Jeep won't start- In need of help

[jsreichard]

Well, my husband and I spent the day working on our jeep. We still can not get it to start. We thought maybe it was the alternator, but we can't even get it to jump start. When we turn the key over it just clicks. the battery is good. ( we tried your method Chriss and touched the jumper cables together.) Got good spark. We have lights inside the Jeep and we have headlights, but when we turn the key everything goes dead. The headlights, the inside lights and even the heater fan. Could it be the computer again? I am at a loss. It has burned through 2 other computers in less than a year. If this one is bad then that will make 3. Why would a Jeep burn through 3 computers?

 

[bobcat481]

Bad Ground.....had the EXACT same problem with the IDM on my F-250. I burnt 2 computers up in 1 year, found the ground on the firewall, cleaned it a bingo, no problems since then. Now, when the ground gets corroded, it will mis-out and drop to idle, then I know it's time to clean the ground again. I burnt the 2 comps. before hand because I let the bad ground problem go too long without knowing it was a ground problem. If the comp. is out, try this guy. Rebuilt computers for 1/3 the price of new with a 1 year warranty. AutoComputer Exchange 1-888-664-8787
He's out of Davie (sp?), Florida He's where I got my last 2. He even replaced the next to last one that went out cause of the bad ground. Good dude. Later, Brad

 

[jsreichard]

Well, I wish it would be that simple. I could just cry right now because we towed it to the mechanic and he called to tell us the motor is seized up. I am beside myself! RIP little orange Jeep! I am really going to miss it!

 

[bobcat481]

What happened? Did he say? Is he B.S.ing you?

 

[SteelHeadz]

Sounds fishy to me. I would remove the starter and turn the engine at the crankshaft pulley with a socket and a wrench. I've seen starter gears stuck on the flywheel and all it would do is click and not turn over. If you try to turn the crankshaft it feels like the engine is seized.

 

[Operation 4x4]

Well, I wish it would be that simple. I could just cry right now because we towed it to the mechanic and he called to tell us the motor is seized up. I am beside myself! RIP little orange Jeep! I am really going to miss it!

Don't listen, might be b.s-ing. I agree with steelheadz and you might want to try his method. But now that you mention the computer is failing a bad ground is probably whats causing that. The thing is you need to find it. Try taking it to an electrician. That happened to me once and my friend (whose an electrician) found the bad ground right away. Dont give up, its not over till its over.

All the best,
Chris

 

[JPNinPA]

Sorry it took me so long to get back to everyone. It took quite awhile and a lot of things got changed, but it was the computer, again. This time we sent away for a rebuilt one with a life time warranty. I hope that is the last we will have to deal with that. Now today we have a new problem. It shut off while my husband was driving it and won't restart. He said all the lights went dim and it just shut off. He is thinking alternator, what do you guys say? He tried to restart it and it just clicks. They tried to jump it and nothing. Thanks everyone for all of your help. I really hope I can get my baby back on the road again. It took us off and on 3 months to figure out what was wrong the first time and a lot of money changing this and that. hope this fix will be alot easier.

Just clicking is usually a battery issue.

The engine just quit. No sputtering rough idle and no codes?? Being jumping it didn't work you may want to check all the grounds. I did some work a while back and didn't attach my neg bat terminal and it would shut off while driving...

To be a bit more technical: If you could place a volt meter across the battery while off it should be 12.65V any less and it is showing signs of discharge. 12V or below is dead. With the engine running you should read 13.5 to 14.5V across the terminals. This is the charging from the alternator. At this point a simple all on (lights, radio, fan...) and revving the engine will tell if the alternator is charging enough. If the lights dim and get brighter when reving the engine you're underpowered or there is an issue with the alternator.

 

[tp=n=yj]

I was told the same thing and all i got was a click. So i said bull.and it turn out to be the atfer market neg clamp the one that has the two bolts on top . The wire was bad at that point. I cut a inch off and it start.and running fine. Unless you drive with no oil. .your motor is not bad .?may be bad mechanic.i thing operation 4x4 is on the right track bad ground. You can hook a jumper cable on engine and neg battery post. I,ll buy if giving away. It is not the motor.

