I love my power probe...one of my favorite tools...anyways, back to business... Check your cable from battery to starter, and also signal wire. Could be bad connection, and use that fancy power probe to see if you get any juice there when someone cranks the key over

 

Also, are you hearing a relay or the solenoid?

 

I bypassed the ignition circuit with the power probe... starter didn't hesitate to turn... leading me to believe I have a bad relay or maybe a short in the wire to the solenoid or a problem with ignition

 

I think I'm hearing the relay not positive tho

 

My solenoid wasn't working after I jumped the truck. Replaced the starter, still nothing. I could jump the terminals, and the starter would spin, but I couldn't start it. Fix? I hit my starter solenoid with a hammer. No problems since.

 

I would start with checking if you get voltage at the starter (before the terminal, jab your power probe into the wire and watch for voltage)when the key is turned, if yes, I would clean the terminal and put it back on
If no, trace back to relay, if relay is fine, check for signal coming out of ignition switch.


Ps. Most people never heard of a power probe, encase your getting confused about all the references to jump starting....

 

Solenoid-loud clunk
Relay-soft click
If its the solenoid, could be 1.getting weak or 2. Bad connection, either way, pushing a solid 30amp 12v to the solenoid with the probe would be enough to move it
If its the relay, obviously yore not getting power to the solenoid, could be
1. Burnt contacts in relay
2. Short in wire to starter

 

Thanks will check it out when I get some time later... I tried the hammer trick to no avail....

 

Neutral safety switch?? I had an xj with a bad one had to pop the cap off the starter relay and push the contacts together to get her to start

 

didnt think of that.... can I just unplug it or ground it to test? Is it under the center console?

 

It's on the side of the trans. Put the Jeep in N and try to start it.

 

Ok will do that first but if it is bad will unplugging it bypass it or would it need a ground or?

 

Ok so doesn't start in N and I noticed the parking brake light on the dash light when trying to crank.... I hear what I'm assuming is the starter relay but not solenoid. I also tried swapping the relay and still same problem... of the maybe 20 times I turned the key it did crank 1 of the times...

 

Washed my engine 2day now I have a high idle. Had a plastic bag on distributor for safe measure. Left it running while washing. Engine looks good. Now it seems I have some work to do 2mrw. Thinking it's thro. Sensor or idle sensor. Here's a pic. Has anyone ever have this problem?

 

So...for a Friday night the bar is d.e.a.d DEAD...