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muddeprived
01-31-2014, 10:26 AM
I came home from work and backed into a parking spot and shut it down. We went to use it again a few hours later and it's dead. Lights and all work just fine but it does not even attempt to turn over. Almost as if it's in a wrong gear. I tried shifting into another gear and back into P but after a few tries the brake pedal got all firm and i cant press it down anymore to shift. What could cause this jeep to suddenly not start?

Need it for work 2nite :( I can't have it to towed cuz the pedal is so firm that you cannot get it into gear to move it.

01 XJ sport auto

anodyne33
01-31-2014, 11:23 AM
Did you try cranking in neutral? If you're not even dimming the lights when you hit the switch I'd guess NSS, and it could be gone far enough that wiggling it around and back into park just isn't going to do it. IIRC there's a quick pin jump you can do on the connector to check it.

HeepH8erTy
01-31-2014, 11:25 AM
the pedal probably won't move because you built up so much brake pressure, probably just needs bled off or driven. When I had the no-start on my XJ, it ended up being the selector switch on the tranny. Crap builds up inside of that switch over time and the contacts don't make a good connection. You could try slamming the shifter from P to 1-2 several times to knock some of the crap off the contacts, or tap on the switch moderately-lightly with a hammer to try to knock some off (if you can move the shifter, both of these techniques worked for me until I was able to replace it). I would look into that swtich before getting too worried. It may also need adjusted. If yours has had the pleasure of enjoying PA winters, you will probably have one hell of a time getting if off lol It took me some time to get mine off atleast... I dunno, just a suggestion. I had a thread going about a year ago about this and XJ_Chris was one the one that gave me all the info I needed, I'll see if I can dig it up.

HeepH8erTy
01-31-2014, 01:09 PM
Here ya go, read this and see if it helps... http://pgh-offroad.com/forum/showthread.php?20632-What-could-cause-an-XJ-not-to-start

5 SPD XJs
01-31-2014, 06:58 PM
my wife had AAA flatbed the 98 XJ home cause the starter wouldn't crank. It was a 5 SPD and I suspected the clutch pedal switch. Anyway I put it in neutral pulled the starter relay in the box under the hood, made a jumper about 2 inches long, found 30 which is hot 12v 87 which is normally open on the relay. Jump them and the starter turns, key on it should start. I think the NSS is an open contact between the key and that relay. Hope that helps. Please be careful and dont leave the jumper in and grind the starter. I yellow paint sticked those terminals under the relay and left the jumper in the box, so it never happened as long as we had it.

ridgerunner97
01-31-2014, 08:10 PM
I'd bet NSS. Key on, put it in park, parking brake set, get your ass under it with a long screwdriver and arc the starter terminals, instantly tell you if the NSS is bad or not...Been there done that.

muddeprived
01-31-2014, 10:06 PM
I'd bet NSS. Key on, put it in park, parking brake set, get your ass under it with a long screwdriver and arc the starter terminals, instantly tell you if the NSS is bad or not...Been there done that.

Which terminals should i arc?

I'm still unable to shift it. The brake pedal is SO damn firm that it doesn't move one bit. This is what it does during a winching session too. I'd have the jeep running and foot on the brake while in neutral and then the brake starts getting so firm that you can't press it anymore. Is there a way to release the pressure?

ridgerunner97
01-31-2014, 10:52 PM
i haven't been under one in a while. One way you arc it doesn't do anything the other it cranks, I can't remember LOL

muddeprived
02-01-2014, 08:14 AM
Well I fiddled with the shifter (that's what she said) and got it to start pretty easily. It didn't give me any problems when I went to start it this morning. Sounds like it is the NSS just starting to go. My backup lights work fine though.

ridgerunner97
02-01-2014, 09:27 AM
This is where I got mine, and the one for my Aunt's XJ.

http://www.am-autoparts.com/2001/Jeep/Cherokee/NeutralSafetySwitch/AM-42413529/527455.html

HeepH8erTy
02-01-2014, 12:23 PM
if you can get it off, you can take it apart and clean the contacts and put it back together. I had to destroy mine to get it off tho. If your back up lights didn't always work, I would think it would probably just need adjusted. And the link that Jon posted is where I think I got mine too... 50 bucks is wayyy better than $200!

HeepH8erTy
02-01-2014, 12:24 PM
and maybe you just need to bleed your brakes? could maybe have an air pocket in the lines somewhere? I would try that to see if it fixed it. If not, Id blame the master cylinder next

5 SPD XJs
02-01-2014, 11:09 PM
Whole lot easier to pull the little relay under the hood marked starter and jump the normally open terminals with 14 ga wire than crawl under it and weld on your screwdriver. 87 of that relay powers the solenoid.

muddeprived
02-03-2014, 11:07 AM
Well it did it again and in the same scenario, which is funny. Both times i drove it home from work, parked, it sat for a few hours, then I went to start it to go somewhere and it wouldn't do anything. No matter what I did with the shifter, it just wouldn't start. Backup lights work fine. I wanted to play with the starter but too damn cold so i just drove the wrangler.

I bet if i go out and try it again 2nite it will start, just like last time.


Wish I had a garage.

muddeprived
02-11-2014, 06:17 AM
It's looking like it's not the NSS. I tried jumping the terminals on the starter, getting a spark show and all but nothing happened. So i took a hammer to the starter and boom, she started right up. So it's probably just the starter that's going. Easy fix.

The lady takes a baseball bat with her so she can pop the hood and pound on it from above. Pretty neat seeing a lady do that with a jeep LOL.

OverkillZJ
02-11-2014, 09:31 AM
My money was on NSS too - that was the culprit on the wife-beater that kept pissing everyone off. Glad you got it worked out

DMG
02-11-2014, 01:27 PM
If you can't get the NSS off, drill a hole in it near the top, just big enough for the straw on a wD40 can and blast a bunch of wd40 in there. Then shift it through all the gears a few dozen times. Then seal the hole you drilled with a bit of silicone.

Obviously be careful not to drill into any of the actual parts in there. I have brought a few back from the dead this way.

Azzy
02-11-2014, 01:35 PM
I just used an air hammer to get mine off. got to be careful not to go into the trans case or screw up the shaft coming out either.