rklettke

I believe I've had the NSS have a few troubles a couple of times before(turn key and nothing..) But it's always started if i just shifted into neutral instead of park.

This morning I went to start my jeep after PT (army) and it tried to start but sounded like it could barely crank the motor. If I had to describe it in text... it was like "crank, crank, RRrrrRRrghhrr" and then it wouldn't even click. So i put it in neutral and it did the same thing. After the second time it wouldn't do it at all anymore.

Who has advice? lol

Thanks in advance,
Klettke

Before I forget, 99 cherokee classic 4.0 automatic.

ZINGGG

When's the last time any maintenance has been done? Like a tune up? Also you should test your battery and alternator, if either are going out, it could cause a slow crank. Your starter could also be taking a dump. If it is cranking at all, it is not your NSS.

akita8

Check you battery/charging system and make sure all the connections are clean.

rklettke

Battery and alt are new, battery is a red top optima. So I'm 99% sure its not that. I'm gonna go back and try to jump it with a screwdriver on the starter if it won't start up again. And only maintenance I have done besides the battery and alternator was oil.

How do I look/check for good/bad connections?

77olds

Hold off on the starter.

This sounds like a battery. Maybe the battery is new, but that doesn't mean it wasn't drained because maybe you left a light on.

Try getting a jump start from someone.

If the Jeep continues to run, it's not the Alternator.

If the Jeep restarts within a minute or so after you shut it off, but won't restart after, say, 10 minutes, you've got a drain either in your battery or the electrical system.

If the Jeep doesn't restart at all after you turn it off, even if you try immediately, the battery is almost definitely bad, OR you have a really bad ground connection.

Apparently XJ's are known for bad grounds, which would be the next thing to check.

DFlintstone

Agreed^, I would start straight away making sure the battery connections are nice and spiffy. Something you might do anyway. I use a pocket knife (carefully), to make sure the insides are shiny, then a wire brush, or about anything to do the same to the terminals on the battery. That grey crust of oxidization can look OK, but actually it's a good insulator. You want shiny lead!

Any rags I use around a battery I treat like toxic waste! (all my cloths are cotton). Wash hands, rinse. If I rinse a battery I always hose off below it as well.

stev-o

I would advice that because u have had nss probelms before u should probably give it a good cleaning most don't need replaced they just need opened up and refreshed and regreased its simple to do yourself will take 20min.

stev-o

Get someone to give u a jump start and see if it starts

rklettke

If it is just bad connections and grounds, then I may as well upgrade the wires... Is there a good write up someone knows of? And it should run me what, less than $50?

Thanks,
Klettke

stev-o

Maybe less than 50

rklettke

What else is there than the two battery cables and the one off the block?

DFlintstone

The last 12V cables I bought I got at Napa. (wasn't for a car), There is a guy here, Kelly, maybe you could search that, makes some nice stuff for Jeeps. Below is stuff Cruiser wrote for earlier renix jeeps. There is a bunch in common though, (Except of course, ours work fine!)








Renix Jeep ICU/Coil contact refreshing
　
　
The contacts between the coil and the ICU on your Renix Jeep can become corroded and loose causing a complete or intermittent no-start condition. I recommend the following procedure as a maintenance precaution to insure this is eliminated as a possible cause now and in the future.
The coil is attached to the ICU by two T20 Torx bolts. Remove these two bolts and lift the coil up off the ICU. You will see 2 pins and 2 sets of contacts. Clean both the pins and springy contact pieces with a good electronics cleaner.
Squeeze the springy contacts closer together with some needlenose pliers. Apply some dielectric grease to the contacts and bolt the coil back on to the ICU.
While you’re right there unplug the connectors from the ICU and inspect the pins in the harness connector. Make sure the pins are not retracted into the connector. Spray out the connector and the receptacle of the ICU with the same good electronics cleaner you used earlier. Apply dielectric grease to the connectors and plug them back in.
I feel this procedure should be performed at least once in the lifetime of a Renix Jeep.
　
Revised 11-29-2011
************************************************** *******
Renix Ground Refreshin
The Renix era XJs and MJs were built with an under-engineered grounding system for the engine/transmission electronics. One problem in particular involves the multiple ground connection at the engine dipstick tube stud. A poor ground here can cause a multitude of driveabililty issues, wasted time, and wasted money replacing unnecessary components.
The components grounding at the dipstick tube stud are:
Distributor Sync Sensor, TCU main ground, TCU "Shift Point Logic", Ignition control Module, Injectors, ECU main ground which other engine sensors ground through, Oxygen sensor, Knock Sensor, Cruise Control, and Transmission Sync signal. All extremely important stuff.
The factory was aware of the issues with this ground point and addressed it by suggesting the following:
Remove the nut holding the wire terminals to the stud. Verify that the stud is indeed tightened securely into the block. Scrape any and all paint from the stud’s mounting surface where the wires will attach. Must be clean, shiny and free of any oil, grease, or paint.
Inspect the wire terminals. Check to see that none of the terminals are crimped over wire insulation instead of bare wire. Be sure the crimps are tight. It wouldn’t hurt to re-crimp them just as a matter of course. Sand and polish the wire terminals until clean and shiny on both sides. Reinstall all the wires to the stud and tighten the nut down securely.
While you’re in that general area, locate the battery negative cable which is fastened to the engine block just forward of the dipstick stud. Remove the bolt, scrape the block to bare metal, clean and polish the cable terminal, and reattach securely.
Another area where the grounding system on Renix era Jeeps was lacking is the engine to chassis ground. There is a braided cable from the back of the cylinder head that also attaches to the driver’s side of the firewall. This cable is undersized for it’s intended use and subject to corrosion and poor connections at each end.
First off, remove the cable end from the firewall using a 15mm wrench or socket. Scrape the paint off down to bare metal and clean the wire terminal. Reattach securely.
Remove the other end of the cable from the rear of the head using a 3’4" socket. Clean all the oil, paint and crud from the stud. Clean the wire terminal of the cable and reattach securely.
A suggestion regarding the braided cable:
I prefer to add a #4 Gauge cable from the firewall to a bolt on the rear of the intake manifold, either to a heat shield bolt or fuel rail bolt. A cable about 18" long with a 3/8" lug on each end works great and you can get one at any parts store already made up. Napa has them as part number 781116.
A further improvement to the grounding system can be made using a #4 cable, about 10" long with 3/8" terminals at each end. Attach one end of this cable to the negative battery bolt and the other end under the closest 10mm headed bolt on the radiator support just forward of the battery. Napa part number 781115.

rklettke

thanks i'll look into that soon. For now i went the NSS route. Wow. getting this off sucked. Broke one of those screwdrivers that is apparently only meant for screwing stuff in and out not prying... Then managed to get an open end box wrench behind and pry and wiggle till I got it off.

Anyways, got it open after stripping one of the heads on the screws and using pliers to unscrew it. Then proceeded to clean it up with the electrical cleaner. Used a soft scrub brush and went over it. Then used some fine sandpaper to make the copper shiny. Finally greased it and screwed it back together. Now I just gotta go get a new screw(probably replace all of them cause I can...) and put it back it. Gotta wait till after class tomorrow.

Also! I feel like I lost a little rubbery washer that was under the nut that I used to pry on, maybe the adjustment nut? Not too sure what it's called, but the bigger one lol. Is there really one there or am I imagining things?

stev-o

There was a rubber washer that was behind the bolt but if its long gone I would just leave it alone its not that big of a deal that its gone

rklettke

Ok thanks, maybe it will still be there tomorrow haha. Going to be fun looking for it in the grass...