Jeep dead (electrical power loss) SOS....

The 'click and bam' sounds like you lost one of the connections on the main cables, quite common. Trace out the positive and negative battery cables, look for one with a loose fit at the crimp where the cable goes into the battery clamp or lug. If you can get some power going, feel the cable ends (carefully!). When you find a hot one, replace that cable. The first one I'd look at is the ground cable where it attaches to the engine block, it takes the most vibration.

snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote:

It could also just be a battery that has gone bad too, but like Roy said, check the battery cables and connections first.

Chris

Well, it did this same thing in November. I thought it was the battery so I replaced that, and the connectors on the battery cables at the battery. At that time the battery was showing 50% charge on the charger gage. This battery is showing 100% on the charger gage and charging seems to have no affect. Last time the car was jump off capable, which is how my wife got home with it. This time that does not seem to bring it back to life. The only thing that seems to do that is to disconnect the battery and reconnect after letting it set a while.

I am thinking cables at this point, but I am open to what people think, Thanks, David

c wrote:

Pick up a cheap and small RatShack digital voltmeter and check for voltage drop where there shouldn't be any. Your battery should be at least 12.4 volts when disconnected, and shouldn't drop when connected.

Quick check would be from engine to that ground by the battery on the fender. A tenth of a volt while cranking would be the most. Could be something loose or corroded to crud under the power distribution center as well... if you have good voltage and no drop when measured at the starter solenoid stud to battery ground, alternator ground, and engine block.

RoyJ proclaimed:

Check that ground cable from the battery all the way to the chassis. The chassis end is usually the one to go first. The cable itself may even be disintegrating.

Dick

On a 96 Cherokee 6 I owned the ground went from the battery to a plate on the engine block just in front of the distributor. As others have said it sure sounds like a cable problem and most likely the ground.

JoBo

I agree

I think it's a bad ground, go with the circuit tester. Another option is if you've recently installed stuff, aftermarket lighting, new cd player whatever and didnt properly tie it to the fuseblock and external fuse.

hth. Mike

philthy wrote:

Oh I forgot, check the alternator, you can usually pull them and bring it autozone for them to check for free.

hth Mike

snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote:

Lots of folks, even at garages forget that battery cables have 'two' ends....

Mike

The Rat Shack credit card-sized DVOMs aren't cheap anymore, they changed the design and the last one I bought was someplace north of $35. Cheap ($20) DVOMs can be found in the electrical department at big box stores like Home Depot.

L> Pick up a cheap and small RatShack digital voltmeter and check for

That is a very good deal on that VM. The verdict is in and thanks for all the suggestions. I tried a number of things and was never able to get the car running so I through in the towel and called the dealer and had it towed there. It turned out the battery was failing on a load test for them and one of the cables had paint on it which resulted in ineffective contact. They where dumbfounded by the paint. I had looked for such things before calling them and found none. But that was enough to get it back in the running category, and they tested the alternator which tested at charging 13.5 volts and they could not get the starter to fail.

Thanks, David

RoyJ wrote: