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nothing when u turn the key to the on positon

B

barbeemud

NAXJA Forum User
Location
clinton
i have a 88 xj 4.0 if i turn the key over there is no power to the gages or radio and it wand even try to crank or the fuel pump want kick on idk wat it is i have repaced the ignition switch didnt fix it i let it sit for a week and went and tried it it started right up and now its doing the same shit i NEED HELP please
 
I would suspect a bad battery connection. Shine up your battery terminals and tighten them down real good. Check the ground strap from the back of the block to the firewall. Check the main ground to the dipstick bolt.
 
ITS GOT POWER ALL THE WAY TO THE COLUMN SONE SAID THE ECU IS BAD HOW CAN U TELL AND WOULD THAT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH NOTHING GAGES NOT WORKING I DONT THINK SO BUT I PUT ALL NEW GROUNDS ON AND STILL NOTHING
 
check to see if their is power in and out of the ignition switch i had the same prob it turned out to be a bad power wire to the switch from the batt. it went bad at the firewall plug

o ya myine would test ok till you put a load on it (turn the key to the start pos)
 
DO I REMEBER WITCH COLOR WIRE I TESET THE PURPLE AND BLACK ONE AND IT DOES HAVE POWER TO THE IGNITON BOX ON TOP OF THE COLUMM
 
There is a relay, about 1" x 1" x 2", with a large red wire going to a post on the relay and the wire connects to the battery + post. That relay is probably bad, or is not getting the signal from the ignition to switch, for the relay to switch on. There are also fuse links on the wires coming off that relay that could be blown, but the relay is usually the cause, if you all ready replaced the ignition switch PROPERLY. Also please do not use all caps on posts here.:twak:
 
Which "starter relay", the one near the battery, or the one on the starter itself.

Is there power to anything in the on position? Do have and know how to use volt meter?

The starter (ignition) switch and NSS (Neutral safety switch) must be aligned properly (linkage!!!), and working to get power to the starter. Is power getting to the starter solenoid?
 
Renix ECUs, 87-90 almost never die (1 in a million) they are nearly indestructible.

Also check the fuses at the fuse box, under the driver's side dash, and the wires to and from the ignition switch.
 
Its got power to all the wires from the switch and I change the one beside the battary and I know the safty switch is going out but its been like that for yrs if u put it in N it stared up but that has to do with it turning over right?
 
Not sure I understand what you said perfectly, but from the sound of it, it sounds like the NSS was on its last legs, and is now the problem. The main purpose of the NSS is to disable the starter unless the NSS confirms that the transmission is in park or neutral. The fact it has had an NSS problem in Park "for years" is confirmation the contacts inside the NSS need cleaning badly!!!!

Have you tried jumping the starter solenoid contacts to see if the starter will run, and see if the starter solenoid works? (thus bypassing the NSS).

Please confirm that your problem is the that the electric starter is NOT cranking, not getting power at this time?
 
Try cleaning the ground wire for the gauges... its on under the dash on the left near the door.. 5/16 screw to a metal dash part.
 
i figure it out it is a wire to the fuse box thats is mounted on the fire wall at the botom but it know if it a ground or hot wire all i know right now if i wigle it everthing works when u turn the key on and it will start
 
barbeemud said:
i figure it out it is a wire to the fuse box thats is mounted on the fire wall at the botom but it know if it a ground or hot wire all i know right now if i wigle it everthing works when u turn the key on and it will start
Click to expand...

That sounds typical!!!! I have had several of those go bad on my 85, and one on my 87. I had to by pass them, and add inline fuses, with new wiring. I also raised the wire gauge size from 14 to 10 gauge on them all. The old fire wall fuse clips and wire connectors had gotten brittle and corroded, partly from age and partly from leaking brake fluid.....
 
maxwedge said:
Glad someone could figure out what he was talking about ,sure make's it hard to help people out.
Click to expand...

Yep, I speak only English, but I work with Mexicans at work who speak broken (some) English as a second language at work, so I am use to trying to figure out broken English, poor English grammar. Part of the problem is that many other languages simply do not translate directly, the grammar structure is entirely different. In Spanish, for instance I am told there is no future past tense, or past future tense...., so it is real tricky to get an accurate time line history of events when trouble shooting.

barbeemud,

I do not think that wire is a ground wire, I don't think the grounds go through the fuse box, fire wall. They typically ground through the jeep body steel frame.
 
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