Electrical Problem! Help!!

I would be checking the starter relay on the firewall by the battery for a bad or dirty connection. It will be the one that the positive battery cable goes to.

Mike

Thanks Mike. I checked the relays and all are well. I got the dashlights and gauges working again by taking out each fuse and cleaning them. I got the jeep started by taking jumper cables and attaching the positive to the top pole on the starter and then to the battery. I put the Jeep in Neutral before doiong so. I then turned it over and it weakly started up. It ran fine, however, when I turned it off to restart it, it wouldn't start. I could hear the clicking on the starter. Any other ideas? Could the connections be dirty? Thanks. Tim

You are still describing a bad connection on the starter relay or 'solenoid' bolted to the firewall where the positive battery cable goes to.

Mike

Make sure all the cable ends are clean on BOTH ends.

While you are in there clean all the grounds also.

Are you certain the battery is good? That's the first thing I would have checked with your symptoms. A low battery and clicking relays go hand-in-hand.

Dick

Yeah, it is a brand new battery and alternator. Everything is charged. Thanks.

How do I tell if the starter has gone bad? When I go to start it the starter clicks but nothing happens. Sounds obvious. Thanks.

If you take it to your corner auto-parts store they can test it for you.

I ended up running a wire directly from the battery to the top pole on the starter. She fires up everytime now. I don't think this will do any damage to anything. Thoughts? Thanks to all that posted!

Mwell... Your still going through the solinoid but you did bypass the fusable link. If something shorts out it's going to be real ugly real fast. Best to go get an oem replacement cable.

You are just bypassing the dirty connection that you have on the starter solenoid that is bolted to the firewall beside the battery where one of the main battery positive cables goes to.

It would be better to just clean the connections.....

The alternator also connects on the same post and if it is dirty like it seems it will also imitate a bad/dead alternator and kill the battery.

Bypassing it like you have done will still leave the alternator and battery issue.

Just my $0.02,

Mike