98 XJ Starter stays running.
 

These past few days we had decent snow in Seattle. Jeep drove fine, today is the only day it warms up and rains, my jeep starts acting up.

Warmed it up this morning and noticed the starter kept spinning after the car fired up. Its not grinding and catching the flywheel or anything.

Turned the key off and everything shuts off, then the starter catches the flywheel and spins the motor without starting it over and over. Only way to stop this is to pull the battery power or starter relay.

Also noticed when I pull the starter relay, the doors lock/unlock ect. When I put the old starter relay back in, nothing happens. But when I put another old spare starter relay i had and it engages the starter consistently.

Going to go buy new relay to test, but curious if people who had experience with similar issues lead down to the ignition switch itself? I just don't want to work on the ignition switch for it to be something else I overlooked.

Thanks!

Something is shorted. Pull your vehicle's wiring diagrams to go over the vehicle in the places that could be culprit. I like using an Haynes or Chilton's manual as well as wiring diagrams from my local library's databases.
Once you have the diagrams, then you'll be able to easily test for continuity/discontinuity in wires, switches, and relays.

The '97 and '99 FSM's on Cruiser's site should have all the wiring diagrams you could ever want. Either year should be pretty much the same as the 98.

http://cruiser54.com/?page_id=365

Thanks, ill look into it. At the moment i found out pulling the starter relay after starting stops it temporary to get you mobilized.

New relay, nothing changed.

Looking at the FSM and can't find anything connected to the ignition. Gonna look again.

Possibly consider doing the ignition switch as the key turn from off to acc feels numb as if there is no detent for acc. Looks like a PITA of a job too...lol

If you are talking about removing and replacing the cylinder the key goes in that is a piece of cake.
Basically just put the key in and turn it so it can't be pulled out and there is a release tab under
there so the whole cylinder will just pull out.
When you buy the cylinder you will have 2 choices. One you can rekey to use the original key.
The other comes with a key and you don't have to. There is a video out there on how to rekey one.
Looks pretty simple. I just opted for having a second key myself.

Make sure that the power distribution center wire to the solenoid isn't touching/shorted with direct power from the battery to the other powered terminal in the starter.

If the power locks are functioning or not based on a relay for the starter, then I cannot imagine that something is not shorted with power.

Did you ever resolve this?