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Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go hereXJ (84-01)
All OEM related XJ specific tech. Examples, no start, general maintenance or anything that's stock.
have this wire up where you can get at it, even if it means twisting another wire onto it
Do NOT use a multimeter
Buy a $5 auto test light from the nearest auto parts store, this is the correct and best tool for auto electrical fault finding that does not involve electronics
NOW, you can use this to see whats going on at the Solenoid when they key is moved into various positions..isnt that better !
work back..what is going on with the relay ?..it should NOT be getting triggered unless you go the "crank" position
No ifs or buts, this is ****ed and has to be fixed first
Shortly, I will edit in my link to the complete '96 FSM you can download from my Google Drive, should also have the Diagnostic Manual on my Drive
Being as this started with the ignition cylinder let's stick with that. The 96 FSM won't work as it's a 90 and Renix. Check that the push rods from the cylinder are correct and positions are correct on ignition switch. Second check the ignition switch on the top of the steering column, they are prone to melt on these old Renix's it could be causing intermittent connection to starter relay wire.
Just finished rereading the entire post run, I see radio is hit and miss, what about the wipers and blower motor? Radio, wipers, and blower motor are all powered through one wire on the ignition switch (Brown 12g) it's the one that tends to start the melting process on the switch. When mine failed wipers radio quit, and when I stopped to check things out wouldn't start again with key it did when jumped starter. The next morning everything was fine but as the switch heated again connections got loose.
Last edited by Phydeaux33; Nov 28, 2024 at 05:26 PM.
Hi everyone!
So today I have made some progress;
Ground is fine
Wipers, blower motor, turn signals etc works fine in acc mode
Battery/cables/connections all fine
NOW: I unplugged the starter solenoid green cable and turned the key to RUN mode.
The weird sound with intervals kept going and that was very strange to me. SO i took a closer look and turns out it´s not the starter making the noise; it´s this guy!
So being a rookie I have been trying to find a simple engine bay overview so I can identify the different parts, so if you have one for a 90 renix cherokee I would love to have it:
QUESTION; what is it and why is it making noises when ignition is in RUN mode, not crank?
That's the old Bendix 9 ABS pump, which would explain the chatter when he hits the brakes. There should be a fuse for that you can pull to confirm. In theory the pump is still under warranty as part of the original recall, but you may have another issue like a leaking brake line or bad sensor. I recommend ripping the ABS system out and converting to a later model dual diaphram booster/master instead.
That's the old Bendix 9 ABS pump, which would explain the chatter when he hits the brakes. There should be a fuse for that you can pull to confirm. In theory the pump is still under warranty as part of the original recall, but you may have another issue like a leaking brake line or bad sensor. I recommend ripping the ABS system out and converting to a later model dual diaphram booster/master instead.
Ok great, that explains the abs light on the dash as well. Is there a way to get a new pump? Converting sounds like a bit too complicated for me I’m afraid.
Ok great, that explains the abs light on the dash as well. Is there a way to get a new pump? Converting sounds like a bit too complicated for me I’m afraid.
The pumps have long been discontinued. You may luck out with a salvage yard. You can find the part number(s) here:
In theory, it's under lifetime warranty. You could try the dealer, but I suspect they can't get parts. If they diagnose and it's not the pump but rather something leaking causing the pump to run, then you might get a bill. Are the brakes working okay now? You could pull the fuse, but I think that effectively drops you to manual, non-power brakes.
Ok thanks a lot. How do I check if there is a leak in the system? Is that only ocular check? Breaks seems to work fine but I haven’t dared driving since I didnt know what the noise was coming from.
Ok problem solved for now!
solution- pull out the abs relay under the dash(not the acc. pump one). Everything looks good apart from the red anti lock warning on the dash. From what I understand, as long as the brake warning is not lit up, only the abs is disabled- the power brake system works any way.
can someone confirm this before I loose my breaks in traffic? 😄
