Electrical nightmare

[brigarpeon]

Do you have power on both sides of the blue fusible link, on the RED wire, that goes from the starter relay to the alternator?

Auto Zone or Advanced Auto Parts can check both the Battery condition and the Alternator output if you don't have a multimeter. Did you try a battery known to be good and pull off the positive cable?

 

If the truck runs with the positive off, I have to agree with mvusse sounds like a battery. Remember the truck you sold me? That battery was dead when you brought it. The next day I jumped it and got it started, even after the truck ran (tho rough) for 45 mins, when I shut it down it had no charge. I jumped it again and took off the positive terminal the truck ran on so the alternator was good. I put the battery charger on it, I have the fancy one w/ all the bells and whistles, and it told me the battery had an internal short. I took it out and replaced it, the truck started right up and has kept itself charged.

[WahooSteeler]

When I grabbed each wire around it to see if there were any loose connections, they were all tight but whaddaya know, lights and electric fan came on.

 

Thanks for all the info guys. I've been printing all the diagnostic suggestions out to perform. Now that I can get it jumped again, I'll probably take it to Advance and get them to test the battery and alt on the spot. I think I've got a multi-meter lying around, but assuming it's the battery I can get it changed out on the spot.

 

However, and not to discount your opinions, as noted in the quote of my own statement above, I went from a "no lights on, no power, no nothing" status to a little jiggle of something all of a sudden giving me lights, key buzzer, elec. fan on. That to me screams something other than dead battery cell.

[brigarpeon]

When I grabbed each wire around it to see if there were any loose connections, they were all tight but whaddaya know, lights and electric fan came on.

 

Thanks for all the info guys. I've been printing all the diagnostic suggestions out to perform. Now that I can get it jumped again, I'll probably take it to Advance and get them to test the battery and alt on the spot. I think I've got a multi-meter lying around, but assuming it's the battery I can get it changed out on the spot.

 

However, and not to discount your opinions, as noted in the quote of my own statement above, I went from a "no lights on, no power, no nothing" status to a little jiggle of something all of a sudden giving me lights, key buzzer, elec. fan on. That to me screams something other than dead battery cell.

 

I start to worry about a guy that quotes himself on a forum :nuts:

 

You're right about it might be something else, like the power junction block you found behind the headlight. I guess I just assumed that you would take the leads off clean the corrosion and repack it with dielectric grease and eliminate that much of your issue. :dunno: It's the same as a battery terminal that needs cleaned for maintenance.

When I wiggle and jiggle and it makes something happen that didn't before, I try to find out why.

[WahooSteeler]

LOL yeah I thought the self-quote was strange, but easier to reference than re-typing etc. No corrosion issues on battery terminals or junction block, hence no mention of cleaning and reconnecting with dielectric goo. That's my point, since all the leads were on tight, no corrosion, I'm still searching for the reason why the vaunted "jiggle test" produces said results LOL! I'll report back later...........

[87ComancheLB]

Hey WahooSteeler, I'm in the same boat what up with these weird problems. I just change out my valve cover gasket and I notice yesterday it was running kind of rough, so today I started her up seems to be running ok now, did have a hard time starting this morning like the battery ran down a little, but it fired right up ran it for a while to check for oil leaks and to recharge the battery. When I tried to start her up again I got nothing, all electrical working ok. So I thought maybe my battery crap out or something so I decided to take the battery out of avalanche swapped it out, but still nothing like the starter solenoid not getting any juice. I havent checked the fusible link but why would that have opened up? :headpop:

 

Did you ever figure out the problem?

[brigarpeon]

Have you guys checked the braided strand ground strap that goes from the firewall to the engine block? They don't start if it's broken, burnt through or has a bad ground at the engine block more often than the firewall.

[WahooSteeler]

I think I've identified the main area of the problem(s), and hopefully this weekend I can finish it up since I've been gone the last two weekends. It is either the battery cables or the starter relay block. Whenever I jiggle either of those, my interior lights and such will come on. However, something is still drawing the whole system down and/or one or both of those problems finally just killed the battery that it won't hold a charge at all, but has enough juice to light up the accessories. I.E., even after I get power flowing to light up the cab and then hook up jumpers for 30+mins, as soon as I turn the key it kills the system.

[87ComancheLB]

Yes I did check pulled on the braided wire seems like it attached pretty good to the block.

[brigarpeon]

Try taking it off and clean the engine block down to bare metal again. If it has a rust build up it can't make a ground connection. However, I did have to change the battery cables on the 87 to get it to start easy. The old ones were very decrepit and made the starter draw like it had a weak battery.

