I have a 1995 2 door, 5 spd, 6cyl Cherokee with 134,000 miles. The other day I started the Jeep and it was a little slow starting and my radio stations where not saved anymore. It drove home fine, but when I tried to start it the next day it did nothing. No lights, no cranking sound, nothing. The battery is only a year old and it has 12.51 volts with a multimeter. The starter is only 5 months old, the battery cables and grounds look good. I jump started it and it cranked right over. I let it run for an hour or more then turned it off. I then tried to start it again and nothing. I don't know what is wrong, so I am hoping I can get some help here.

Thanks

Its gotta be a bad battery. If it starts and runs when you jump it, and you are clamping to the cables right where they meet the terminals, thats the logical answer.

Try pulling the battery out of the vehicle that jumped you and use it.

You mentioned that you had no power when it wouldn't crank so this is probably not your problem but fyi...in other cars I have had issues sometimes with the neutral safety switch having a bad connection that makes it act just like a dead starter. Usually you don't even hear the starter click. Not positive about this on the Cherokee but if in the future you notice you still have power but non-start issues this might be worth looking at.

it is either nuetral safety switch or you need a new battery had the battery problem a while back, make sure none of the wires are exposed, the battery can ark to other cable near it that may be exposed. not even kidding it will fry some wires seen it happen in person thank god i have 2 extinguishers with me at all time and that it wasnt my vehicle at the time.

edit: tighten the cables with a wrench and try again. make sure they are really snug

hey sounds like a problem i had before..... could possibly be your CPS. give that a check

Clean your battery connections. If you have nothing working, but have 12 volts at the battery post, check the voltage at the terminal ends and see if there is a huge voltage drop. Use your DVOM with the poss lead at the battery + and the neg lead at the poss on the starter. If you have more than half a volt of drop, replace the cable.

1. Be sure battery connections and battery posts are shiny clean.

2. Load test the battery. It is the only accurate way of determining battery condition. Voltage testing is NOT conclusive.

3. If you get "nothing" when turning the key, try wiggling the shift lever while turning the key and try starting in neutral. If either of these techniques works for you, the problem is the neutral safety switch (NSS)

12.51volts sounds like a surface charge to me. A good battery after taking a charge should be over 13volts. you have one of two problems. Your battery is junk. Or u have a bad connection at the terminal posts. Since your battery is one year old. Jump the rig drive to the autoparts store where u bought the battery and replace under warrenty. Worst case u get a partial credit for the old battery.
Edit: while your at the parts store have them check your altinator.

those neutral safety switches are junk. it may be that. wiggle the shifter or start in neutral. if you dont have reverse lights all the time then you know it needs to be cleaned. i had the same problem. (well still do but know how to fix when i get time

Thanks everybody for your help and recommendations. I tightened my serpentine belt because that was a little too loose. Then I cleaned the battery terminals and posts, hooked it back up and it started right up. I guess the problem was the battery terminals needed to be cleaned. I didn't think that would have been the problem at first because there was no visible corrosion and the terminals were tight, but evidently it doesn't take much. Thanks again everybody.

Glad to hear cleaning connections took care of it.

This should be on everybody's list of "preventive maintenance"......