starting problems

    my XJ began starting rough a week ago, and now it takes two tries to get it running. the battery has plenty of juice, and the starter turns over (no clicking sound like with a dead battery), but I'm not sure what's happening under the hood. it's almost like it's struggling to get the engine through a full cycle, and sounds like it spins backwards when I let off the key.


    any ideas? somebody suggested that it might be a broken tooth? I know nothing about starters...


    if you were at JFJ, you might have heard it... lol I know Ken heard it earlier today.


    right now, it takes two tries to start, it doesn't matter if the engine is hot or cold... I'd like to get it fixed before it won't start at all, leaving me stranded in a cold parking lot at 11pm.

    Jerry / Whatevah

    2020 Gladiator Mojave - 33" Falken mud tires, LoD side steps, Zroadz bed rack, Quadratec QRC winch bumper, Superwinch EPi 9.0, Kleinn on-board air, Kleinn air horns, lots of lights, Yaesu ham radio with GPS tracker.

    Gone- 2012 JK Rubicon with stuff. Long gone- Long-arm 2001 Cherokee with stuff.

    The starter kicks a little gear out to turn the fly wheel (I guess it's the same for a flex plate). Is it cranking during both attempts or is one of them a high pitched screech? If one is a high pitched screech then the little gear on the start is having trouble meeting up with the flex plate.

    Member since 2000

    Jeeps Owned'79 CJ5:

    Specs-

    - 258 I6

    - '93 Cherokee fuel injection and HO head,

    - bored 30 over

    - with 4x4 cam

    T18 tranny with granny low / Dana 18 t-case

    Dana 44 front and back from late '70s Wagoneer, both locked and loaded with 4.88 gears

    SOA on modified YJ springs with shackle reversa

    Fiberglass tub with 6 point cage mounted to the frame


    2015 Grand Cherokee Limited
    Spec-

    Quadratec Floor mats

    might be the CPS
    its a sensors located at the top of the bellhousing on the driverside
    if it is too far away from the flywheel that will cause a lag in starting
    or if it is on the verge of dying that would do it too

    Quote from Slimer


    The starter kicks a little gear out to turn the fly wheel (I guess it's the same for a flex plate). Is it cranking during both attempts or is one of them a high pitched screech? If one is a high pitched screech then the little gear on the start is having trouble meeting up with the flex plate.


    it's cranking... just sounds like the engine isn't actually turning over completely. sounds like 3/4 turn then stops and goes backwards. if I can find my brothers camera, I'll try to get a sound clip of it.

    Jerry / Whatevah

    2020 Gladiator Mojave - 33" Falken mud tires, LoD side steps, Zroadz bed rack, Quadratec QRC winch bumper, Superwinch EPi 9.0, Kleinn on-board air, Kleinn air horns, lots of lights, Yaesu ham radio with GPS tracker.

    Gone- 2012 JK Rubicon with stuff. Long gone- Long-arm 2001 Cherokee with stuff.

    are you sure your battery has plenty of juice? how did you come to this? the volts may be there but just not enough amps. just for the heck of it could you swap in another known-condition battery? or maybe even throw cables on it from someone elses jeep. leave them on for a minute or so and then turn it over with them connected. if it spins much faster than it has lately then the battery still may be the culprit.
    chris

    I ran two 100W lights for over an hour (engine off) after the problems started, and still had plenty of power to get the engine started. it's an optima red top, installed 6 months ago

    Jerry / Whatevah

    2020 Gladiator Mojave - 33" Falken mud tires, LoD side steps, Zroadz bed rack, Quadratec QRC winch bumper, Superwinch EPi 9.0, Kleinn on-board air, Kleinn air horns, lots of lights, Yaesu ham radio with GPS tracker.

    Gone- 2012 JK Rubicon with stuff. Long gone- Long-arm 2001 Cherokee with stuff.

    been a while since a tuneup... I was thinking water as well, but I've had a full tank of gas through it since the problems started. currently running Exxon fuel.

    Jerry / Whatevah

    2020 Gladiator Mojave - 33" Falken mud tires, LoD side steps, Zroadz bed rack, Quadratec QRC winch bumper, Superwinch EPi 9.0, Kleinn on-board air, Kleinn air horns, lots of lights, Yaesu ham radio with GPS tracker.

