In an urgent bind: TJ won't crank

makorider

Member
Joined
May 31, 2018
Messages
64
Location
Basking Ridge & Chadwick Island, NJ
My DD is in the shop, so I'm down a car as it is.

TJ got stuck today, wouldn't crank. This morning when I turned the key, it hesitated before it began to crank. Thought it was my imagination, pre coffee, until I got stuck this afternoon. Luckily there was a guy with a rope that got me moving so I could pop the clutch.

Hit Autozone this afternoon and bought a starter, with jeep running in parking lot. Put it in, no crank.

Bottom line, I don't have power on the spade clip going to the starter solenoid.

I have continuity on the clutch safety switch.

Swapped relays, not the issue.

Weird thing is, I do hear a hum (not a click though) from the relays when key is turned, why don't I have juice on the wire going to the spade? I was thinking it was the ignition switch, but I wouldn't hear a relay hum.

What am I missing? I need to get this running ASAP!!

Any help is appreciated
 
Battery or battery terminals (or both). That’s the very first place to start.
 
Battery is good, pulled terminals, cleaned, tightened.

Yeah, lol, put the starter in with engine running in the parking lot of autozone.

Seriously...going after the ignition pin next but I only had torx tips and not screwdrivers so I couldnt get the steering column apart.

But again, would I hear noise in the relays if that was bad?
 
I would check the battery first , then your fuses then your starter relay, make sure youre ignition switch is sending power to the starter relay...
 
94099


108067436

94098

Engine Starter Motor Relay
if its a automatic I would check the neutral safety switch on the tranny it is a know issue on jeeps this diagram is out of a 2001 tj
 
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