recently, when I turn the key to start the engine I have power but nothing happens. no click, no sound, nothing, just normal dash lights. so I crawl under the jeep with a long screwdriver and either short the solenoid terminals (which will then turn the starter and engine) or I will short the two starter bolts which will cause the starter to spin but not turn over the engine (I understand that the solenoid also engages the gears so I did not expect it to turn the engine over). at this point I can turn the key and the starter will engage and the engine will start. once so far that did not work and I had to short out the starter a second time before the key would start the engine.


so before I start throwing parts at it, what do you think, starter or something else? a new (cheap) starter is about 60 bucks, or I could go to the junk yard and pick one up.

 

starter solenoid would be my guess

 

Sounds like ya need a starter sir

 

that's what I thought, thanks guys.

 

never hurts to double check that you are getting power to the solenoid when key is in crank position & it is not starting..

 

It could be the neutral safety switch.

 

Oh snap, I bet it IS the NSS. Try starting in Neutral. Those switches act up, when dirty, but imo they CAN actually fix themselves with more use, they are designed quite well.

 

The NSS on a Grand Cherokee is much different than what the XJ has. There's no cleaning it, just replace it. It's only about twenty bucks for a new one.

 

Yeah try starting it out of gear if it won't start then,I would take the starter to auto zone let them test it.If its bad replace it.

 

I have an xj and a zj, the nss flakes out on both of them very infrequently, just move the shifter a little and they start right up. That said the xj was worse at first but my son was using it as his dd to work and didn't have time to fix it, and it just started working.

 

yesterday on the way home i picked up an autozone special with the lifetime for $66+Kalifornia tax. i have not installed it yet but took it with me on the trail this morn in case i needed it. the jeep started every time, no issue. what you think, wait and see? i can try moving the shifter around next time to see if that makes a difference.

 

this afternoon the jeep would not start so i tried putting it in neutral and it did not start, placed back in park and no start. crawled under jeep with trusty screwdriver and turned the starter over, entered cab and got it to crank over. so i think its the starter but started thinking i should replace the NSS anyways, i see they are only about 10 bucks on flebay. worth doing?

 

It's cheap enough, why not replace it. The starter may have a dead spot in it and will randomly stop at that dead spot.

 

Your call, but it sounds more like the starter. I always say, fix the thing that is obviously wrong. I don't think if you're spinning the starter by shorting it, and then it works by the key, that it is the nss.

 

I agree....was thinking since the NSS is fairly inexpensive and it since its not uncommon for it to go out I would replace it in addition to the starter.