i cant figure this out!!!

[bigge]

ok so let me see if i can describe this.. sometimes when i turn the key i get nothing as in it just wont start doesnt turn over i mean notta so sometimes when this happens i can go out and jump the solenoid and it will start then every once in awhile it wont even do anything when i jump the solenoid except i can hear the solenoid open, iv replaced the starting switch and the solenoid. i thought i might have a short in the wire that runs from the starter switch to the solenoid but i can find anything wrong with it could it be my coil? the reason i ask that is because sometimes when im driving it will stall out and sputter then kick back in and continue on its way any thing would be helpful thanx

 

[Old Dog]

sounds like you might have a bad wire or connection.
next time it dies see if there is any power going to the coil.

 

[CJ]

Also may be that the ignition switch (on the column) may be slightly miss adjusted.

 

[bigge]

i thought it might not be in the right position to but i already double checked that twice and its all in the right place. i havent checked to see if i have power going to the coil yet. possibly the icm? this is a nasty little gremlin and he loves to give me false hope and then strand me at the worst posiible times

 

[CJ]

drop the switch and use some thing else to to move the contact(use a screw driver). see iff it works. you need to se how it reacts.

a process of elimination.

Sent from my Droid.

 

[bigge]

i tried that with the screw driver twice this has been an ongoing problem so iv been trying to eliminate and have gotten as far as replacing the sloenoid.

 

[BusaDave9]

Wiggle test!
I agree with CJ and Old Dog, I think you have a bad connection (or broken wire) somewhere.
When I first started to read your problem I was thinking you had a bad connection at the battery. Sometimes it won't start even if you jumper the solenoid? Then your description sounds like the ignition goes out intermittently when you are driving. To echo CJ and Old Dog your problem is most likely a bad connection at the ignition switch, the coil or the wire from the center of the distributor to the coil.
Perform the wiggle test. When your engine is running wiggle these wires and see if you can get the engine to sputter or die. If you can't track down the problem by wiggling wires then it may be the wire from the center of the distributor to the coil. Remove it and check it's resistance with an ohm meter.

 

[IOPort51]

If it were the switch you could jump it at the solenoid, that bypasses the switch all together.
Are you referring to the ignition coil?? There is no way that will keep the starter from turning the engine over.
You got a good one for sure, I would be thinking about a combination of problems with the solenoid being one of them, unless the starter is about to fall off or the positive cable to the starter is about to separate. the solenoid clicking should indicate power to the starter, I don't suppose you put a volt meter on the cable between the solenoid and the starter to see if there was actually voltage being supplied to the starter?

 

[bigge]

ok so i tried all the suggestions but of course we are back to the point where it starts again no problem going to try to drive it a bit to see if i can get it to do it again but here is what im thinking. i may have a bad starter because like i said sometimes when i jump the solenoid it starts but sometimes all i get is the solenoid clicking so i think the starter is problem one so a new starter for sure but i think i may have either a bad icm because of the sputtering could be a prelude of it going out and it is the original from as far as i can tell and or i have a bad wire which since im going to rebuild this summer and i have a nice shiny new wiring harness waiting in the garage im going to just run a button to start it. any other ideas or wisdom and thank you for the help so far

 

[maynor]

ok so let me see if i can describe this.. sometimes when i turn the key i get nothing as in it just wont start doesnt turn over i mean notta so sometimes when this happens i can go out and jump the solenoid and it will start then every once in awhile it wont even do anything when i jump the solenoid except i can hear the solenoid open, iv replaced the starting switch and the solenoid. i thought i might have a short in the wire that runs from the starter switch to the solenoid but i can find anything wrong with it could it be my coil? the reason i ask that is because sometimes when im driving it will stall out and sputter then kick back in and continue on its way any thing would be helpful thanx

I assume you have checked the battery cables. I had a Ford that would start when jumping the soleniod but not unless. I had to replace the solenoid on the fire wall as well as the starter it's self as it too had a solenoid attached. you might ensure you have a good clean connection to the coil. If it get bumped around while driving you could lose/regain connectivity

 

[Cheepjeep85]

could be the bulk head connector, under the master cylinder on the driverside of the firewall, check to see if its loose, at any rate pull it apart, clean it with brake parts cleaner, then put alot of dielectric grease in it and put it back together. just about everything on the jeep is ran through this connector including the ignition and starting circuits.

 

[Rescue Diver]

When it happens, do you lose power to everything except the headlights, with no voltage reading at the gauge, no radio etc? If so, check the flat plug that's behind the dash attached to the lower right side of the steering column. It has a whole bunch of wires all laid out flat, and it plugs into another flat plug that's held in a bracket on the steering column. Try wiggling it around with the radio on to see if it causes it to lose power. I had a problem with mine because when I bought my pile of parts to build the jeep, the column and that plug had been in the weather for a while and had a little corrosion on the tabs in that plug. I cleaned it up and re-seated it a few times and the problem has never come back.

 

[Tommy]

This may be to easy but I had the exact same problem and it turned out to be a loose connection for the ground cable from the battery to the frame. I tried looking at all the tricky stuff first and it turned out to be a loose nut. No, not the one behind the wheel. Sometimes the obvious eludes us.

Tommy

 

[bigge]

just an update so far still checking wiring and still have that same sneaky little problem. iv replaced the starter the icm the solenoid and the battery cables.

 

[jeffgtoman]

Here's my 2 cents worth. I'm not going to address the sputtering problem. Too many possibilities for here. But the starter cranking or not cranking problem. You said jumping the solenoid works sometimes and that you have replaced the solenoid and starter. I agree with Tommy. You probably have a bad ground connection. Check the negative battery cable. I looked at my 85 CJ AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l and it goes to a bolt on the right motor mount. You don't want it going to the frame. It should bolt to the engine. Are there any signs of corrosion or loose terminals on that cable? Are there any bulges in the rubber that would indicate a lump of corrosion? Check both battery terminals. Make sure they are clean and tight. If you can move them, they are too loose. If the post is black or dull grey, you need to clean it with a pocket knife or a terminal brush. Same thing for the inside of the battery post terminal. I hope this helps.