HELP! JK Won't Start
09-02-2018, 12:33 PM
#71
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Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Heathrow
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Similar problem fixed
Here's my experience...
Went to start 2015 Wrangler Sport yesterday morning and nothing. Not a click, whine, or whir from the starter. Strangely, the Horn Worked as did the radio and all other electrical components. I figured it was a dead battery (just like that? Went to bed and it was fine.. wake up dead??). Anyway, as soon as I hooked up the jumper cables to my truck the Jeep started as normal. Hmmm... Wife drives jeep to work and an hour later, when she has to head out on an errand.. Dead. This time though she can hear the starter clicking.... so ok.. seems like a confirmation of a dead battery... So I install a battery and the Jeep starts just fine 7 hours later when she leaves work.
This morning she goes to start the Jeep and once again.. totally dead (with a NEW $150 battery!!! ugh). However, once again all the lights work, horn works, wipers work... and the battery is showing 12V on my voltmeter. Hook up the jumper cable.. and it starts immediately. WTF??
So ok.. I head to google and of course I come across all the doom and gloom possible scenarios... to include the very scary possibility that it might be the Totally Integrated Power Module (TPIM).... yuck.
Sooo... things aren't adding up. Battery indicates 12V. Won't start the car. Hook up jumper cables.. car starts. Alternator is working as the voltage jumps to 13.5-14v when the engine is running. Parasitic Power drain over night?? So I run the check on every circuit doing an amperage check on each... all is normal.
I then check every ground I can find using folks suggestions on this forum and others... everything is tight.
Then one final item... I crawl under the jeep and check the connection to the Starter.... VIOLA!!! It's just a bit loose but the start draws a very large amperage pull and requires a very tight connection. Sure enough, once that connection was tightened the problem went away. So, apparently when I hooked up the jumper cables from my truck the addition of a second battery provided enough amperage to overcome a less than tight connection at the starter terminal.
I hope this helps someone with their similar issue.
Glen
Went to start 2015 Wrangler Sport yesterday morning and nothing. Not a click, whine, or whir from the starter. Strangely, the Horn Worked as did the radio and all other electrical components. I figured it was a dead battery (just like that? Went to bed and it was fine.. wake up dead??). Anyway, as soon as I hooked up the jumper cables to my truck the Jeep started as normal. Hmmm... Wife drives jeep to work and an hour later, when she has to head out on an errand.. Dead. This time though she can hear the starter clicking.... so ok.. seems like a confirmation of a dead battery... So I install a battery and the Jeep starts just fine 7 hours later when she leaves work.
This morning she goes to start the Jeep and once again.. totally dead (with a NEW $150 battery!!! ugh). However, once again all the lights work, horn works, wipers work... and the battery is showing 12V on my voltmeter. Hook up the jumper cable.. and it starts immediately. WTF??
So ok.. I head to google and of course I come across all the doom and gloom possible scenarios... to include the very scary possibility that it might be the Totally Integrated Power Module (TPIM).... yuck.
Sooo... things aren't adding up. Battery indicates 12V. Won't start the car. Hook up jumper cables.. car starts. Alternator is working as the voltage jumps to 13.5-14v when the engine is running. Parasitic Power drain over night?? So I run the check on every circuit doing an amperage check on each... all is normal.
I then check every ground I can find using folks suggestions on this forum and others... everything is tight.
Then one final item... I crawl under the jeep and check the connection to the Starter.... VIOLA!!! It's just a bit loose but the start draws a very large amperage pull and requires a very tight connection. Sure enough, once that connection was tightened the problem went away. So, apparently when I hooked up the jumper cables from my truck the addition of a second battery provided enough amperage to overcome a less than tight connection at the starter terminal.
I hope this helps someone with their similar issue.
Glen
09-03-2018, 08:38 AM
#72
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Carmel, New York
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I have an 08 Wrangler and had same issues went out replaced starter thinking that was it. It was fine for several days and bam one day im ready to go to work and the damn thing does not start took to dealer kept their for a whole week and no problems at all, well to make a long story short when that happens play with the shifter a little and it should start. It still happens from time to time but one tap on shifter and it starts right away.
Hope that helps
Hope that helps
09-05-2018, 03:58 PM
#73
There's a fuse that blows when the static electricity from the keys with the chips sometimes internally sparks the anti-theft 'puter, and it poops.
The dealers are on to this, they do not know how to actually FIX the problem, but, they DO know that resetting the fuse buys time. (You go away and leave them alone...)
BTW - YOU can re-set it yourself the next time.
PS - the starters themselves can go blewy too, and fry out due to ANOTHER bad QA/QC issue...mine melted due to a bad connection from the factory...at about 6K on the odo. (Hard to see, its under a factory "skid plate")
They spent "Days" in contact with Chrysler...and, the verdict...its not always fixable...its just a built-in problem....and a few JK's have it...and "Chrysler is working on a solution ASAP" (Selling Jeep?)
The solution if this happens to YOU, and you DO NOT feel like going through this agonizing process?