 

[tp=n=yj]

Sorry should have said bobcat 481 and operation 4x4 bad ground

 

[jsreichard]

You know, I have been thinking alot about it being the motor or not. When we went to go and pick it up from where the Jeep had died on my husband the guy there tried to help us get it started and he put this huge battery charger on it with a jumper pack. Anyway at first nothing, just the click and then they played with the battery terminals some and it tried to start once and then after that just click. When it shut off on my husband it made no noise. He said he was driving along and it just shut off. I mean maybe I am wrong, but if a motor suddenly seized up wouldn't there be some kind of noise? Also the one other thing that has bothered me is what does a bad motor have to do with all of the lights shutting off when you turn the key and hear the click? The lights are on before that and as soon as you turn the key to start they all go out. It just shouts to me that it is wrong. We haven't brought it home from the mechanics yet, but you can be sure that when we do I will tell my husband what you said. I am heartbroken over my Jeep. Everyone thinks I am crazy because it is old, has high miles and starting to rust in a few place (just surface) and lately we have put a great deal of money into it, but I want it back.

 

[tp=n=yj]

I will bet if clean the battery terminals .ibet you can drive her home. There is a ground strap on the back of engine block and it screws to firewall. Witch grounds . Computer,lights,horn, radio.but it all starts at neg battery post. So clean both. I know you got b.s. If engine turn at all. It,s 100% not the motor.

 

[JPNinPA]

You know, I have been thinking alot about it being the motor or not. When we went to go and pick it up from where the Jeep had died on my husband the guy there tried to help us get it started and he put this huge battery charger on it with a jumper pack. Anyway at first nothing, just the click and then they played with the battery terminals some and it tried to start once and then after that just click. When it shut off on my husband it made no noise. He said he was driving along and it just shut off. I mean maybe I am wrong, but if a motor suddenly seized up wouldn't there be some kind of noise? Also the one other thing that has bothered me is what does a bad motor have to do with all of the lights shutting off when you turn the key and hear the click? The lights are on before that and as soon as you turn the key to start they all go out. It just shouts to me that it is wrong. We haven't brought it home from the mechanics yet, but you can be sure that when we do I will tell my husband what you said. I am heartbroken over my Jeep. Everyone thinks I am crazy because it is old, has high miles and starting to rust in a few place (just surface) and lately we have put a great deal of money into it, but I want it back.

I had an odd experience this past Friday jumping a co workers truck. I connected to my positive terminal and to the alt ground. Nice big spark when connecting his truck. But we couldn't get it started. When we connected the jumpers to the terminals only no issue started right up.
So, Have you tried cleaning the battery terminals and checking the grounds?? What you've typed states they wiggled the wires and it tried.

I've overheated an engine because of a clogged radiator once. It sputtered poped and pinged before shutting off. I've seen an engine seize from no oil. It made a heck of a racket. Although it seized once it was shut off.

If it is seized the lights dimming is due to the starter acting like a short and drawing on the battery when starting. The lights will dim.

 

[Weylyn]

Hey Jen. From what has been described by you, It can be a few things. I want to keep it simple though. Grounds I am gonna rule out. No offence but grounds ain't a issue in this instance. The battery is good you say. Lots of spark. Now is it possible for a engine seizure?, I have great doubts, but will not rule em out.
1st get your jeep home. For S and G (s***s and giggles) drop the starter. Hook jump cable up and see if it turns. If it does, I would have it checked anyway on a load test. free at local Orielly's. While starter is out, pull the plugs, turn the engine by hand. if it turns, engine is not seized. If not engine is seized. find another engine. The engine is pretty common and you can get one for a good price.

 

[tp=n=yj]

sorry but if it is the starter. the lights will come back on when key release .at lease the dash engine light.IF POS OR NEG BATTERY POST OR TERMINAL ARE DIRTY AND OR NOT MAKING CONTACT. SO THERE FOR BATTERY WILL NOT CHARGE. TRY HOOKING JUMPER POS TO POS .NEG JUMPER ON GOOD BATTERY TO METAL BRACKET ON JEEP.LET IT CHARGE TEN MIN.IF TERMIMAL WAS DIRTY WHEN HE JUMP BEFORE IT MIGHT NOT MAKE GOOD CONTACT.IF YOU WERE DRIVING IN THE DAY YOU MAY HAVE KNOWN IT WAS NOT CHARGING. IFYOUR JEEP IS A STICK YOU COULD TRY POPPING THE CLUTCH. OLD SCHOOL.

