i have an 88 yj with a 4.2 and manual trans. i recently ran into ignition problems. The car died on the road and would not turn back on. Turning the key does not make any clicking or turning sounds at all. I smelled burning and saw smoke between the battery and engine. On the relay that the small positive battery cable goes to, there is a rubber connecter missing a wire. It is at about the 11 oclock position and slightly points towards the front of the car. I can not find any loose wires hanging that would go there. Does anyone know what this connnecter should go to and if it is causing my ignition problem. thank you
the red wire from the altenator is still ok. I traced it to the relay and it is fine. The connecter that is missing a wire is right in front of the connecter for the altenator wire i just checked. I put a lead from a voltage meter into the connecter and got a read of 12+ volts. I dont know if that helps but i guess it means the whole relay is not shot? correct?
the red wire from the altenator is still ok. I traced it to the relay and it is fine. The connecter that is missing a wire is right in front of the connecter for the altenator wire i just checked. I put a lead from a voltage meter into the connecter and got a read of 12+ volts. I dont know if that helps but i guess it means the whole relay is not shot? correct?
I checked again and it does read 12+ while the key is in the off position, although the battery is not dead(also reads 12+). I also just noticed that none of the outside lights work. The lights on the dash do, and the light under the hood. Brake lights, headlights, do not work.
That would be that blown fuse link I was telling you about. It 'will' be a live 12 volts to power the headlights and brake lights 'without' the key in run.
The other end of that wire has to be down there someplace or it has burned off just inside the harness case so you might have to open up the plastic shell to find it.
This means you likely have a dead short in the light wiring. I would be using a big 40 or 60A fuse in place of this fuse link while trying to find the short. Putting a new fuse link wire in will likely just cause a blow again.
This has absolutely nothing to do with the fact of the starter relay being blown or not. This is just happens to be the main power tap for the vehicle wiring harness to join up to the battery cable.
Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 'New' frame in the works for '08. Some Canadian Bush Trip and Build Photos:
I've opened the plastic harness and i can not find a loose wire anywhere. If this connector is for the lights would it have this effect on the ignition? i dont know if im going blind or what but i've looked over and over. the only loose wires i found were the purple and orange ones cut bypass the computer. I don't know any other information i can give to help. The dash lights work and they flash when i turn the key(i currently have the dash off so i dont know what lights flash). I was recently running the car with a bad ground connection so the lights were not working properly but would work fine once the ground was replaced. could this have caused damage somewhere. Also this breakdown happened a few miles after i jump started someones dead battery. Their battery was not completely dead so it wasnt hooked up that long at all. i dont know if this caused a problem or not.
Well, can't help with the rats nest, but yes, for sure the ignition switch and horn are on the same fuse link wire as the headlights in my
86 CJ7 which 'should' be the same as your YJ.
If the fuse link blew right out, the piece of 'red' 10 ga wire that would be left would have a black plastic connector on it. This is a fat black plastic solid tube shaped end on a wire. Maybe 1/4" round and an inch long. It won't look like a bare wire end.....
Fuse links will go bad and usually blow if you even came close to hooking that boost up wrong. Just the slightest 'oops' crackle and by by ignition fuse link.
the lights actually are working now, the ground wire was just not on right again. still no ignition though. would it be any help to get a diagnostic tool, would it be able to help with this situation. are there any diagrams of the ignition setup staring at the key.
The Haynes CJ manual is by far the best one for your engine compartment wiring. It is inexpensive and carried at most automotive stores.
OK, so now you have a 'mystery' connection and something that let the magic smoke out right?
I can jumper the starter to make it spin up just to see if it isn't dead, though they don't normally die while running..... The starter relay on the firewall can also be bypassed. You find the small wire that goes from the relay to the starter and give this power. The starter should then fire up and if the key is in run, things should go if only the relay has cooked...
You have a multimeter right. With the key in run, check the power wire at the coil to see if you have 8 or 9 volts there.
Happening after a boost is bothersome... You could have maybe just caused a bad connection at your battery or even at the engine block where the negative hooks on. To test for this, turn on the headlights and put the meter on the battery 'posts' and check the voltage, then put the meter on the battery 'clamps' and check the voltage. It must be exactly the same or you have a bad cable clamp connection.
The body tub needs a good ground for the relay or headlights to work, where is the ground issue with the lights?
The battery also must read over 12.2V or it might not fire up things. That is another test, have the meter on the battery or watch the headlights in the on position while someone tries the starter. If things dim or the voltage drops, look to dirty connections or a fried starter, if nothing happens, look for dead parts like the relay.
the starter spins if i bypass the relay. what do you mean things should go if only the relay has cooked? does the haynes manual have a diagram of this relay, also where can you buy another relay? i can not find one anywhere. the ground issue is the main ground strap from the block the the firewall, right behind the carburetor. i did the light test and the voltage was the same
When you jumper the ignition relay with the key in the 'run' position, the engine 'will' start 'if' it is "only" a bad relay...
This is the test for a bad relay. If the engine doesn't start, then you have 'other' issues besides the relay and can likely not worry about that part. If you put 12 volts to the post the wire from the key goes to on the relay, the relay should also fire the starter if it is good. A failure to start that way also indicates something else.
Does the coil positive have power when the key is in run? That is the next test, to see if the coil and ignition module are getting power.
If the main ground strap is ratty, the relay can not get a ground signal so nothing happens when you hit the key. You might want to run a jumper from the battery negative to the case of the relay. I use a battery booster cable for testing bad ground.
i jumped the starter and it turned the engine. Does this mean its definantly the relay? I'm still tying to find out what that missing connecter is but im not having much luck. there is one yellow wire from the coil that doesn't go anywhere but i dont know if thats it, plus im pretty sure its been like that for awhile. thanks for the help
i checked the coil for power but it is not reading anything. I put the black lead on the battery negative and the red lead on the connector that connects the two yellow wires to the coil. any idea what this means
No, it just means the starter is OK. Was the key in 'run' when your did this?
"IF" the key was in run and nothing happened except the starter turning, then the relay 'may' be just fine.
I'm still tying to find out what that missing
That extra wire is likely for a tach.
That means you really need to find the other end of that wire that burned off the fuse link line. Sounds like it is time to open the loom pieces that are close to the relay and look inside to see if you can find the melted wire.
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