Random No Starts
 

Hi all, apologies if this has been covered, but I have searched for hours and cant find anyone with the same issue. I have a 96 Cherokee XJ and I know they have some notorious issues (like the ac fan switch burning up on me last year and almost burning to the ground!). I was wondering if anyone is familiar with the following...

I can get up and make multiple trips with no issues but then randomly (once a week/once every few weeks/etc.) it will not do anything when I turn the key. All lights and everything come on as normal but no clicking or any efforts to turn over. This happened today and I turned the AC off and it fired right up.

I then drove to autozone thinking it was a battery/alternator issue with crank amps being low, etc. but both checked out fine. The batter is not even 2 years old yet. I then started it multiple times with the AC on later in the day so i am not sure if that was just coincidence or what.

Let me know your thoughts...Thanks in advance!!

Could be the NSS switch. They typically get gummed up and cause intermittent starting. If that is the problem, most are able to take them off, open them up and clean them. Search the site, tons of info and recent threads about it.

rgr4475 - Thanks.

This morning I also ran into when I turned the jeep off the fan kept running - would the NSS switch have something to do with this too? Or do I have an electrical issue somewhere?

HERE is a good Good write up for you to follow to diagnose crank/no start issues.

Good luck!

I don't believe so. It is just a safety switch so the Jeep doesn't start if you leave it in gear. The components inside get hung up and thinks it's in gear and won't start. But I am far from an expert mechanic.

I will definitely try cleaning up the NSS switch. However, this happens so inconsistently my first thought is that this isnt the culprit since after waiting a few seconds and turning off the AC it fired right up with no problem? Then the fan running after I turned the jeep off today makes me wonder if there isnt a short somewhere?

FYI it appears to be the radiator control fan that kept running - Used it twice since this morning, and it doesnt stay on...

What the heck