RileyMN

This is a compilation of my posts in a thread I started on another forum.... Just thought I would let you guys express your opinions as well....


So I was driving home yesterday in '94 Cherokee.

I had the defrost blower on high (trying to dry out the headliner) and noticed that the fan speed seemed to be quite variable. Whenever it slowed down, my Vdc guage was lowering as well.

About 15 miles into my 25 mile ride home, all gauges spiked to the negative side about 3 times. I turned the blower off and continued home with the Jeep running fine. The alternator seemed to be charging again, though not as high as normal.

My wife went to move my Jeep today and said it would not start. I tried it when I got home and I have voltage, I have the normal dash lights & buzzers that I get when I start the Jeep, but when I turn the ignition to the start position, I get nothing else - no click, no chatter, no buzz, no indication that I hit the start position at all.

The only time I have seen the gauges spike like that was when I lost an alternator. Anybody have an idea what happened to my Jeep?

Thanks

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Won't rule it out [in response to previous poster saying it could be a short], but the leak was from a rainstorm Mon or Tues, and it ran fine 'til Friday night... There is no fuel pump kicking in, and I tried swapping the relays around.... Might have to visit my mechanic buddy and have him pull up the schematics on his computer... (will probably see him in church in the morning)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Voltage is good ~ 13V.

I got Dave's shop manual after church & made some jumpers.... I was going to see if I could force it to kick in...

Figured I would try it again first, turned to to "run" position, all my dash lights & buzzers come on.... Turn to "start" and everything goes dead.

As I was going from "start" back to "run", the fuel pump cycled...Tried again, same thing....

Was going to try again, but held the key in the "start" position for about 10 seconds.... all of a sudden the starter kicked in & the Jeep started right up.

Okay... let it run for about 5 minutes and turned it off. Tried it again and nothing happened in "start" position until I held it there for about 10 seconds again....

Turned it off again, tried it again, and it started normally. Several more tries since then, and several more normal starts.

I think I just need to keep Dave's shop manual in the front seat and everything will be fine...

-----------------------------------------------------------------

[In response to poster thinking it could be burnt contacts on starter relay]
I tried swapping relays around too, but I suppose it could be a wire in the relay box. I seem to remember having an issue with this once before when it got real wet, but that was several years ago. Does anyone ever have issues with the relay box getting wet?

-----------------------------------------------------------------


Anyone have any good ideas?

Thanks

~Riley

99WhiteLightning

sounds like a short or corodid wire

RileyMN

Update - got out to my Jeep to go home last night, and it would not start AT ALL - Period. With the help of a friend, a little wire and some head scratchin, we got her running.



I just need to plug & unplug wires to start (or stop) the Jeep. At least until I run a couple of wires and a toggle switch...

Bustedback

Maybe a new relay would FIX the problem. Now you just have an electrical fire waiting to happen.

RileyMN

Nope, the relay is good... Problem has to be in the wiring between the ign. switch and the relay box.