• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Key clicks - no crank

Bread76

NAXJA Forum User
Location
calgary
I have a 99 cherokee with 91,000 km. I bought it at an auction, it had a fender bender with a deer. Its nearly all fixed except for one problem. When I turn the key to crank the motor, the dash comes on etc. but when I go to crank, you just hear a click under the dash. Not the starter, its under the dash. I just put in a new battery and the terminals are good and clean. Here is the rub, if I turn the key to the on position, and jump the relay under the hood it starts and runs properly. I have also swapped relays. Any ideas? By the way its bone stock, so far.
 
Have you tracked down what exactly is clicking ?

I would first suspect whatever is clicking, and then suspect the ignition switch assembly.
 
My first suspect would be the neutral safety switch. Trying in neutral or jiggling the shifter handle while you hold the key is one way to test.

Or as Uncle posted, the ignition switch itself has a problem.
 
If the NSS is faulty, or out of adjustment, there is typically no response/no clicking when the ignition key is at the START position. However, it is very simple to bypass the NSS as a diagnostic test.


I am still wondering where and what is clicking ?



.
standard.jpg
 
Last edited:
Ok, Ill check those out. Is the neutral safety in the shifter consul? By the way its an automatic.

The NSS is mounted on the passenger side of the transmission.
P1080781(1).JPG
 
Ok so I checked what appears to be the NSS but I Think its on the driver side. At any rate that did not work. I Did not bypass it as of yet but did play with it to see if it did anything. Next I turned on the ignition to hear where the click was. It was plainly coming from the interior fuse panel in the passenger footwell. More specifically, it seemed to be the cigar relay. I swapped it for the rad fan relay just as a guess but nothing changed. Of note, this this click only happens at that panel when you go to crank not just Accessories. Im thinking I have to do the ignition cylinder. How does it come out. Where can i get a replacement to match my key?
 
In your genuine Jeep Dealership Service Manual you bought from www.pacificcoastmanuals.com, what other circuits are on that relay and have you been troubleshooting and running diagnostics on those circuits ?
 
You've received good tips to check out. Also, the starter may not be properly grounded. To check the starter grounding, run a jumper cable from the negative battery terminal to a bolt on the starter motor to get a good ground path and try to start the car. If it starts, you have a bad ground at the starter. I run separate No. 2 welding cables from my negative battery terminal to one of the starter mounting bolts on my XJs.

Best regards,

CJR
 
You've received good tips to check out. Also, the starter may not be properly grounded. To check the starter grounding, run a jumper cable from the negative battery terminal to a bolt on the starter motor to get a good ground path and try to start the car. If it starts, you have a bad ground at the starter. I run separate No. 2 welding cables from my negative battery terminal to one of the starter mounting bolts on my XJs.



Best regards,



CJR
Corrosion at starter can definitely cause an issue. Clean it.. also doesn't starter ground to block?

But I suspect another issue as jumping solenoid sends power to starter and it fires.

Inspect key cylinder


Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
 
Ok Here is what I have done recently. I removed the ignition cylinder and inspected. The little metal finger that turns the switch is perfectly fine. I removed what I assume is the neutral safety switch (on the driver side of the auto trans and jumped the wire. That didnt do it. I know that some have said check ground but I find that implausible because every time I jump the relay it starts perfectly. This would not be the case if it was corroded. I took the ignition switch module off and opened and inspected - looks new. One thing that was strange about that is that there is a you tube of a guy showing the same harness that goes into that module he connects the red and blue wires and there is power and then he touches the yellow wire to the blue to crank and it starts. I tried this and I got power when I go red to blue but the yellow to blue for crank does nothing. But this is weird because it should at least click like it does when I do it with the key which is the original problem. IDEAS Please. I think I will next be pulling the wiring diagram and following from key to passenger footwell fuses. I wonder if the problem is between there. I believe its fine from starter to relay under the hood.
 
Could be an aftermarket alarm with ignition cut out, but it seems like you have been far enough through the wiring that you would of seen it. Run a direct wire from the ignition switch to the starter and call it good.
 
I Realize that i have not bypassed the nss. I did bypassed something on the driver side. i will look at the nss right away.
 
Back
Top