96 Cherokee won't crank

[Southern Forester]

I have a 1996 Cherokee standard, 2wd, that will not start. To be more specific, when I insert the key, I have power to the lights, but when I try to crank it, I sometimes get a single click under the hood but the starter won't engage and the engine won't turn over. The battery is fine (again, I do have power), but sometimes there is no click and the lights cut off.

It has 250,00 miles but the engine ran well before this problem arose. I have replaced the water pump and radiator (irrelevant) and the alternator on it. I am generally comfortable with making repairs but have not encountered suggestions in my shop manual (true shop manual from Diamler/Chrysler for my 2001 Cherokee). 96 has the newer engine with the stamped valve-cover and uses many of the same parts under the hood (though air conditioner and distributor make it different).

This problem has been an evolved manefestation. It began with an intermittent starting problem - as in it would turn over after two or three turns of the key and then turn over reliably after that. Finally, it came to this point where it won't crank/turn over at all. Again, the batter and batter connections are fine (I assumed early that the battery was a problem and so the battery and cable connections have been replaced).

SF

[ronaldk]

there is a main fuse box under hood with b+ from batt make sure that is clean and tight

[Southern Forester]

That wasn't the problem. I suppose it is the solenoid or the starter motor itself. It may be the wiring to the solenoid, which I will check before I get a starter motor.

SF

[MagicRat]

dirty/loose battery terminals will also cause these symptoms.

[Southern Forester]

That was my first repair job. I cut off the factory jobs and replaced them with screw-down terminals after filing back the copper wiring to as bright as I could get them.

Could it be in the ignition switch? It turns on, which is to say I can power up the blower motor, the radio, etc, by turning it on. I can also turn it to aux settings and run the radio. However, nothing happens when I turn it to start.

SF

[oljeeptek]

If your headlights go out on cranking, your ign switch is ok but you have a poor connection somewhere in the main feed / ground systems.

Make sure the security light in the dash is not flashing or the pcm is cutting off ignition. This can be from ign cyl wires breaking over time. New cyl comes with the wires. Also try unlocking the passenger door with the key and see if it resets it.