Unresponsive starter/solenoid

[riverside]

My 92 XJ starter is not responding.
Battery is good.
How do I tell if solenoid or starter?
If original; starter best to rebuild original or buy rebuilt or new?
​​​​​​​Thanks

 

[maxbraketorque]

Have the started tested at an automotive parts store. Many have starter testers. With that said, my starter passed their test, and then proceeded to now work on my XJ. When I disassembled the starter itself, I found that it was the original starter and was completely drowned in oil (from a rear main seal leak) that had turned to sludge. After I cleaned off all the sludge, I found that the brushes were worn out, so it was time to replace.

I bought a GM rebuilt starter on Amazon for something like $90. It was very nice quality. And no core was required.

 

[lawsoncl]

Assuming it's an automatic, have you tried wiggling the shifter while turning the key or trying to start in neutral? If that works, it's the NSS and https://bleepinjeep.com/?s=NSS has some great videos for removing and cleaning it.

Otherwise, I'd start with a meter and see if you're getting voltage to the solenoid trigger and to the starter when you turn the key. Or do the redneck test of shorting across the solenoid with a screwdriver and see if it spins.

 

[CJR]

If you still have the problem, it could be a bad "ground-path" to the starter. A quick check is to take ONE cable, of a pair of battery cables, and connect one end to the battery Negative terminal and the other end to a Starter connecting bolt. If it starts, you have a bad "ground-path" to the starter. I typically run a separate heavy duty ground cable to a starter mounting bolt.

Best regards,

CJR

 

[XJI6191]

From memory, there's not a lot of room to do that, unless you're sufficiently confident to clamp the cable onto something like a punch or drift & use that as a probe. You could do the same with the starter out & on the deck under your foot, with the -ive cable clamped to the case but before any of that, 1st eliminate the relay from the equation, simply by substituting the one for the fan. You never know, it really might be that simple.

 

[lawsoncl]

If you still have the problem, it could be a bad "ground-path" to the starter. A quick check is to take ONE cable, of a pair of battery cables, and connect one end to the battery Negative terminal and the other end to a Starter connecting bolt. If it starts, you have a bad "ground-path" to the starter. I typically run a separate heavy duty ground cable to a starter mounting bolt.

Best regards,

CJR

The starter is pretty solidly bolted to the engine, so just making sure you've got a decent ground to the engine is plenty.