Hey guys, I have recently bought a 1998 XJ 4.0 that has been sitting for a about 2 years and I am trying to get it going again. I am getting the infamous "one click no start" problem that others have had. When I first bought it I tried starting it with a battery I swapped from my daily and I just got one click and would lose all electrical power for a few minutes, tried it again and the same happened. Now I knew the battery in the jeep was garbage and I needed one anyway so I bought a new one and that didn't change anything. The strange thing is it will start just fine if I put a jump box on it, why wouldn't it start with a know good and a brand new battery by itself. I assume that would dissmis the possibility of a bad starter. I have cleaned the grounds and put new cable ends on and this hasn't helped either. I know this is a common problem, but I can't find anything that specifically said that it would only start with external power, not the new battery in the car. I assume it can't be a relay or fuse because again it will start just fine, but only with help from a jump box. Any help is appreciated, thanks.

 

It sounds like your battery clamps and cables may be toast. Been there, done that, had similar symptoms. Try cleaning your grounds and clamps.

 

I would put in a new set of battery cables .

 

Yep. Battery connections are the place to start looking. And by "looking", I mean take them apart and make sure they are good. Cables can get corroded up under the jacket, so check for that.

 

Would you recommend making my own cables or are there any good kits that will be more cost effective?

 

There are decent kits out therein the $100-$150 range. I'm cheap and just measure and grab what I need at the local farm&home store who carries a decent selection. I've also made my own, but I also have access to a nice crimper.

 

The kits you can buy are overpriced, and usually use cabling that is far too big. There is ZERO reason to use 2 gauge wire for your starter. It buys you NOTHING.


The stock battery cables are 6 gauge, and that's fine. I had some made in 4 gauge as a bit of an upgrade. Check out BestBoatWire.com Made to your order; cables, connectors, heat shrink. I like to get the clear heat shrink so I can see what's going on under there. I've had quite a few cables made by them, and the quality, price, and service have been very good.

If you are going to that much trouble, pay some attention to the fender well ground near your battery. It's a weak spot. Nothing to do with your starting problem, really, but while you are at it....

See here for my solution. I bumped all of the cables up ONE gauge size.