got an '88 jeep cherokee. Went home to get something and, within a 2 minute period, went back into my jeep and tried to start it. It doesn't turn over. Got a new battery, wasn't the problem. Looked at the NSS, wasn't the problem. Is it the starter? Everything else in my car turns on, like the heat, my radio, lights. My right rear light is out though. not sure if they are connected. HELP.

 

1st Check Battery terminals, new battery has suspect of that, make sure they are tight, clean. Then check the grounds to the inner fender, engine to firewall etc. Just because everything comes on, doesn't mean there is a good enough connection to carry the load of starting.

 

have someone try to start it while you smack the starter with a hammer, also listen to it and you should hear the solenoid throwing out the gear

mine started randomly not starting, it always cranked slowly, the hammer trick worked for a few weeks before it didnt anymore. replace before your stranded.

new batt terminals are like 3 bucks so replace them, yours are prolly stripped, clean the grounds at the body/engine.

 

At the risk of looking like an idiot, where and what are the grounds?

 

follow black wire from - side of batt, mine just has one going to the engine block but ive seen them have another go to the body, which I need to add a bigger one.

 

How do you know for sure that the NSS is not your issue? They can be intermittent. The only way to rule it out would be to "bypass" it. SEARCH the web for an easy way to do that with a piece of wire or a paper clip.

Here is more on grounds.
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Grounds can be the root cause of many electrical gremlins. Refreshing grounds is NEVER a bad idea, and the investment of your time in this procedure is always well worth it!

You can't tell much of anything by looking at ground connections!! You must remove, scrape, clean until shiny the cable/wire ends and whatever they bolt to. Be sure to remove all paint from any ground connections.

Start with the one on the back corner of the head, and where it attaches to the firewall, as it deteriorates over time and is an area that makes it susceptible to damage. Best to replace that woven cable with a #4 or #2 gauge cable. You can attach the one end to the intake manifold if you would like.

Next go over to the engine dipstick tube stud. Remove the nut and clean the wire ends and scrape the block until shiny at the stud. Reattach tightly.

If you are so inclined, add at least a #6 cable from the negative terminal of your battery to one of the bolts on your radiator support.

 

Here ya go. Step by step. When you're done, you'll be an expert. This needs to be done on your Jeep just cuz. Read the write-up and you'll see why.


Renix Ground Refreshing
The Renix era XJs and MJs were built with an under-engineered grounding system for the engine/transmission electronics. One problem in particular involves the multiple ground connection at the engine dipstick tube stud. A poor ground here can cause a multitude of driveabililty issues, wasted time, and wasted money replacing unnecessary components.
The components grounding at the dipstick tube stud are:
Distributor Sync Sensor, TCU main ground, TCU "Shift Point Logic", Ignition control Module, Injectors, ECU main ground which other engine sensors ground through, Oxygen sensor, Knock Sensor, Cruise Control, and Transmission Sync signal. All extremely important stuff.
The factory was aware of the issues with this ground point and addressed it by suggesting the following:
Remove the nut holding the wire terminals to the stud. Verify that the stud is indeed tightened securely into the block. Scrape any and all paint from the stud’s mounting surface where the wires will attach. Must be clean, shiny and free of any oil, grease, or paint.
Inspect the wire terminals. Check to see that none of the terminals are crimped over wire insulation instead of bare wire. Be sure the crimps are tight. It wouldn’t hurt to re-crimp them just as a matter of course. Sand and polish the wire terminals until clean and shiny on both sides. Reinstall all the wires to the stud and tighten the nut down securely.
While you’re in that general area, locate the battery negative cable which is fastened to the engine block just forward of the dipstick stud. Remove the bolt, scrape the block to bare metal, clean and polish the cable terminal, and reattach securely.
Another area where the grounding system on Renix era Jeeps was lacking is the engine to chassis ground. There is a braided cable from the back of the cylinder head that also attaches to the driver’s side of the firewall. This cable is undersized for it’s intended use and subject to corrosion and poor connections at each end.
First off, remove the cable end from the firewall using a 15mm wrench or socket. Scrape the paint off down to bare metal and clean the wire terminal. Reattach securely.
Remove the other end of the cable from the rear of the head using a 3’4" socket. Clean all the oil, paint and crud from the stud. Clean the wire terminal of the cable and reattach securely.
A suggestion regarding the braided cable:
I prefer to add a #4 Gauge cable from the firewall to a bolt on the rear of the intake manifold, either to a heat shield bolt or fuel rail bolt. A cable about 18" long with a 3/8" lug on each end works great and you can get one at any parts store already made up. Napa has them as part number 781116.
A further improvement to the grounding system can be made using a #4 cable, about 10" long with 3/8" terminals at each end. Attach one end of this cable to the negative battery bolt and the other end under the closest 10mm headed bolt on the radiator support just forward of the battery. Napa part number 781115.
　
　
If you want to upgrade your grounds and battery cables in general, contact Jon at www.kelleyswip.com. He makes an incredible cable upgrade for a very reasonable price.
　
Revised 11-28-2011

 

I ordered a new starter. the old one starts fine but makes a slight grinding noise as it retracts off the flywheel. The starter is the original one so changing it is no big deal...

 

I attached a 2g ground to the frame straight from my batt, its got the engine one too. I noticed my friends zj had this, dont know if they added the ground for the ho engines or what.

next is a 2g for the + to the starter and use the 4g thats on theyre for going the the da block thingy by the relays. then the alt wire and get a bigger one heh, so on so on money money.