91 xj brake problems and starter problems...

[JUICED COUPE]

I have a buddy who has a 91 xj. It has some kind of funny brakes. They have went to the bad and to get the brakes to work you have to stand on the pedal. What do you guys think the problem is and how hard to fix it?


Also they have the starter bypassed to a push button. I think he said something about a neutral safety swith being bad. How could we fix this?

 

[HaPtOAD]

It sounds like the booster has went bad or at least that what I envision when you say stand on it. How's the pedal feel, is it really hard to push or is it soft and go way down when pushed.

The NSS is a very simple fix if an auto. Two bolts and a plug, it's off. I think there's three or four screws on the back side you need to unscrew and split the housing. Get some electric contact cleaner and fine scotch brite pad and go to town, after you clean the contacts re grease them and reassemble. Make sure you mark the location of the NSS before you take it off the tranny.

 

[JUICED COUPE]

Hard as a brick. I dont think it has a booster.

 

[HaPtOAD]

I've never seen a XJ with out power brakes and not saying that it don't. Kinda lost on that one. I have had a couple of 5.0s with out it, they had hard pedals.

 

[JUICED COUPE]

I could be wrong Im going by what he told me...

 

[HaPtOAD]

The first thing I would check would the booster and if it don't have power brakes it would be the MC or the linkage

 

[JUICED COUPE]

After doing some searching Im gonna say it has the abs pump style brakes where a pump is what gives you brakes...

 

[HaPtOAD]

Oh yeah, I forgot that some XJs came with ABS. I would guess that it would be mounted on the firewall or innerfender on the drivers side. Follow the brake lines. I think that they also have brake controller that runs the pump. Not a 100% sure on that, never messed with an ABS XJ.

 

[a_kelley]

i have a good NSS.. pm me if you need it.. also you can jumper ground side(i believe it is, check diags for sure) of the starter relay coil to make it crank w/ key.. did that before, but the cruise control will not work. 91's didn't have abs if i remember correctly?

 

[JUICED COUPE]

91s do have the bendix abs system. This one does have this.

 

[justinh4569]

abs pump is right next to the master cylinder on my 95

 

[dmoore714]

Here's a good "how to" on removing and cleaning the NSS. Looked it up so I could do the same thing with my 92 XJ

http://bc4x4.com/tech/2010/jeep-neutral-safety-switch-nss/

 

[chris]

Have you tried bleeding the brakes yet? Curious what happens when you open the bleeder.

 

[JUICED COUPE]

Have you tried bleeding the brakes yet? Curious what happens when you open the bleeder.

They do not need bled..... Until a mc and booster is swapped. From what I understand you are supposed to push the pedal several times with the switch off to make sure the abs pressure is off the lines. I dont see how this matters for me since the pump isnt working anyway.