2003 TJ SE No Crank / No Start

[TNutty]

Good Morning!
Two weeks ago my 2003 SE 4cyl wouldn't crank over or start after driving it home from work. After some troubleshooting and looking here, I replaced the original starter and nothing changed. Found out about bypassing the clutch pedal switch, and it fired right up. I took apart the clutch switch and cleaned the contacts and reinstalled it and removed the fuse bypass. TJ starts right up. So I thought the problem was solved.

A few days ago the issue came back, no crank and no start. I bypassed the clutch switch again (20A fuse to #20 fuse slot behind glove box) and this time that didn't work. All I hear is a click at the starter and all the electronics are on. Couldn't get it to start. I had to have someone jump me, and I removed and reinserted the bypass fuse a few more times and it started right up. I managed to drive it to family's house to work on it.

I've done the following as of yesterday:
Redid/cleaned all of the grounds in the engine compartment (including the lights)
Cleaned battery connections at posts
Cleaned/redid power connections at PDC
Swapped out relays in PDC with identical ones to rule out faulty relay
Tested all fuses and relays in PDC and behind glovebox with a meter
New 20A fuse for Clutch Pedal Switch bypass
Disassembled & cleaned Clutch Pedal Switch contacts/springs
Meter clutch pedal switch, it is ok electronically.
Meter battery, alternator, and starter
New Starter
New AGM Battery
New Ignition Switch
New Ignition Pin Actuator

After all of that, I still have intermittent no crank/no start. What I've discovered is if I install the clutch switch and attempt to start the vehicle, I only get dash/radio/lights. If I wiggle the wires that go from the clutch switch up to the brake light switch, the vehicle attempts to turn over, and will eventually start wiggling those wires. If I bypass the clutch switch at the glovebox fuse box, I hear the starter click but no crank/no start. If I slightly wiggle that 20A bypass fuse in the #20 slot, the vehicle may attempt to crank and will eventually crank/start.

I'm at a loss here as to what this could be. Does this mean there's a faulty wire somewhere behind fuse box that needs to be repaired? Does the brake light switch need to be rewired as well?

 

[dbbd1]

Maybe try the ignition switch actuator next? It seems to be a common problem.

 

[KingCarGuyZ]

Have you tried manually bypassing the clutch switch (not the fuse trick) but actually jumping the wires as the switch connection?

 

[cpwolf]

So, you’ve figured out that, from what I read
Not the Starter
Not the battery
Not the ignition switch or actuator
(You our new in for all these)

What I read was:
1. Normal setup you have to wiggle the wires from clutch switch at the connector to the brake switch, when you do that you get a connection and the Jeep will start. Have you cleaned that connection , inspected the wires, looked at where it plugs and clean that?

2. If you bypass, you have to wiggle the fuse at bypass to get it to start. Someone with more detailed knowledge might need to answer. Does doing this 100% eliminate the switch, or just ignore the feedback? Seems strange this wouldn’t completely correct it, why you would have the same wiggle issue at both spots.

if you clean the fuse connectors, and clean the switch connection or just replace it, does that help or any noticeable difference?

As someone posted, can you bypass the switch manually with a jumper wire, and see if that eliminates?

 

[TNutty]

Maybe try the ignition switch actuator next? It seems to be a common problem.

Thanks! I did replace the ignition switch and actuator. The original actuator looked good, no broken pins. I replaced it anyways.

Have you tried manually bypassing the clutch switch (not the fuse trick) but actually jumping the wires as the switch connection?

Yes, jumped the wires with a small wire that fit snug in the switch connector, still had intermittent start, Id say 2 of every 10 attempts would crank and start.

 

[TNutty]

So, you’ve figured out that, from what I read
Not the Starter
Not the battery
Not the ignition switch or actuator
(You our new in for all these)

What I read was:
1. Normal setup you have to wiggle the wires from clutch switch at the connector to the brake switch, when you do that you get a connection and the Jeep will start. Have you cleaned that connection , inspected the wires, looked at where it plugs and clean that?

2. If you bypass, you have to wiggle the fuse at bypass to get it to start. Someone with more detailed knowledge might need to answer. Does doing this 100% eliminate the switch, or just ignore the feedback? Seems strange this wouldn’t completely correct it, why you would have the same wiggle issue at both spots.

if you clean the fuse connectors, and clean the switch connection or just replace it, does that help or any noticeable difference?

As someone posted, can you bypass the switch manually with a jumper wire, and see if that eliminates?

I believe the CPPS is bad, disassembled it and cleaned it with contact cleaner and put a bit of electrical grease on the tracks, reassembled and plugged back in and there's no click at the starter. So thats one part of the issue.

Bypassing the CPPS in the fuseblock allows for a click at the starter. I cleaned the contact pins with contact cleaner, traced the Yellow/Red Stripe wire back to the CPPS connector harness side and to the brake switch and sprayed them with contact cleaner. I have intermittent starts, maybe 4 out of every 10 tries will start with the CPPS bypassed at either the fuseblock OR with the switch jumpers.

I also reset the spade connector on the starter as I thought maybe that wire wasn't connected fully. Still having the same issue.

All I can think to do is to buy a second new starter and see if that works for whatever reason, I've had faulty remanufactured parts before.

 

[TNutty]

Updating in case anyone needs this in the future:

The problem turned out to be faulty starters. I went through two remanufactured replacement starters that were faulty out of the box (from Advance Auto), and a third NEW starter that AutoZone incorrectly ordered (wasn't made for the TJ) before obtaining the 4th and final new starter which worked perfectly.

Moral of the story: avoid Advance Auto remanufactured starters and just buy a new one instead.

 

[qslim]

Updating in case anyone needs this in the future:

The problem turned out to be faulty starters. I went through two remanufactured replacement starters that were faulty out of the box (from Advance Auto), and a third NEW starter that AutoZone incorrectly ordered (wasn't made for the TJ) before obtaining the 4th and final new starter which worked perfectly.

Moral of the story: avoid Advance Auto remanufactured starters and just buy a new one instead.

Thanks for posting the solution, a lot of folks never do. Sucks you had to throw so many parts at it but at least your TJ got a good freshening up.