Warning tone when key inserted and starter won't actuate

roverhi

roverhi

1 1/4" body lift, 265x70x17 tires.
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Insert key & immediate warning buzzer. Starter motor dead and car stuck in Park. Low mileage 2005 LJ with 42RLE transmission. Have tried disconnecting battery without change. Fuses look okay.

Jeep working fine when forced to leave it for medical reasons. Bought the just before so no familiarity with it. Car sat for 7 months in garage on trickle charger.

Assume the small blade fuses can be pulled out. Tried and they thoroughly stuck. Want to be sure simply pull out without some special trick before getting a bigger hammer.
 
Do the headlights come on with full brightness? What do the headlights do, when switched on, when the ignition switch is turned to the Start position?
 
Immediate buzzer warning if the door is open and the key is inserted is a warning that your key is in the ignition.
If your Jeep has been sitting for seven months, even on a trickle charger your battery is probably mostly dead. Replace the battery.
 
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The open door causes the warning beeper, thanks Jim.

The battery seems fine, lights are bright, but don’t dim when key switched to start. So starter isn’t getting any juice. Interestingly radio has no stations only static but worked fine before. Get an icon on instrument panel of key in circle with a slash through it. Does that have any significance???

Had very little time to get familiar with car before having to leave for mainland so don’t know what should be happening when key is turned. Will check grounds tomorrow but truck has been in garage so not in a corrosive environment and battery terminals clean. Is there a relay that could be causing the problem???

Thanks for everybody’s help so far but keep those cards and letters coming.
 
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Just suggesting the easy stuff. The key in the circle just means you have the sentry type key. It should have the grey plastic cover. No black.
Since it’s an auto, make sure it’s in park, and your foot is on the brake. Foots gotta be on the brake to get it outta park. If it’s the neutral safety switch moving it to neutral might also allow you to start it. I have a manual tranny so I cannot tell you that much about the auto, but there should also be a small hole close to the shifter that you stick a small screwdriver in to release the shifter and let you move it to neutral.
 
Finally got a strong enough anti-biotic so my pneumonia is in retreat and I've had enough energy to do a bit more problem solving on the 'no start' issue.

Still nothing happens when key is turned. Jumped direct from battery to starter solenoid and got nothing. There is some electricity at solenoid as touching the other end of the jumper cables together while attached to the solenoid got a bit of spark. Battery is registering good voltage on dash V meter, headlights strong. Dash lights do dim when key is turned. Someone has been into the harness in the starter area as had to peel off a bit of electrical tape to get at positive lead at solenoid and some other tape in other places in the area. Have pulled all the fuses and relays and reinserted so they should have good contact.

Apparently wasn't pushing hard enough brake to get it out of Park. A little more energy into the brake pedal and shifted through the gear range but no joy in Neutral or Park with the starter.

Could it be a bad starter?? Why would it die from just sitting??
 
Your starter may be stuck. Tap on it with a hammer or wrench.

Also, hook to to another vehicle with jumper cables to rule out weak battery.
 
The bigger hammer theory didn't work though I had high hopes remembering an MG that i had in College that needed regular abuse of the starter in the winter. Mahalo for the tip JKP.

Got a mechanic to come by and check the car out. Not getting spark from the ignition switch though he doesn't that's the problem. He's off studying the factory schematic to see if he can figure what the best place to attach the problem and will be back Monday. Will let you know Fixer6 what he comes up with on the relays but don't think he found anything on the initial go round.
 
The problem was the ignition switch. Why did the damn thing decide to stop working just because it sat for months??? The LT has had long periods of disuse as it only has 28,000 miles and was owned by snow birds who spent the winters here.
 
roverhi said:
Why did the damn thing decide to stop working just because it sat for months???
Click to expand...

Hmm, high humidity, salt air, corrosion on the contacts? You could get some electrical contact cleaner and spray in the old switch and cycle it a few times. You might bring it back from the dead. Or not.
 
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