hey guys. i have a 97 jeep cherokee with the 4.0. To start my jeep i have to pull the headlights out then turn the key (been doing that since I got it a year ago dont know why.) to start it. well recently I Went to start the jeep and the starter just clicks, so i took it out and tested it on the machine at work 7x it passed and worked fine. so i put it back in the jeep and she started right up go figure!. This morning i went out to start it and boom fired right up, after class went out to go get food and the starter just clicked. whats going on! Didnt have this problem until last week i took the battery out

 

No one?

 

EDIT: oops it just clicks... if it wasn't clicking you would tap the solenoid. If it is clicking then that should be the solenoid working. I would check with a multimeter the connection at the starter and make sure you got a good 12v there on the main/big wire on the starter.

I had a starter that would work on the bench fine and when I put it back in worked once/sporadically but it was still a bad starter. When your cranking it tap the solenoid with a hammer. If it starts you know the starter is bad. Also make sure to clean up your ground wire connections as well. Keep us posted.
Good luck,
Lee

 

Have you cleaned you neutral safety switch?

 

I don't believe the starter would click if it was the NSS...

 

I've delta with the Nss before. This problem is different

 

Grounds can be the root cause of many electrical gremlins. Refreshing grounds is NEVER a bad idea, and the investment of your time in this procedure is always well worth it!

You can't tell much of anything by looking at ground connections!! You must remove, scrape, clean until shiny the cable/wire ends and whatever they bolt to. Be sure to remove all paint from any ground connections.

Start with the one on the back corner of the head, and where it attaches to the firewall, as it deteriorates over time and is an area that makes it susceptible to damage. Best to replace that woven cable with a #4 or #2 gauge cable. You can attach the one end to the intake manifold if you would like.

Next go over to the engine dipstick tube stud. Remove the nut and clean the wire ends and scrape the block until shiny at the stud. Reattach tightly.

If you are so inclined, add at least a #6 cable from the negative terminal of your battery to one of the bolts on your radiator support.

 

Happened 3 more times today. Click click click click click click click boom started. So lost

 

Clean the battery terminals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Already did

 

Did you check your voltage at the starter? Check/clean your ground on the other end of the connection coming off the battery? First two things I would do...after that I would consider getting a starter. If it's clicking it's either not getting enough juice or bad starter. Unless your motor is seized but being that it starts sometimes I highly doubt it's that.
Thanks,
Lee

 

mine did the same finaly took starter off my brothers xj and that was the problem even had it tested at autozone

 

The solenoid was shorting out inside