BigC9164

Hello, 1999 xj wont start. When i turn the key to "on" all gauges light up, dome light turns on, everything appears normal. When i press clutch in and turn key to start position all i hear is a "click". I assume the click is from the solenoid on the starter. However the starter motor does not turn at all. no attempt to rotate the engine.

I have removed the starter motor and taken it to advance auto parts. The tech at the store tested the starter motor and claimed the starter DID work however it appeared to him that the starter was slow and did not appear to have a lot of power. I did not see the test so i can not say for certain if this guy was telling the truth and if he was, i can not say how much "ummph" the starter looked like it had.

My QUESTION is: have yall ever heard of a starter motor working but not having enough power to turn the flywheel? I guess it is possible but in my experience with starter motors i always found them to be a working/not working type issue.

cbs_24

Have you tried cleaning all your grounds?

BigC9164

i have not, however i can hear a click when i turn the ignition. II am assuming it is the starter solenoid. Could possibly be another relay under the hood. When i turn the key, hearing that solenoid click makes me think the grounds and wiring are fine. it must be getting 12v to activate the solenoid. you would think it would then have 12v to turn the starter.

?

have yall heard of a starter turning over but without enough power to turn the flywheel?

Cane

happened 2 days ago for me. starter was a year old at most but I have a leaking o-ring so oil most likely got the best of it. a week or two prior the jeep would have more difficulty starting in cold weather, and even inside the garage. one day it almost died right on start up, tried it again and would not start.

at first I had ruled out the starter due to it being new, but after testing the battery, changing terminal, using the neighbors battery, etc, and only getting a 'click', I had no other choice but to consider it being bad.

got a hammer, hit it a couple times, started right up and went to buy a new starter. warranty was voided due to me hitting it with the hammer, so be careful if you might get a warranty!

BigC9164

So you think the oil was contacting the hot power (+) connection between the solenoid and the starter motor possibly? Hitting with a hammer could have knocked loose dirt/oil to allow proper contact?

BigC9164

I did notice plenty of dirt and grime/oil on and around my starter motor when removing

Cane

I am not knowledgeable enough to tell you what part(s) is/are not working, but basically the solenoid does not provide enough power for the starter motor to engage fully, hence the 'click' you hear. it engages but barely enough so it doesn't turn over because it's stuck. by knocking on the starter you allow it to free itself up a bit and on the next start it'll turn over fine.

sorry for the ambiguous explanation, but that's the best I can do. it's a temporary fix obviously.

the starter itself is enclosed but I'm pretty sure oil find its way inside and just jams everything up after a while. a little oil doesn't hurt, but I probably had a quart dropping right on the starter from the oil filter/oil filter adapter for a whole year, no wonder why it gave in.

and as for the ground, like you said, you can hear the clicking sound, which wouldn't happen if it was an connectivity issue.