There's always got to be a problem!

[ontherocks]

Here's the deal:
I just replaced the battery since it is over 5 years old. Decide to take the CJ to work this morning so I go out and warm it up for 5-10 mins. Shut it off, go back inside and do my thing. Go back out 15 mins later and I have absolutely nothing! Won't crank over, no interior lights, headlights, anything. I have new cables so they aren't frayed or corroded. I jumped it with the other car and it still wont crank over but it has juice now. I am going to let it sit overnight and see if the battery keeps this charge but I am wondering if a dying starter could have drained the battery?! The starter is cheap enough to replace anyway, "just in case", but am I missing something obvious? Iam kinda tired... :)

[Warlock]

It sounds more like a wiring/fuse problem than the starter.

The last time I had no juice whatsoever, I blew a main fuse on the vehicle, but it was a newer vehicle (1995 I think). I don't know if CJ's have a main fuse.

[ontherocks]

Thanks for the idea. Fuses are an easy start point. I'll look at a few things tonight and see what I come up with. Maybe after a 6 hour nap?!

P.S. I don't know about a main fuse either.

[longboy]

i had something similar on my CJ. battery had died, so i had it tested. it was toast. i replaced it.

the next week, she won't start. no reading on the voltmeter. jumped her, took her to a small shop to have the electrical system checked, alternator is only putting out about 7 AMPs, and i have been running off of the battery by itself for about a week.

replaced the alt. yesterday at lunch, finally drove it to work this morning.

that being said, it could be any number of things for your situation, but for me, it was the alt. and battery.

[ontherocks]

Well I bought a new starter today so I'll put that in and see what happens. I replaced the alternator about 10,000 miles ago so I don't imagine that would be the problem but you never know!! I want to get to Moab in March but I've got a few projects to go before I take it out there!

[Warlock]

It could still be the alternator. I know I went through 6 remanufactured units and 2 brand new units before I got a working one once.

I was thinking though...(yeah, I know, dangerous)

The jeep should have fusible links, not a main fuse. But...

Fusible links are designed to burn away and melt, basically like a fuse. to protect the system. I have had them melt within the wire casing, but they didn't break apart. The link had basically melted and seperated inside so everything looked good from the outside.

Have you tested the relay for the starter? Maybe it went south?

[longboy]

another thing to check: i also had a problem last summer starting my CJ (just remembered, oh yeah--), and it ended up being the ignition switch (not the ignition lock, but the actual switch that the lock activates).

i could have someone jump the two posts on the starter solenoid with a screwdriver while i cranked the key, and she would start right away. after i had the ignition switch replaced, no more problems (other than the battery last week, and the alternator this week...)

hopefully it's just something simple for ya.

_longboy

::EDIT::
i just reread your post, and realized you didn't have any power whatsoever, so it probably isn't this, but keep this in mind for when the switch does die

[ontherocks]

Geez.... I hope its something simple. To be honest, I don't have much experience with electrical stuff. I may also just have a bad battery too. I didn't get the starter in today (forgot I had some grout work to do), but there's always tomorrow!

Interesting that you mention the ignition switch longboy... I have been putting my baby back together after someone tried to steal it and one thing replaced was the steering column. Although I have driven it many times since then, I will still keep that in mind!

[ontherocks]

Well I got the starter in and replaced the solenoid. Jumped the battery again just in case and she started right up. Let it run a bit and turned it off/on again and she's completely dead... I have no idea....:confused:

[longboy]

have you tried starting it while someone jumps the solenoid (hold screwdriver over the 2 metal tabs on top while you turn the key)? could be a solenoid problem, or maybe the switch itself (like mine was).

mine was very similar to the problem you are having. one day, it would start fine. the next day, nothing. i would have someone help (by jumping the solenoid), and it would be fine for a while. i figured if i replaced the solenoid, it would solve everything. wrong.

it ended up being the ignition switch. i ended up having an auto-electic place do it, cause i was sick of dealing with it, and sick of pulling my hair out. i have a spare solenoid, if you want it (not that i'm close or anything...)

anyway, hope you get it figured out.

_longboy

[jeepdriver02]

OK, I had a very very similar problem. Its most likely solenoid and coil. They are prolly frying b/c they cant handle the power coming into them. Spend 50 bucks and put in the ford solenoid and all. I have never had a problem since. I fried a few before I realized it. Hope that Helps.

[ontherocks]

Its most likely solenoid and coil.

:confused: I'm not sure how a coil deals with the Jeep's electrical?(Power to gauges, interior lights, etc...)
I replaced the solenoid and still nothing. Using a remote starter and bypassing the ignition switch, I still can't get things going. All that's really left is to test each piece of equipment from battery forward??

['76CJ5]

Hmmm. New starter, New altenator New solenoid, no power to anything after starting Jeep.

Simple test. do the headlights work when the jeep has no power. I'm just conserned about the headlights because the parking lights and dash lights are on a different part of the circuit. The headlights are on a seperate fusable link directly from the battery.

If the headlights work then you might have a problem with your fusable link but usually once blowen never reconnect thenseves. Another possibility is a loose bulkhad connection. I had one jeep that the bolt loosened up and water got inside and started some corrotion. This lead to increased resistance in the connector wich caused the thing to heat up distoring the plug causing intermittant connections on my power feeds.

If the headlights dont work there is only one place that can be the problem and that is the connector on the starter solenoid. This is the one that is on the same terminal as the battery lead going to the plus terminal. It also goes to the alternator and that might explain why your battery was going bad. I've had one that was a little distorted and had built up a little resistance to the contact. When the battery was charged there was enough voltage to break thru the corrosion and start the jeep up. After that the corrosion worked it's way back. I actually watched a large spark jumped out from between the new battery cable and this connector.

Remove this connector and inspect it for signed of arcing. You might see black carbon buildup with what looks like little balls of copper. you can try cleaning it up with a wire brush and put it back on the soleniod. I axtually used a thin internal star washer between the battery cable and this connector. The little stars will break thru the corrosion and give you a good contact.

[ontherocks]

Nope....headlights no workie either! I'll try cleaning up those leads and see what happens but it won't be tonight. Supposed to be -10 tonight!

[jeepdriver02]

Sounds like its time for PAINLESS!!! :D