Jeep Wrangler TJ won't start? Read this!

Okay then yes I was a bit confused the starter is turning the crank but there is no ignition
You said the fuel pump works fine in an earlier post. How did you determine it's working still? Just by hearing it cycle on and off with the key or did you actually check fuel pressure at the fuel rail? Also what year is your TJ?
 
I would start by checking to see if spark is being delivered to your plug wires. You said you verified you had good fuel pressure? Did the engine just suddenly die while you were driving it (tach was buried at zero) and you had pulled over to the side of the road or did it slowly feel like it was loosing power as the car started to slow down before it died?
I do have spark and have good fuel pressure as for dying it lost all power over a course of about 3-4 seconds before I got pulled to the side of the road quick and by that time it was dead
 
Good fuel pressure as being what PSI? If you pull a spark plug out after several seconds of cranking is the plug wet with gasoline?
Don’t know the exact pressure as my tj is the one year it didn’t come with a Schrader valve to check the pressure so I cannot check it easily but am figuring out how to do it. Also have not taken a plug out yet but will do that as well when I get off work
 
Try to spray some carb cleaner or starting fluid into the throttle body while cranking and see if the engine responds at all. If you have good fuel and good spark (and no reaction to the starting fluid) you may also consider having a timing issue.
 
You said the fuel pump works fine in an earlier post. How did you determine it's working still? Just by hearing it cycle on and off with the key or did you actually check fuel pressure at the fuel rail? Also what year is your TJ?
My tj is a 97 and we checked by taking the connector off of the fuel rail and seeing if it sprayed but are trying to figure out a way to find exact pressure as my tj does not have the schrader valve on the rail
 
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My tj is a 97 and we checked by taking the connector off of the fuel rail and seeing if it sprayed but are trying to figure out a way to find exact pressure as my tj does not have the schrader valve on the rail
At this point if you can't get an inline pressure tester I would suggest you try what @swtrailboss suggested. Try using some starting fluid (sparingly) sprayed into the throttle body while cranking the engine over to see if it fires and tries to run. I want to emphasize, use it sparingly short bursts while turning the engine over.
 
At this point if you can't get an inline pressure tester I would suggest you try what @swtrailboss suggested. Try using some starting fluid (sparingly) sprayed into the throttle body while cranking the engine over to see if it fires and tries to run. I want to emphasize, use it sparingly short bursts while turning the engine over.
If that doesn’t work what would you suggest is the problem, timing? Bad battery/alternator? Or a bad ground or relay
 
If that doesn’t work what would you suggest is the problem, timing? Bad battery/alternator? Or a bad ground or relay
Well to rule out the battery I would use another vehicle and jumper cables to boost your battery when trying to start it unless you have a jump box or battery charger available. Alternator isn't going to stop it from starting (only keep it from maintaining a charge on the battery). If starting fluid does not make it fire and run momentarily then I would suspect a timing issue of some kind, possibly something mechanical, (timing chain/gears)..
 
I went to start my Jeep today and got nothing. No power, no lights on the dash, no clicks. I got a new battery 1.5 years ago so I am thinking it is not bad. I ordered new terminals but for the time being I will attempt to clean them. They don't visibly look corroded and I spread dielectric grease all over them when I installed the battery. Any thought on what could be going on?
 
I went to start my Jeep today and got nothing. No power, no lights on the dash, no clicks. I got a new battery 1.5 years ago so I am thinking it is not bad. I ordered new terminals but for the time being I will attempt to clean them. They don't visibly look corroded and I spread dielectric grease all over them when I installed the battery. Any thought on what could be going on?

Quick update: I took off the connects to the terminal and they are clean metal. Not a spot of corrosion. There is no response at all from the Jeep when I turn the key. Could my alternator have gone bad and my battery depleted?

I don't have jumper cable at my apartment so I don't know if she starts. I will get some tomorrow (post memorial day).

If not the alternator could it be some sort of relay or fuse that has gone bad?
 
