PLEASE troubleshoot my lame Jeep

[Abutterfly]

Hey everyone. I need some help here with my Jeep that is not feeling so good. I have a 2000 Wrangler V6 5speed... a real Mall Crawler. For about the last month or so I have been having starting issues. It usually goes like this.. I turn the key.. nothing. Turn the key.. nothing.. then turn it again and it starts and runs fine. It can go for days without a problem.

My keys sometimes just jiggle all the way that they are just about dangling out when I get home from a drive somewhere... the old "start it and remove the keys" trick. There have been days when I try to start it once, twice and then I drift it back a few inches and turn my wheel and it starts and runs fine. I called my garage and they said well, do the lights on your dash dim or light at all, your gauge lights, when this happens?? Is the car HOT when it happens? Is it raining?? Blah blah... So now that I feel like a total TWIT, I said I do not KNOW.. I will wait til it happens again and report back.

Next time I notice that I do NOT have any lights on my dash when I turn the key and it does nothing.. not clicking.. nothing.. black dash....... it was NOT raining but it WAS after I had driven it.... made a stop.. and then tried to start it and NOTHING.

Now it does always start again, maybe not right THEN, but it hasn't officially DIED totally which is ticking me OFF. I called the garage back and reported it happened when it was warm..... NOT raining and NO, I did not see ANY lights on the dash.

SO, that is not enough... so she's like "well, I don't know for sure if it's the ignition or the starter.. so.... " I finally said " are you trying to tell me that you do not want my car unless it DIES and you can't officially tell what it is , unless it is NOT RUNNING when you hook it up to the diagnostic equipment... you want my car DEAD and TOWED in, correct???"

She says yes.. pretty much. I don't want to have them replace something if it is something else. Okay, makes sense to me.. these people are good, honest people. Very trustworthy, but THAT doesn't help me out!!!! This is one time in my life when honest and trustworthy is NOT WORKING!!!! HA. I can't have a car that starts when it WANTS to.

I do have another OLDER junker Jeep that I drive that doesn't have ONE inch of paint left on it.. HA.. okay.. I'm lying.. it has about a square yard of paint. Not that paint matters , mind you.. it still gets me to work.. I just have to wear my plastic glasses with the muzzy and giant rubber nose attached.

About two weeks ago I could not get it started at ALL, from cold. Just nothing. Again I took the other car. I got home after work and my husband and I went out and messed with it. He tried to start it about 6 times or so with nothing.. ..it finally started to turn over... "dit dit dit dit dit dit dit " (that's my Jeep trying to start...)

It finally turned over and started for like a second then just shut off........ tried it again... same thing.. ... dit dit dit dit dit dit ... ROOOMMMM.... then died.... on the third try he kept giving it gas and said that if he took his foot off the gas it would not stay running.....after about 5 minutes of his foot on the gas it stayed running and he limped it to the garage......saying it was not running good.

SO, the garage was not real thrilled, because we actually DROVE it in..... I dropped it there Thursday a week ago, not this past Thursday. SO ten days ago, roughly. SO, on the following WEDNESDAY, a WEEK later, the garage owners wife calls.... "HI.. um, about the Jeep... we started it this morning and it started right up.. and ran fine...(idled).. so......"

I was like are you KIDDING ME??!! Of course she wasn't. WHY didn't they try to start it EVERY DAY that it was there?? Not just ONE day a week later!!! I mean I would have driven it.. parked it on a hill... up hill.. down hill......??? She went through her routine........so we don't really know what's going on.. so we will try it again tomorrow and then.......(silence)...." Yeah, I KNOW, and THEN I can go pick that thing UP, so it can take a poopy on me and let me sit somewhere !!!! Well they never DID call me...

Okay.. any ideas here? I want to just tell them to put a NEW starter in it and new ignition and let's start there. I mean what am I supposed to do? I think it's my only option. Start replacing stuff and then sooner or later it's fixed???

OH, and the one time she actually asked me this... " did you try to kick start it ?". OH, YES, matter of fact I did.... I just kicked off my heels... planted my foot on the street and pushed with ALL my might... and by golly, it wouldn't start!!!" COME ON! What woman is just going to think HEY, I will try to kick start this car!! NOT THIS WOMAN. Don't get me wrong, I'm not afraid to get dirty or anything, but I think there are very few women would would try to kick start a car that is not starting.. maybe I am wrong.

OKAY, so what do you think? Just start replacing things? I need my car back... I can't afford the gas in the old Cherokee I am driving... I mean I like blowing people off on the road with the HIGH OUTPUT engine and all..... but... every time I put the hammer down , it costs me like $3.28 in gas. I am used to doing the "neutral coast" in mine. I am very thrifty you know, but this is one time when I am WILLING to pay to get this thing starting right.

