Starting Problems

Hey guys,

I have a 1997 XJ country edition and it's been dead for about 2 or so weeks now. I herculined the interior and after that, it wouldn't start. We found a fuse on the floor board of the passenger side but couldn't find a place for it in the box. The starter doesn't click or attempt to turn over when I put the key in, but all of the lights generally come on. We had the starter checked out and it's fine. I heard that it could be the ignition switch? Does anyone have any thoughts or opinions? Thanks

Derek

mine did something similar after i removed my doors and fun enough it ended up being the crankshaft positioning sensor

I removed the doors around the same time period as well and they are still off. I did drive it for a good couple weeks before it died.

I had a similar problem took the starter out and they said it was good but it turned out being a bad starter. Take a screw driver with a plastic handle and a long shank, go from underneath on the passenger side to the starter. Take your screw driver and jump the big post that your power comes to the little post that goes to the starter (the only two posts that have anything hooked to them) If it starts to crank, then yes the starter is good, if it just clicks and doesnt to anything the starter is siezed. Doing this will bypass the ignition lock, starter relay, neutral safety switch etc. etc etc. If it cranks doing this i would first check the neutral safety switch it may need to be cleaned. May want to also unplug and replug that CPS just to be on the safe side.

First, what Sam said (x2)!

After you verify the starter works on the car, you'll need to start "swimming upstream". Have you tried starting in Neutral?

I'll have to try tha ton the starter. I did try starting it in neutral, what does this do? A local XJer recomended this as well....

If the neutral safety switch is dirty sometimes moving the shifter around will clean some gunk off the contacts and sometimes if its in nuetral and it recognizes this it will still allow you to start it. Try my next guess would be if the ignition is turning on and it won't start in neutral, try your starter relay under the hood.