[87ComancheLB]

I did google search this guy had the same freaking problem as mine turned out that the starter soleniod and starter both crap out or he just replace both. I will do the solenoid test to see if it just that.

http://www.virtualjeepclub.com/showthread.php?p=321411

[87ComancheLB]

I left the key on and got a screwdriver and shorted the power wire to the small terminal it turn over but very slowly and the starter was making grinding noise. Junkyard time. :brows:

[87ComancheLB]

Well that was it, man did I get lucky 2 XJ 4.0 missing starter the last XJ with a 4.0 and there she was looks like someone attempted to remove it bottom bolt was already missing $33 w/o warranty $38 with got it just incase but turns out OK can return old one for $5 core good thing JY only about 2 miles away from my home. :cheers:

 

Got to love those pick your butt JY saw the prices for new online at $136!!! :eek:

[WahooSteeler]

Got it fixed!! Duhhhh!! Finally got some time to tinker again yesterday. I thought for sure it was my starter relay, but then I got the wife to turn the ignition while I was up under the hood and I heard the relay click, so I thought "relay is fine, it must be the starter". Checked the wires to the starter solenoid (all good) and banged on the starter a few timesjust to see. Still no crank and the whole system would "shut down" as soon as the key was turned from the "on" position to the "start" position. So one last time I thought I'd check all the wires coming off of the starter relay before I go to buy a new relay, solenoid, and starter (I figure if I gotta replace the starter, I may as well spend an extra few bucks and replace the other items). Even though I had noticed before the hot from the battery to the relay was the tiniest bit loose, this time I tightened the clamp down to be sure and yet it still seemed the same. I take off the clamp and whaddayaknow, the hot to the relay is broken about halfway through, but basically only under the clamp because the strands had spread out and individually were pinched by the clamp. I.E. to the naked eye the strands showing on both sides of the clamp looked fine. Soooooooo, only a few strands were carrying juice to the relay, which it turns out was enough that it could complete a circuit and power the low amp interior lights but not enough to energize the relay and therefore the shutdown whenever the key was turned to the start position. A quick cut of the old and strip off some "new" wire, re-attach, and bada-bing, she starts right up. Good thing too, the back was loaded to the hilt with trash and getting a little stanky! :brows:

[HOrnbrod]

Got it fixed!! Duhhhh!! Finally got some time to tinker again yesterday. I thought for sure it was my starter relay, but then I got the wife to turn the ignition while I was up under the hood and I heard the relay click, so I thought "relay is fine, it must be the starter". Checked the wires to the starter solenoid (all good) and banged on the starter a few timesjust to see. Still no crank and the whole system would "shut down" as soon as the key was turned from the "on" position to the "start" position. So one last time I thought I'd check all the wires coming off of the starter relay before I go to buy a new relay, solenoid, and starter (I figure if I gotta replace the starter, I may as well spend an extra few bucks and replace the other items). Even though I had noticed before the hot from the battery to the relay was the tiniest bit loose, this time I tightened the clamp down to be sure and yet it still seemed the same. I take off the clamp and whaddayaknow, the hot to the relay is broken about halfway through, but basically only under the clamp because the strands had spread out and individually were pinched by the clamp. I.E. to the naked eye the strands showing on both sides of the clamp looked fine. Soooooooo, only a few strands were carrying juice to the relay, which it turns out was enough that it could complete a circuit and power the low amp interior lights but not enough to energize the relay and therefore the shutdown whenever the key was turned to the start position. A quick cut of the old and strip off some "new" wire, re-attach, and bada-bing, she starts right up. Good thing too, the back was loaded to the hilt with trash and getting a little stanky! :brows:

 

Glad you got 'er done Wahoo. :cheers:

[Pete M]

I swear that's the number one cause of no-starts at my house. Poor connection at the battery. :roll:

[WahooSteeler]

Heh heh, well, it starts every time now, but as i was working on the radio this evening, i noticed the clock is not getting power when the key is off, i.e. it starts back at 1:00 every time. Suggestions?

[WahooSteeler]

Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

[WahooSteeler]

Getting her aligned (finally) today, needs shims. Since I'll be lifting it 2-3" soon, will I be doing this all over again after the lift. I didn't think of this until after they called me about the shims (dohh!!!).

[BLHTAZ]

Is it not as simple as being sure that the memory wire is connected to a constant hot? ...via a fuse obviously... ;)

 

I am no radio or electrical expert, but that seems logical to me... :chillin:

[WahooSteeler]

I've done zero troubleshooting, thought I'd ask before I dug in, hoping for a simple "just do this".

 

FYI though, the clock is on a 3 or 4 wire harness and pigtail, so not sure how to confirm that "just" the memory wire is ho. The only thing that WOULDN'T be hot all the time is the backlight. That being said, which color wire is the "memory" wire?

[BLHTAZ]

Sorry...wish I could answer that one, but the only times I have ever messed with a radio I always had full printed instructions to go by as I know VERY little about wiring them. I have always avoided doing any type of electrical work unless absolutely forced to do it. ;)

[WahooSteeler]

Radio is good to go, got that all hooked up last night. I'm talking about my factory dash clock..........sorry for the confusion.

[brigarpeon]

Radio is good to go, got that all hooked up last night. I'm talking about my factory dash clock..........sorry for the confusion.

 

The pink wire is the memory wire but just to hep you out alittle Padawa

http://gojeep.willyshotrod.com/HowtoDashClock.htm

[BLHTAZ]

Radio is good to go, got that all hooked up last night. I'm talking about my factory dash clock..........sorry for the confusion.

OHHHH...sorry...I don't have one of those. My truck ain't one dem der fancy ones :cheers: :brows:

[WahooSteeler]

Who you kiddin'?! I'd say yours is purdy fancy. If anything, just purdy!