My husband things the garage is right... drive it till it dies.. OKAY.. yes, that sounds great... talk about stress. He then told me to ..... dare I say it???? He said GET RID OF THAT THING! Just get RID of it and get something ELSE if it stresses you out so bad! I was like WHAAAATTTTTTT are you talkin' about????!!!!!! I am NOT ready to get rid of my Jeep.. I just want it fixed... by process of elimination or whatever.

SO, opinions PLEASE!!!!

 

[Brian Z]

Wow..... sounds like that garage either don't want to mess with it unless they are going to really profit off it, or don't want to deal with it at all. KICK START ??? I'm clueless unless I see it happen , BUUUUTTTT, when you put the key in and turn, there is no power any where sometimes, right? that tell me there's a short. or the key mechanism is not turning the tumbler in the steering column like it should. still a short if no power. check fuses. start there. you may have already. I wish you the best . I figured since no one else replied I'd throw in my .02

 

[Abutterfly]

Thanks for your two cents.. I appreciate it. Now keep in mind I have NO idea about fuses.. I know the ones in my glove box for my radio, etc. Is that what you are talking about or do I have to don my hillbilly overalls and git's under it??

Would this be something I can check MYSELF consulting my owners manual or no?? My mechanic talents pretty much end after this list... refilling wiper fluid, changing wiper blades, swapping out hard and soft tops. :shades:

 

[Brian Z]

LOL, normally you have 1 main fuse box INSIDE the vehicle. if there is a cover on the fuse panel, the inside should show the fuse diagram and what is where. if not the dig out the book and look that up. pretty easy. now, there is another under the hood. bigger fuses (bigger problems). normally on the side or near the firewall. it will have a cover, unsnap the cover and you will see more issues, I mean fuses. might need help locating that one. hope that helps a little... oh yeah, and there will be black squares in the box to, those are relays. your manual will tell about them. well, should anyway...

 

[superj]

have you ever looked at your throttle position sensor and crank sensors? yours is an inline 6, the 4.0, right? it sounds like maybe you need an ignition switch (the key switch) or maybe there is a loose connection or solder joints somewhere. might need you to do some more trouble shooting for us to help you find out whats wrong


also, are you guys in england or somewhere around there? you typed some funny things that made me laugh when i read them, the way you worded them

 

[stumblnyj]

Well there is your problem..... you have a few cylinders in the wrong spot J/K. It sounds like a bad ignition switch. Good luck to ya

 

[Abutterfly]

LOL, normally you have 1 main fuse box INSIDE the vehicle. if there is a cover on the fuse panel, the inside should show the fuse diagram and what is where. if not the dig out the book and look that up. pretty easy. now, there is another under the hood. bigger fuses (bigger problems). normally on the side or near the firewall. it will have a cover, unsnap the cover and you will see more issues, I mean fuses. might need help locating that one. hope that helps a little... oh yeah, and there will be black squares in the box to, those are relays. your manual will tell about them. well, should anyway...

Okay.. so.. not to sound stupid or anything but I am just like a regular old female here...the only "off roadin'" I do is when I park my car in the grass when unloading groceries, okay.....However, I know what fuses are and what they do. NOW, here's where it gets good.. okay so picture this... I actually find the fuse box and I open it. WHAT am I looking for? One that is for the ignition? The starter ? Just which fuse would I be a lookin' for? Shouldn't my garage be doing this fuse stuff?

I know it's at this point where you are shakin' your head and thinkin' to yourself that I should follow my old man's advice and GET RID OF THIS JEEP, that people like ME should be banned from forums like this....

I will get my manual out of the glove box and browse through it if I ever get the Jeep back from the garage. I was going to say I may sneak down there tonight under cover or darkness and steal her back.. but I know she won't start!!!:lol: Perhaps I could kick start it???

 

[Abutterfly]

also, are you guys in england or somewhere around there? you typed some funny things that made me laugh when i read them, the way you worded them

HA! No, I am from Reading, PA... about 50 miles west of Philadelphia... we are just funny. I mean I AM NOT FROM ENGLAND.. I can't speak for the other chap...HA.. I just know that I , personally , am funny and not from England. It's a gift.....

 

[stumblnyj]

If you have a cover on your fuse box the inside of the cover will tell you which fuse goes to what. When checking the fuses look for it not to be connected in the center and replace it. As for the shop its not in their best interest to check the fuse they want to see the $$GREEN$$. How far from he shop do you live maybe tow it home with your cherokee and a tow rope. Most Jeeps do accept this behavior from time to time and may actually want to start just to join the other Jeep. However this may no t be the ultimate fix. BTW have you tried kicking it real hard and see if it will start?

