vegasche13

Went to turn the jeep on and when I turned the key nothing happened. When i let the key go it makes a small click and buzz. any ideas?

BuckB91XJ

What is your volts gauge reading with the key turned on? If it is below 12volts, then your battery is too low to turn the starter. You need to jump it. If the battery is low, that could indicate bad battery, bad/dirty/corroded battery cables, bad alternator or bad starter that is working the battery too hard.

96Cherokee113

Yea, sounds like you don't have enough juice to get the starter turning, been there, done that. My alternator went, so my battery wouldn't hold a charge for more than a day.

vegasche13

ok so I had battery tested and it's good. So maybe starter?

96Cherokee113

Yea, it's a possibility. You can give it a light tap with a hammer and see if it turns the engine over. That will help determine if the starter is shot. If it starts after the tappy-tap, then you need a new starter, or to bring a friend and a hammer everywhere you go

DagBMX

lemme ask you this: do you happen to have an oil leak from the head and/or valve cover gasket?


i had the same problem before, and it was caused by oil leaking form the valve cover, down the side of the block, and shorting out the connectors on the solenoid. if you haven't looked at the starter unit before, you will see that the connectors on the solenoid face up towards the block, and if you have a leak, the oil will actually follow a natural path on the block and land on the solenoid, shorting your start motor out. when you go to check, actually look and feel the connectors to see if oil dripped on them. if so, you also have a gasket to replace. both repairs are easy though, so you can save on the service fee and do it yourself after a trip to the parts store.

vegasche13

pulled starter and had it tested(it passed test). No oil leaks. Only other thing that comes to mind is ignition coil?

96Cherokee113

If it was the ignition coil it would still crank. How about the relays and fuses. The Auto Shutdown Relay is under the hood. I'd switch is with a different relay of the same model number, like the AC, and see if it starts. Could be an ignition switch. Neutral Safety switch too. Put it in neutral and see if it starts.

DagBMX

another bad experience of mine just popped into my head...

if not the fuses, you also may have a bad connection to the ignition on the steering column. it has the same effect like you described: turn forwards = nothing, switch back like you are going to turn it off = it clicks and buzzes.

BuckB91XJ

Your ignition coil has nothing to do with your Jeeps ability to crank. The coil only provides spark to the plugs which causes your rig to start and run. This guy's Jeep won't even crank.

Okay so starter was tested good. That still leaves Battery, Alternator and Battery cables/connections as possibilities that are most prone to cause this problem. Check and clean all battery cables and their connections. Take the battery to your local auto parts store to have it tested and if good, have it fully charged. At this point your Jeep should start. The basic reason it won't is because your battery is currently low or dead. You actually can have your alternator tested at most auto parts stores for free, too. So, you could take it in when you take the battery but, it is a HUGE PITA to remove and a lot of wasted time if not necessary.

96Cherokee113

Haha, sorry bout my post, I edited it. Wow, I double check every post, but somehow I missed that one, haha. Trust me I'm not that stupid.

He had the battery tested and it was okay he said. I removed the alternator and it was definitely a PITA but wasn't too bad. If it wasn't dripping wet underneath, it wouldn't have been to bad. It's either a relay or bad connection somewhere along the line, like you stated.