• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Jeep randomly won't turn off.. NSS?

stephenspann27

NAXJA Forum User
For the second time in the last couple weeks I've turned my jeep off, and it keeps running. The last time It happened, I put it in neutral, then back and park and it died. Today when it did it... I shoved it farther forward "more" into park and it turned off. Is this indicative of a NSS issue?
 
Might be NSS but I doubt it, since the engine is supposed to be able to run in any of those positions... I would bet on the ignition switch or ASD relay maybe? Haven't had issues with mine yet so I don't know specifics, but that's what I've heard will cause issues like that.
 
what's strange though.. is I turned the key off.. the motor kept running, I pushed the shifter forward more into park, and it turned off.. I never touched the key after me initially turning it to the off position. I know that my console is shifted a little bit too far rearward, because I have to shove my shifter forward with a little extra force for it to "click" and and allow me to turn the key off.
 
Anyone know of a safe way to kill the engine if this happens again? I know I could pull the coil wire.. but don't want to shock myself... is their a fuel pump relay or something I could pull?
 
Throw it in park so it won't run you over, then pop the hood and pull the fuse for the fuel injectors. EDIT: It's fuse 20 on 97+ it looks like, a 20A fuse. On pre-96 it's fuse 14, a 20A fuse. Both in the underhood PDC. Check the inside of the lid of the PDC, I got this info from my 97 and 95 FSMs so it might be different on other years.
 
Last edited:
Hmmm... I dunno then, other than pulling a fuse or disconnecting a lead for the whole ECU, since it looks like the injectors are positive side switched by the ECU and only have a common ground on the 88 (which I assume is similar to the 87.) I should learn more about the RENIX system at some point so I don't give useless info to people.
 
Yea.. mine is a '87.. I don't know of a fuse block in the engine bay, only near the kick panel. There are the 4 relays in the engine bay.. .


Pull the wire on the ballast resistor the for fuel pump...
Here it is:
100_1254.jpg


Pull one of the wires, and it should shut off your fuel pump.
100_1256.jpg


If that doesnt work you can pull the coil wire on the Distributor Cap
100_1257.jpg
 
Last edited:
Youre welcome. No, I had the tape on the airbox so I could cut the tape into the same length strips, and forgot to take the extra pieces off... If you look to the right of the airbox you will see where I was using it..
 
So it just happened again.. This time the only thing that seem to allow me to be able to turn it off, was that I actually engaged the starter with it running, then turned the key off. I guess I should just start with the ignition switch..
 
Yeah, start with the ignition switch.. Did you try the things I mentioned, or did you just try getting it to shut off with the key first?
 
So it just happened again.. This time the only thing that seem to allow me to be able to turn it off, was that I actually engaged the starter with it running, then turned the key off. I guess I should just start with the ignition switch..

It is most likely the ignition switch at the foot of the steering column. Did you know that the Park Lock cable, that thing that keeps you from removing the key unless the transmission is in PARK rides piggy-back to the ignition switch? That is why when you moved the shifter it effected the ignition, it simply forced the ignition switch into the OFF position where the rod from the key cylinder couldn't quite get it there.
 
It is most likely the ignition switch at the foot of the steering column. Did you know that the Park Lock cable, that thing that keeps you from removing the key unless the transmission is in PARK rides piggy-back to the ignition switch? That is why when you moved the shifter it effected the ignition, it simply forced the ignition switch into the OFF position where the rod from the key cylinder couldn't quite get it there.

You may be on to something, I frequently have problems with the plastic cover that goes around the steering column sliding down and binding the park lock linkage. I noticed when the jeep wasn't shutting off that the cover and slid down and was jamed below the gauge bezel thing..
 
A: the Fuel ballast resistor is a great way to kill the vehicle. pull that wire and about 3-5 seconds later the rig will die.

B: x4 on the bad ignition..
 
Well its no longer random.. having to pull the wire off the ballast to kill it.. no jimmying with the ignition will help. I'm wondering if its the ignition switch because when I turn the key off, the stereo goes off and so does the A/C. And when I turn the key back on I hear the fuel pump prime.. which is wierd.. becuase it was already running.. I'm thinking maybe its a relay somewhere? When you turn the key off does it just kill the fuel pump, or does it also kill spark?
 
I'm 95% sure I have it fixed. I swapped all 4 relays with each other and my A/C stopped working.. so i thought.. 1 of the 4 is bad, so I swapped them two at a time, and the A/C started working again, but the jeep wouldn't turn off again.. so I thought.. ok must be the fuel pump relay, I guessed and pulled one relay and the jeep died, I shook the relay and it rattled, I replaced the relay with a spare and it fired up and has been turning off fine the last 5 times I've tested it. I took the old relay apart and it was full of rust.
 
Back
Top