My TJ won't start!!!

rdiller · #1 (**permalink**) 07-20-2003, 07:00 PM

I replaced the ignition system this weekend. I had a little bit of a problem, but after figuring out where to get a good ignition wire from... she started up fine. I ran it for a little... and drove it a little... seemed fine. Not the thing has always had a rough time starting... even in the summer I have to turn the key over for awhile before it'll start. This morning I went out to goto work and it wouldn't start... the starter kept just running and I watched the battery drain... but one weird thing is that I would stop, watch the battery gage go back up, drop back to nothing and then come back up... very weird. I checked my connections... they all seem fine. Could it be that the battery is just losing it? I run alot of power out of it... (Fog Lamps, Stereo, Amp, and now ignition system...) could it just be that the battery just doesn't have enough in it to do the job??? Or is it the starter? I'm so confused...

Please help!! I have no way to get to work tomorrow unless I fix it tonight!

Ryan

97 TJ

[addsig]

dingus · #2 (**permalink**) 07-20-2003, 07:00 PM

does the starter start at a high speed, and the slow down in accordance with the battery level dropping? if so i'd bet its the battery. [addsig]

RAVEN13xxx · #3 (**permalink**) 07-20-2003, 07:00 PM

Are you getting fuel???? If not, TJ's are know to have weak fuel pumps (there even an unpublished recall on them). [addsig]

JoeBishop · #4 (**permalink**) 07-20-2003, 07:00 PM

The best idea that you could do would be to test your battery. I know they make battery testers if not take it to a mechanic if you know anybody that you trust with it. Also you might want to check the connectors to the battery. Depending upon the year there might be alot of corrosion on the tips if so get a wire brush and clean it off. You are running alot of toys on your jeep you might want to consider investing in dual batteries i had to do that for my blazer for it to run properly. gl [img]modules/phpBB_14/images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img] [addsig]

birkie48 · #5 (**permalink**) 07-20-2003, 07:00 PM

I have a 98 TJ and the same thing happened to me last spring. On damp mornings it just wouldn't start. I'd come back at lunch time and it would start normally. As a last resort before I had it towed to a garage I replaced the wires and it made all the difference in the world. Don' be cheap, buy the best you can find.[addsig]