Intermittent NO POWER
05-20-2017, 01:34 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Intermittent NO POWER
My 1997 XJ (i6 AWD 4x4) has developed an intermittent no start/no power issue.
When this occurs, turning the key has no effect whatsoever, and no lights are on, no dome lights, no radio, nothing.
It happened this morning so I go out there and discovered that wiggling the bundle of wiring that comes off the battery positive terminal would cause the dome lights to come back on (kept the door open).
I kept taking wiring covering off, checked the PDC post, generally just kept visually inspecting everything.
Lights would come on, I could then go try to turn the truck on, and I'd get a weak little starter relay click and then the lights would go off. I did this process probably 20 times, just examing the wiring, and in so doing would jiggle the lights back on, and turn the key, the engine would fail to start, and lights would go off.
Eventually, the lights came back on consistently, and after a bit, the jeep started right up again.
(hope this is clear and not too long).
The only obvious bad looking wiring I found is where the wires go into the starter. Pics are attached. You can see the positive wire has about 2 inches of exposed metal, and there is a lot of oil on it, and blackened metal.
Sorry for epic post. Any ideas on this? What do you think about that starter wire? Could the starter wiring be shorting somehow, and causing power not to flow through the rest of this system?
My Electro-ignorance is on display again
When this occurs, turning the key has no effect whatsoever, and no lights are on, no dome lights, no radio, nothing.
It happened this morning so I go out there and discovered that wiggling the bundle of wiring that comes off the battery positive terminal would cause the dome lights to come back on (kept the door open).
I kept taking wiring covering off, checked the PDC post, generally just kept visually inspecting everything.
Lights would come on, I could then go try to turn the truck on, and I'd get a weak little starter relay click and then the lights would go off. I did this process probably 20 times, just examing the wiring, and in so doing would jiggle the lights back on, and turn the key, the engine would fail to start, and lights would go off.
Eventually, the lights came back on consistently, and after a bit, the jeep started right up again.
(hope this is clear and not too long).
The only obvious bad looking wiring I found is where the wires go into the starter. Pics are attached. You can see the positive wire has about 2 inches of exposed metal, and there is a lot of oil on it, and blackened metal.
Sorry for epic post. Any ideas on this? What do you think about that starter wire? Could the starter wiring be shorting somehow, and causing power not to flow through the rest of this system?
My Electro-ignorance is on display again
Last edited by mtyson; 05-20-2017 at 02:41 PM.
05-20-2017, 07:32 PM
#2
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: Lost in the wilds of Virginia
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Year: 1998 Classic (I'll get it running soon....) and 02 Grand
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0
Your starter wire is not shorting. Short circuits cause burned fuses, burned wires, smoke and such like.
Sounds like time to replace some wiring. It can get corroded inside the jacket, so it looks fine but is actually intermittent.
There are some folks on this site who sell battery cable replacement kits. I prefer to roll my own with cables from bestboatwire and y.
For mine, I went with 4 gauge, which is a nice upgrade from stock without being ridiculous. 6 gauge on the fender ground wire and the PDC supply wire. Make sure you clean up that fender ground! I drilled out the hole, stripped the paint for about a half inch radius around it, and put a 5/16" bolt through from the back, a washer over the bolt, then a nut and tightened it all down (liberally coated with dielectric grease first, of course). Then the ground wire and another nut over that. Makes for a really good, solid ground there.
Some of the kits you can buy ARE ridiculous. 1/0 cable and even bigger. This is a STUPID WASTE OF COPPER, and the cables are pretty stiff to work with. These are bought and recommended by people who don't have a good fundamental understanting of electricity, really.
Sounds like time to replace some wiring. It can get corroded inside the jacket, so it looks fine but is actually intermittent.
There are some folks on this site who sell battery cable replacement kits. I prefer to roll my own with cables from bestboatwire and y.
For mine, I went with 4 gauge, which is a nice upgrade from stock without being ridiculous. 6 gauge on the fender ground wire and the PDC supply wire. Make sure you clean up that fender ground! I drilled out the hole, stripped the paint for about a half inch radius around it, and put a 5/16" bolt through from the back, a washer over the bolt, then a nut and tightened it all down (liberally coated with dielectric grease first, of course). Then the ground wire and another nut over that. Makes for a really good, solid ground there.
Some of the kits you can buy ARE ridiculous. 1/0 cable and even bigger. This is a STUPID WASTE OF COPPER, and the cables are pretty stiff to work with. These are bought and recommended by people who don't have a good fundamental understanting of electricity, really.