 

[Saddle Tramp]

When it shut off on my husband it made no noise. He said he was driving along and it just shut off. I mean maybe I am wrong, but if a motor suddenly seized up wouldn't there be some kind of noise?

Jennifer-

This is first hand experience talking here:

If a motor or standard transmission “freezes up” you will hear a sound, the sound of the tires screeching to a halt. If the motor is frozen, unless you have an auto transmission or the manual transmission was in neutral or the clutch peddle was pushed in, your tires will have come to a quick stop.

 

[jsreichard]

Well, my husband and a friend towed the Jeep home the other day and while they were towing it they tried to pop the clutch and the tires just froze and left black marks. So I guess that is that. I would love to put another motor in it, but we have like no money and I think the cheapest motor my husband was able to find was about $400 plus we would have to pay someone to put it in. Still undecided, but will prob have to sell it. I am so sad. I want to thank everyone for their help.

 

[bobcat481]

Hey...wait, wait. If you tried popping the clutch at too low of a gear, and too great of a speed, the tires are in fact gonna squeal. Do yourself a favor, and put a 1/2" ratchet and socket onto the crank pulley as described above. It can't hurt anything, and may lead to good news. And when (if) it comes to dropping the newer motor in, buy yourself a Chiltons or Haynes manual first, and read through it. "Replacing" and motor is much easier than rebuilding one. It is not much more than bolting it to the transmission, and two motor mounts. That IS the hard part. As long as you take good notes, and mark your wires and connectors ("A" to "A", "B" to "B") you should be able to work your way through it. Especially if you have two sets of eyes on it. I did my first motor swap at 16 or 17. It's not that hard. I have faith in you. Later

 

[tp=n=yj]

as you said in your thread on #21 permalink the lights are on . til you turn the key and then they go out. THE ONLY WAY YHIS CAN HAPPEN! DEAD BATTERY,VERY LOW BATTERY,OR DIRTY&L0SE BATTERY CABLE. THAT IS WHY IT TRIED TO TURN OVER.WHEN HE HAD THE LARGE STARTER UNIT ON IT. BUT HE DID NOT HAVE IT ON LONG ENOUGH TO CHARGE UP. IT IS STILL A GROUNDING THING. IF IT WALKS LIKE A DUCK AND QUACKS LIKE A DUCK IT MUST BE A DUCK! DAVE.

 

[jsreichard]

Re: Jeep won't start- In need of help-update

Sorry I have been gone so long again. I lost my INTERNET and I am "borrowing" my Mom's for right now. I wanted to give everyone an update on how things are going. We had the mechanic tell us the engine was seized. When my husband towed it home he had a friend try to pop start it and the wheels just squealed. Today we had to move it from the spot it has been sitting and just for fun i tried to start it. Every once in awhile it would give a little chug. My husband watched the crank shaft pulley and when it chugs it moves a tiny bit. He tried turning it with his hands and with a wrench and it will not turn. So I guess we are pretty sure it is seized. I am very sad about this. We had a guy offer to buy it from us, but we have no idea what to ask for it. Any ideas? We had the transmission rebuilt last year and it has a new computer on it that has a life time guarantee. It has 4 brand new tires on it, they have maybe 300 miles on them. It does need a new top and has some surface rust and needs a new muffler. I am having a hard time letting it go, but will probably have to. Thanks everyone for all of your help. everyone has been great. Any ideas on what we should ask for it if we decide to sell?

 

[bobcat481]

$1,250,352 would be my MINIUM price until I myself knew it was locked-up. If you husband can turn it over with a wrench, I would give it a second thought. Look into other things. Mechanics are NOTORIOUS for telling you the worse case senerio, when in case fact is not. If you are confident it is locked up, and you are serious about wanting to keep this 'thang, then check into a used or Jasper motor. If not, pawn it off for what you can stand to loose.