will not turn over (intermittent)

I have a `98 Cherokee with the 4.0 I-6 and the 4-spd auto.

I drove this daily for years (it has 240,000km on it, about 140,000 miles), and then I parked it for a month.

It has a new (within the last year) "computer" in it courtesy a deer I hit last winter. Otherwise, she has been a peach to operate.

Lately, about half the time, I turn the key, the lights come on, but engine no crank. If I try to crank it a second time, no crank.

However, if I disconnect the battery and then re-connect, the starter either fires right up, or it tries to turn and then stops. Re-attempts to crank lead to nothing...unless I disconnect-reconnect the battery again.

So, is it: NSS? Worn starter brushes? Bad solenoid? Bad wiring harness? Idiot operator (i.e. me)? None of the above?

Any suggestions would be most gratefully accepted.

Oh, and the reason I parked it is that I moved. Next week I go back and have only one day to fix it. Help!


Bill in Calgary

Check your cables and grounds. Also have your battery load tested.

Saudade said:

Check your cables and grounds. Also have your battery load tested.

Click to expand...

Agree. Could be a bad battery, cables, starter-solenoid, starter relay, NSS, ignition switch.

Make sure the battery is charged, and have it load tested.

Clean the cables on both ends--battery and starter/block.

Do a voltage drop test on the cables: http://www.aa1car.com/library/voltage_drop_testing.htm

If it still won't crank, try shifting out of PARK through the range and then try it in NEUTRAL, if no joy shift through the range again and try PARK.

Still won't crank, then key OFF, in PARK, PARKING brake set, jumper from where the positive main cable attaches to the starter-solenoid to where the positive lead from the starter relay connects to the solenoid--IT WILL CRANK if the battery, cables, starter-solenoid are good. If it does not, then the battery has been load tested, the cables have passed a voltage drop test, so the bad component(s) is the starter-solenoid.

If it did crank when jumped, but still won't off the key, then the problem is key/lock cylinder/ignition switch/starter relay/NSS/harness.

The NSS has a number of functions, but its primary one is to interrupt the starter relay ground unless the transmission gear selector is in PARK or REVERSE. As a temporary test you can go to the PDC under the hood, locate the starter relay, pull it, locate pin/cavity 30. Use a piece of insulated wire to run a temporary ground to the fenderwell, then stick the other end into the 30 cavity of the starter relay socket, then push the relay back into place. Try to start it with the key--if it cranks then the NSS is the problem.

Good luck.

Try whacking the starter-solenoid with a hammer. Don't break anything.

Thanks guys. I'll try all this when I'm on the coast next weekend, and will post the results...

I ran into a similar problem with my '00 a while back. Exact same symptoms. No crank, followed by cranking after jiggling the wires

The answer turned out to be the starter. The motor had 1 bad brush(I took it apart to check)