problems canking 89 xj

need to know what would cause my jeep to not crank up. if I take it in and out of park it eventually will crank is this caused by sylinoide or wireing or what. I have heard about other xj's doing this but never a solution.:dunno:

Does it start in Neutral? Sounds like the NSS. If that is the issue, you can clean it:

http://www.go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoNSSrebuild.htm

Do you mean that it is cranking and not starting, or not cranking at all?

If it is not cranking at all, I would suspect the neutral safety switch, or a problem with how your shifter is detenting.

If you can pull it out of park and slam it back in, and it will crank, then the switch may not be the problem, the shifter may just not be detenting into park properly. If this happens again, I would try starting it off the solenoid. This can be done either with a couple of screw drivers and jumping across the points on the back of the solenoid, or with a little $8.00 remote starter that you hook up to the cable studs on the back of the solenoid. This will bypass the neutral saftey switch, so make sure it isn't in gear. This would tell you that yes, the problem is in the switch or in the gear shift detent.

Incidentally, my local parts guy told me that in 18 years of working as a Jeep partsman, and 15 for the other guy behind the desk, they've never sold a neutral safety switch for a Cherokee.

Best of luck,
Geoff

where is the nuetral safety switch located I might try to change it. If inexpensive and easy to change I might pick one up.

It's on the side of the trans. From what I've read gere fairly expensive. Do a search and there will eb a posting of how to remove, take apart, clean the contacts and re-install.

Here is a link you can read through that explains the whole process...

http://go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoNSSrebuild.htm

Good luck!

guys i really appreciate it if this does not work I might try to hot wire it but I'll try to search for that if it comes to it.

cleaning worked like a dream, beats $209 autozone wanted for a new one! http://go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoNSSrebuild.htm

While you're under the hood, check and clean the battery terminals.

I had to fix my son's '00 parked at the bank. He said if he made the last payment it would start breaking down, which I quickly dismissed as negative vibes. Once the paperwork was done, he walked out, put in the key, and click click click buzz . . . .

His buddy helped out as I was just getting clocked in a work. They jumped it and it wouldn't keep running. So, the next day we drove over, I checked the batt with a volt meter - OK - cleaned the terminals, and asked him to try it.

Cranked right over. End of service call.

AAA reports over 65% of no start problems are dirty battery terminals, I agree, working at a wrecker service one year, that's what the majority were. Even my frickin Jeep will do it to me, it's got me two or three times in a parking lot over the years.