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Electrical/Starting issue

JeffDB

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Minnesota
I recently replaced my starter. After install I discovered fuse was blown. Installed new fuse and bingo! Right? Wrong! Two weeks later I fired XJ up and started rear defroster and noticed that rear wiper was running too. Switch for wiper was off. Turned off defrost and it stopped. After leaving store rear defrost would not work at all. Got home no issues until I was going to run another errand 2 hours later. Jeep would not start. All the gauges wound up. Checked battery voltage and it was 12.2 volts so ok there. Checked fuse to see if blown but looked ok. This is exactly what happened when my original stock starter gave up. The new one is not a rebuild but Ultima from O’Reillys. Had wife turn key while I banged on starter to see if starter bad but no go. Are these issues possibly related due to some wiring issue? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
The defrost & rear wiper issue is likely the harness where it goes into the top of the liftgate, can't see why that should affect the starter though - unless it is a bad fuse.

Check the starter & fuel pump relays; easiest way is by substitution, if you don't have a spare, use the e-fan one. (I'm assuming they're all the same, as they are on mine)
 
Ultima are remanufactured. One of the guys in my local Jeep club says 10-15% of the cheap crappy Chinese remanufactured starters and alternators his big name auto parts store sells are DOA.

Not saying you don't have the extremely common drivers door and/or tailgate wire harness failures that often cause short circuits, but I have my starters and alternators rebuilt by a local shop that uses Japanese and German repair parts. They also do extended function testing to be sure everrything is good.
 
. . . I have my starters and alternators rebuilt by a local shop that uses Japanese and German repair parts. They also do extended function testing to be sure everrything is good.

Lucky you, but that options not always available certainly the local independents that did that sort of thing in a back room have long gone on these shores - or, at least, have stopped offering the service.

Still say checking/replacing relays is easier/cheaper than starters.
 
The defrost & rear wiper issue is likely the harness where it goes into the top of the liftgate, can't see why that should affect the starter though - unless it is a bad fuse.

Check the starter & fuel pump relays; easiest way is by substitution, if you don't have a spare, use the e-fan one. (I'm assuming they're all the same, as they are on mine)

Yeah I swapped the starter relay with the fan relay and still no go. Might it be NSS? I jiggled shift lever but that made no difference.
 
Ultima are remanufactured. One of the guys in my local Jeep club says 10-15% of the cheap crappy Chinese remanufactured starters and alternators his big name auto parts store sells are DOA.

Not saying you don't have the extremely common drivers door and/or tailgate wire harness failures that often cause short circuits, but I have my starters and alternators rebuilt by a local shop that uses Japanese and German repair parts. They also do extended function testing to be sure everrything is good.

We have a local shop here in town called Reds Auto Electric. They specialize in alternator and starter rebuilds. But they’re backed up for over a month. Most of the local mechanics use their service.
 
New starter worked great for 2 weeks. Strange it would just crap out that quickly. OReillys has lifetime warranty so I think I’ll have my local shop take a looksy to see if new starter is bad.
 
Yeah I swapped the starter relay with the fan relay and still no go. Might it be NSS? I jiggled shift lever but that made no difference.

You can jump these. It depends on what year(s) you have. The 98-up are a bit different, than the earlier ones.
Also, you could jump the starter from the battery to test it. What are your battery cables like? I had issues with my 2000 XJ. I make up an 'upgraded' set. Works well. I also did that for both of my '98's. I think they seemed to run a bit better.
 
You can jump these. It depends on what year(s) you have. The 98-up are a bit different, than the earlier ones.
Also, you could jump the starter from the battery to test it. What are your battery cables like? I had issues with my 2000 XJ. I make up an 'upgraded' set. Works well. I also did that for both of my '98's. I think they seemed to run a bit better.

How do you jump it?
 
How do you jump it?

I've done it by using a jumper cable off the battery. Its been a while. Negative grounded near the starter, then the positive to the solenoid. I'd probably take the starter off the vehicle to test. Also, your battery voltage seems a bit low. Not enough that it should not start. I think 13-13.5 would be better. Also, I use one of the trigger starters for the electrical connection to test a starter. They sell them at Auto stores.
 
. . . Might it be NSS? I jiggled shift lever but that made no difference.

Might be but it would be a very unfortunate coincidence.

When I've had that problem, I've always had lots of warning - but I found jiggling never did any good, always had to really slam that lever back & forth!

As for checking the starter, nothing to it, take it off, place on ground by right front wheel, clamp -ive jumper cable to starter body, place foot on it touch +ive starter cable to terminial - if it tries to get out from under your foot, nothing wrong with it. Now check solenoid (most likely failure after such a short time)
 
I double checked fuse and now I see that it’s blown. This was replacement fuse for original that blew. So more than likely there’s a wiring issue somewhere. Wiring is not my strong suit so any suggestions as to where to check? Thanks guys! And can I get another fuse and drive it for the time being? Is there a high risk of fire or damage to components?
 
Which fuse are you referring to, to the starter relay or the starter solenoid?
 
Think it’s starter solenoid. The relay I already swapped with fan relay and that didn’t work. Fuse I replaced worked. Jeep started right up. But could solenoid be out of whack on new starter? Only time fuse would blow would be on start up correct? If it blows again I’ll have to test the solenoid then.
 
Jeep started this morning. Rear window defrost or washer/wiper wouldn’t work. Drove to store. Would not start when leaving store. Replaced fuse. Started right up. Is there somehow a connection between rear tailgate wiring and starter fuse? A common ground maybe?
 
It's definitely a wiring issue, to double check the starter run a simple jumper wire from the positive terminal to the small signal wire on the starter solenoid (not quite as good as yanking it off and going to advance and letting them bench test it) but whether you have to key on or not if you hook hot to that small wire on the solenoid the starter will Usually turn if it's not bad. After that I would begin chasing the wire harness, something in your system is shorting out and blowing that fuse or possibly when the starter was installed they have the hot wire a little too close to a ground or the starter body itself which is the ground for the starter.
Not going to post it here but if you want to send me a message I have the service manual for 80 something through 93 I'm not sure what year yours is but up to 96 most of the electrical stayed pretty much the same it seems.
 
Jeep started this morning. Rear window defrost or washer/wiper wouldn’t work. Drove to store. Would not start when leaving store. Replaced fuse. Started right up. Is there somehow a connection between rear tailgate wiring and starter fuse? A common ground maybe?

Mines a 2000 but on mine the FSM shows no other points of connection for either the starter solenoid or the starter relay.
 
It's definitely a wiring issue, to double check the starter run a simple jumper wire from the positive terminal to the small signal wire on the starter solenoid (not quite as good as yanking it off and going to advance and letting them bench test it) but whether you have to key on or not if you hook hot to that small wire on the solenoid the starter will Usually turn if it's not bad. After that I would begin chasing the wire harness, something in your system is shorting out and blowing that fuse or possibly when the starter was installed they have the hot wire a little too close to a ground or the starter body itself which is the ground for the starter.
Not going to post it here but if you want to send me a message I have the service manual for 80 something through 93 I'm not sure what year yours is but up to 96 most of the electrical stayed pretty much the same it seems.

or, likely 2 wiring issues - as it's unlikely the one at the liftgate is causing the problem with the starter.

there were a number of different connections on starters/solenoids over the years but, afaik, they're all interchangable with a bit of swapping/modifying terminals but, yes, that does give scope for a short if not done carefully.

b-t-w, still not sure which fuse keeps blowing. Always remember, a fuse is seldom the cause of a problem, just a symptom.
 
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