I was watching the Baja 1000 a couple of days ago near my house and I couldn't get the Jeep to start when it was time to leave. I tried rolling it down a hill and bump starting in reverse, which didn't work. I tried bump starting while being towed forward, which didn't work either. I got towed home and checked the fuses and relays. Everything looked fine, but I switched the starter relay out for the O2 sensor relay and the Jeep started right up. I yanked the starter, cleaned it up and fixed the solenoid trigger wire that had been coming loose, then reinstalled. It fired up 4 or 5 times in a row. I went for a 1/4 mile test drive, shut it off, and it fired up again no problem. I then drove another mile or so of kind of hard driving, and noticed that the battery voltage was going up past 14 (the middle on gauge), probably to 15-16v on the gauge. The Jeep wouldn't start again after I got home.
Yesterday I put in a new remanned starter from Autozone, but when installed it wouldn't seem to mesh with the flywheel and made some crazy grinding banging noises, which was great to hear. I pulled it out and noticed that the snout was about 1/8" taller than my original starter, so I figured that was the problem. I got the original starter rebuilt today, put it in and it does the same terrible banging grinding sound.
I feel like something is keeping the starter from spinning the flywheel, which probably explains why it wouldn't bump start when I attempted to. The weird thing about that is that once I got it started the other day it seemed to run fine. I need to check to see if something is jammed, and I guess I'll start with the inspection plate that the starter installs through. What else would keep it from starting when I can tell that the starter WANTS to start it?
There's a problem with the ignition that's been going on for a while but I don't know if that's related. I have a new ignition tumbler to put in but I'm apprehensive about it making a difference and I'd like to determine the problem before changing anything else. The problem is that the key can be removed while driving, but it will still go in to all positions.
The voltage being high points me towards either a problem with the alternator, which is practically brand new with maybe 1500 miles on it, or dirty connections. It's a 160ish amp alternator from a Durango. I went through and cleaned up all of the connections, so I don't feel like that's the problem any more. Really I feel like the high voltage was more of an 'also there' kind of problem and the real issue is whatever is keeping it from starting.
Any input would be 1,000% appreciated.
It's a 2002 5-speed 4.0 TJ
Yesterday I put in a new remanned starter from Autozone, but when installed it wouldn't seem to mesh with the flywheel and made some crazy grinding banging noises, which was great to hear. I pulled it out and noticed that the snout was about 1/8" taller than my original starter, so I figured that was the problem. I got the original starter rebuilt today, put it in and it does the same terrible banging grinding sound.
I feel like something is keeping the starter from spinning the flywheel, which probably explains why it wouldn't bump start when I attempted to. The weird thing about that is that once I got it started the other day it seemed to run fine. I need to check to see if something is jammed, and I guess I'll start with the inspection plate that the starter installs through. What else would keep it from starting when I can tell that the starter WANTS to start it?
There's a problem with the ignition that's been going on for a while but I don't know if that's related. I have a new ignition tumbler to put in but I'm apprehensive about it making a difference and I'd like to determine the problem before changing anything else. The problem is that the key can be removed while driving, but it will still go in to all positions.
The voltage being high points me towards either a problem with the alternator, which is practically brand new with maybe 1500 miles on it, or dirty connections. It's a 160ish amp alternator from a Durango. I went through and cleaned up all of the connections, so I don't feel like that's the problem any more. Really I feel like the high voltage was more of an 'also there' kind of problem and the real issue is whatever is keeping it from starting.
Any input would be 1,000% appreciated.
It's a 2002 5-speed 4.0 TJ