Starting Issues
 

Ok I have a 1998 Jeep Cherokee Classic 4.0L and am having some starting issues and couldn't find any help for the specific problems I'm seeing. For the past few months I've been having a real long crank on startup. I read that if you turn it on and back off twice it should fire right up and it has worked like this for the past few months. About 3 months ago I started to have problems with the car not getting any power on startup, I'd turn the key and it wouldn't click or try to turn over at all. I took it to a mechanic and he said that the alternator was drawing too much power from the battery and was draining it. I replaced the battery, terminals, and the alternator and that fixed it for a while.

Now for about the last month this problem has come back, resulting in my car not starting almost once a week. Once I jump the battery though the car starts fine and continues to start fine for a week or so.

Fast forward to today. I get in the car to go to the gym and it starts fine. I stop on my way there to get gas and when I get back in I try to start it and nothing. The dome lights would come on but as soon as I turned the key they shut off, no clicking or turning over at all. My dad comes to help jump it and it starts up but only if I give it a little gas. The car will not idle and if I let my foot off the gas it dies and then needs to be jumped again for it to even crank.

If anyone has any ideas I would really appreciate the help.

Thank you.

It sounds like you have several problems going on here. First, I'm assuming this is an automatic? Have you had the codes read by someone? You have two different no-start situations, one a crank no-start and the other a no-crank, no-start. The no-crank could be caused by a starter solenoid or a dirty/misaligned Neutral Safety Switch (NSS). Next time it doesn't crank, try starting it in Neutral instead of Park, just remember to keep your foot on the brake because it will roll in Neutral.