1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee question

[James]

Way off topic, but I'm checking w/everyone I know, ect. I started the wife's Jeep yesterday & took her to work. Drove around a bit, came home & parked it in the driveway so I could do a few things on the bike in the garage. As it turns out, it's about 15f here then & now, & we have sleet/snow that arrived friday, some moisture on the streets, ect. Go back out to start the Jeep & pick her up & the lights come on, but no starter or other engine noises! When you turn the key off the dash lights stay on a few seconds after the key is off & out. Battery is charged & about a year old. Pushed it into the garage w/the Bronco ('76, picked up the wife in it, she hates it, won't drive it), and still won't start in the morning (above freezing in the garage). Any Ideas? Thanks,

James

 

[C&C]

This is a long shot but I had an '88 Jeep Cherokee, 4L, straight six that had similar symptoms. Mind would work sometimes, other times just sit and act as the whole starting system was disconnected. Well, in fact, it was of sorts. It turned out to be a faulty gang connector that connected all of the wires from inside the engine compartment to inside the vehicle, as in the ignition switch, etc. I found that if I wiggled the connector (drivers side, top on the firewall) that I would then get a connection and the vehicle would start. Final solution, as it was an old vehicle and I didn't want to rewire a new gang connector was, that I cut and reconnected all of the wires with quick connect/snap connectors.

Realize that this may not be your problem but through other forums I have heard of similar complaints. Try wiggling that connector and see what happens; may or may not help.

Also consider a faulty neutral start switch. (try starting the vehicle in neutral, as opposed to park) You can also try giggling the shift handle while the ignition switch is turned to on and start.

 

[James]

Also consider a faulty neutral start switch. (try starting the vehicle in neutral, as opposed to park) You can also try giggling the shift handle while the ignition switch is turned to on and start.

I did think of that & tried it w/o success. Will check the connections & see what happens. Thanks,

James

 

[James]

Got the Jeep to start late last night. Not sure exactly which of 2 (if it was either one) things I did made a difference. I left the door from the house to the attached garage open, raising the temp into the 50's for over an hour. But when I started the Jeep, I was in neutral & wiggling the shifter. It started, pulled it out & warmed it up completely, then pulled it back into the garage. Turned it off, started right back up in park. Let it set over night & it started up again this morning (I have MLK day off . So I'm leaning towards the "something got water in it & froze" theory.

James

 

[evil_henchman]

FWIW, years ago I quit carpooling with a guy who had a 90's vintage Jeep Grand Cherokee. That thing left us stranded more than once with a never ending barrage of electrical problems. Have you tried a google search for electrical problems? You might end up with a for sale sign in your windshield sooner than you think. Sorry, not a big Jeep fan. Except for highly modified custom rock crawlers of course.