Starting problems with my 90...

Yesterday went to start my jeep and nothing happend at all; no clicking of the selonid, no cranking, no nothing. Took the starter off and got it tested, it is good. So I went to the starter relay, well after fixing the last guys mess (ingitoin lead hooked to the selonid lead), relay is hooked up correctly. Well I even replaced it. It started a few times and then stopped starting. The wife told me I had no reverse lights so I bypassed the neutral saftey switch, still no start, no clicking, no nothing. Can someone point me in a good direction to fix this thing, please...

Thanks for your help,
Mike

I had a similar problem with my 88 a few years back - I went through four start relays in two months (ugh!)

I really should figure out how I wired in that Bosch relay. It didn't take too long to sort out, and it's worked fine since (using a relay I pulled out of my 87!) If you're comfortable with electrics, you shouldn't have too much trouble with it - and I'll post a writeup on how I did it sometime... I never did figure out what was blowing all those start relays, so no help there. (And no NSS either - my 88's a stick, and I pulled the "clutch switch" years ago.)

I would start, probably, with pulling your NSS and cleaning it. I've posted some useful advice here about how to pull the damn thing off without breaking it, and it can be cleaned for about $10 (less, if you have stuff on hand!) vice replacing it for about $300... I think jeepin.com has a good writeup on cleaning the thing (I'm not sure, but that sounds right,) and if you search up my posts here you'll find where I tell you how to pull it safely. It's a little more work, but you don't break the switch (which apparently happens a lot!)

5-90

So trying to bypass the NSS is pretty much useless. I disconnected the black/white wire going to the NSS and jumpered that terminal to ground. I guess there is somemore jumpering to do somewhere... I am just trying to troubleshoot the way I was taught... Looking at the wiring diagram it looked like it would have worked. Oh well, off to find instructions on rebuilding the NSS.

Thanks,
Mike

Not that it will help your starting problems, but I cleaned my NSS recently due to lack of back-up lights. Took about an hour and worked beautifully. The write up that was recommended is right on target. Using a screw driver to gently pry the NSS from the transmission was the key to removing it without breaking it.

Grounding the black/white wire on the starter relay takes the NSS out of the picture. I can't remember the ignition wire on the relay, but you can run a hot lead over to it and it should cause the relay to close and the starter to crank.

Now, double check the battery cables, especially where the ground one goes to the block by the oil filter. Also check the strap from the firewall to the head.

As a surefire way to make sure it isn't the starter, take a jumper cable and hook the + to the battery and touch the other end to the starter. If it cranks the starter is fine.

I just went through this. My '94 jeep wouldn't start every once in a while. So I took the starter out and had it tested. It tested good. so I tried replacing the battery cable, starter relay etc. No luck. So I had the motor tested again. It tested good again. So I tried cleaning out the solenoid and starter and all the contacts. Still no luck. I finally just decided to get a new starter, and shazam, it worked again. I don't know why it kept testing OK but that is what happened. I would go the cautious route and test everything else first. But I just wanted to let you know that even though the motor tests OK at the auto store, it might still be bad. Good luck.

Thanks for the advise everyone... I've got to work till 5 tomarro, so it is gunna be working on my problem after that. But I think I have the direction to look now, be back with what I find in a few.

Thaks again,
Mike

Well, I am forever in your debt !!! I took the origional relay apart and cleaned and tweeked the contacts a little. And traced voltage down to but not through the selonid. So I replaced the starter and wammo it starts wonderfully... The new starter even spins fast enough to make my long start problem go away. I still hove not rebuilt the NSS but at least it starts through it (I can do without reverse lights for now). Thanks so much!!!

Thanks again,
Mike