    Gone- 2012 JK Rubicon with stuff. Long gone- Long-arm 2001 Cherokee with stuff.

    Yeah, thought you might bet stuck in my driveway :)


    It did sound like it was a battery issue,but not if you can run lights off it. could it be a distrubtor problem?

    Quote from jeepgnome

    could it be a distrubtor problem?


    maybe if I had one. ;D

    Jerry / Whatevah

    2020 Gladiator Mojave - 33" Falken mud tires, LoD side steps, Zroadz bed rack, Quadratec QRC winch bumper, Superwinch EPi 9.0, Kleinn on-board air, Kleinn air horns, lots of lights, Yaesu ham radio with GPS tracker.

    Gone- 2012 JK Rubicon with stuff. Long gone- Long-arm 2001 Cherokee with stuff.

    how about just a bad starter. or even check your leads to the starter.... some time they get really corroded.... just really sounds like a bad starter, if its barely spinning the engine... Mike

    nothing on the dash... haven't tried checking for hidden codes, though. I'll try that on my way to work.

    Jerry / Whatevah

    2020 Gladiator Mojave - 33" Falken mud tires, LoD side steps, Zroadz bed rack, Quadratec QRC winch bumper, Superwinch EPi 9.0, Kleinn on-board air, Kleinn air horns, lots of lights, Yaesu ham radio with GPS tracker.

    Gone- 2012 JK Rubicon with stuff. Long gone- Long-arm 2001 Cherokee with stuff.

    lol I don't have a reader, was gonna stop by Autozone

    Jerry / Whatevah

    2020 Gladiator Mojave - 33" Falken mud tires, LoD side steps, Zroadz bed rack, Quadratec QRC winch bumper, Superwinch EPi 9.0, Kleinn on-board air, Kleinn air horns, lots of lights, Yaesu ham radio with GPS tracker.

    Gone- 2012 JK Rubicon with stuff. Long gone- Long-arm 2001 Cherokee with stuff.

    Quote from whatevah


    maybe if I had one. ;D


    It's my understanding that the newer vehicles have distributors on a rail at each cylinder. I believe that is how my wife's WJ works. Each spark plug has it's own distributor.

    Member since 2000

    Jeeps Owned'79 CJ5:

    Specs-

    - 258 I6

    - '93 Cherokee fuel injection and HO head,

    - bored 30 over

    - with 4x4 cam

    T18 tranny with granny low / Dana 18 t-case

    Dana 44 front and back from late '70s Wagoneer, both locked and loaded with 4.88 gears

    SOA on modified YJ springs with shackle reversa

    Fiberglass tub with 6 point cage mounted to the frame


    2015 Grand Cherokee Limited
    Spec-

    Quadratec Floor mats

    no, what you are taling about are coil packs.... a distributor is excatly what it says... it distributes coil power to each cyl at the right time, if he isn't even able to spin the engine over then the starter motor is dieing... and will leave him stranded.. mine died the same way, only when it died it was in my driveway..... Mike

    take a volt meter and check the battery while cranking if it drops below like 9 or 10 its a bad battery..... it just wont hold the load of the starter/ lights done have the same pull as a starter....

    Quote from Slimer


    The starter kicks a little gear out to turn the fly wheel (I guess it's the same for a flex plate). Is it cranking during both attempts or is one of them a high pitched screech? If one is a high pitched screech then the little gear on the start is having trouble meeting up with the flex plate.


    ok... now I'm getting a whining sound for about 15 seconds before the engine coughs once or twice and then turns over as normal. I guess before the gear was slipping on and off the flywheel, now it's just taking its good 'ole time to connect to it.


    how hard is it to replace a starter on a I-6 engine? :doh:

    Jerry / Whatevah

    2020 Gladiator Mojave - 33" Falken mud tires, LoD side steps, Zroadz bed rack, Quadratec QRC winch bumper, Superwinch EPi 9.0, Kleinn on-board air, Kleinn air horns, lots of lights, Yaesu ham radio with GPS tracker.

    Gone- 2012 JK Rubicon with stuff. Long gone- Long-arm 2001 Cherokee with stuff.

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