98 jeep Tj 4.0 won't start. What next?

hscrugby

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Location
Raleigh, NC
Tested the obvious, battery, starter, and voltage at starter.
What next?
I took the starter out cleaned all the contacts, (took it to AZ for them to test) and it was fine. The battery was tested there too.

I tested the "hot" (Not sure what to call it?) cable to the starter and it's showing good voltage from the battery. I tested the relay wire and it shows good volts too. The ground seemed good, (I used a bolt into transmission for the ground to test the other wires) and the starter clicks exactly once when I turn the key. Not the low battery "click click click click click"
The jeep starts and runs fine if I push start it.
Anyone got anything else I can look for to get this thing running?


As background it started when I got back to it at the airport, and my door was open, battery was dead. Got a jump, and it ran fine since then. Yesterday the battery seemed low again, (real slow starter, like barely turned over) and I tried to jump it but no luck. I push started it and she was fine.
 
burrellsjeep said:
I would say its a bad battery, the battery has voltage but not enough amps to push the starter. Either that or you have a bad cable/connection between the battery and the starter.
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The battery is less than a year old, and I took it into Autozone to have them test it. They hooked it up and said it showed fully charged and good amperage. (Whether they are right NFC) I have no idea how else to test the battery.
 
Swap in a donor battery from another vehicle. If it starts its a bad battery, Could be a cable. Measure the ohms between the pos at the battery and the pos wire at the starter. I had the same issue with a cable that was corroded on the inside, the cable was pretty much powder inside the casing.
 
Tested the resistance and that was 0 (or .01) for as low as my meter would go.
Swapped batteries with truck and exact same result.

I winched up the driveway and roll started it easily just now to double check engine etc. I'm stumped.

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Edit: Only thing I can think is that the starter is not "real" good. So what's happening is that the starter is "good" when they test it and it has no load, but as soon as it tries to turn the Jeep's engine, it does nothing. I hear it click, but then it won't even turn the jeep at all. Does that sound feasible to anyone? If so, any guess how I could get that replaced under warranty? Or should I just suck it up and buy a 60$ starter?
 
burrellsjeep said:
So have you replaced the starter recently? Possibly the starter solenoid is out, most are part of the starter so you have to replace it with the starter.
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Can't be the solenoid since it does engage and spin when there is no load.
I'm just going to buy a new starter and say F it. AA has a coupon, "BIG25" for 25 off of 60$ so after core it will be 40$ for starter.
Worth it since AZ won't honor their warranty on their starter.
 
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