Just bought a 1999 Cherokee sport and ever since I had it it would struggle to turn over and the battery in it was very small. Went to autozone, had it checked and the battery was fine but only 150CCA so I bought a new battery with much higher CCA. Seemed to help crank a little faster but still had a lag to it. Now it only makes one click sound when I try to turn over and doesn't even attempt to try and start. The voltage reads about 12 on the gauge when I put the key in but the power locks aren't working, or the radio or interior lights. Any insight?

 

Sounds like a bad ground connection. Check the battery connections and trace the wires, make sure they're not bent, broken or corroded. Start there, if you don't find anything, then you make have a more serious wiring problem.

Now, you DID test the alternator, right?

 

Yes, alternator is good, I'll check the ground and clean the connections and see how that goes

 

Connect a set of jumper cables to the negative terminal then to the engine or frame. Try to start it. If it works, replace the entire negative cable...

If not, connect the jumper cable to the positive on the battery. The other end to the hot wire on your starter. If it works, replace the entire hot wire lead from the battery to the starter.

I hd the hot wire on my old chevy get corroded Inside the wire. Couldn't tell until I had it off and removed the casing.

Essentially, cleaning it on the ends didn't matter.

Good luck, keep us posted.

 

wack the starter with a hammer. that happened to me and i thought it was the battery but then my dad came over who knows everything about cars, went under the car and just wacked the starter with a hammer. And then i started it right up. It might just have a dead spot in it.

 

Well, he said that none of the lights or radio or anything would come on either, so that tells me it's not the starter... otherwise that would have been my guess too.

 

Was a bad negative cable, even better it was the short one. I did ALOT of audio installations in high school so I had all sorts of extra wire hangin around.

I've been on many sites for my '99 Honda civic, '00 ram 2500, and '05 SRT4 and I've gotta say that the dodge/jeep people are the most helpful and I appreciate all the info. I'm a new member but already I'm glad I found this sight lol

Thanks guys!

 

This is the best Forum that I have found and I am happy to be part of it now.

 

Haha... that's what I had to do to mine, tapa taps.