Pull the firiggin fuse for 30 seconds....then push it back in...and its cured, at least so you can start it, THIS TIME.
Here's my crappy write up:
1. Open the hood, find the fuse box next to the battery, open it.
2. There's a large white fuse case with two little 60 amp blade fuses in it....pull up the white part, leave it up for 30 seconds.
3. Push the white part back down, close the box and hood, start the jeep.
The fuse box next to the battery
Push the two little tabs in to open the top of the fuse box
The location of that white fuse you pull, next to a large yellow fuse you don't.
Close up (Blurry) of white fuse next to yellow fuse....I wrote on the fuse so my wife could tell which one if she had to.
______________________________
I hope this saves some poor soul a few tows when it would have been a bad time, etc.
If anything's still unclear...feel free to ask.
The dealers are on to this, they do not know how to actually FIX the problem, but, they DO know that resetting the fuse buys time. (You go away and leave them alone...)
BTW - YOU can re-set it yourself the next time.
PS - the starters themselves can go blewy too, and fry out due to ANOTHER bad QA/QC issue...mine melted due to a bad connection from the factory...at about 6K on the odo. (Hard to see, its under a factory "skid plate")
They spent "Days" in contact with Chrysler...and, the verdict...its not always fixable...its just a built-in problem....and a few JK's have it...and "Chrysler is working on a solution ASAP" (Selling Jeep?)
The solution if this happens to YOU, and you DO NOT feel like going through this agonizing process?
Pull the firiggin fuse for 30 seconds....then push it back in...and its cured, at least so you can start it, THIS TIME.
Here's my crappy write up:
1. Open the hood, find the fuse box next to the battery, open it.
2. There's a large white fuse case with two little 60 amp blade fuses in it....pull up the white part, leave it up for 30 seconds.
3. Push the white part back down, close the box and hood, start the jeep.
The fuse box next to the battery
Push the two little tabs in to open the top of the fuse box
The location of that white fuse you pull, next to a large yellow fuse you don't.
Close up (Blurry) of white fuse next to yellow fuse....I wrote on the fuse so my wife could tell which one if she had to.
______________________________
I hope this saves some poor soul a few tows when it would have been a bad time, etc.
If anything's still unclear...feel free to ask.
Saved me a Tow. I'm a YJ guy and my GF's 2015 JKU would not start after work today. Went to save her & jump it, but all the 'lectronics worked. googled it and this was the first hit. Thanks!!
05-19-2020, 05:00 PM
#74
JK Newbie
Join Date: May 2020
Location: Midland TX
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Ok, so here is the deal, was in CA last weekend, of course has to happen when out of town and on a Sunday, gotta love the Gremlin Car God's!
Go to start the jeep and it won't turn over, try about six times before giving up and figuring it is the battery. Jump in the car with a buddy and go buy a new battery. Get done switching it all out and go to start, still won't turn over... SH*T! Try a few more times and give up, take out the new battery and go return it. So it is Sunday, call up as it is under warranty to get it towed in first thing Monday am... One of the neighbors comes over who is a wrench turner, not that I'm not, he thinks its the battery... so check that, the lights, etc.. so turn on the lights and turn it over, starts right up. does this 3 more times and starts up right away. turn off the lights, won't start next two times (with lights turned off), then turns over with lights off, third time. Now we are both really confused. Decide to take it into the dealer Monday AM rather than risk the long desert drive back to AZ on a Sunday.
Starts right up Monday morning and every time at the dealer. The dealer Frahm supposedley started it every 10 minutes and would start every time so "we can't recreate the problem" is the answer... go figure... computer , grounds, everthing checks out. Drove home back to AZ and has started every single time since. No aftermarket alarm or stereo so don't start thinking anti-theft, etc....
Anyone experience this one or have any ideas!!!!????? Going to take it to the dealer here but am expecting the same answers....
Go to start the jeep and it won't turn over, try about six times before giving up and figuring it is the battery. Jump in the car with a buddy and go buy a new battery. Get done switching it all out and go to start, still won't turn over... SH*T! Try a few more times and give up, take out the new battery and go return it. So it is Sunday, call up as it is under warranty to get it towed in first thing Monday am... One of the neighbors comes over who is a wrench turner, not that I'm not, he thinks its the battery... so check that, the lights, etc.. so turn on the lights and turn it over, starts right up. does this 3 more times and starts up right away. turn off the lights, won't start next two times (with lights turned off), then turns over with lights off, third time. Now we are both really confused. Decide to take it into the dealer Monday AM rather than risk the long desert drive back to AZ on a Sunday.
Starts right up Monday morning and every time at the dealer. The dealer Frahm supposedley started it every 10 minutes and would start every time so "we can't recreate the problem" is the answer... go figure... computer , grounds, everthing checks out. Drove home back to AZ and has started every single time since. No aftermarket alarm or stereo so don't start thinking anti-theft, etc....
Anyone experience this one or have any ideas!!!!????? Going to take it to the dealer here but am expecting the same answers....
