Starter problem or something else? (It's two separate issues)

[psyon]

For the starter issue, it occurred to me that all my testing has been done from the cable connectors, and not the battery itself. I've cleaned the connections a few times, but I wonder if they connectors are just that ****** right now, that even when I hooked jumper cables from the battery to the starter that it's causing a drop in voltage.

To answer my own question here, if it was the connection to the battery, then it should have helped when I tried to jump start it the other day. I am leaning towards the wire between the solenoid and the starter relay at this point.

 

[psyon]

Well, this first snow of the year is here, so no working on it right now. I just bought a remote start switch though. When I can get back under the jeep I figure that will either tell me the wire between the solenoid and the relay has an issue, or will help me recheck everything else.

 

[psyon]

Ok, I am trying to fully understand the issue with the starter, because I like to understand why a problem happens, and not just what fixes it. So, the issue is that starter engages for a moment, then disengages but the motor still spins. I have watched a few videos explaining how the pull-in and hold-in coils are wired. The pull-in coil is energized first, but does not go to ground, it goes through the motor, but doesn't provide enough power to spin it over. Once it pulls in the plunger, the plunger completes the circuit from the battery to the starter motor, and also for the hold-in coil. So it seems the hold-in coil is failing to stay engaged. I was thinking that if the plunger disengaged, that the motor would stop spinning, but because of the way the pull-in solenoid is wired, it would still allow power to the motor, which has now already been kicked started by the battery, and the power through the ignition wire may be enough to allow it to keep spinning?

 

[psyon]

Well, it's not the ignition wire. Everything is pointing to the battery cables being bad, but I had put jumper cables between the battery and starter, and it didn't make a difference. After I hooked up the remote start switch though, I hooked one of the cables from the negative to the body of the alternator (easiest thing to clamp to), and measured voltage drop when cranking, and it was around 0.20v through the jumper cables. That's right where chrysler says the cables should be replaced, so it's possible that's why putting them to the starter didn't help anything? Either way, I have a set of battery cables ordered now. Hopefully they arrive quickly.

 

[jeepop]

I am optimistic about the cables. It may have been lost in translation but my problem was where the drop from the negative terminal of the battery into the wire just under the insulation. Measuring at the negative terminal was a good bit hires then if I stuck the probe into where the wires was crimped into the battery clamp. I had to get a new clamp and cut out an inch of the wire to get the oxidized coper out of the equation. My positive clamp and wire are still factory.

If you are putting a jumper cable onto a clamp that is not conducting well, and then hooking it to the starter you have not bypassed the problem.

If you measure with your VOM from positive to negative on the battery, and say get 13.1, but measure from positive to ground at the starter and get anything less than this even without load, you have a problem with the wires or clamp. If it still measures 13.1 but totally drops with load, then the wires cannot handle the load.

I am hoping new wires, especially a new negative battery cable will be your fix.

 

[psyon]

It may have been lost in translation but my problem was where the drop from the negative terminal of the battery into the wire just under the insulation.

Mine appears to be after the relay/fuse box. The wire between the battery and the posts on the box has no drop really at all. Rather than replace some of the wires, only to realize I need to replace another and another, I just decided to buy a kit to replace them all. I originally bought this vehicle for $1000 as a placeholder, but I've become rather fond of it, and figure it may be worth keeping alive longer. I do enjoy how easy it has been to work on. Had to replace the alternator earlier in the year, and it took a whopping 5 minutes. Did the starter back in June, and again recently to make sure it wasn't the issue, and was a 10 minute job each time. Put a muffler on as well, and even that was pretty damn easy. There is some rust on the rear doors, but if the frame or uniframe/unibody what ever it is stays solid, I will probably nurse thing thing for quite a while.

 

[psyon]

Finally got my new wires in the mail. I wanted to take the old ones off at the same time so it was fresh in my mind how they were all routed. Turns out, I should have done this sooner. The nut holding the ground wire on the fender is being a pain in the ***. I have some penetrating oil soaking on it and hopefully that will help. Really don't want to crank too ******* it and risk breaking the stud or something. Also, I looked at the wiring wrong before. I thought the positive cable went to the PDC then down to the starter, but I was looking at the wrong wire.

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[john e denson]

I have been having cranking problems also in my 05 jeep liberty. I took the little wire off the starter and hooked up a jumper wire. If it cranks fine then you got other problems like me. I am gonna replace my ignition switch and actuator pin even though they look fine. Dorman parts less than fifty dollars at Amazon.

 

[psyon]

Autzone gave me a different starter, and it's working now.

 

[john e denson]

Autzone gave me a different starter, and it's working now.

glad you got the right one