rayx

Just picked up a 1987 Jeep Cherokee from a buddy who had it in storage for two years. The thing won't turn over. Put in a new battery and still dead. Turn the crack with a wrench and it moves very freely. So motor is not seized. Blow fan works. Wiper motor doesn't. Is there some ground that needs to be cleaned or a fuse burnt? Any ideas for me?

debb718

have u checked the igintion coil and module

rayx

Not yet. When I turn the key there is some relay that makes a soft click. Nothing more. I will look into the coil. I am just wondering is some ground is poor or maybe there is some corrosion somewhere. Starter maybe? Keep tossing me ideas on where to check. I appreciate the suggestions.

Dale Aeppli

HI CHECK YOUR BATTERY CONNECTIONS MAKE SURE THE'RE CLEAN AND TIGHT THERE IS A ROW OF RELAYS BESIDE THE BATTERY CHECK THEM OUT, I BELIEVE THE FIRST ONE IS FOR STARTER. CHECK THE GROUND WIRE ON THE RELAY ITSELF THE ONE THE BAT POS. CABLE GOES TO. QUESTIONS GIVE A HOLLER AT jeepman600@aol.com dale

rayx

I cleaned all the wires and tightened them. As you I thought at first this is where the problem might be. But no luck yet. Any other ideas where I should look?

Dale Aeppli

HI, WITH A 12 VOLT TEST LIGHT CHECK IF YOU HAVE 12 VOLTS ON HEAVY TERMINAL REMOVE THE FIRST RELAY ON THE RELAY TRAY CHECK IF YOU HAVE 12 VOLTS WITH KEY ON. CONNECT A JUMPER WIRE FROM--G-- PIN ON RELAY TO A GOOD GROUND TURN TO START LISTEN FOR CLICK IF CLICK IS HEARD REPAIR THE SHORT TO GROUND, DALE EMAIL AT jeepman600@aol.com

Saudade

Once you've check the basic electrical connections as Dale suggests, check the starter itself.

First, put on some safety glassess and crawl under the car, passenger side behind front tire. Jack the car if needed (I always do and use safety stands). Locate the starter. On the starter is the starter solenoid. It has 2 large terminals with large gauge wires and 1 small terminal with a smaller gauge wire. One large terminal has the power lead from the battery. The other large one goes into the starter housing. The small one is the trigger to the solenoid. Make sure you know where each wire is connected.

Take a jumper wire and connect the terminal with the battery cable to the small terminal with the trigger wire. I use one that has 2 alligator clips. I connect one tip to the small terminal and then touch the other to the battery side terminal. Be careful you DO NOT CONNECT the battery side to the other large terminal or to ground. You'll carry the full battery amperage through the wire.

This should crank the engine over. If it does, you're problem is upstream of the solenoid. If you hear nothing, the problem is likely the solenoid. If you hear a loud click but nothing turns, it may be the starter itself. If you think it's the solenoid, then take a screwdriver (a large diameter one like a #3 phillips) and use it to connect across both large terminals on the starter solenoid. Again, BE CAREFUL you do not connect anything directly to ground (it will spark like crazy). This will bypass the solenoid and feed the full battery power directly to the starter. If it cranks, then the solenoid is either stuck or bad. You could try tapping on the solenoid with a small hammer of the butt end of the screwdriver you just used and repeat the test. Still nothing? Change the starter.

If the starter is bad, just about any local auto store will have one. It will come with new solenoid. Be careful tightening the terminals, yoyu can crack the solenoid housing very easily.

rayx

I managed to start this baby by taking booster cables and hooking red to selenoid and the black to the starter motor. Then with the key "on" and the manual transmission in "neutral" I touched the other ends of the booster cables, both red and black to the positive terminal of the battery. Started very easily.

So it looks like that starter works. Where up stream would you think the problem lies????

Any ideas????

tdbulin

try the ignition switch on the steering collum
next pull the neutral switch off the tranny and take it apart and clean it, use electrical grease.

cvk1992

i have the same problem with my jeep im going to replace the relay on it to see if that works