No start, no crank, clicks Zebra hunt.

[thesupercroc]

Greetings XJ Talk!

I have a Zebra link (https://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Zebra_%28medicine%29) hunt for you all.

My 1997 4.0 XJ is not starting when you turn the key it clicks but does not turn over. I have replace the battery, CPS, distro (which was causing some misfire earlier), starter, ignition switch, and battery cables.

cleaned ground(s) and battery connections

the NSS was cleaned but trying the bridging of the two point to trick did no let it start either so that might be a red herring.

fuel pressure is good at the rail and spark is good as well.

Thoughts? Should i be looking for a computer to test or what else should I look at?

[4.3LXJ]

I think that you should find a remote starter and hook it up and verify the starter will turn over the engine and work from there. The next thing to check is the ground that the NSS makes. Hook up a new ground for test purposes. The results of these two tests will determine what you do next

[thesupercroc]

so how would I go about hooking a remote starter the the xj?

[4.3LXJ]

You hook it to the battery post on the starter and the solenoid on top where the wire from the starter relay connects. It bypasses all the starter circuits

[thesupercroc]

My zebra hunt has lead to some success! It now cranks!


She cranked first with the remote starter (after I figured out how to use it).
:bang: So that tells me that my starter will crank it! Then i tried switching relays around with no luck. After that tried jumping the relay and that also cranked it! At that point I was wondering if I was starting to go crazier.
Then I noticed some thing!... the ground clip for my relay was not making contact with the relay!!!

So I partly disassembled the fuse/relay box and put the relay and then pushed the clip on the relay and put every thing back on and it cranks !

[4.3LXJ]

Glad you got it figured out Anton

[thesupercroc]

Now to figure out the rest of the no start.

[4.3LXJ]

Verify fuel pressure next. You should be able to turn on the key for two seconds and touch the schrader valve on the fuel rail and get gas squirt out

[thesupercroc]

Time to bring the back from the dead !

I had the XJ starting for a while for changing the starter but then it go harder and harder to start at which point I started ago though the "list" of stuff to to check for a no start/ cranks again
fuel pump pressure was good, plugs, wires, cap, rotor, distributor, coil, and cps where all good. timing is controlled by the computer so that is out of the picture. Rechecked the distributor timing.

with all that out of the way time to check cylinder compression! I forget the number off the top of my head but i had 1 that was at least 20 psi out of range of the others. So that means a leak down test! T result was leaking from the valve area of the cylinder that was out of range. So great time to check under the valve cover for any thing out of normal. Nothing found there so then we have to take the head off and have the engine shop take a look at it....

after droping the head off at the engine / machine shop i got a call back say that it pass the magflux test and had a couple of stuck valves but should be fixable... Well a few hours later i get a call back the vac test found 3 cracks that could not be repaired. :mad0090::mad0090:

Well time to look for a new head.

[denverd1]

ever done your rear main seal? had a similar slow start to no start condition. I cleaned all the leaky oil off the starter and leads and it worked like new. starters are a dime a dozen at your favorite PnP. 2 or 3 bolts and 1 wire, you could have a new one on it in 10 minutes. take a look at yours

[thesupercroc]

RMS is good I changed the starter just before this started.

[denverd1]

RMS is good I changed the starter just before this started.

might check bolts and wires. my issues were at the starter

[thesupercroc]

Checked and or changed the wires.

[4.3LXJ]

Do you have a test light or meter or any way to check for current?

[thesupercroc]

Do you have a test light or meter or any way to check for current?

yes meters both digital and analog test lights.

[4.3LXJ]

Your no crank situation is kind of baffling me then. You should be able to chase that down with the meter.

[thesupercroc]

Your no crank situation is kind of baffling me then. You should be able to chase that down with the meter.

Oh I should say that the no crank part was solved with a new starter and batt. So it was just not starting now.

[4.3LXJ]

Fuel pressure and spark?

[denverd1]

:smiley-scared002:

[thesupercroc]

yes both good

[4.3LXJ]

Probably CPS then. Do you know how to check it?

[thesupercroc]

Probably CPS then. Do you know how to check it?

checked and replaced with oem.

[4.3LXJ]

At this point, I don't trust nuthin. Do you know how to check it?