1990 Cherokee, 4.0 L, automatic trans, won't crank. It just makes one very audible click when key is turned on. Where do I start?

 

Would it be the starter? That is my first impulse.

 

Have you checked the battery it may be dead

 

Or possibly loose/dirty connections.

 

Troubleshooting 101:

Start with a pair of jumpercables...
Hook them up to another car, start/keep the other car running.
See if it turns over.
If it does, it's not getting enough juice to the starter...
either because the battery's bad, dead, or has bad connections.


Checking the connections... pulling off the battery terminals and cleaning them, and rehooking them takes about 20 minujtes, and doesn't cost anything.

Also, when you disconnect the battery, you can take it into an wuto parts store and have it tested... to see if it's a weak link.


Remember, even if you take them (terminal heads) off and clean, try it without the cables, and if it doesn't start, rehook the cables and try again...
Still no turn over?
Check to see if the interior lights are on... do they dim or cut out when you turn it over?
Most likely, the starter is fried.
When you take it off, (easy, takes about an hour for an inexperienced person and you can pull up pictures online... 2 wires, 2 bolts, a little muscle.) you can take it off, bring it to an autoparts center and have it checked...

Essentially, you are systematically eliminating the issues one by one, starting with the easiest and cheapest parts to check.

First is battery, including connections, check all the fuses (including the ones in the engine compartment) check the starter, then possibly check the wire between the starter and the battery.

If everything's dead, you can also check the battery ground by connecting the negative terminal to the body with a jumper wire.

Post back once you check a few things, and more likely, people will try to help out some more... if you don't get it fixed doind all this stuff.

Good-luck, have fun!

 

Starter 101:

Remember, the starter works in a funny way... when it goes bad, it often doen't just die... it pulls more and more energy to turn the engine over...

This is seem by you as a click, as a dead battery, and often, sometimes it starts, sometimes it doesn't. Most times however, it will start with a jump, mostly because it gets enough juice from both cars systems.

Also, when the battery dies, it can kill an already weak and old battery by pulling the most juice it can out of the battery, over and over, until it just won't work...

Usually, unfortunately, this ends up in you having to change out BOTH of them... which sucks due to the cost.

GENERAL RULE:
ALWaYS clean the heck out of the terminal heads... they sell a wire brush little tool for about 2 $ where ever you buy your battery... get one. Keep it for the rest of your life... good investment.

Good- luck, have fun!

 

post back and let us know because there are a lot more things electrical that can happen. but billyboy seems to be on the money on this one. id bet starter because it only clicks once then dies. or battery.

 

Thanks everyone for suggestions and info. New starter and battery cables and we're good to go!! Glad it was so simple