 

[superj]

Ha ha ha, it's ok that you are learning. It's good to come and ask questions, that is why everyone is here to help.


Ok, I understand the wording now. I went to Philly one time for work. You guys got a crazy set up up there. It was cool to see all the history and things that I normally see on tv only. It was funny to see all the kids in that big fountain by the love sign where all the streets cross but since you guys are kind of city locked, you gotta play where you can.

 

[southtj]

You said that the key can come out after you start it so I would at least start there. Have the ignition cylinder replaced.

This won't help any but I had a Toyota Celica a while back that did the exact same thing minus the key coming out thing. Turn key, no click, no engine turn, no nothing. Turn again, nothing. Turn again, nothing. Turn again, starts right up. Sometimes I'd have to wait 30 minutes until it would decide to start. I do not recommend my solution though. I traded it in. Luckily it started for them when they checked it out.

 

[Abutterfly]

Well, that garage called and said it was still starting fine for them... so.. they said they noticed that the battery cable connectors were seriously corroded so they were going to replace them? and "maybe that's what the problem is"??? ( insert shoulder shrug here). SO... wait til you hear THIS funny story... ONLY in my life......

So I have been driving the BEAST, which is my husbands '94 Cherokee, since my car has been sitting at the garage for two weeks for nothing. The plan was that I would hustle out of work and drive home. My daughter would then take me to the garge to get my Jeep... and she would then head to work herself. I would then shoot over to get my haircut.. hoping my car would start when I came out of there. I go outside after work to the parking lot, get in the Beast. I turn the key.... NOTHING!!!! I turn it again... NOTHING! I was like NOOOOO, God, PLEASE, this isn't happening to me!! I clicked it again and again and then I start saying oh Please GOD.. I need to get to the garage!!! and my hair??! What about my roots!!?? These roots are a SIN , God.. they must be an INCH long!!!
Well, he wasn't havin' it... because there I sat with a DEAD battery, because I left the lights on for 8 hours!!!! HA! I entertained the idea of LYING to my husband and saying I had NO idea why it was dead, but he's not stupid. You see it wasn't MY fault. The car is so old that the little buzzer thing that tells you the lights are on is DEAD.. so it's really my husbands fault. HA...

So I realize my cell phone is just one hair from DEAD.. I quick call my house and I am like PICK UP THE PHONE!! I need someone!!.... no answer. I hang up.. call again. CAN SOMEONE PICK UP THE FRIGGIN' PHONE!! My cells almost dead!! Hurry up!! I AM STUCK AT WORK WITH A DEAD BATTERY!! HELLO?? PICK UP!! GRRRRRR!!!! no answer.

I sit there a minute not knowing if I should laugh or cry. My daughter calls back on her cell and says " We have THREE house phones and I can't find ONE OF THEM TO ANSWER when you called!!!' She tells me she can come get me but her tank is on E, she doesn't know if we will make it!!! HA! Of course not.....it wouldn't be right if we weren't stuck on the highway out of gas.

As luck would have it, we made it to the garage . I flipped her a 20 for gas and I managed to get to the salon to color my roots!!! I then had to break it to my husband, via text, that HIS jeep was dead in the water down at my job and he would have to figure out just how he was going to get it back home.. HA! He was NOT happy and he said it was MY responsibility as a driver to "look back" when I get out of my car to make sure the lights are OFF, etc!!! HA! Can you imagine?? Moi???

No it's HIS responsibility to make sure his head light dinger is in proper working condition!!! I rest my case... AND I was kind enough to kick in a 20 and a $25 Walmart gift card ( that his mom just dropped off for us) toward a new battery. HEEEHOOOOO! It's the least I can do. So it cost me $20 in gas for my daughter and a 20 I kicked in for a new battery or for his trouble or whatever.

My Jeep got me here to work and I am looking through the manual at "fuses". I thought they were going to chop off the connectors on the battery cables and put new ones on... at least that is what she said they were going to do. On my receipt it says they "cleaned them up". Can you say AAA ????

If my Jeep leaves me sit after work today I am going to slip it in neutral and try to push it over the embankment....or better YET, I can push BOTH of our lame Jeeps over the embankment... and then I think I may walk 3.8 miles down the road to the Mazda dealership... see what they can offer me. Just a thought.....8)

 

[Abutterfly]

One more thing.. when I look in my fuse box, everything that is listed in my manual should have a fuse in it, right?? I remember way back when , I was nosing in there and I saw empty spaces with no fuses that were labeled in the book. I don't mean the optional ones, but I maked question marks in my book as to why these were empty. Like #20 the Transmission Manual clutch INterlock Ign. Automatic ignition. I have a giant "?" next to that one. If it has none, then I should let it empty? I don't wanna go screwing myself up... I just wanna look for burned out fuses?

