jazzyjeeper

Hi y’all, I’m having some issues with my starter after getting my Peugeot transmission swapped out for the AX15. A friend suggested that I might need a different starter to fit the new transmission properly. I’ve been driving for 8 or so months with the new transmission and started having issues with the starter not engaging a few months ago. Usually it would start on the 2nd or 3rd try but yesterday I had to try maybe 15 times before it would start. I’m running a 4.0 manual 89 Eliminator. I just took out the starter and the teeth don’t look mangled. I believe the starter is about 3 years old. Any ideas here? Thanks!

It's a manual. Thanks, will check out the terminals. Lights that I'm seeing come on are the brake indicator and arrows for the turn signals in the dash, and front and rear side markers. No running lights, brake lights, or headlights.

I probed the headlight switch harness, and there was only power at terminal D. This was with the truck off- is that the correct way of testing? Also probed the headlight harness with the switch on, truck off, and no power there. I probed the fuses the other day and there was no power to the Flash to pass fuse, Hz/stop, Park LPS, and INST LPS. So it should be something between the fuse box and battery as you said? What should I look for there? Thanks again for any advice, even with the electrical manual in front of me I am not sure how to troubleshoot as electrical stuff is new to me

Maybe I should have started here... the red and white wires near the center go nowhere, and the yellow toward the upper right has been snipped. Also I don't like that black box hanging down like that, where is that supposed to be secured?

They didn't. Not sure if this offers any clues but security camera footage showed the guy driving off within 15 minutes of getting inside. They also got my club off somehow so they didn't spend too much time with it, whatever they did. Maybe I'll post a picture looking up into the kick panel area because there are a few dangling wires. It's always been a mess in there. I'm not finding any info on the circuit breaker, anyone know where that would be? Going to try again and test for power at the harnesses this time. Will also check the ground on the driver side headlight. Any other grounds I should look for? The switch harness and headlight harness should be hot at all times, right?

Just stuck my head under and it is engaging the switch.

I don't. The only noise I hear is right where the signal lever meets the column, when I release it back into place there is a click. The brights don't turn on when I do this and the lever doesn't stay in the brights on position. Was trying to think of an event that may have caused this, could it be related to braking since the brake lights are also out? I did really slam on the brakes a few days ago which I don't usually do. Could that have upset the brake light switch and triggered the other issues?

Checked my fuses, there is no power on the Flash to pass fuse, Hz/stop, Park LPS, and INST LPS. I looked at the starter relay, didn't see anything that jumped out as being damaged or corroded. I replaced the starter relay about 9 months ago. What I did probe there lit up but I wasn't sure which one was link J. The fusible links are pretty crowded so I didn't get a direct prod at everything.

I just looked, trying to understand the headlamp troubleshooting table- so does Fuse Link J connect at the starter relay? And the rest of the terminals described are in the headlight harness? Just realized the easyID fuses will only tell me if the fuse is blown, not if there's no power Will check!

Ok. Just took another look, I replaced the fuses with the easyID fuses today to make things easier for me, and didn't see any indicator lights just now. And no, I haven't done the relay harness upgrade yet. When I replaced the switch I tried to see if there were any signs of damage- it was pretty up there in the dash but from what I could tell I didn't see any melting. I cleaned it with some electrical cleaner and greased it up when I plugged the new switch in. Thanks both for your tips! I hope I can figure it out but starting to think I might need an expert to step in - in person.

I haven't checked for power at the headlamp switch, would I need to probe the switch harness to do that? Oof it was not fun getting in there!

I replaced all of them except the Transmission and Gauges fuses unless I'm missing any? The fuse box in the kick panel is the only fuse location on the 89 right?

Hi all, last I posted my truck had been stolen, and miraculously it made its way back to me, nearly unscathed. Dealing with my insurance was such a drawn out nightmare that I never posted an update about finding it. When I got it back it wasn't starting, and a shop diagnosed it as a fuel pump issue. They noted some electrical stuff that had been tampered with but after they replaced the fuel pump it was starting so they just made a note to see an electrician if issues arose. Well since then, I've been driving it for about three months, and I've had a few issues. Not sure if this is related or not. So yeah, the other night I went to drive home and my headlights wouldn't turn on. No brights either, but turn signals work. The dash is dark, except turn arrows when I hit those. The instrument gauges do work. I read other headlight threads and checked/cleaned my headlight wiring harness, replaced all my fuse box fuses except for the 7.5's, and replaced the headlight switch. When I rotate the headlight switch I do get the light by the kick panel so it's doing something. I am stumped. Does this also mean my rear/brake lights are out? Am I a doof and it's one of the 7.5 fuses? I bought a mixed box of em and got home and realized there weren't any of that amperage. I have a continuity tester but am new to electrical stuff. Any tips appreciated!!

