My 91 XJ 4.0L 4WD base model w/o ABS had a no-start issue yesterday. I ended up getting it towed home because cleaning corrosion and attempting to jump-start and tapping the solenoid didn't let it start. Before pulling the starter I verified there was 12V at the high-amps post and, when the key was in start position, also to the solenoid terminal. I pulled the starter last night and got it tested at Autozone. It passed, surprisingly, but since this Cherokee has been in the family since '95 and service records don't show any changed starter motor, I figured it was about due and bought one.
I'm cleaning up the wires and connections and since battery terminals were very corroded and connection were very dirty. To figure out how to get the short fat wire to the fuse/relay block (aka junction box?) off to clean or change, I ended up removing the junction box and took a look at it from underneath. Surprisingly, I discovered there is no wire attached to the terminal of the 15A mini-fuse that is supposedly "ignition". To the other terminal of this fuse (the one nearest the firewall) there is a blue wire with a white stripe. This is mysterious. I don't have a shop manual for this vehicle and haven't located a diagram on the Internet that shows how it originally was wired. I'm guessing there was a modification to the wiring of this vehicle sometime in the first 4 years before our family got it. I wonder if there is any common modification that would account for this (perhaps removal/disabling of ABS?) There's a connector for the missing wire, but no disconnected wire crimped in are anywhere nearby nor wire strands left over (it's as though the connector was crimped without a wire in place). All connections look very professional like they were done at the factory.
I'll get going on my starter-motor-related connector clean-up now, but while I have junction/fuse box serviceable I'd be interested to know if anyone here has insight about why this wire might be missing and if necessary how it should be corrected.
I'm cleaning up the wires and connections and since battery terminals were very corroded and connection were very dirty. To figure out how to get the short fat wire to the fuse/relay block (aka junction box?) off to clean or change, I ended up removing the junction box and took a look at it from underneath. Surprisingly, I discovered there is no wire attached to the terminal of the 15A mini-fuse that is supposedly "ignition". To the other terminal of this fuse (the one nearest the firewall) there is a blue wire with a white stripe. This is mysterious. I don't have a shop manual for this vehicle and haven't located a diagram on the Internet that shows how it originally was wired. I'm guessing there was a modification to the wiring of this vehicle sometime in the first 4 years before our family got it. I wonder if there is any common modification that would account for this (perhaps removal/disabling of ABS?) There's a connector for the missing wire, but no disconnected wire crimped in are anywhere nearby nor wire strands left over (it's as though the connector was crimped without a wire in place). All connections look very professional like they were done at the factory.
I'll get going on my starter-motor-related connector clean-up now, but while I have junction/fuse box serviceable I'd be interested to know if anyone here has insight about why this wire might be missing and if necessary how it should be corrected.
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