No start XJ, Help

k.smith904 · Jul 27, 2008

decided to go out to the county dock today and when I came back my xj started up but immediately died. Then it didn't start up at all. Ran to my friend's house so his TJ could give me a jump, but that didn't work. I'm thinking it might be the starter but i wanted some suggestions before i try to take it somewhere.

Its an 87 xj with the 4.0L out of a 93 in it. It shouldn't be the battery because its a brand new optima...I dunno guys, help me out here...

Matthew Currie · Jul 27, 2008

If it went dead suddenly and would not turn over, I'd check battery and other cable connections first. Also possibly the ignition switch.

When you turn the ignition on, do dash lights, etc. come on? If not, suspect either a completely disconnected battery or a bad ignition switch.

When you turn to start, do lights dim? If not, suspect a bad starter, starter relay, or neutral safety switch.

magimerlin · Jul 27, 2008

If it cranks but doesn't start.. try unpluging the cps and plug it back in. Doing so reseats the connection of the pins. The cps is the sensor that is on the drivers side right between the trans and motor. Let us know the answers to questions in the 2nd post aswell so we can get a better idea

k.smith904 · Jul 27, 2008

Matthew Currie said:
If it went dead suddenly and would not turn over, I'd check battery and other cable connections first. Also possibly the ignition switch.

When you turn the ignition on, do dash lights, etc. come on? If not, suspect either a completely disconnected battery or a bad ignition switch.

When you turn to start, do lights dim? If not, suspect a bad starter, starter relay, or neutral safety switch.

dash lights come on, same with radio. Also, everything dims when I try to crank it up. I got it towed to my house so I'm gonna mess with the battery later and see if I can get something going.

Ecomike · Jul 27, 2008

k.smith904 said:
dash lights come on, same with radio. Also, everything dims when I try to crank it up. I got it towed to my house so I'm gonna mess with the battery later and see if I can get something going.

That sounds like a locked up starter, or engine. Sounds like juice is getting to the starter.

I would get a long cheater bar and socket on the front crank shaft nut and make sure the engine still turns, if it does I would pull the starter and get it tested by the local parts store.

The fact that it died right after starting, and now dims the lights when you try to crank it (It is not cranking over correct????), sounds ominous.

ksmithers88 · Jul 27, 2008

Ecomike said:
That sounds like a locked up starter, or engine. Sounds like juice is getting to the starter.

I would get a long cheater bar and socket on the front crank shaft nut and make sure the engine still turns, if it does I would pull the starter and get it tested by the local parts store.

The fact that it died right after starting, and now dims the lights when you try to crank it (It is not cranking over correct????), sounds ominous.

Yeah its not cranking over...

Ecomike · Jul 27, 2008

ksmithers88 said:
Yeah its not cranking over...

Then hopefully it is the starter and not the engine that died.

k.smith904 · Jul 28, 2008

Ecomike said:
Then hopefully it is the starter and not the engine that died.

took out the battery and got it tested at the local auto zone and its fine and we got it charged. Took it back and hooked it back up and the engine finally turned over. I revved it up a few times and then it proceeded to die after about 30 sec. Tried starting it again and this time only lasted like 5 sec. So i'm thinking its the alternator...

Could it be anything other than this, or should i tow it to my buddies and install a new alternator in the morning?

magimerlin · Jul 28, 2008

befor just replacing it get the alternatoer tested first. Make sure all your power connections are clean and solid and the same goes for your grounds. You can get the starter tested too to make sure that is ok.

JeepXJer · Jul 28, 2008

Hit the starter with a hammer, then try to crank it. My 90 xj did the samething about 2 hours from home on a wheeling trip.

old_man · Jul 28, 2008

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=101119

My guess is a bad ground or bad starter.

My longshot guess.....bad injector flooding/hydrolocking cylinder or bad head gasket doing the same.

Matthew Currie · Jul 28, 2008

k.smith904 said:
took out the battery and got it tested at the local auto zone and its fine and we got it charged. Took it back and hooked it back up and the engine finally turned over. I revved it up a few times and then it proceeded to die after about 30 sec. Tried starting it again and this time only lasted like 5 sec. So i'm thinking its the alternator...

Could it be anything other than this, or should i tow it to my buddies and install a new alternator in the morning?

A bad alternator should not kill an engine with a fresh battery in thirty seconds. In any case, a cheap multimeter is MUCH cheaper than a new alternator. Test it first.

I think you need to check your connections again. A bad battery connection, either at the starter end or at the battery, can cause bad running, oddly enough because the alternator is doing its job. This might not be such a problem on the original 87, but if yours is running a 93 engine with 93 electronics, the Chrysler system is very sensitive to bad batteries or bad battery connections. It seems that it does not like the unregulated alternator output.

Don't trust the terminals just to look clean. Sometimes you can get a resistive black oxide on them that does not look too bad. Clean them up while you're at it.

Ecomike · Jul 28, 2008

k.smith904 said:
took out the battery and got it tested at the local auto zone and its fine and we got it charged. Took it back and hooked it back up and the engine finally turned over. I revved it up a few times and then it proceeded to die after about 30 sec. Tried starting it again and this time only lasted like 5 sec. So i'm thinking its the alternator...

Could it be anything other than this, or should i tow it to my buddies and install a new alternator in the morning?

Even with a dead alternator it should run for a good hour or more just on the battery, less if your turn on loads like head lights and AC blower.

Time to pull out a volt / ohm meter and start checking wires, sensors, voltages, grounds etc. Could just be a loose ground wire(s) which is common with your year jeep.

I'd bet it was a bad ground connection, considering the year.

ksmithers88 · Jul 28, 2008

Ecomike said:
Even with a dead alternator it should run for a good hour or more just on the battery, less if your turn on loads like head lights and AC blower.

Time to pull out a volt / ohm meter and start checking wires, sensors, voltages, grounds etc. Could just be a loose ground wire(s) which is common with your year jeep.

I'd bet it was a bad ground connection, considering the year.

good, i was hoping it would be something difficult and meticulous like that...lol

No start XJ, Help

k.smith904

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Matthew Currie

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