2000 jeep cherokee tries to start in neutral and park. with key off starter still turns in park and neutral.

 

First. Disconnect the battery so it won't burn up the starter and wiring?

This is a new one on me

 

it is sitting in my yard in reverse right now! my jeep looks like your.

 

sounds like the solenoid is sticking, smack it a few times with a wrench or jack handle. or you have a problem with the keyswitch or neutral safety switch.

 

X2, it sounds like there is a short in the circuit. the power is being delivered to the selenoid constantly, so I dont think its the selenoid. just for kicks... open up your brain box (fuse box under the hood) pull the large square relay/fuse.

what happened on mine was, it would only start every once in a while... after a TON of trouble shooting, it came down to being a corroded inner wire in the female acceptor slot for this fuse. I made a 2" runner with double males and directed it from one female to the other and its been bypassed since.

so what im thinking is, take an AC light wire tester, pull the fuse, place the tip of the tester in the female slot closest to windshield. if it lights up rite away while its in park or rev, then its getting constant power from somewhere before the brain box. if the light only comes on when you turn your ignition, everything is fine before the brain box.

now try it again, but the femaleslot closest to front bumper. if it does ANYTHING different, you can pinpoint a wiring failure in the wire connections to the female ports.

hope it helps

 

Did you just go mudding or offroading?

 

ya maybe you have a piece of barbed-wire arc-starting your starter haha

 

My 94 had the same problem took nss out and cleaned it. So far it has been fine.

 

Had same problem on my toyota a couple years ago, smacking it worked, but after a while it would do it even with the key out replaced the starter evrythings fine now.

 

Starter has a short internally