1985 CJ7 Jeep w/ 1979 AMC360 Motor Won't Start

[rvill]

Hey y'all. I have a 1985 CJ7 w/ an AMC 360 (1979) motor. I drove the jeep one day, parked it overnight, got up to leave the next morning and it wouldn't start. I've replaced the starter, solenoid, relay switch & battery. I also cleaned the ground wires to the battery. My jeep still won't start. It just makes clicking noise. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks

 

[mriplaybass]

Take a set of jumper cables and connect from the negative side of the battery to a clean place somewhere on the block. Then go from the positive side of the battery directly to the wire that goes to the starter. This bypasses the solenoid. If the starter turns it's your solenoid, you just got a bad one. If nothing happens, or you just get a strong arc and the starter doesn't engage, it's the starter. If the starter does engage, try the same thing with the jumper cable removed from the negative side of the battery to be sure that it was not just a bad ground.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Do you get a fresh new battery?

LG

 

[rvill]

I tried what you suggested and it's still just clicking. The starter was replaced last week. And yes, Lumpy Grits, the battery was replaced as well.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

What voltage does the battery show?
Not unheard of to get a new battery that's either defective or undercharged.
Put the battery overnight on a charger.
Disconnect the POS(+)battery cable while it's charging.
LG

 

[rvill]

Let me check with my husband but we actually puled a battery from a friends jeep that was identical to the battery in our jeep and same thing... Clicking.

 

[Project86]

I'd start eliminating some of the small stuff. Disconnect each terminal, clean it, retighten to the post. Then I'd do the same thing with the ground wire where ever they ended it. Check the voltage while the starter is under load.

 

[rvill]

Thank y'all for y'alls suggestions. The wire to the starter was bad!!! So annoying that it was something so simple yet nice at the same time.

 

[TnCJ]

Glad you got it fixed!!

 

[Scout1067]

Thank y'all for y'alls suggestions. The wire to the starter was bad!!! So annoying that it was something so simple yet nice at the same time.

I know right. I find it so irritating and so illuminating at the same time when chasing down a gremlin only to find out that the KISS principle always applies. I chased an engine squeal for months that turned out to be a loose intake manifold bolt.

 

[cglax6]

I chased an engine squeal for months that turned out to be a loose intake manifold bolt.

That's because you didn't listen to LG! hahaha!

 

[Scout1067]

That's because you didn't listen to LG! hahaha!

IIRC, he thought it was a vacuum line just like I did. I did get my entire vac system back in shape in the process though so there's that.

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