.

THERE ARE 170K on the JEEP! Got the top quality oil put in the other day and it drove the best it ever drove thus far. Just flawless. Purred, quiet, sounded strong.

This is the limited edition, and on a good note, the gas mileage went to 14mpg. It has been around 12 to 13 which is extremely strange. That is the reason behind wanted to put gumout in it.

Wife is the daily driver. Saw it at 12 for a while. I drove it for 30 minutes and it approached 13....Never came anywhere near 14 and now it is at 14.0!

But drives bad now.

What do you think, something involving a fuel injection cleanse? :shrug:

 

[thegreatgate]

I talked to a couple random mechanics.

They said probably dirt/grime loose crap got into the injectors.

And it is misfiring and probably needs a tune up.

I got the Jeep with 169 and currently has 171. So not sure when it got its last tune up.

Does this sound about right?

 

[JBHARDWARE]

I talked to a couple random mechanics.

They said probably dirt/grime loose crap got into the injectors.

And it is misfiring and probably needs a tune up.

I got the Jeep with 169 and currently has 171. So not sure when it got its last tune up.

Does this sound about right?

It could Probably use a tune up, but I also went through this and after driver for 20-30 mins it clear up and ran perfect. The gumout probly broke some grime loose and it passed through the fuel system.

 

[thegreatgate]

It could Probably use a tune up, but I also went through this and after driver for 20-30 mins it clear up and ran perfect. The gumout probly broke some grime loose and it passed through the fuel system.

Just took it for a spin. Light was solid on the dash. And it was driving fine.

Then after 5 minutes the light started flashing and that's when it drove funny again. Says in the manual when the light flashes it is a sign that the catalytic converter could become damaged...etc. etc.

I still think I need to do the 'professional' shop fuel clean service because the monitor shows 14.0 mpg which is terrible...And that is the best it has been in 2,000 miles...

Tune-up and fuel clean and it should be getting more like 18 which will be lovely to see.

 

[TwoBobsKJ]

Anytime the CEL is flashing - STOP DRIVING!!

The flashing indicates a major malfunction which could permanently damage the engine. As others have said, the Gumout probably knocked some grime loose and your injectors are clogged. And with the misfires raw fuel is being dumped into the catalytic converters - which will destroy them. As you mentioned that you're not great with working on vehicles you'll need the original problem fixed by your dealer or a good shop - and if the cats are included in that repair bill you're in for big $$$'s

Have the Jeep towed to a good shop, have the fuel system cleaned and go from there. Driving it around hoping it will clear itself up is doing more damage IMO.

Bob

 

[thegreatgate]

I lucked out tremendously. Called a local shop 5 miles down the road (they do free diagnostic scans).

Pull up, he checks the codes:

P0300 Multiple Cylinder Misfire
P0302 Cylinder 2 Misfire
P0301 Cylinder 1 Misfire
P0351 Ignition Coil #1 Circuit

He clears the codes, says he always does that, takes it for a 5 minute drive, and see what comes up afterwards (maybe some other codes are just jumping on the bandwagon and not a real threat).

Says it seems to be driving fine, doesn't sound like a misfire.

He pops the hood and is looking at cylinder 1 (which looks to be about where spark plug 1 is). If you are looking directly at the motor it is the one on the right, first row.

The plug was either loose or unplugged.

When he rechecked 0 codes came up and it is back to driving fine.

So my next question would be is it worth it to do the fuel cleanse for $179 with BG product....I am getting 14 mpg which is ridiculous. It's a used Jeep with 170,000 miles but a little maintenance is always good, but not sure it is worth spending $200...

 

[KJDevildog]

Before you spend almost $200 on a fuel flush, spend $200 on a FULL tune up.

Change your spark plugs, plug wires, air filter, oil/oil filter, and fuel filter. These are all very simple things you can do at home with basic tools and a couple printed out sets of instructions.

I keep my 06 KJ well maintained, and my city MPG is about 16.5 so don't expect a big jump in mileage.

 

[Porkchop]

Plug wires ?
Not sure on that one

 

[sevenhelmet]

I get 16-18 MPG on a regular basis (just hit 99K miles the other day). 14 is pretty bad- It sounds like the previous owner didn't do a lot of maintenance on the Jeep.

I recommend the full tune-up as well.

 

[LaneKJ]

I still think I need to do the 'professional' shop fuel clean service because the monitor shows 14.0 mpg which is terrible...

My 04 Liberty gets between 13.5 and 15.0 MPG Average. So your MPG isn't abnormal.

 

[tommudd]

Before you spend almost $200 on a fuel flush, spend $200 on a FULL tune up.

Change your spark plugs, plug wires, air filter, oil/oil filter, and fuel filter. These are all very simple things you can do at home with basic tools and a couple printed out sets of instructions.

I keep my 06 KJ well maintained, and my city MPG is about 16.5 so don't expect a big jump in mileage.

How often do you change your plug wires by the way?:shrug:
Or should ask do you have the 4 popper?

 

[KJDevildog]

Plug wires ?
Not sure on that one

haha! Good catch, plug wires are just always in my brain for tune up purposes! The KJ is the only vehicle I've got that doesn't use them.

 

[Moon]

Good heavens, how aggressively do ya'll drive these little cars ?? Did ya'll fill your cars full of car batteries or firewood and drive 60mph in third-gear ??

The little monitor above my rear-view mirror says that I average 22mpg per week, if I drive 65mph. I'm not sure how accurate it is, though. I'll probably put the pencil to it this week. The ONLY time I got 14mpg in the hooptie (2003) was when I had a 14' jon-boat strapped to the top of it driving from Houston to Dallas, and there was a pretty nasty head-wind.

Try a tune-up. Spark-plugs, coils, maybe a new air-filter if yours is dirty. If you're not super-handy with tools, this is a good of a time as any to start learning. Just go slow, take your time, and your results might surprise the hell out of you. Multiple-cylinder misfires wreaks of a coil (or two) that needs to be replaced. It's a $20-something dollar part, and can be installed in less than two minutes. All you need is a 10mm socket, a socket-wrench, and an extension.

:cheers: