Any help? 99 Jeep Cherokee no start issue

[WH23G3G]

My mother has a 99 Jeep Cherokee with about 180,000 miles on it. I had replaced the starter about a month ago. Now she says it has random no start problems. She will go somewhere and go to turn the engine on and nothing will happen at all yet lights, horns, radio, power accessories will work fine. The only thing she's done to get it started was jiggle the key in the ignition and it luckily started. I didn't know what else it could be so I took it to a good shop Tuesday and they said the Neutral Safety Switch needed adjustment, so they adjusted it and said it shouldn't have a problem again. Well I found out tonight that it happened again. Something like that happened probably about 5 years ago and a mechanic from a shop came by and jiggled the shifter and said it was the neutral safety switch bad. That was about 5 years ago and it didn't do it again all through that 5 years until now. Any ideas on what I can check by myself? Could it be the ignition switch? Is there a way to test it myself?

[BigBlackDodge]

Sounds like the neutral switch. Instead of buying a new one for my '93 Cherokee I removed it and took it apart to clean it. Never had any trouble with it after that.


BBD

[Charger RT]

I assume it is not a grand cherokee? We had a small fleet of 98 and 99's our sheriffs department used. The N/S switch was an issue on most of them. The cost of a new one was expensive. We found that the grease inside would get hard and at times take a few minutes to make contact after moving the shifter. Usually would happen at gas stations or mini marts. Never first thing in the morning since it sat in park over night. We started taking the switch apart clean out the hard grease and regrease it. Never had a problem with ones we cleaned.
Tim

[WH23G3G]

Is it difficult to remove and clean? Is there a lot of difficult adjustments to make after reinstalling it? They are like $240 for an aftermarket switch. It sure isn't like the one on my 73 Charger, this one here is big and fancy.

[Charger RT]

its been a few years since we did one (maybe 5). i believe its on the passenger side of the trans. not too hard to do just take it apart carefully on a work bench i forget if anything can fall out. it should be fairly easy to adjust. i just don't remember all the details since it been a while. we still have at least 3 of these jeeps in the system.
Tim

[WH23G3G]

I may have to try that if it keeps doing it. Is there any possibility it can be a bad ignition switch? I looked in my factory Jeep Service CD and it didnt list anyway to test the ignition switch or even in the Haynes repair manual which usually lists general tests. The ignition switch is considerably cheaper about $25 and looks relatively easy to change, but I hate guessing and changing parts, I like to be sure.

[Charger RT]

Yes the ignition switch can be checked these cars are wired very much like our old mopars. Are you handy with a test light or volt meter?

There is a power distribution box under the hood by the passenger side fender. Find the relay and pull it out. On the bottom of it there should be markings. The 2 we are looking for are 85 and 86. (this should be a square relay if I remember right. If it is a smaller one the numbers should be the same) locate in the box where these 2 slide in at they should be right across the relay from each other on the square relay. Lets check the ignition switch first hook either the volt meter of test light to the negitive side of the battery. Have a helper turn the key to start check both of these terminals one of them should light the test light or get you a battery reading on the volt meter. Good we are sorta done with this terminal. You can try turning the key back and forth but it should light every time if so the ignition switch is working. If neither terminal light the light or got you a reading on your volt meter the ignition switch is bad. But I doubt it.

The other terminal in the box. to check it move the test light clip to the positive termianl of the battery and if using a volt meter switch your leads up so you have one on the positive side of the battery. The N/S supplies a ground to the relay to make it work. With the test light or meter switched over hook the light or other test lead into the second termial in the box. As long as the trans shifter is in park or neutral the light should be on or the meter reading battery voltage. The problem with an intermittant problem is that you need to check things while it is doing it. Let try to trick the N/S into showing the issue. Move the shifter through all the gears. Each time you take it out of park ot neutral the light will go out and it will go out fast. Each time you put it back into park or neutral the light should come back on as fast as it went out. If it is sluggish coming back on or not at all the switch needs cleaned. I would clean it either way. it is free to clean and not really to hard to do. Just remember to use dielectric grease in it.

I hope this posts right with the daigram. earlier it told me my diagram was to big and I lost all the text I wrote. So I had to write it all again. The diagram shows the relay in the center with mopar circuit numbers the relay is standard for all makes and is numbered the way bosch numbered them when they make the relay in the late 80's.
Tim

[WH23G3G]

I'll try that test when I'm off next week. Hopefully we can keep it working until then. I'll find out later tonight if I get a call. I asked a couple shops and they said they've never heard of cleaning one but they don't replace many on Jeeps. One shop said if I take it apart to clean and repack it I don't know if there is a spring or something that will pop out when I unscrew it and may not be able to put it back together.

[BigBlackDodge]

I'll try that test when I'm off next week. Hopefully we can keep it working until then. I'll find out later tonight if I get a call. I asked a couple shops and they said they've never heard of cleaning one but they don't replace many on Jeeps. One shop said if I take it apart to clean and repack it I don't know if there is a spring or something that will pop out when I unscrew it and may not be able to put it back together.

Note the position it's on the tranny before taking it off and replace it in the same position once cleaned. There is a little rubber gasket between the 2 halfs of the switch that keep it sealed from the elements, try not to break it. I don't remember exactly what it looks like inside but it was very simple design, no springs. Clean the contacts and put everything back together.

http://www.cherokee-jeep.com/1-2disasem.jpg

The lever part (top right) sweeps across the contacts on the left side, clean these.


After pricing a new one I figured I couldn't go wrong by trying to fix myself............easy fix!


BBD