2001 XJ Won't start, won't take a jump either HELP

Guys,

My buddy has a 2001 XJ, AW4, 231, 41K. So the damn thing will not start, and it will not take a jump. This only happens when it's below 10deg out, which it will be all week, but I think something more than that is wrong. So we tried jumping it off a good running cherokee. We let it sit and charge for around 10min. Then I jumped in the running XJ, reved to about 3K and told him to try it. So he goes to turn the key, it makes a VERY pussy cranking noise (engine trying) but only for a second, then the running XJ (at 3K RPMS) shuts off.

It repeats this cycle everytime we try. He has 12V at the battery, but the dash is only registering 9V. There are no sparks at the starter, and I hit it a few times JIC, no change. I checked every fuse, all were good. I shuffled the relays, and that didn't help. I'm really at a loss here. Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks,

Todd

could be the solenoid on the starter is bad ,bad netruel safety switch.

wouldn't you just sit there and have nothing at all with the NSS, also the NSS should still allow the volt meter to register voltage on the guage cluster.

Where is the solidnoid, how would I test that?

Try swapping batteries -- if this only occurs at low temperatures, the battery may be failing and it will definitely show when under load when it's cold.

I doubt it would after charging for 20min off a good running car. You should be able to remove the battery and jump a car just off the other car, this one is acting funny.

Sounds like the battery to me.

My brother's Chevy p/u did this to me a couple of years ago, although it was June, not January. Absolutely would not take a jump. Battery tested bad, and it fired right up with a new battery (gotta love 7x24 auto parts stores.)

Cool, we're gonna grab a battery at lunch, I'll report back.

Todd

I've had 3 Die Hards actually freeze in the winter. One the day after they put it in new.

Stupid question....you did clean the battery posts, right?

was also going to suggest checking your battery terminals. I have seen a few cars act that way that had bad connections at the battery. Also the solinoid does seem like a possible cause.

Even with a bad battery, a car should start right up when jumped off. The only time I've ever encountered the problem you describe was when I had corroded terminals on the batt, a burnt starter wire, or crappy cables that weren't making a good connection.

Two winters ago in Breckenridge, CO. with a below zero night parked outside. I had a tow truck come after I bought a new battery and it still wouldn't start. The tow truck guy said, "Lemme try something before I tow you". He pulled the fusable link (in the black box on the passenger side for the cooresponding fuel pump fuse.) Turns out if it's really cold, the computer freaks out and basically floods itself. He had me turn it over while he pulled the fuse. Once it fired, he plugged it back in. Done. Fixed. He said all fuel injected makes/models tend to do this in the extreme cold.

Worth a try!

New battery in, works like a champ now. Took a few times for it to turn over, but all is well now.

thanks guys.

I'd like to run something by the experts in here, rather than makina new thread.

This morning it was about 10ºF outside. Thats almost unheard of in N.C. unless you're up in the mountains. I'm definately going to put a new battery in once my warranty is up, for peace of mind, and I know my connections need to be cleaned....badly. But this morning, I went to start it to go to school, it fired right up, and turned over first try (took about 4-5 seconds of cranking to turnover, but thats expected as the KJ gets the garage). What i'm trying to get to here is, during the cranking period I heard a crack. Not the sound of a plastic dash cracking in the sun, but like the crack of some sort of fluid in the engine compartment that had frozen over night and broke loose when I turned the key. Right after that crack it stopped cranking for about a second, but then continued starting, without me having to let go of the key (a symptom that my battery is about to be no more).

My guess is maybe some fuel froze over night and was breaking apart as it began to be pumped into the engine on start up. But I thought it had to be pretty friggin cold for stuff like gas and such to freeze. I popped the hood when I got to school and left it running while I looked over everything, and nothing looked like it had started leaking. Any Ideas?


Made me think of the secne in A Christmas Story when Ralphie's dad tried to get his Chrysler to start in the morning and the gas line had frozen and he came back in the houose cussin and swearin....LOL.

99XJSPORT06 said:

Not the sound of a plastic dash cracking in the sun, but like the crack of some sort of fluid in the engine compartment that had frozen over night and broke loose when I turned the key. Right after that crack it stopped cranking for about a second, but then continued starting, without me having to let go of the key (a symptom that my battery is about to be no more).

Click to expand...

Couple things that may help here:

Battery Blanket

Block Heater

Also look into oil pan heaters... Couldn't find anything quickly on Google, so you might have more luck than I.

I thought about a block heater, but it's once in a bluemoon that the temps get this low around here. It hit 9º right before x-mas, but I didn't have my Jeep then.