wont crank :(

[mule13]

ok here's my situation: pulled into popeyes chicken turned truck off(88 manche 4.0)went to leave turn key everything comes on gauges jump etc starter doesnt turn over.its a new starter.maybe a week old from napa. after loosening starter and wiggling etc. finally ussed a screw driver to cross the starter it spun but didnt kick to the flywheel to engage.got a piece of wire and ran from the pos sid eof battery to the little wire on the solenoid and it cranks and starts. i went and got a temporary starter button from carquest and wired it up to start the thing.question: is there a ignition switch in the steering column that needs replaced?also the manche starts without the key in the ignition.it just turns forward and starts(well now it doesnt but it did)the button is working but id like to fix it right anyone know what I'm talking about :)

 

Thanks John

[88pioneer]

check the starter relay ( on the PS of the motor) its got a bunch of wires running out of it. That was my problem on my 89

[mule13]

i went to the napa and asked for a new starter relay and the guy said it didnt show a starter relay.

i know what your talking about i looked at it and wondered what it was. was the only thing i saw that resembled a relay for the starter really. was hoping parts store would hand me a new one. when he said he didnt have a listing for a starter solenoid i was kinda baffled.i'll go to car quest and ask them today or tomorrow. and thanks for the reply.

 

John

[TrailReadyMJ]

Have you looked at the clutch safety switch at the pedal?

 

The solenoid is built onto the starter. This is what the "little wire" attaches to.

 

If you can short the little wire on the starter and get it to work, your problem is not the solinoid.

 

It's a pretty simple circuit. Goes from the Ignition switch start feed, through the clutch switch (or NSS for autos) to the solenoid.

 

These ignition switches are pretty reliable, so my guess is you have a bad clutch switch. If you have a multimeter, you can test the switch to make sure it makes contact with the pedal depressed.

 

At a temporary test you can also short the wires to the switch, but DON'T leave it this way... just asking for trouble!

 

I was working on a BMW one time and the owner had installed a remote start system and bypassed the clutch switch. Well, I parked it in gear, and as I was working on the car (up under the dash) it suddenly started and lurched forward into another car! The owner had failed to inform us of this modification beforehand, so it was considered his fault. Fortunately I was fine, other than about having a heart attack! If it hadn't been parked about a foot behind another car, as you can imagine, it could have been much worse!

[Geonovast]

I have never seen a clutch switch on anything older than 96. Neither my Renix XJs had them, and neither of my 91 MJs have them either.

[mule13]

i bought a new key switch and a new ignition switch today,will install them tomorrow if i can get the key switch out. also i guess the ignition switch is somewhere on the column too. i read somewhere to lower the steering column and its on it. i'll do that tomorrow.

hopefully one of those fixes the problem.i'm almost sure its the ignition switch,sometimes after ive driven it for a few minutes it will start using the key,sometimes not,if itys sat more than say an hour it won't start with the key(this is based only on the last 3 days anyway)

[Geonovast]

You shouldn't need to replace the key tumbler to replace the ignition switch. The tumbler is somewhat of a pain to get at if you don't have the right tools, the ignition switch itself is at the base of the column, outside the column. Should just be a rod going from up in the column to the switch.

[TrailReadyMJ]

I have never seen a clutch switch on anything older than 96. Neither my Renix XJs had them, and neither of my 91 MJs have them either.

 

Yep... I had looked in my FSM, where it listed a clutch switch in the wiring diagrams. However after looking at it, turns out it was for cruise control. :doh:

 

X2 on the switch location. The key part is completely separate from the electrical, connected by rods.

[mule13]

my key tumbler was bad too,thats why i bought it too. wish i would have read this post before i started what a pia that was lol.

i never did get that little retaining ring back in place,i pushed it down as far as i could with a socket then put the steering wheel back on and hope it pushed it far enough to set the retainer in place. i drove it and it did ok so i guess its alright.the guy at advance auto gave me the wrong ignition switch so i couldnt replace that.so i'm still using the push button to start it.