back in trouble again, no start

superj

Active member
back in trouble again, no start--- fixed!!!!!

same as last weekend but cleaning all the connections didn't help. i also have changed the starter (again, bad bendix bar thing, it doesn't return completely), solenoid, and power and ground wires). i didn;t replace the battery because i bought it two months ago but we are going to test it tomorrow morning at the oreilly's.

anyone happen to have a starting system wiring diagram?


-------------- fix below ---------------------

Solenoid had a bad connection to the firewall not allowing the little switch to close and pull the jumper up that powers the starter. Once I cleaned the threads and ran the mounting bolts down good, the jeep fired up, just like normal
 
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what are all the extra wires attached to the solenoid? three extras on the power from the battery side and then one black on the stud on the back of the solenoid, never seen that on a solenoid before either but its got a wire
 
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Maybe its just your luck that the solenoid went out again. Did you buy a rebuilt or new? It would seem to me that if the gear wasn't returning all the way then its broken and not an issue with your electricals. Is the gear engaging? I just can't see how it work for a couple days and all of sudden break to me thats more the starter/solenoid than your jeep
 

my last jeep would not start at times, just a click or nothing at all. turned out that on the soleniod, there,s that nut holding the stud in place that your wires go on. That nut had loosened just a bit, I guess breaking the connection. When it wouldnt start I would get out tighten the nut up and it would start right up. When I sold the jeep I told the new owner about it and that I was just to lazy to get a new one. When the nut loosened you could wiggle that stud a little and it would not start. Just a thought and something you could check if it happens again.
 
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I thought it was the solenoid too so since the old one worked, bu was just not able to be mounted, I put it back on. Nothing still though. I am going to have the battery tested this morning, in case that's the trouble. You know how sometimes they read 12v but still can't make the amps turn the starter
 
Anyone with an automatic 87 6 cylinder able to snap a pic of their solenoid wiring for me? So I can make sure everything is right?
 

Or one of you guys with a cj in the 80s? Might be the same
 
Can you have someone turn the key while you use a test light to confirm your getting power to the solenoid from the ignition? You could also use a jumper cable from the battery and carefully tap the main terminal on the starter to see if it turns over.
 

Have you gotten the starter tested to? Could have just went bad
 
not yet, i took it out of the box and bolted it in but still had the same trouble as before.

here is what i have found, and i now have the factory service manual for the 87-88 wranglers as they are a bit different then the others, or why would htey have their own specific manual?

that back little pole is where the neutral safety grounds and allows the solenoid to power. right now, mine is not getting ground and for some reason my coil taps when i put the ground wire on the battery negative post. i am going to pick up another solenoid, and a neutral safety switch tomorrow as the switch fails the tests called for in the fsm. and because of htat, the solenoid now fails it too

hopefully the coil is still good, i didn't get that far in the tests
 

Jason, sorry to hear about all the issues. I will say it is the starter. Here by me, there is a chain of autoparts called " one stop autoparts" all their parts with one full year warranty. Prices are super cheap. I once replaced a starter with one from them. Got to work and when it was time to go home, the car wouldn't start so under the car and take the "new" starter out.they replaced it for me and I was back in business. Thw days later..... The same thing. One week later..... The same thing. After my 4th started, went to NAPA got a new one and never had a issue with it again. Few years later I sold the car to a friend and still has it and never got a problem with the starter. I think it is your starter that is acting up.
 
Taking a total stab in the dark here but, isnt your motor stroked?? I have know idea whats involved in doing that, but if you had to change the flywheel to a 4.2, you may need a 4.2 starter and not a 4.0????????? what you guys think
 
the starter is the 4.2 starter.

87 model jeeps used a specific starter/flywheel combo. i think you had mentioned earlier how the starter looks like the one for your 360? it is the same part number, according to the parts manual, its listed as 4.2l/5.9l starter. anyways, the flywheel sits a little differently then with the 89 on engines because their starter has a solenoid mounted on the starter and doesn;t throw the gear out as far.

once i get to the point where i am getting power through the solenoid properly again, since that back pole is not going to ground like it should, i will know whether the starter needs replacing or not.


i don;t know what happened here. i replaced hte serpentine belt and it started right up and ran great. then i replaced hte solenoid and it hasn't started since. even after i put the old working one back in, still no start. thats why i was hoping someone with a stock 87 or 88 could post a pic of what is on their solenoid.
 

That wasnt me with the 360, I have a 327. When you put the wires back on could you have put the wrong ones on the wrong post? Like you said though, thats probably why you want a posted pic..
Have you tried to jump the silenoid (by pass it) with a wire yet?? turn your key to the run position and touch the post on your silenoid that the starter gos to with one end of a wire and touch the other end on the post that your battery gos to. it should start, if not something is wrong with the starter. If it does start you need another silenoid.
 
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i have tried everything and nothing works. since i jumped the starter and it didn;t turn, i am leaning towards a ground problem but the starter is going to have to come out and get tested this morning anyways. i bought another cable to use from the bolt on the starter to the block where the battery ground is bolted to try and loop everything together. it never needed it before but the diagram in the fsm shows a ground from the starter to the battery so we'll see if that makes a difference.
 
Ok, starter is good. Jumped it with a plier on the solenoid and it started perfectly and once going, ran just like nothing was wrong. Now I need to figure out what those two green wires on the solenoid come from, the I and S post wires
 
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