Kind of late to this thread but my TJ wont start so here I am. I was coming back from Kroger when my jeep wouldn't crank at all. The odometer lights came on and then shut off, followed by the gauges going haywire. I tried getting a jump but it still did not turn on. Load tested the battery and it had 12.6v and still had CCA in the 800's. Starter was replaced a month ago so I checked the connections and they looked fine so I moved on. I tried using force to insert the key into the ignition and it finally cranked and turned on. This led me to thinking it was my ignition switch. I got the jeep home and replaced the ignition switch. While it was out, I checked the ignition actuator pin as well visually and there was nothing broken off of the pin. After replacing the ignition switch, the jeep is still having the same problem. However now, when the key is in the lock position a repetitive clicking noise starts coming from behind the wheel. (I have a video for reference.) Another thing is, the movement of the key is a lot stiffer in the ignition cylinder. What could be my problem? I am thinking about replacing my actuator just to see if that is the problem, but I would hate to spend money on it and then be left with the same problem.
 
Kind of late to this thread but my TJ wont start so here I am. I was coming back from Kroger when my jeep wouldn't crank at all. The odometer lights came on and then shut off, followed by the gauges going haywire. I tried getting a jump but it still did not turn on. Load tested the battery and it had 12.6v and still had CCA in the 800's. Starter was replaced a month ago so I checked the connections and they looked fine so I moved on. I tried using force to insert the key into the ignition and it finally cranked and turned on. This led me to thinking it was my ignition switch. I got the jeep home and replaced the ignition switch. While it was out, I checked the ignition actuator pin as well visually and there was nothing broken off of the pin. After replacing the ignition switch, the jeep is still having the same problem. However now, when the key is in the lock position a repetitive clicking noise starts coming from behind the wheel. (I have a video for reference.) Another thing is, the movement of the key is a lot stiffer in the ignition cylinder. What could be my problem? I am thinking about replacing my actuator just to see if that is the problem, but I would hate to spend money on it and then be left with the same problem.
Another thing, If i try to turn my headlights on the gauges on the dash bounce up and down.
 
So it DID start when you jumped it? That's what I'm getting from this sentence at least.



But now you're saying it doesn't start?

I'm confused.
What he said is he used his method of jumping via the started relay to verify this component was not the culprit of his none starting issue. Im not I understood how he came to this conclusion ( that by bypassing other aspects of the starter relay he knows only the issue lies within those few components and not in the fuel delivery system or some other circuit) but I can say he started his vehicle with the starter relay removed and thinks its part of this other issue he’s trying to diagnose.
 
My problems; though Ive many triumphs, starts with a faulty gas gauge: it would dance on the dash as I was driving. I followed some advice from this posting https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/gas-gauge-not-working.3811/page-2 regarding my issue but now afterwards I’m live (seems like power on dash/fuel/lights) but not start/crank. I found a blown fuse (repalced) and checked all my voltage, I may have a dead ignition switch: I got zero with start w/ pos small bolt on starter and neg post. I have already (recently replaced all ignition pin, starter, battery, alternator, belts blah blah fuel pump in five yrs but not to Bosch). Ti complicate things I have an ignition interlock device that before this fuels system hookup connection and “system” short worked fine (would turn on with Ignition “ON”)is now dead? When i turn on power I get normal dash except fuel pump (gauge). Is this sole an ignition switch issue?
Thx u
 
My problems; though Ive many triumphs, starts with a faulty gas gauge: it would dance on the dash as I was driving. I followed some advice from this posting https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/gas-gauge-not-working.3811/page-2 regarding my issue but now afterwards I’m live (seems like power on dash/fuel/lights) but not start/crank. I found a blown fuse (repalced) and checked all my voltage, I may have a dead ignition switch: I got zero with start w/ pos small bolt on starter and neg post. I have already (recently replaced all ignition pin, starter, battery, alternator, belts blah blah fuel pump in five yrs but not to Bosch). Ti complicate things I have an ignition interlock device that before this fuels system hookup connection and “system” short worked fine (would turn on with Ignition “ON”)is now dead? When i turn on power I get normal dash except fuel pump (gauge). Is this sole an ignition switch issue?
Thx u
resolved through an issue this dui device.
 
