XJ not starting all the time

hightime81

hightime81

New Member
Joined
Nov 18, 2005
Location
Holly Springs, NC
Hi All. i have a 93 XJ 4x4 sport, auto trans with about 100K on the clock. it is stock.

my problem today is that when i went to start it, it just clicked and then the electronics died totally. i checked my battery connections (i replaced the battery 3 days ago) and they were tight.

i got back in and messed around with the keys and after a minute or two it started up.

i know that i need to clean the NSS, my battery cables are old and look like they might need to be replaced also.

any thoughts?
 
I would clean the NSS anyway, but if you messed with the keys and not the shifter, I would say battery cables (not that jiggling the keys would make a difference). For some reason I remember having to make an upper cable for the PCM on my old XJ. Don't remember if I'm right, just a thought in the back of my head.
 
Yep, sounds like a bad battery connection to me, I actually just solved this riddle with my jeep. Cleaned the battery posts, and changed out the battery clamps, it now starts right up.
 
hightime81 said:
my problem today is that when i went to start it, it just clicked and then the electronics died totally. ?
Click to expand...

This is almost always a loose battery connection. You think it's tight, but it's not. If it were the NSS, it wouldn't have clicked at all and you would still have lights. It seems that zj's and xj's have this problem a lot too... I've fixed multiple "bad starters" and "dead batteries" with a hammer...
 
^ yep...mine did it. i tightened the crap out of my clamps, didnt help. ended up replaced the clamps all together. worked like a charm
 
Make sure you check that your harness connection at the firewall is tight.

Mine used to cut off while I was driving down the road. Nothing inside, no gauges, etc. Hazards still worked because the battery connections were good.

There's a bolt in the middle of that connector that if it comes loose it will shut down all those electronics when the plug pulls away from the firewall.

Something to think about.
 
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