Having trouble getting the jeep started....heres the info.

i just got done washing it...it was fine before, and i touched nothing while washing it. i didnt wash under the hood, and its completely dry. so im fairly positive that has nothing to do with it.

heres what happens....battery has good charge, and i can turn on the accessories, make the stereo loud, roll windows up and down as usualy, turn on lights etc etc. when i turn the key all the way forward to engage the starter...simply nothing happens.

i have touched the pos and neg terminals on the starter together, and it turns, but not when i use the key.
tried jumping it to see what happens. nothing.
all battery connections seem tight, i played musical realys with all the ones the same as the starter to see what happened...same condition. one or more could conceivably be bad, but that seems kinda longshot.
ive pretty much narrowed it to the NSS or Ignition switch. ive wiggled the nss and all that...no avail...so im leaning towards this ignition switch under the dash.
any more ideas anyone?
~John

John if u have the antitheft device under the dash...try turnin it over and reinstalling it......mine sometimes gives me fits and thats what i do...sometimes just taking it out and putting it back in does the trick hope this helps....

CPS?

Originally posted by Mo
CPS?


CPS = Cranky position sensor if it is not working.

Ed

hey guys...i know about the cps...ive had to do like 5 between the xjs ive had...but ive noticed on mine, it will always crank when the cps is crappy..just not fire. anyone had their cps not let them crank i wonder?
for this, nothing happens when i try to start it...just dead silence....yet all the electricla stuff works...
the cps is still on the list though

ok...a little process of elimnation...i assume since i can short the starter into cranking, that the starter is ok? its got power i know, checked all connections.
the NSS is a posibility...ice noticed that sometimes the angle ive parked (uphill or downhill) effects the cps. imgoing to try strapping the jeep and pullin it forward into the driveway (its sitting in the middle of the yard now) and see if that changes anything, as well as wiggle, unlplug and clean it...if nothing...im gonna assume its not the cps until i rule out nss or igniton switch.

thanks so far guys, keep em comin.
~John

Check all of the fuses in the fuse box thats uder the hood, there are about 4 large fuses in there that the engine will simply not run without.

Originally posted by RockGolem
Check all of the fuses in the fuse box thats uder the hood, there are about 4 large fuses in there that the engine will simply not run without.
all of em look good. i switched the starter relay with the ac controller one, exact same relay...and no change, so im to assuming the relays are ok.

still lookin at cps, nss, and ignition switch. the ignition switch is a standard gm part apparently, but no one has one in...gotta order it. its like 12 bucks from auto zone. i went out and tried tapping the starter with a hammer, and messing with the cps, but no luck....so for now im still stuck in the yard...thanks so far guys
~John

How about the ballast resistor? If one of the wires got yanked the engine might not start.

if I read this right you shouldn't be looking at the CPS. Even if it bad the CPU will never know untill the motor cranks over. the CPS just 'indexes' the spark timing with the motor. I would take a test light and start looking at the starter end. If there is a signal coming from the ignition at the starter then I would look directly at the starter. take it out go have it tested. Okay I am babling now, but I am very sure it is not the CPS cause it will not prevent the motor from turning over. HTH

starter solenoid?

When you jump the starter the engine turns over but not when you turn the key, so that seems to say the problem is the NSS or ignition or something else that's only involved in the start up cycle (like that stupid brake pedal/shift interlock recall they forced down peoples throats).
I can't help on the others but here's a couple things on the NSS. First, a little trick on the NSS that works on mine when its acting difficult is to put it gear, turn the key (nothing happens) then go to neutral and turn the key (it finally starts). Another thing that helps is to whack the shit out of the NSS with a wrench. Besides making you feel better, this can free the little switches if they've become frozen in place.
I don't think its the ballast resistor cuz I don't think its invovled in the startup cycle, it only gets juice after the start. If your engine starts but dies right away the ballast resistor is a suspect.

thanks a lot so far guys.
a coupla notes and a gameplan.
firstly, dog broke his foot today, so i go no work done.
my xj is a 96, so it has no ballast resistor just fyi.

im going to check with the multimeter, and see if i m getting any juice past the igniton switch.
if i am, then ill know its the starter or nss. ive tried the tricks to make the nss start. and unless im mistaken..the nss usually doesnt completely crap the first time its going bad, you can usually bs it into starting.
can anyone tell me exactly where to find the ignition switch?
~John

Originally posted by JohnBuuu
and unless im mistaken..the nss usually doesnt completely crap the first time its going bad, you can usually bs it into starting.
can anyone tell me exactly where to find the ignition switch?
~John

This is true, good point, my backup lights starting going intermittent long before I had starting problems. The ignition switch is in the steering column, right next to the headlight dimmer switch.

92xj, would you know if this goes for a 96 as well?
~John

The only reason I know where it is on mine is that my jeep got stolen several years ago and they busted open the steering column. I have to reach into the guts there to start the engine and to work the dimmer switch. I think they steal 96's the same way, so it's probably still there.
I just looked in the Haynes manual, and it says that because 95+ have air bags ignition switch work "should be left to the stealership service department because of the special tools and techniques involved." Ouch, that sounds like $300.

christ....you know...theres nothing that pisses me off like dealerships. the techs at the local stealer run for cover whenever they see me.
i got an fsm page for changint the ignition switch, but its for a 90xj.
seems easy enough, but who knows what bs is in my steering column for the 96.
ill see what i can do.
~John