1. Home
  2. Jeep and Willys (new and old)
  3. 90 YJ Can snow kill a starter?

90 YJ Can snow kill a starter?

It's snowing and Syracuse NY gets snow just like Buffalo NY!

I'm sitting on an exit ramp, waiting my turn to get up to the traffic signal, which is on an incline, and the traffic has been inching through one car at a time.

Now, it is my turn and I'm waiting for the light to turn green. Just then a snow plow comes by, does not raise its wing, and dumps about 2-3 foot high snow (up over the front bumper) about 2-4 feet wide.

I figure, I'm in 4WD (high), have pretty aggressive BF Goodriches on, so I figure I ought to be able to plow through it.

Light turns green, I can't go backwards to get a running start because traffic is bumper to bumper up this ramp. And slowly let out the clutch and start chugging.

Instead of plowing the snow though, maybe because I have wider tires, I start going up over the snow bank. Still doesn't seem like a problem to me.

As I crest the snow bank and the front tires start to come down. ZAP! The entire Jeep dies. No lights, no wipers, no fan. Nada. Zip.

I turn off the dead jeep, try to crank it, nothing. Turn it off. Get out, no interior lights come on.

Because there was an ice storm the night before, I have to get a stick I have in the Jeep and break a path all around the hood so I can open it.

Open it up and see that I'm in snow up to the lower part of the engine.

Get out my shovel, and shovel all the snow out from under the engine.

When I open the door the interior light comes on. I now have lights, wipers, fan. Push in the clutch, turn key. Every thing shuts off.

Get out under Jeep, look at starter. Wires seem all good. Tap the starter with my stick a few times.

Try again. This time lights, wipers, fan work (And I should have said earlier, I turn them all off before I crank the engine) and I get one click from the starter.

That's it. One click.

So after this long story (and I don't even want to get in to the rest of the day, how triple AAA took the Jeep to the wrong garage 40 miles in the wrong direction and then said they couldn't get it to my garage until the next day!),

Did something short the starter out? Was it about to die and the snow kill it?

From Oswego NY......lou

Reply to
Lou Boncek
Loading thread data ...

The impact knocked one of the battery cables loose or pulled on the cable to the starter doing something nasty to the starter relay on the firewall.

My bet is a loose or dirty/loose cable at the battery.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >
Reply to
Mike Romain

sorry that happened... dont know the answer..glad im in TX!!!!

Reply to
J. Sprauer

Make sure your battery terminals are clean & tight, and not corroded. _____________________________________________________________________

2003 TJ Rubicon * 2001 XJ Sport * 1971 Bill Stroppe Baja Bronco

"There is a very fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'."

Pronunciation: 'jEp Function: noun Date: 1940

Etymology: from g. p. (G= 'Government' P= '80 > It's snowing and Syracuse NY gets snow just like Buffalo NY!

Reply to
twaldron

Battery terminals bright and shinny, tight clamped, no corrosion.

The Jeep might be 15 years old and have over 202,000 miles on it and the body might rust, but I replace the parts that need replacing, change the oil very 3,000 miles or 3 months, etc. You get the picture. It's rusty, but mechanically sound.

The other person who mentioned the cable to the fire wall couls be on the right track. I had my work clothes on, and even though I put on the old coat I keep in the Jeep, I did get under it and looked around the best I could during a snow storm. I need to remember to pack another pair of pant! Was I wet when I got to work!....lou

Reply to
Lou Boncek

Just FYI, the relay on the firewall needs to be grounded as well or the starter won't fire and all the harness fuse links hook up there. It is on the 'other' end of the battery cable...

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >
Reply to
Mike Romain

There are several possibilities that come to mind. Certainly the cable connections to the battery (checked) and the starter.

Secondly, I once had a Dodge that would stall out if rain water or steam from water hitting the engine would find its way inside the distributor cap.

Finally, you had working interior lights and a fan which require only a small amount of juice to run but when you tried the starter you only got one click..

Was there anything working after the click? Do the interior lights or headlights work? Do the interior lights go out when you try the headlights?

You don't say how severe the jolt was from your descent but ZAP! sounds like a hard sharp drop. Perhaps the internals plates/connections inside the battery were damaged.

Reply to
billy ray

Reply to
popeyeball

I was also examining the grounds in the engine compartment of my WJ a few weeks ago.

formatting link

Reply to
billy ray

Reply to
Clay

Being a 91 YJ owner that grew up in Baldwinsville, I'm a little curious. How does that story end?

CTM

Reply to
testert555

A shotgun and a report on the 6 o'clock news.

Reply to
billy ray

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.