Elwiscon Posted September 22 Share Posted September 22 Help! Finally got the truck back from the paint shop, I was able to start it, drive it on and off the trailer back into my shop. A couple days ago the 6 year old battery started having issues (low charge), which is expected. Yesterday I attempted to jump start it, and, (yes i screwed up) I connected the jumping cables backwards, noticed it when I heard and saw the sparking, connected it again, this time with the correct polarity. Then i tried starting it, no crank, no big deal I thought, need a new battery. I replaced it this morning, same issue, no crank when i attempted starting it. I checked the fuses under the dash, didn’t find any blown fuses, I will do other tests when I get a chance. What could it be? A)——-Damaged ECU? B)——damaged starter relay*? C)——fusible links? D)——starter*? E)——-Ignition coil*? F)——-all of the above? *parts less than a 1 year old Truck was running better than ever, smooth start, idling, throttle response, etc. Did the Jeep Cables replacement under the hood, refreshed grounds etc and it has worked great until I screwed up (damn!!) Truck isn’t drivable as I have the interior taken apart but everything else works as expected. Hopefully someone can point me in the right direction? Don’t want to waste a lot of time troubleshooting this but need to get it fixed before I re assemble the body and interior. Thanks! 1989 4.0 manual comanche Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tex06 Posted September 22 Share Posted September 22 Would check fuses and fusible link if you still have one installed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elwiscon Posted September 23 Author Share Posted September 23 2 hours ago, Tex06 said: Would check fuses and fusible link if you still have one installed. I'll get to the fuse links, one of the things I left untouched when I replaced the rest of the mai wires (alternator, battery, etc) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elwiscon Posted September 26 Author Share Posted September 26 I tested everything i can think of, Fusible links are ok, relay and connections are in good working order, there’s 12V power to the starter and starter solenoid when key is turned so I’m concluding the starter solenoid failed, I will replace the starter when i get chance. Hopefully thats it, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle_SX4 Posted September 26 Share Posted September 26 Parts stores can test your starter. Just take it off and bring it in, they have a bench tester. Then you will know for sure before your order a new one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elwiscon Posted September 27 Author Share Posted September 27 11 hours ago, Eagle_SX4 said: Parts stores can test your starter. Just take it off and bring it in, they have a bench tester. Then you will know for sure before your order a new one. Took it to NAPA, they supposedly tested it and said it works, I connected it directly to my MJ battery and nothing, even connected it to my work van HD battery and doesn’t work so the only way to find out is try a new one, we’ll see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle_SX4 Posted September 27 Share Posted September 27 5 minutes ago, Elwiscon said: Took it to NAPA, they supposedly tested it and said it works, I connected it directly to my MJ battery and nothing, even connected it to my work van HD battery and doesn’t work so the only way to find out is try a new one, we’ll see. I believe the 4.0 starters are grounded through the starter body. + 12 volts get put to the large terminal. With switched + 12 volts added to the small trigger wire to engage the starter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elwiscon Posted September 27 Author Share Posted September 27 5 minutes ago, Eagle_SX4 said: I believe the 4.0 starters are grounded through the starter body. + 12 volts get put to the large terminal. With switched + 12 volts added to the small trigger wire to engage the starter. Correct, theres only 2 wires to the starter, the smaller ignition from the relay and the larger constant power from the battery or relay stud, have constant voltage and voktrage on the ignition once the key is turned, the body/casing is the ground, checked all, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elwiscon Posted September 28 Author Share Posted September 28 Turns out the starter solenoid was the culprit, after testing everything I could think of I found out that the solenoid wasn’t engaging, not even with a direct connection. Took the starter to NAPA, they tested it and didn’t work, to my surprise they gave me a free replacement (lifetime warranty), I installed it in less than 15 minutes, connected the battery turned the key and it cranked nicely. Turns out reversing jumper cable polarity damages starter solenoids, at least that was my case Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now