Help!!!! Cherokee Starting Problems

J

jghall

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Covington, GA
Hello all.... I have a 1997 cherokee 4.0 with an aw4. Over the last week I have been having an intermittent starting problem.... Occasionally when I go out to crank the jeep,,,,,,, nothing turn the ingnition switch over and nothing... All the accessories work power windows, radio, power locks, just wont crank not a click not a sound except the rlays clicking... It did it first last Saturday, and not again until yesterday and its done it several times since... I have already had problems out of and replaced the NSS about a month ago, and I replaced the Crankcase position sensor about a year ago... Moving the gear shift lever does nothing... I swapped out the Starter realy under the hood with the one from the AC clutch and no help... The first time I had the trouble I ended up unhooking the negative battery cable for about an hour to re-set the computer and viola it started... I tried the same thing today and nothing, still wouldnt start... I then turned on the ignition swith and crawled under the jeep and shorted the starter posts and it cranks right up... What else could it be???? There is a relay in the passenger kick panel with the fusebox that clicks when you turn the ignition to start, and it clicks as it should... I replaced that relay just in case... What else is in the starting circuit that I may be missing???? Any help would be greatly appreciated....
 
Also, and I don't know if this helps, but the first time it did it I was sitting in traffic stopped at a redlight... It was pretty hot out and the temp was up a little more that normal at driving speed, but nothing alarming... My wife wanted to go into a store, I was in the middle lane so I turned the wheels hard right to get in the right lane and it just died right in the middle of the street... We pushed it into a gas station, and it took almost an hour before it started again,,,, I pulled every relay, plug, check wiring connection and everything.... Each time I tried to start it nothing... Then eventually it started right up and, on up to Murphy we went ( mine and my wifes garndparents live less than 10 miles from Tellico)... Needless to say with the crazy starting problem we did not hit the trails this time...
 
Thanks for the reply, I was thinking a possible starter problem also, but it starts right up when you put a wrench on the wire connections and short them out???? I may give a new starter a try though...
 
I go for the easy stuff first. Clean the battery connections and the cable connections till they shine, spray them with a solvent so *all* the oil is gone. Same with the block ground. Check the power cable nut at the starter and the starter bolts.
See if your oil filter adapter "O" rings are seeping and if the oil has found it's way onto the starter. The oil can seep into the starter and coat the brushes. Which causes iffy starting (I've seen this half a dozen times already).
Follow the solenoid wire up from the starter to the PDC, check for rubs and check the connector for the solenoid wire right next to the PDC.
I've seen one where the solenoid power wire integrated connector at the starter, had gotten hot and partially melted. The solenoid wire that ran through the rubber covering was fried. I've only seen it once, I guessed it was a one off fabrication failure or somebody had left the nuts loose.
If the bolts that hold your starter on come loose, this can cause an iffy ground.
 
Its definitely the starter, I beat mine with a hammer and tapped the wires for months before it finally quit. It's probably from being submerged more than a few times.
 
jghall said:
Thanks for the reply, I was thinking a possible starter problem also, but it starts right up when you put a wrench on the wire connections and short them out???? I may give a new starter a try though...
Click to expand...

If you short out the connections at the starter and it works fine---- ignore anything about a bad starter-- you're telling it to do what to do and it's doing it! You need to verify where you are loosing power to the small wire at the starter-- NNS, ignition switch, starter relay, or ground through the NSS to chassis. One of these is gonna be the problem-- I promise!!

--Shorty
 
check all connections, battery to starter, battery to ground, battery to alternator, battery to relay.

check connections means unbolt them, clean with wire brush, remove oil residue, reinstall.

then check for tight mount of the starter...if it isn't mounted tightly, then it's not grounding and is therefor not cranking.

starter relay MAY still be it (not likely, but sometimes new parts are bad), or you could have simply mixed up the relay wires.

if not any of those symptoms, take the starter off and take it into any place that can test it (rebuild center, parts distributor etc). if it works there, it will work in the truck, and it's down to wiring.

at which point seeing as you've checked everything else, you would know that the positive wire from battery to starter is shot, and replacing it should be next on the agenda.

if none of this works, bypass everything and put a push button in it :D
 
Just installed a new NSS a month ago and a CPS about 6 months ago... I rebuilt the NSS a few times, and it just kept getting worse so I replaced it... I have also been thinking the starter as some have suggested, the only if I have is why does it start fine if short the posts with a screw driver??? I'm still not ruling out the starter though, and may end up replacing it just because it has 125,000 miles on it and it is very dirty...
 
x2 on NSS adjustment. check the harness with on ohm meter to make sure it is adjusted correctly. The NSS can be bypassed and this will eliminate your problem.
 
There's supposed to be a marking on the transmission that is supposed to line up with a marking on the NSS to ensure proper alignment.....but usually you can't see this.....so....

Lock the wheels, pull the ebrake up, put the XJ in reverse (not running), and loosen the NSS locking nut.

Rotate the NSS until you find when the reverse lights will go off in each dirrection.....lock it down as best as you can get the NSS between these 2 points.
 
Thanks for all the info guys... I've got alot of things to check out, and hopefully one will be the ticket... Keep posting if you have any further ideas or suggestions.
 
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