You may or may not like this idea but I have a push button tucked under the dash hard wired to the starter for emergencys like your in. I've had a NSS leave me stuck its no good and jumping the terminals under the jeep sucks. Just some food for thought. I know with this method you can completely disconnect the NSS connector and it will still start

 

If you have voltage at the starter relay coil (in the pdc) with the key in "start", then the ignition switch is working. If you have ground on the other end of the coil, the NSS is working.

 

Before tearing into the ignition switch, do this to find out if you are getting power to the starter relay control coil, ref. Radi, post 32.

Study the starter relay socket pinout/functions below. Orient yourself to the pin sockets.



Remove the starter relay.

Using a Voltmeter, touch pin socket 86 with the meter (+) probe and the negative probe to the battery negative post.

Have a helper turn the ignition switch to START.

You should see battery voltage. If not, F19 in the JB is blown or there is an open in circuit F45 to the relay, or...the ignition switch circuit A41 is open to fuse F19, or the ignition switch is defective for the START contact.

Pin 10, connector C1 on the ignition switch is the A41 circuit.

 

Okay, I tested voltage at pin socket 86 of the starter relay and got nothing.

 

Thanks Ken! I stuck that relay diagram in the link in my signature. (way better than my post #18)

And 86 is grounded by the NSS in park or neutral.

 

So is there a way I can just isolate the ignition switch and test it with a meter?

 

It looks like a yellow/red that goes to the clutch switch. (it would be nice if you filled out your info btw) . The ign. switch is on-top of the steering column, if there IS a yellow/red that might be it...Don't know though.

 

Well good news... Sort of.

It ended up being the ignition switch! Bad news is, it was tough to get off, and when it came off, it broke an ear off the switch actuator pin behind it. Some cheap ***** pot metal crap. I swear this thing is built to break. Never had any of these problems with my Toyotas.

I would like to thank everyone for their help, especially Ken! Thank you Sir!

 

Glad you found it! And agreed. If you are use to Toyota engineering, Jeep seems pretty, ......well mean! (but tough)

You gonna post up the color of that wire? (off the ign)

 

Using a test light, I tapped into the yellow wire coming off the ignition switch, and when turning the ignition to START position, I didn't get any power off it. I'll have to pull off my lower steering column cover again and test the yellow wire again now that it has a new switch, but I do believe that was the wire that should light up on keying the starter.

 

Don't do that, you have done enough...waz just curious, I should be able to find it in a diagram somewhere....

 

The Clutch Interlock Switch (Manual Transmission) circuit (Yellow Red tracer) doesn't go through the ignition switch. The Yellow/Red tracer wire goes from fuse F19 in the JB directly to the CIL switch, then to pin 86 of the Starter Motor Relay. That diagram above is for the 4.0 A/T and doesn't show the M/T CIL switch.