Starter clicks, engine doesn't turn over

2000 cherokee, I-6 4.0L, AW-4

Today was not a good day. I put my brackets back on the coil, made sure all bolts were grounded. Connected the battery and no start. I can here the starter click but the engine won't turn over.

I had the coil out, I also had the computer unpluged and I had the battery diconnected. I checked to make sure everything was pluged back in, I checked the battery and it has juice.

Would a uncleared code prevent the engine from turning over? I wont get my code scanner untill this week some time. Anyone have some suggestions?

If your talking about the solenoid engaging click (just once when you turn the key?) then check your cables. I just had this issue. (my post is titled "starter issues"). For me it was a combination of starter going dead & bad cables. The power lead was melted @ the starter. The ground was dry rotted to the point that there wasnt any insulation left on the cable.

There's some good info from other members in this thread that really helped me out diagnosing the problem. Some pics to show how bad of shape mine was in as well.

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1056780

A code will in now way inhibit the starting circuit.

First of all, I would LOAD TEST the battery. Any parts store will do this for you for free. It is the only conclusive way of determining battery condition.

If battery checks out, get a meter. Put it directly on the starter itself with the key in the ON position.

You should have approximately full battery voltage there. If you have that, suspect the starter. If you do NOT have good voltage there, then you need to start working your way back into the engine bay to find out why (ie: voltage drop due to bad cable, ground, etc)

I had the battery load tested and they said it was good, just needed a little recharge, had them recharge it. I went out and put my meter on the starter and I got full power at the starter. But when I try to start the jeep just get one click.......geuss my next step is to have the parts store test the starter? Or is it a pretty sure thing that the starter is toast?

Just is weird, the starter was working yesterday, do they usally just go like that?

The starter solenoid makes a clunk when it engages. If you don't hear the clunk and only hear a single click then you are probably hearing the starter relay.

Okay, yes all I hear is a single click. So the starter is getting power (I know from placing a meter to it) and thats about it. If I do the screwdriver method and I can get the starter to turn does that mean my starter is toast?

Whack the starter with a hammer, don't try to kill it, not a love tap, just a good "whack"

See if it will turn over then, if it does, its time for a new starter.

If it's not making any noises then the solenoid is probably dead. If you hear the 'clunk' noise then the starter motor is probably seized up.

Basically the solenoid is a coil, and when it is energized it creates a magnetic field that ejects a plunger in the center of the coil. The plunger move the starter gear into position by the flywheel, and also closes a circuit that bridges battery power to the starter motor. If you don't hear the clunk then the plunger didn't eject, power did not pass from the battery to the starter motor, and the starter gear did not move into position.

Simple way to diagnose the starter solenoid is run a length of wire from the battery down under the jeep and touch the small center pole on the starter solenoid. If the jeep tries to start then the starter assembly is fine.

If it makes the thunk noise but the starter motor does not spin up, then you may have a seized starter motor, or the bridge piece inside the solenoid that connects battery power to the starter motor might be bad (I had one that was cracked from fatigue).

You can test the starter motor by using something heavy-gauge metal with an insulated handle (such as a large screwdriver or a jumper cable clamp) to bridge the two large screws on the solenoid (one goes directly to the battery, and the other goes to the starter motor). When the starter motor gets direct battery power it should spin up, so if it doesn't you have found your problem. If the starter motor DOES spin up then you can hazard the guess that the bridge piece in the solenoid is damaged.

Thanks guys. I'll give the suggestions a try on Wed (next day off). The guy I bought the engine from has a spare starter I can try also. I'm going to replace the battery cable's also just to eliminate that as a source of issue, 10 bucks or under...might as well.:banghead::05of5:

I put in the starter I got from my buddy and the starter works so I geuss mine is dead. The jeep will crank and crank but no start. I checked my crank position sensor and the circuit showed open (meaning it's good), no continuity. That's the only test that the "Haynes" list's for the CPS. Does anyone know of any other test I can do on the CPS?

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I have also ran my multi meter on my coil and I believe it's good (Ihad to make my own mounting brackets but I made a ground for each mounting hole so the coil is grounded). I got the same value on all three coils. I also took all the spark plugs out and I smell fuel in all cyliders so it's getting fuel (fuel pressure was right on the money). I have all new spark plugs installed. I can't test the spark by grounding the spark plug in the regular way. I have to get a spark tool (only 7bucks or so), thats not the problem, the Haynes book says to ground the othe spark plug boots to the engine. Does anyone know how I am to ground the spark plug boots (the springs on the inside)?

Still got one of your old spark plugs lying around? Stick it in one of the plug wires and lay the thread against exposed metal (a bolt on the AC compressor is always handy). That will tell you if you are getting spark out of the distributor.

I doubt it's the crank sensor because the fuel injectors would not fire, and if you are smelling fuel then they are firing.

Try holding the gas pedal down, maybe the computer forgot the IAC settings and it is starving for air (it happened to me recently so that is the fix for everything now).

My jeep is a 2000 cherokee, I-6 4.0L, AW-4 it doesn't have plug wires. It has an ignition coil pac. The haynes book said to have the spark tester in one of the "plug boots" and to ground the others to the engine. My question was How do I go about grounding the other boots?