VIKING3500

Im thinking this is an electrical issue. Jeeps been running ok lately then yesterday i turned key and there is absolutely no batt power, no noise, nothing. Ive been meaning to replace my grounds, actually all cables. Do you think this is my cables or another issue. Batt shows 12.54v on multi meter just sitting there. I know the bad factory grounds are a popular issue with the xjs. Does anyone have a good source for new beefier wires? Ive found a few sites that sell em but i'd like to hear more opinions.

90 xj 4.0l

VTJeep

wires are always suspect in a jeep... but if its running fine one day and the next nothing at all, that makes me think its not a wiring issue... could be your CPS. its probably the orriginal one from '90. other than that... idk, probably not starter, could be a fuse or relay?

Mycherokee96

If you get no power at all, dead, deceased, no crank, no click, un-living, in other words, absolutely nothing at all....that means zilch, zero, zip, no lights, (or extremely dim) clean your battery terminals. See what happens...and if that don't work, check the cables themselves...corrosion builds inside the coatings eating at the wires.

Mycherokee96

Oh and as far as the cables are concerned, try a good audio store....check prices before you jump.....don't hurt to shop around...

the buddmang

Before you go replacing stuff for no apparent reason, why not find out why its doing what its doing?

Load test the battery, just because you have 12+ volts doesnt mean you have 12 volts going to the starter when you hit the key.


Good batt? Getting 12v to the starter? 12v to the solenoid when you turn the key? Check your grounds. Disconnect the ground cable from the batt, check for continuity.

Mycherokee96

X2 budman...

VIKING3500

Ok so i got ahead of myself. I've been tunneled in on these rotten looking grounds I forgot to check batt connections. I cleaned off the pos terminal a while ago and didn't have time to do the neg. Cleaned neg today and got a clean start. Came back and saw all the posts.

I'm thinking just cause i got it started with the good cleaning, I probably have some other electrical issues that could explain ghost symptoms that come up.

Question still remains though: The wires are all original equipment and look like crap condition. The block to firewall ground strap is half rotten through. The batt neg to block wire has missing/melted off sheath. The rest can't be in much better shape. So why not replace em? I've read a lot of stuff about the inadequacies of the OE cables. Seems like someone might have some reliable info out there.

lucky9

Replacing grounds is pretty inexpensive and will generally do more good than just about anything else costing the same amount of money.

the buddmang

You can check the cables to see if they are good by checking continuity and resistance. Why replace something if it isnt bad?

If the ground strap near the firewall is rotted through however, i would replace that one.

Mycherokee96

Go through them all. Cheap enough to replace them. The coverings are melted because the wires heated up enough because of the bad connections. Resistance=heat.....and yes, that could be the cause of the "ghost problems"....

sycoglitch

When you say no start no power...does your electrics work. If yes try turning key to acc shift Down to 1/2 and back to neutral than try to start. I'd she starts then you NSS is going.

If you have nothing at all no power etc, take your terminals off clean with brass brush and put die electric silicone on and take both the main ground and sand down an the engine ground. Those two grounds would cause all electrics to fail, not so much cluster grounds or other ground