93 Grand Cherokee Laredo won't start

Check battery connections at both ends. Check rear of head mesh ground strap. Also try a jump-start. What does the battery voltage read?

HTH

Carl

6, auto transmission) won't start. All the

Look at the battery terminals, and make sure they are clean... In other words, clean them. They may "look" OK, but can have corrosion on the terminal surfaces, causing enough resistance to keep from making good contact. As far as the battery checking out, did you check it for voltage, and put a load test on it? Recently, I have replaced the batteries in my wife's little car, daughter's car, and son-in-laws truck. All showed 12 volts or more, but failed the load test. We have had a number of folks coming to the auto repair part of our shop to have batteries replaced. Guess it's the season... Hippie P.S. My '93 did this yesterday morning at the Post Office for the first time, but second try, it came on through and started. Cleaned the terminals, and they were gray/black looking inside.

Lots. And one of them might be right too. :)

Before going any further, make sure you arm/disarm the alarm system. Just in case the vehicle thinks your trying to hotwire it.

Not turning over rules out the CPS sensor and ignition coil, so it has to be in the cranking circuit. That's fuses/relay/wires/ignition switch.

fuses:

Behind the battery, in the fuse box, check the fuses. Especially the 60A, and 40A ignition and 40A fuseblock ones.

relay:

Engine starter relay is the only one that can prevent the starter from turning. You can swap it with a fog relay or a/c relay for testing.

If you have a volt meter.

Looking into the starter relay socket -

- | | ^ -

Same thing happened in my dad's Grand Caravan earlier this summer. He got it towed to the dealership and found out that his computer (ECU, ECM, whatever you want to call it) had just up and fried. I've never heard of it happening before and didn't think I'd ever see it happen again, but the symptoms described are exactly the same as what was happening... all cabin electronics working, but when the key was turned to ignition, absolutely nothing happened.

also should have noted that it happened exactly the same way, he was driving home from work, stopped for dinner, got back in the car, and it wouldn't start.

2 weeks after he got it fixed, though, it did the same thing and he found out that his alarm system was doing it. He didn't even know he had an alarm system. So check that first, it'll be a lot cheaper to fix.

Micah wrote:

No starter could easily be a bad connection. If you try it a few times, then 'carefully' go feel the battery cable ends, you might find one hot. This hot one will be the bad connection. Careful because the bad connection can be hot enough to burn you.

The starter could have quit. You can take a hammer and give the starter a smack. If it then starts, the starter brushes are worn out. You can replace the starter or just the brushes if soldering doesn't scare you.

We actually fill the starters with mud around here which jams up the brushes. Then a can of WD40 is used to clean them out on the bench and away they go again.

Mike

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

If it has an infrared key fob, you just lock/unlock the doors. Also turning the key to unlock in the driver door or tailgate will disarm the system.

If you press lock, then shut the door, is there a SECURITY light that flashes on the instrument cluster. If there isn't one then you don't have an alarm. Sometimes you can tell by looking for the little black bubble that is in the overhead console or between the rear passenger overhead lights.

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I cleaned the battery terminals. They were not very dirty and cleaning them didn't help. The car does have the bubble up near the overhead light however, I've never seen it blink. Also, there is no dash security light...so, I don't think it is the alarm system. There are a couple of other symptoms: #1. For quite some time, I have had problems removing the key from the ignition. It won't turn back to the point where it can be pulled out. Usually, after a few back and forth attempts, the key will come out. #2. I've also noticed that when the key does come out, the steering wheel does not lock.

Do either of these things sound fishy...perhaps a neutral safety switch?

I've pulled the started and I will take it in tomorrow to be tested.

Thanks aga> blg wrote:

#1. For quite some time, I have had problems removing the key from the

ignition. It won't turn back to the point where it can be pulled out. Usually, after a few back and forth attempts, the key will come out.

You may want to check the key cylinder and make sure it didn't break internally. Does the key go to the run position then spring back as normal? If not, that could be your issue..you'll need a T20 anti theft torx to get at it, but that is all...oh disconnect the battery to let the airbag discharge.

- c

Okay, I think I got it! Had the started tested, it was okay.

Brought it back home. Went to put the starter back on and noticed that one of the mounting bolts was stripped out....and, it seems that bolt is necessary for a good ground!!! I replace the bolt, used some thread lock, and it starts just fine.

I also replaced the key cylinder on the ignition. $51 and about 1/2 hour and the new key seems to work just fine now. It was pretty easy...I should have done that a couple of years ago!

Thanks every> #1. For quite some time, I have had problems removing the key from the >

Thanks for letting us know.

Don't you just love it when you finally get an annoying problem like this figured out and FIXED once and for all?

Jeff DeWitt

blg wrote:

And relatively cheaply

DougW proclaimed:

Doesn't the 93 also have the transmission park switch? I'd be surprised if this is battery if there isn't even a click when the key is turned, I'd go for your analysis, it is part of the series of connects to the start relay.

I had a similar issue, ended up taking apart an ISO relay so I could hot wire across the thing to force a start until I found it. Mine turned out to be a corroded ignition switch assembly that the parts guy swore never failed.

If you can catch it in the act, you can measure voltage at several key points. On some the trick is that you want no voltage since it is an interlock that should be closed. For a while my zj looked a tad odd, as I had little tap wires across all the connect points so I could check voltage and jumper them...since the darned thing only failed on wet cold foggy nights and refused to fail on demand. One night I got lucky and nailed it to the ignition switch.

Cheap is good

Jeff DeWitt

billy ray wrote: