This problem just started this week . I go to start the XJ and nothing, with me wife at the wheel and turning the key. I can hear the stater click loud and a slit click at the battery , but no start. Then 15 mins later it fires right up . The battery has 12.80 volts on my volt meter when the XJ wont start,and just past 9 volts on the gauge in the dash when the no start thing is going on. I still have lights , and full power. The temp gauge goes all the way past the HOT temp when the no start thing is going on. ANY INFO ?????

 

1. Clean battery terminal connections and battery posts until shiny. Connections are often overlooked and need to be verified first. Clean them with sandpaper, emery cloth, whatever abrasive you can find. They need to be CLEAN. Corrosion = resistance. You cannot tell by looking at them. Disconnect them and clean them.

2. Still hear the click? Take your battery out and take it to a parts store where they can perform a LOAD TEST. Voltage testing is absolutely inconclusive. You must test the battery under load to know if it is working properly. Any parts store will have a load tester and will do this for you for FREE in the hopes of selling you a new battery if you need it. Take advantage of this service.

3. Refreshing your engine grounds is never a bad idea. Again, your need to actually refresh them, not just inspect them. Disassemble, clean until shiny, reattach. Head to ground, dipstick, battery, there are multiple ground connections and each are critical.

 

try tapping starter with hammer when the key is turned and the click happen if it turns over the bendix in starteris going bad

 

I will check all of the above,What starter test can I do ?

 

 

If my recommendations above don't help, yes.....the starter could be suspect.

Get a multimeter and put it on the starter with the key in the ON position. You should have approximately full battery voltage. If you do, the problem is in the starter itself. If you don't, you need to start working your way back into the engine bay to find out why.

 

Well just yesterday it left me stranded until my wife came to help me . The XJ would not jump with jumper caples and hitting the starter with a hammer did nothing at all. We pushed the XJ with my other car and pop started it, that worked. Thank GOD for manual transmissions . So I will still do the multy tool test on the starter , but I think I need a new starter.