Hello friends, my Comanche was stolen last night from 20th street in the mission District of San Francisco. It was teal with a white camper shell. Please call me if you have spotted it. 434-960-2459 Thank you, Jasmine

Thanks y'all!!

Well I moved and started a new job in October and never got a chance to post pics of the restoration and paint job. This thing was real beat up, dents and body damage and a rusty roof, pretty mangled front bumper and the back was messed up too. Bobby Morris in Charlottesville, VA did a real number on it. In THREE WEEKS. The man is amazing. Highly recommend him to anyone in the area!! I'm over the moon

Finally got to taking another look and tried out my spare key just in case, it's in much better condition than the one I was using. And voila it cranked and started!! @EUREKA Fern canyon, even the name sounds beautiful! @Pete M yes the headlights turn on, but now I've lost all my dash lights. @OldSch88L yep the battery to solenoid has a fusible link. Hopefully that's the end of starting issues. Now on to all my other little to-do's. Horn, dash lights, fuel gauge... more CC reading ahead!

Thanks for the tips @EUREKA! I think I’m going to take some time watching videos and picking apart what’s described in the thread you shared above. I also have a copy of the factory electrical service manual. All new territory for me which is exciting albeit a little intimidating haha. So I take it you’re in Eureka? I’m new to NorCal, and hoping to plan a visit over to Arcata soon.

Yep this is on my 89 MJ. There is no cranking when I turn the key. I looked for an orange wire floating around near the origin of the black/white and green but all I see is a whole slew of colored wires that look like they’ve lost their original bunches, all bunched together in the area below the relay. I’ll try looking some more! For troubleshooting, would next step be measuring voltage at the terminals on the relay? I have a multimeter but not a lot of experience using it. Any recs for starting to study the electrical system?

Went by Auto Zone last weekend looking for a horn relay and some fuses, got back in my truck and she wouldn't start. Not cranking at all luckily there was a mechanic across the street who took a look for me, tested the battery, and said he thought it was the starter relay. I couldn't find a new relay that day so he showed me how to touch the green wire to the nut on the relay to get it going in the meantime. I just got the new relay and swapped it in this evening. I cleaned the grime with electronic cleaner, applied dielectric grease. Pretty sure I got all the wires back on correctly, except for the orange wire for the fuel pump, which had ripped off the old relay, and is nowhere to be seen. The wires under the hood are kind of a mess in general. So. I was hoping it would start, but still nada. Is the missing orange wire my problem? Trying to think what else it could be! I had poked around and pulled out the horn relay before it started giving me trouble. Could I have moved something under the dash that would be causing the issue? Once we got it going with the wire my very worn key fell out of the key lock and the engine kept running. Could the worn key be the culprit? And am I gonna mess stuff up if I keep using this wire to nut starting hack? This is a manual transmission, 4.0 liter inline six engine.

Reunited with my truck after a hiatus. Never posted pics of the bench I upholstered last year and my quartz shifter knob (my artsy side is starting to come out). Pretty happy with them. I also made new sun visors and got some help with the headliner. Below are two pics of the restoration job currently being done. It's going to look like a whole new truck soon.

1989 Comanche Eliminator 6 cylinder, 4.0 L engine, manual transmission Located in Central Virginia, but not for long. Currently in good driving condition and getting some restoration work done. Unique notes: I put in a bench seat with a custom cover I upholstered, and a quartz shifter knob. Owner is me Here she is loaded down on the road in Utah~

Oh man thanks for offering! My sidekick's destination was actually Richmond, and I parked it in Charlottesville. The other half of the story that I haven't mentioned yet is that I'm leaving the country today for a year for school so sadly I won't be able to work on the truck for a while. Sounds like my dad has some interest though, I might try to get him on here. He's going to try to sort out the slave stuff and drive it occasionally while I'm gone. Hahhh But yes, amazing advice all around, I couldn't have done it without y'all! I'm glad I took the truck on the drive, despite the challenges. I will be anticipating my reunion with her! Gonna do a paint job eventually and who knows what else.

Thanks guys. Ended up calling my last AAA tow to get us the last leg. In a perfect world would have used your tips but we were kinda in the middle of nowhere and both had to get to our destination tonight. Fixes to be continued!

Where is the bell house? If I poured clutch fluid in could I drive for a while?