Hi folks. So my 96 sport has had intermitten starting problems. At first I thought it was the neutral safety switch. Last time it happened, I ohmed out the NSS and it read good. So I had my wife turn the switch and I checked voltage to the power side of the relay coil. Nothing. My question, what other sensors, relays does the voltage from the ignition switch go through. Also, could or could not be related, after running for a while, it will just die. It will turn over but not start. Haven't been able to replicate that problem, and have help to check for spark. I have a push button ordered that in gonna use to jump the starter, to check for spark. But I gotta get it to replicate.

I went to cruiser54s website but I haven't been able to find the service manual for a 96. I figure the 95 is closer to what I have than the 97.

Oh a side note, I did clean the grounds that mount the ignition coil. If there are other prominent grounds that I should address, a location would be nice. TIA

 

Here are the grounds.

 

Thanks for that info. There's one ground that I missed from that link but I'll probably go back and check them all again.

Just searching through the forums, and reading several threads, I failed to find information on the starter relay. Does that voltage for the coil of the relay come straight off of the ignition switch, or does it go through the pcm? What does the ASD relay do?

 

This information is from the 95 FSM, as you have found, the 96 isn't readily available.

PDC Fuse 6 (60A) powers the ignition switch feed that triggers the starter relay in the START position.
PDC Fuse 7 (40A) powers the input to the starter relay.

The relay is grounded through the NSS when in PARK or NEUTRAL.

The ADS relay:
In short, it kills the alternator, fuel injectors and ingition.



My advise would be to pull the relay as I think you already have, check that you have one permenant feed, one when in START and an earth when in P or N. Once you are certain which pin is the remaining pin that goes off to the starter motor, you could use a suitable wire and try giving it a live feed and see if it triggers the starter. That would test every input and output for the relay. If you haven't already you can also just swap the fuel and ADS relay with each other and see if it makes any difference to rule out the relay.

 

Thanks boxburn, that was exactly what I have been looking for. I missed it for sure when I was searching through the 95 FSM. I’m leaning towards the ignition switch, since I had zero voltage on 26 with the switch in the start position. It does start sometimes, and when I get the no crank, I can manually make the starter relay and the starter will engage.

The reason I ask about the ASD, a couple of times now, when the temp gets up around the 200 mark and at low or no speed, the engine will die. I’m pretty sure it isn’t a fuel problem because I sprayed carb cleaner in the breather tube and it made no difference. I haven’t been able to check spark yet because I have been without resources to check when it has happened. It’ll turn over till the battery runs down if I’ll let it. Just won't crank. After 10 or so minutes, it’ll crank. So that’s a problem I’ll have to sort. Anybody ran into that before? Any good place to go after all grounds are cleaned and tight?

 

I suggest the Ignition switch is most likely as the design is very vulnerable on '96 and earlier, all current for headlights and fans goes thru it, they melt.

Relays should be installed

You could have faulty relays

For a '96, as a general rule, the '97 FSM is correct for engine and OBD2 system, and the 95 FSM is correct for anything not engine related

 

I hate crossover year vehicles.

 

I don't think the ECM has the programmed ability to shut down the engine once running. I could be wrong though.

 

I'm with you. I have never heard of that, and I think it's pretty far-fetched. I would have to see that in writing in a manual to believe it.

 

Thanks for the replies guys. I thought it may be the coil. I've had those things quit working before on another vehicle I have. It would get hot, quit sending spark to the plugs. It finally quit all together.
I did change the coil on this XJ, and still had it just die on me. Like I said I'm leaning towards a no spark condition, but haven't had the resources handy when it has quit on me.

 

How about the supply to the coil? I had a problem with that connection which shut me down from time to time, or just made it stumble. It was the connector.

 

I’ll give that connection a good look. Does that connector get the voltage from the pcm to fire the coil?

 

I believe so, but I'm going from memory. Many of the components (like the injectors) get 12v all the time, then the PCM supplies ground when needed, so it might be that way.

 

This is exactly how it is shown in the diagrams. ASD relay provides a 12v feed and the PCM provides the ground to fire the coil.

 

Thanks again guys. So if my thinking is correct, next time it won’t crank up I’ll see if I’m getting spark. If not, I’ll check that connector, look for positive voltage, and a complete path to ground. That should tell me where to go next. PCM or ASD relay