Alright, i have a 97 jeep cherokee with 6.5" bds lift, 8.8 axles, 4.56 gearing, on 35's, manual, so i went thru a very deep puddle, i didnt know it was as deep as it was...

I made it through the puddle, was close to how high my hood was, but i got out of it, my temp dropped from about 210 to 110, my belt was slipping, and my steering locked up for couple seconds, and then everything returned to normal, it did take the engine a WHILE to go back to 210 (normal operating temp for it). anyways i parked it for couple hours, and it started right up, again took longer then normal to get to Operating temp, and turned it off at a gas station 5 min away, started up no issues... so i drove it, then parked at another gas station, and tunred it off... it wouldn't crank. so i had to pop clutch to get it started.

I have power, heater etc. but then today took the starter off, and got it tested, and it works, i bought a new relay going to try that tomorrow...

I am really stumped as to what it could be... the cab didnt flood, it didnt stall out or anything, no plug wires popped off...

 

Started, connections, fuses, relays...you name it you probably got it wet....could be lots of things though

 

Fuses were fine.

 

"then parked at another gas station, and turned it off... it wouldn't crank. so i had to pop clutch to get it started."

Did the headlights dim or no change?
(Jeeps are not designed to be immersed in water btw, hence your issues)

 

Nope, nothing dimmed, i still have 13 volts on the dash gauge...

and once i fix this its never going in a puddle... besides like river crossings (shallow)

 

the nuetral safety switch may have shorted out; try wiggling the shifter in Park, or shift it to nuetral and try to start it. also check if your reverse lights are working.

6.5" on 35's, water up to the hood? ya that wasnt no puddle my friend haha

 

Okay it wasn't all the way to the hood... And there's a safety switch on a manual? How? And why would reverse lights matter? Could it be alternator? Or battery?

 

Well i got it to start!!

 

Yes theres a safety switch...reverse lights are put on he same contact circuit for the reverse shifter position, or something like that....alt being bad would cause you to die while driving, battery the same