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'98 xj won't start without "jump"?

Rick VanRossen

NAXJA Forum User
"98 xj, auto, 145k.
Won't crank without jumping from my 96. Then starts right up?
New Battery last month. Been driving 150 mi. a day to work?
Problem started fri. nite. Jumped, drove home, restarted on its own. Sat., problem occured twice and didn't restart on its own.
Please offer suggestions: Sounds like the starter motor is going, but need confirmation.
TIA.
 
When you say that it won't crank, do you mean that the motor won't turn over, or that it won't start.

Have you checked the alternator? If it's not charging the battery, then it won't have enough juice to turn over or start the engine.

I'd have that checked at your local auto parts store. You might have to take it out for them to check it, but it's worth it.

Hope this helps.

Tony
 
Does jumping it work everytime? Reason I ask, is that if you are jumpint it and have no problems when jumping it, I would not think it was the starter. You may just have a bad connection to the battery, just cause the connections are tight, doensn't mean that the connection is good, first start by removing the cables from the terminals and wire brushing the contact areas and reinstall. Test it and see if it helped. Another thing to check would be you Alternator, when you have the jeep running, put a volt meter/ multimeter on the cable ends and see what it reads, you should get a good 13.5-14.0 volts or so if all is well. If the above doesn't help, then I would suggest checking block and chassis grounds and cleaning them up and re tightening them. When you jump your jeep are you putting the jumpers on the + side of the battery and on the - side or one on the + side and the Ground on part of the chassis/engine block?
 
Correct me if I'm wrong...but the Jeep won't even run if the alternator is bad right? It would just drain from the battery, and when that juice is gone...light out?? :confused:
 
Correct me if I'm wrong...but the Jeep won't even run if the alternator is bad right?

Well sorta. It will run on straight battery power. I have run my Wag with a NON-OP alt. before and I made it home at night 20 miles. (thank god my 70 only uses electricity for spark, head/tail lights, and 3 bulbs in back of the guage cluster).

How long are you leaving the battery connected before jumping? It may also be that the regulator in your alternator is not working properly. I would have it tested by your local parts house.

Most starters have a low voltage and high voltage (wording??) speed and if the battery can't supply enough juice then it only does the low (which is not enough to turn the motor). Because you bought a new battery recently my bets are on the alternator (especially if it has 145K on it).
 
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