starting issue

[boito]

Please Help

I am new to this forum and the jeep world so i was really hoping you guys could help me out. I have a 2002 liberty i bought a couple months ago, needed something 4 wheel drive, 4 doors for the upcoming baby, and something that could still be taken through mud and rough hills.

I love the jeep but have noticed in the past couple days it doesnt like to crank all of a sudden. I can turn the swith and it will just click at me. I turn it a couple more times and finally it cranks. Last night i got in it to and it would not crank at all, jumping would not help so i figured the battery had to be the culprit, bought a used vehicle untelling how long the battery had been in there.

so i purchased a new battery and still not cranking. i let it sit over night so i didnt get to frustrated went out the next morning after turning the key a few times she fired right up. I drove another vehicle to work and when i got home she would not crank at all.

all this long description to ask the experts, what is the problem? my guess is if it was the starter it would crank at all. HELP ME

 

[Bulli]

If you turn the key and it only makes a pronounced click in the engine bay without cranking the engine, it will most likely be your starter solenoid's contact points thats stuffed.

 

[LibertyTC]

There is a way to test the positive and negative battery cable resistance.
I would start by using a fine wire brush and cleaning all of them.
Once clean give a hint or a light coat of Vaseline to protect.
At the starter motor, with both pos/neg terminals at battery disconnected, clean the contacts there as well, see if that helps.

 

[iamweasel]

Could also be a tired battery. Similar thing happened in my previous car - a new battery solved it

 

[Billwill]

There is a common problem, escpecially with older KJs, of the pin in the ignition tumbler breaking. This is a long, squared off, plastic piece that actually turns the ignition switch to the start position. The ignition switch itself may be faulty.
There is a long post on this problem on Lost, CRD section, with pictures and part numbers of the piece that needs replacing (dealers say the whole column needs replacing!).
I will look for the post on Lost and post a link here (Lost site appears to be down at the moment!) but in the meantime you can have a look at the ignition switch.
Remove the plastic covers from around the steering column by taking out the two Torx screws from underneath...inside the lower cover.
You will see the ignition switch assembly on the left...held in place by a very small Torx screw. remove this screw and pull the switch off...you should see the white plastic pin that rotates the ignition switch...it has a thin plastic piece protuding from it which makes a seperate switch when the ignition key is inserted into the ignition. This pin assembly must not be broken.!

Edit to add: here is the link on Lost: www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=61233

 

[boito]

would the pin in the tumbler breaking cause it to crank just fine at times and other time not at all?

 

[boito]

and adding to my last most is there a way to bypass his switch untill the part can be replaced

 

[Billwill]

would the pin in the tumbler breaking cause it to crank just fine at times and other time not at all?

Yes....a lot of people have reported that the pin starts to twist before finally snapping. Or else the ignition switch itself could be failing.

Either way I would recommend that you have a look at the pin and the ignition switch area...it is not hard to get to if you have some small male Torx bits and a narrow extension for the bits.

Have a look there and report back....I can post up some relevant circuit diagrams for the starting circuitry for the 2002 KJ if you so desire...very useful if you or a friend are reasonably OK with reading circuit diagrams and using a multi-meter:freak3: