Jeep dying and not starting,electrical issue need help!
Thread Starter
JK Enthusiast
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 224
Likes: 4
From: Colorado Springs, CO
Jeep dying and not starting,electrical issue need help!
So encountered a big issue with the wrangler today. Here's what happened and what I have narrowed down.
Started jeep and left neighborhood, dashboard started to light up. ABS, brake, battery light all kept blinking. Speedometer kept jumping. Made it 3 blocks stopped at stoplight and it died. Put it in park and wouldn't start.
Fire dept came and tried to help me. They were able to giggle some wires and it got some power to turn on and get in neutral. They pushed me off road.
While waiting for tow, I tugged on wires, heard a click and my ignition chime. It started. The wire I moved was the one coming off to fuse box.
Drove it to auto zone. Battery and alternator fine. That connection also seemed tight at dude box. So think it's some other cable or connection attached to that one.
Not sure where to go next. Is this a replace cables to Battery situation? Are there particular connections to check next?
It pretty consistently won't start until I get under there and tug on things. Any help or direction is appreciated!!!
Started jeep and left neighborhood, dashboard started to light up. ABS, brake, battery light all kept blinking. Speedometer kept jumping. Made it 3 blocks stopped at stoplight and it died. Put it in park and wouldn't start.
Fire dept came and tried to help me. They were able to giggle some wires and it got some power to turn on and get in neutral. They pushed me off road.
While waiting for tow, I tugged on wires, heard a click and my ignition chime. It started. The wire I moved was the one coming off to fuse box.
Drove it to auto zone. Battery and alternator fine. That connection also seemed tight at dude box. So think it's some other cable or connection attached to that one.
Not sure where to go next. Is this a replace cables to Battery situation? Are there particular connections to check next?
It pretty consistently won't start until I get under there and tug on things. Any help or direction is appreciated!!!
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 173
Likes: 37
From: North Eastern, Maryland
Typically when this type of issue starts it could be several things checking and cleaning the battery terminal, cable and checking or reseating the grounds is one way of approaching this. Cold weather then the battery doesn't have a deep enough cycle. if it's the factory battery you can expect to have this type of issues cause the factory battery tends to die within 3 years of use. Another issue, could be the cam sensor or crankshaft sensor. Worse case, Park outside? mice, rats or squirrels.. they just love your cables..
Thread Starter
JK Enthusiast
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 224
Likes: 4
From: Colorado Springs, CO
Maybe the cold?
So cannot replicate today. Starts every time now. I started it and moved wires to see if it would die or dash lights come on. Nothing. Kept running, kept starting. I see no corrosion, no chewed wires. Battery tested fine yesterday, it's an optima red top about 3 years old.
It was bitterly cold the night before I had the issue, so cold might be culprit.
Can cold exacerbate a short in a wire?
Yesterday it very much seemed like if I moved the wire going to the fuse box it would then get power.
It was bitterly cold the night before I had the issue, so cold might be culprit.
Can cold exacerbate a short in a wire?
Yesterday it very much seemed like if I moved the wire going to the fuse box it would then get power.