2004 Jeep Wrangler, inline 6, 166K miles and daily driver. Several years ago, I had the battery cables replaced because of corrosion issues. The shop that did the work was sloppy and left the old cables cut, disconnected and dangling. I thought it was sloppy work but did not complain because I thought it was just cosmetic. I thought because these were disconnected on both ends that there would be no risk of shorting something out.

Fast-forward about 2 years. Been having intermittent starting problems. Cold start seems to be getting a little rough to turn over (relative to normal). I decide to just keep an eye on it. From a warm start, after a quick trip to the store for example, the start is even rougher. I’m starting to get worried that I might end up getting stranded somewhere. But the next morning on a cold start, all seems well. I had noticed this for a week or 2 and was just monitoring the situation. Battery is less than one year old at this point.

I try to do the easy things – replace air filter. Makes no difference. One morning, it won’t crank at all and all the gauges are bouncing when I try to start. I’m late already so I take another vehicle. As a precaution, I order a new starter, ignition switch and clutch safety switch just in case.

That evening, I decide to try the old bang-on-the-starter-with-a-hammer to diagnose the starter. It doesn’t work. I get to poking around inside the hood just looking for something amiss. I note the old, cut positive cable just dangling so I attach it to the engine block ground and try again. It turns right over but will not stay running unless the accelerator is depressed. I poke around some more and find the old negative cable just dangling. So, I attach it to the engine block together with the positive and try again. The engine starts and it runs good as new! While it is running, I remove both loose cables and it stays running. I drive around the neighborhood and park.

Next day, it starts up just fine and so I drive it to work. I go out to lunch and it starts fine. When I leave at the end of the day, it starts fine. I make one stop on the way home and again it starts fine every time. I make it home and park. Later, I need to run an errand and it won’t start. It is the same problem as before, it won’t crank at all. I reconnect the black cable. Same thing happens. It turns right over but won’t stay running. I reconnect the red cable. Once again, all is well. I disconnect the cables and it stays running.

What the heck is going on?
 
Hi All. I'm a member of the WrangerlForum, just found the TJ.

I have a new to me 2003. 4.0, automatic. 1 owner prior to myself. In Feb I began having start issues. Per auto zone's advice, replaced the alternator. Worked for a few days. Problem returned, took it to a mechanic that I've never used (out of town). He advised the the PCM was going bad. That was a headache. Bought one on ebay and had wrangerlfixllc repair/program. No issues, has been running like a champ. Two weeks ago, had a slow crank but start, and then no crank. Replaced the battery at that time. Started and drove fine for the weekend. Sat for a week, went to fire it up last night. Nothing. No click from starter. It did ding once or twice, and the gas/break/seatbelt/check gages lights flashed then nothing. (it is not low on gas and break is not on). The random lights are a bit of a concern. That was one of the first issues that pointed to pcm going out.

I have a volt meter coming via amazon tomorrow, going to start with checking the batter is charged. At this point its easier then me pulling it and taking it back to the shop I purchased it. Also going to try to jump it. Little confused that the new battery would be dead after only a week, so goes the relationship I have with the jeep thus far. Feels like a stray dog I'm trying to domesticate and every time I get close I get bit. It is my second jeep, and selling my first was the worst mistake I've ever made. I'm learning a lot from this one.

I haven't noticed the mentioned issues that would point to ignition switch pin. I can pull the key out while driving and it stays running. (thought I was going to die the first time they fell out.)

The connectors to the battery are clean and free of corrosion.

I do know there is a multifunction switch in the steering column that needs to be replaced. At this point the only symptom of that is the hazard lights occasionally coming on when I turn off my turn signal.

Thanks for any/all input.

Also, if anyone is in North West Louisiana/Arkansas, let me know, could use a few Jeep friends!