According to Advance, my old battery was just under 200 cranking amps. It was a Duralast...guy said it was supposed to be around 800+? New battery is an Autocraft Gold, ~1,000 c.a.
More weirdness (in my opinion). When I quit fiddling with it for the night, it was deader than a doornail. No interior lights, chimes, nothing. I come down this morning, open the door...it chimes merrily, interior lights are on, etc. I turn on the headlights (I watched some video on Youtube this morning about checking the starter), they come on and seem bright. I turn the key......everything goes off.
Again..I'm not super mechanically inclined. If I had a Haynes manual, I can do easier stuff. Brake pads/rotors, spark plugs, etc. I have put in stereos three or four times with zero issues (to include a 2000 Cherokee). So I'm asking this from a position of ignorance.....how do you "jump the starter"? I immediately assumed you all meant "jump start", as in dead battery/jumper cables/etc. but now I'm not so sure. LOL
More weirdness (in my opinion). When I quit fiddling with it for the night, it was deader than a doornail. No interior lights, chimes, nothing. I come down this morning, open the door...it chimes merrily, interior lights are on, etc. I turn on the headlights (I watched some video on Youtube this morning about checking the starter), they come on and seem bright. I turn the key......everything goes off.
Again..I'm not super mechanically inclined. If I had a Haynes manual, I can do easier stuff. Brake pads/rotors, spark plugs, etc. I have put in stereos three or four times with zero issues (to include a 2000 Cherokee). So I'm asking this from a position of ignorance.....how do you "jump the starter"? I immediately assumed you all meant "jump start", as in dead battery/jumper cables/etc. but now I'm not so sure. LOL
Have you put the old head unit back in to see if the Jeep will fire up? The Crutchfield harness could be bad, so I would rule that out before jumping anything. Reinstall original harness as one of the Crutchfield harness pins could be damaged.
Also, check your under the hood PCM connections. One may have inadvertently come loose during the install.
Check all fuses, under the hood and in the glove box.
Maybe the connection from the battery to the starter or the one from the battery to the frame came loose?
Possibly a neutral safety switch (auto) or clutch interlock switch (manual) as well. Do you have a manual or auto? If manual you can drop a fuse into, I believe slot 20, to override it. Double check the fuse slot number in the glove box and try that.
Also, check your under the hood PCM connections. One may have inadvertently come loose during the install.
Check all fuses, under the hood and in the glove box.
Maybe the connection from the battery to the starter or the one from the battery to the frame came loose?
Possibly a neutral safety switch (auto) or clutch interlock switch (manual) as well. Do you have a manual or auto? If manual you can drop a fuse into, I believe slot 20, to override it. Double check the fuse slot number in the glove box and try that.
Did you end up buying a new battery? I was reading another forum where the guy had the same issue and it turned out to be a collapsed cell inside the battery.
I agree with @skrelnik you should pull the aftermarket radio out and see if it makes any difference.
Check out some of the troubleshooting in this video:
There's some good step-by-step checks here. I ran into the same situation as the guy in this vid and just had a broken actuator pin in my ignition. However, if you tried to start it and had everything dark, it's probably something else. Still, it's probably worth checking since you can pull out the part and see very clearly if it's broken or not.
There's some good step-by-step checks here. I ran into the same situation as the guy in this vid and just had a broken actuator pin in my ignition. However, if you tried to start it and had everything dark, it's probably something else. Still, it's probably worth checking since you can pull out the part and see very clearly if it's broken or not.
I disconnected the new battery (overnight), reinstalled the old radio and hooked the battery back up. Put the key in, lights came on, etc. Headlights and radio worked. Turned the key....everything went off. So I think that rules out the radio/anti-theft, right?
Yes, I would have to say so.
So just to recap, you got a new battery for it, so it's not a battery issue?
And when you turn it over, does it crank at all, or no cranking at all?
Yeah, I did. When I turn the key forward to start, everything goes off. Lights, stereo, odometer, etc. And it stays off if I pull the key out and try to restart it. No lights or anything.
Cudabnu
TJ Enthusiast
I'd be checking to see if a fuse is blown somewhere, possibly some wires got crossed when installing the new stereo. Are you handy with a volt meter? See what kind of a load is being pulled from the electrical system at the battery without cranking.
I've looked at the fuses in the glove box and engine bay...all look fine. And the stereo was plug-n-play......or not-play, as the case may be. LOL Crutchfield harness. Old wiring went straight into harness and into head unit. Nothing to cross.
And I'm not handy at all with a voltmeter. I have a buddy who's gonna take a look at it.
And I'm not handy at all with a voltmeter. I have a buddy who's gonna take a look at it.
First i would check the connection to the starter.
Then the ground wires to the block and body. (Big wires)
Check the wire to the PDC. (Fuse box under the hood)
If those all are good. No corrosion
Try to jump the starter at the relay. If that works
Then i would be Wondering if it could be the ignition switch itself. Shorting out
Then the ground wires to the block and body. (Big wires)
Check the wire to the PDC. (Fuse box under the hood)
If those all are good. No corrosion
Try to jump the starter at the relay. If that works
Then i would be Wondering if it could be the ignition switch itself. Shorting out
Imapepper
TJ Enthusiast
Follow the black wire down from your battery to the engine. Make sure the connection to the engine is tight and clean. Continue following the black wire to the body and also the hood. Make sure all of these main grounding points are connected and not corroded. To me, it sounds like your problem will be found here somewhere. Best of luck.
Mystery solved.....and it was so simple, I am embarrassed to relate it. Paint on the terminals. Buddy came over, looked for about 5 minutes, asked if I had a grinder or sandpaper handy. I did not so he settled for a box cutter. Took the terminals off, scratched the paint off, reattached.....everything works like a charm. 
New terminals? Like the red a black painted ones?Mystery solved.....and it was so simple, I am embarrassed to relate it. Paint on the terminals. Buddy came over, looked for about 5 minutes, asked if I had a grinder or sandpaper handy. I did not so he settled for a box cutter. Took the terminals off, scratched the paint off, reattached.....everything works like a charm.
Daveh370
Member
I was telling the guys at work about it Monday. One was like "I asked if you'd cleaned the terminals!!!!" I said "They weren't dirty, they were brand new!!!" LMBO
Paul Land
TJ Enthusiast
Wrong Ground(-) Turn on lights to find True Ground. False ground will continuity test positive with headlights off but will not have continuity when you pull light switch, rewire to true ground problem will go away
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