Hey Everyone....I pretty much don't know anything about cars but I figured cleaning the connections for the starter is relatively easy after reading the posts on this forum. Well I attempted to clean the easiest connection to get to which I think is the ground wire. I unhooked the battery, unscrewed the wire to the starter and cleaned the connection. I put everything back together and now all I get is one click when I turn the key and a nasty smell. Any ideas? Did I fry something? Thx - Ryan.
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One Click - 99 Cherokee Classic
- Thread starter CO99XJ
- Start date
vertigospiral88
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Tahlequah, OK
It sounds like you might have just not tightened the cable up as much as is necessary.... What did you use to clean the connections with? If the cable are loose the connection may have arced and burned some of the residue of whatever it was that you used, creating a bad smell.....
Don't forget to recheck the tightness of the battery wire as well, a bad connection there could cause the problem that you're describing (just the starter solinoid clicking, without the engine turning over).
Don't forget to recheck the tightness of the battery wire as well, a bad connection there could cause the problem that you're describing (just the starter solinoid clicking, without the engine turning over).
vertigospiral88
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Tahlequah, OK
Try tightening everything down a bit more, see if that doesn't help out your cause a bit.
What led you to try cleaning it in the first place? Specific problems, or just trying to be meticulous?
What led you to try cleaning it in the first place? Specific problems, or just trying to be meticulous?
Thanks for the reply. I was trying to correct a weak starting battery after a no start from a -10 night in the mountains. I figured some mag-chloride and other road debris might be causing the problem. I charged the battery and still had the weak start problem. I guess now it's a bit worse.
ren
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- frenchburg, ky
Did the smell "smell" like it was electrical, or did it smell like something else( rotten eggs, maybe)?
ren
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- frenchburg, ky
Well, then I suggest that you try "sniffing" around the relay on the fender well, and then the starter. If one of them smells burnt, then I would think that you found the culprit. FWIW, I had the same trouble on one of my Jeeps, and it turned out to be a weak battery, with a loose connection. I would also clean the battery cable ends with some baking soda/water paste, and a good brush, to help remove any corrsion on the cable ends. Then recheck the connections for tightness.
Thanks. I didn't smell anything burnt now but I do think it was the battery to begin with. I just hope I didn't screw anything up. I cleaned and tightened the battery cables and the wire to what I think is the solenoid. I checked all the grounds and all I get when I turn the key to start is just a click. I'm off to the parts store to buy a new starter and work on throwing that in there.
esrasmu2001
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Clarksville, Tennessee
I had no troubles at all changing the starter in my 99 when it fried in the Walmart parking lot a couple months ago.. Mine fried for different reasons all together that I will not get into.
The bolts should align easily, and go right in. IIRC, the top bolt goes in from the rear, and the bottom bolt goes in from the front.
HTH
Rass
The bolts should align easily, and go right in. IIRC, the top bolt goes in from the rear, and the bottom bolt goes in from the front.
HTH
Rass
langer1
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Mineral City,Ohio
They should be two different lengths, make sure you have them in the correct holes.CO99XJ said:
