freegdr

Purchase a test light. Connect it to battery make sure it works. Take clip end of test light connect to mounting bolt of starter touch probe end of test light to thick cable on starter does it light ? If not check connections and or replace cable . If it lights then have some one turn ignition key to start position while probe end of test light is on small wire on starter. If test light lights replace starter if it does not light suspect ignition circuit feed. All of this is done with parking brake on xj in neutral with tire blocked to prevent getting hurt.

Jeepman659

It ended up being those loose terminals on the solenoid! Thanks everyone!!! On a side not though has anyone else noticed more problems with starters with the little hose coming out of them? My original starter before replacing twice and this last one work flawlessly but the ones I got with the little drainage hose on them worked intermittently both times..

cclay

I have exactly the same thing going on with my '95 xj and for the life of me can't pin it down. I didn't think it was a starter or relay issue but I replaced them anyway. It's not the battery because after 5 or 6 attempts, it'll catch and crank over just fine.

Totally random also. Doesn't matter if it's hot or cold. It'll go for weeks with no issue, then do it several times though a day of running around. It's got me totally baffled and I'm pretty good around an engine.

Jeepman, no issues since then? I seem to remember while putting in the new starter, one of those terminals was a little loose. I'll check that. Pretty sure it's not the neutral safety switch because moving the shifter around doesn't ever make it work. Anyone ever see this problem with a bad ignition switch? TIA

Chris

nujeepguy

you can read solenoid volts when cranking, key to start. close to 12v?

cclay

Yeah well, do you think it ever does it when I have my volt meter handy?? LOL

Yeah, I'll have to make a solid effort to get a meter on it at the starter end. Thanks for the thought

cclay

Went thru and cleaned all the cables, which they really didn't need, all connections at the starter are tight.

Went to start it.......click, click. Hooked up my meter to the batt terminals, varoom. Of course it started.

My auto parts guy says they test all starters before they send them out, and mine is new but wow, this so seems to be a starter problem

jpk

Possibly a CPS? Sounds like what mine was doing. Replaced the CPS and runs great.

nujeepguy

i had a "new" remanufactured starter that was intermittent,good now bad later. they gave me a "NEW" new one. its been perfect .

cclay

TIP 3: One of the most important things to keep in mind, when testing the crank sensor on your Jeep, is that if you have tested for spark and you are getting spark... then the crank sensor is OK. A spark result tells you that the crank sensor is doing it's job. In a case like this (where you're getting spark)... this test will not help you.

I pulled this up from a CPS search. If my cps was bad and the cps controls or has something to do with spark, wouldnt my jeep have stalled or shut down at some point? It never has. I dont fully understand how the cps works.

On the other hand, it does almost make sense that the sensor in relation to where the crank is when I shut the engine off could somehow be causing this. My motor never cranks and wont start. It just clicks anywhere from 1 to 8-10 times before it'll catch and start. When it clicks sometimes i can feel the engine turn just a wee bit. Maybe it moves itself past a bad spot then starts???

What does the sensor pick up? And off of what? The flexplate?

jpk

My XJ would start and run. I'd drive it and it would be ok. Get a few blocks from the house and it would shut down. Try to start it and nothing. Then later, try to start and it starts. Drive a little and it shuts down. Sometimes it would sound like it wanted to crank and others the starter would just spin. You can be fooled if you are getting spark when you test. It can still be your CPS. I replaced mine and everything ran great after. No issues. I also at the time replaced the cam shaft position sensor. It is a disc with a plug pigtail on it that sits in the distributor. All these devices work in concert with your PTC (Powertrain Control Module). It along with these parts synchronize the ignition and spark.

I bought two CPS's off bay. Total around $10.00 each. Don't pay big box auto prices. Some say test the CPS before you buy a new one. BS. It is such a pain to get out to test you might as well just replace it. It will fail eventually.

cclay

"My XJ would start and run. I'd drive it and it would be ok. Get a few blocks from the house and it would shut down. Try to start it and nothing."

That's what's bothering me. My xj has never shut down. It either starts no problem or clicks several times then starts.

Weird that I'm seeing tutorials on how to change it where on my '95 it's supposed to be on the passenger side? Mine is on the drivers side and would be easy to remove. Some say to just buy the cheapo ones, others say go for the OEM one because the magnet is stronger.

I'm all f**ked up