I am trying to get a 1996 Jeep Cherokee started and am having trouble. When I try to start it nothing happens. So here is what I have tried:

Swapped the battery and checked the wires
replaced the starter
checked the relays
bypassed the NSS
swapped the ignition switch

Still nothing is happening. I can start it with a screw driver on the starter. The only thing that I can think of is the ignition coil or the ignition control module. I am at a loss at this point. But before I went through the trouble of buying a new coil or module I wanted to check with y'all before I spent anymore money. Thanks.

 

Your troubleshooting is a little confusing; you start off describing a no-cranking situation but then talk about ignition components which is a crank-no-start. Which is the problem?

Ignition coil has nothing to do with it cranking. There is no ignition module, the coil is driven by the PCM.

Unless you want to throw random parts at the problem you're going to need to whip out a multimeter and do some testing. When you bypassed the NSS... Is there power going to it from the ignition switch?

In the starting circuit there's one relay and fuse in the PDC under the hood, and one relay and two fuses in the junction block by the passenger's feet. Are all of them good?

 

Ok so, the car will crank but only if I use a screwdriver on the starter, when I turn the Key nothing happens. Literally nothing. I started out thinking it was the battery so I checked that, then checked the cables. I replaced the relay. then replaced the starter, then found out it would start when I used a screwdriver. So then I tried to bypassed the NSS by trying to start it in neutral. When that didn't work I tried to replace the ignition switch. Still nothing. I haven't tried actually testing the NSS with a multimeter. I also haven't checked the fuses in the Junction block so I will try those too. Anyway, is there anything else I am not doing or haven't thought of or am just being stupid about? which is totally possible too. Thanks.

 

No not testing the NSS, checking the wires to it. The wire from the ignition switch should carry +12V DC

 

That is not exactly "bypassing" it. Not to distract from Salad, (who knows thees well), but try this;

Hold the key over on start while you giggle the shifter good, in both park and neutral. See if that does it.

 

Heh I didn't even see that...

The only way to bypass the NSS is to unplug it and short some pins on its connector.