 

[RudeDog]

Lol... "very well written" account of your trials and trevulations. I could so relate to all the details and issues that you and the family dealt with... Sounds "way too familiar".. Can you post weekly events? I just had the same thing happen to my old beater honda (277K miles). Wouldn't crank, click start.. boo. looked at cables, really clean.. pushed all wires/connections, tried jumping it, nothing. Headlights, horn, radio, power windows all worked. pushed-prodded all wire/connections, nothing. Figured it was a starter. So, as it's a stick I tired push starting "success" drove home 25 miles, parked, shut it off, tried to re-start, "nothing" Checked all fuses they were good. Looked at cables again, really looked decent. Pulled starter & had it tested. It was good, re-installed it, pulled battery cables, cleaned & reassembled. Wah-La.... It fires up! One other thought, the positive cable also shares a wire for an after-market alarm... Guessing it was a bad connection. More than likely on the alarm side and so the alarm was blocking the juice to the starter? Looking at it the connections they had nearly zero corrosion... Who'd a thought..?

 

[Brian Z]

WOW, I want to hear more of this saga.......do you have a pic of it?

 

[superj]

i will happily trade you my wife's 2005 pt cruiser for your starts when it wants jeep. the pt starts every time and has the buzzer to tell you the lights are on

 

[Abutterfly]

Well, You all thought this story was OVER, din't cha!??? WRONG! I drove it two or three times with NO problems. Friday night I got in it to visit my hubby at his lunch hour.. I even made him a milkshake in this 95 degree weather to take along and surprise him. Okay, I can't afford to go BUY a milkshake because of our crap cars constantly being in the garage. Turkey Hill was having their 2 half-gallons for $5 so we were ON it!!!

Anyway, back to the story. I go out and put the key in it and turn it and it TRIES to turn over... dit dit dit dit dit dit dit but it won't start. I tried this around 6 times and it finally started. I got to his work and was afraid to shut it off , so I sat there in 95 degrees with the A.C. on and burned up $12 worth of gas for his lunch break. The things we do for love.

I drove it home and went in the house and my daughter announced that she wanted to go to Rita's for water ice. I went through my schpeel about my Jeep NOT starting, blah blah. We got in the car and I tried to start it. This time it did something NEW and exciting!! I turned the key and you know how you turn it forward and it bounces back.. like it's spring loaded or something? Well, I turned it forward and it was trying to start, BUT, the key wouldn't come back. It stayed forward just going KKKKKKKKKKKKTTTTTTT!!!! So I had to turn it back myself and I wasn't sure where to put it.. like how far back. SO it's shuddering and wanting to stahl and all the while I am yelling cuss words I think I made UP I was so mad ......and my daughter and her friend are chanting RITAS!! RITAS!! RITAS!!!!!

So the pressure was ON! It was up to ME to get these two brats to Ritas, STAT! I just kept giving it gas and shoved her in gear and off we went. Of couse there were 197.5 people in line during this heat wave and I was like HURRRY UPP kids!!! I think my daughter mumbled the " F bomb" or a reasonable facsimile, she's a total 14 year old B R A T.

I haven't driven it since. I am back on the road with my husband Jeep, The Beast.... burnin' gas and Kickin' *** !!!! Actually I am just burnin' gas, the other part is just .. well, I made that up.

I have to call my garage again in a few minutes. I am sure they will be thrilled. They are probablly GONE this week!! It IS July 4th week. That means they will have my Jeep for THREE weeks this time. I think I am ready to go to Pep Boys and pay 800 for a new ignition... it's getting to that point. I am going to tell the garage to just put a new ignition in it? and we will just start replacing parts. What else can you do? I need my Jeep to run.

 

[stumblnyj]

Ummm call around and get some quotes for replacing the ignition cylinder. I think that is your issue. Espically with all that your poor key has been going through. My thoughts would be the cylinder is not making a good connection (no start) and obviously has broken interior parts (key no bounce back). Plus it will be a cheaper start than replacing your whole ignition.

 

[Brian Z]

YUUP! we have a 13 yr. old, same thing... uuhhggg... oh any way, yeah , try the ignition first. Mine starts. but wants to shut down from time to time. gotta be a wire some where. I think the jeeps are some how communicating with one another...

 

[stumblnyj]

Christine!!!!