[Binxalot]

My jeep is a Yj 1993, 4cyl 2.5 liter, red, with manual trans

About a month ago I had a freak incendent where I was driving my jeep and I pulled into a 7eleven. When I came back out to start my jeep all I heard was a click. So I tried to start it again and all it would do is click. I rolled it around to the back of the parking lot and just before I was going to make the AAA call I tried it 1 more time and then it started, I turned it off, then tried and again, and it started again, and again, and again...

It did this to me again yesterday, but I was able to get it started this time by holding a screwdriver to the celynoid (sp). But when I turned it back off and tried to restart it this time it wasnt going to start again.

So I went out today and bought a new starter, changed the starter and it does the same damn thing. It clicks, there are no other noises but a click. It just clicks. I was able to get it to start this afternoon with a screw driver again, but its just a matter time before this happens again.

Any suggestions?

[chupacabrah]

check your connections and grounds. replace your battery terminal connector things. mine did this when i first got it. i cleaned it all up and made sure all the contacts were good, haven't had a problem yet (except for when the starter seized and i had to get a new one, but that's unrelated)

[timatoe]

Originally Posted by chupacabrah

check your connections and grounds. replace your battery terminal connector things. mine did this when i first got it. i cleaned it all up and made sure all the contacts were good, haven't had a problem yet (except for when the starter seized and i had to get a new one, but that's unrelated)

Mine was doing this about a month ago and it turned out to be some light corrosion between the terminal and the cable clamps.

[Binxalot]

I read your post. I removed both the ground wire and the postive red wire and checked both for corrosion, cleaned the terminals and the clamps with a terminal brush, then I scraped any grease or corrosion off of the round clips at the opposite ends and used terminal grease on all of the connections, put everything back as tight as an 18 year old virgin and still no dice.

It makes no sense to me why this is happening, I even ran and extra ground wire from the ground of the starter to the body of the car and it still wont turn, just clicks.

[SonofSam02]

Where did you get your starter from?
It could be a bad solinoid on the new starter
especially if its one from a chain store aka autozone
There was a guy on here a while ago who went threw 3 starters before finding one that worked

[84 400]

had this problem yesterday when tring to start my old truck. turned out to be a loose connection. I also coat my batt termanal connections in copper grease so they won't corrode. as said before if it is off the chain stores it could be a faulty solonied(sp)

good luck with it

[Binxalot]

I've narrowed down the problem with my starter. I got another replacement starter from advance auto parts, had the guy test the starter and it worked.

When I put that starter on and turned the key, same thing, just a click. So I got out my multimeter and started testing voltages.

I get 12.56 volts from the battery.
I get the same reading on the positive lead coming from the battery to the starter.
I get the same coming from the battery to the fuse, and to the starter relay. When I tested the relay terminals I got the same thing, 12.56 volts.

Here is what is driving me freaking crasy. When I test the line coming from the back of the relay to the other postivie lead of the starter (the one that gets 12v from the relay to crank it when you turn the key) I only got 10volts. So I traced that wire through the harness and found a short inside a connection plug near the alternator.

The short melted the plastic plug so I bypassed the plug completely and just ran a wire strait from the back of the relay to the starter. I tested the line (while it was not connected to the starter) and, turned the key it read 12.56 volts.

Here is the kicker, When I attach the same line that read 12.56 volts to the starter and turn the key it only reads 11.11 volts.

Where is the voltage drop coming from? Why does the same line read 12volts when its not connected to the starter and 11volts when its connected. The starter needs the full 12 volts to kick over.

I thought maybe it was because I wasnt using a copper wire at first so I went and changed the non-copper line to a copper line, no dice, still only read 11 volts, so I bought copper wire crimps to connect the lines at the splice, and I get the same reading.

What do I have to do here? It shouldn't really matter what line I use, or what connectors, especially since the line tests 12volts when its not connected to the starter.

Arg...

[doug_1994]

Originally Posted by Binxalot

put everything back as tight as an 18 year old virgin, and still no dice.

Great analogy, prolly sig worthy.


I had the same hapening in my YJ. It was a ground. I cleaned all connections, and haven't had a problem since.

Dead cell in the battery?


Doug

[rustywrangler]

Have you checked the firewall ground to the block? Just throwing that out there.

[dave_dj1]

save yourself any more agrevation and just get new battery cables, those molded ends are where they corrode, went through this same thing on my bro's jeep a short time back, check the voltage at the starter while someone cranks on the key, you will see a severe drop. good luck

[SwearingYeti]

Did you run the same size wire when you bypassed that plug. If it calls for 2 or 3 guage and you ran 6, then that could be it. If you ran the correct sized wire, then I have no clue.

[Binxalot]

I checked with my local jeep dealership and they want $112 for the cables! Anyone know anywhere else I can get them? I checked the local autostores but they have generic replacements and they don't come close in gauge or length to the originals.

[SteveJcoYJ]

on my starter there were socket welded to the bolts holding it on

that was a chuckle for me when i went to remove it

[Binxalot]

Just to recap thus far:

Problem:
Jeep clicks when I go to turn the key the clicking noise is coming from the selenoid on the starter.

Things I've done so far to try and fix it:
Cleaned all terminals, battery terminals, + and - cable ends, sanded the body gound bolt, sanded the firewall + cleaned the torx bolt that connects all of the grounds to the firewall.

Replaced the negative cable with a new one.

Used a multimeter to test voltages around the battery. I get 12.5v on the battery and it retains 12.5v while cranking. I get 12v reading on the big lead from the battery + to the starter + terminal.

Tested relays and they work. (swapped around the relays just to make sure)

Tested the line coming from the back of the relay to the selenoid and found a fault so I replaced that Brown (normally greenwhite) wire going from the starter relay to the S terminal on the selenoid with a piece of new wire. Used copper crimps and copper wire.

I replaced the starter, twice...

I checked the engine to see if it ceased or something dumb like that, but everything turns line normal when I push it while its in gear.

I cursed at the jeep, battery, fuse box, starter, and cables, but still no luck, it just wont start.
----

Tonight I'm going to try and jump it with another car, that way maybe just maybe its the brand new battery I just bought for it. Retest the starter just for funs sake. I'll take a look for a clutch switch but I highly doubt that has anything to do with it. Can anyone else think of anything it might be?

[SwearingYeti]

Could the starter gear be slipping from the flywheel? Just a thought.