the reason for this new found hatred for Jeeps is because my CJ7 is being a bitch. Been having some intermittent starting problems for a month or so. Being the lazy and broke person I am I just let it go until last weekend I was at Myrtle Beach and it wouldn't start. The old man was there so got him to buy a new battery since the voltmeter was reading under 12. (oh and it's his CJ, I drive it, so he pays for repairs ) Drove it all the way back, was fine. Sat all week since I ride the wolfline everywhere. Went to start it last night and nothing. Fishy. Auto zone comes through at 11pm with a new alternator, even runs a test on the old one and it fails. Replaced the alternator. Tried to start it...nothing. Tried to jump it....nothing. There is a loud ass click coming from the solenoid on the passenger front fender when I try to start it. My next move right now is replace the solenoid ($12) then if that doesn't fix it, replace the starter. Any other suggestions on what the hell might be wrong. I know my fair share about cars but troubleshooting mechanical failures comes from experience, IMHO, and I just don't have that much. Any advice would be appreciated and if you are bored, drive down crest rd. stop next to it and lend me a hand/check it out. Thanks in advance.

3/18/2006 10:39:33 AM

give them to me, i'll take good care of em

3/18/2006 11:18:45 AM

STFU and GTFO

3/18/2006 11:24:25 AM

Quote :

"There is a loud ass click coming from the solenoid on the passenger front fender"

i say replace the fender

3/18/2006 12:11:52 PM

dont be hatin on a car for that, shit breaks big deal.

3/18/2006 12:33:21 PM

well we got it runnin. didn't replace shit, pulled a plug to check for spark and it started right up. weird huh. oh well, off to get me a front locker

3/18/2006 12:47:49 PM

its a cj7 it could be older than you are

until you go through it and do a really expensive restoration...shits gonna break alot.

3/18/2006 12:54:34 PM

i could have told you that and saved you all the trouble

3/18/2006 1:45:18 PM

its totaled I will give you $200 for it.

3/18/2006 2:35:00 PM

it is older then me, been restored, not replacing the fender, and it's mine so I will hate away. screw your 200

3/19/2006 1:18:22 AM

Had the EXACT same problem with my '86 CJ7. Went through the typical motions (checking battery, ignition module, starter, etc...) Ended up being the damn solenoid that cost $10.

3/20/2006 3:29:18 PM

same thing with my cj5..though it took three solenoids to find one that worked

3/20/2006 3:38:51 PM

solenoid

next time it won't start, have someone hold the key to "start" while you tap the solenoid a few times with a wrench or something.

3/20/2006 4:08:48 PM

^What Duke said. Nothing like a Ford solenoid to make your day. One reason to always carry a junk screwdriver or pair of pliers with you...to bridge the turd-minals.

3/20/2006 4:29:50 PM

yeah, you can do that, too

3/20/2006 6:16:48 PM

i support this thread.

10/10

3/20/2006 6:28:46 PM

Jheep

3/20/2006 7:18:06 PM

i will take that troublemaker off your hands for you

3/20/2006 7:56:09 PM

^don't you already own a disco?

3/20/2006 11:10:30 PM

hahaha and a dodge ram is glowing beacon of reliability steaming pile of crap too.
(unless its a cummins and even then shit still breaks)


the only suv's and trucks that i will say are all around good cars are toyotas.
but i prefer to work on my own vehicles so a broken part here or there doesn't bother me.

i like jeeps and old yotas for suvs and ford & dodge for full size trucks (diesel shit only)

everything breaks... the ability to troubleshoot is def a valuable one...

like now my jeep has a check engine light but it runs fine and everything (pressures voltages gas mileage engine feel etc.) are fine so i was pretty sure my emission 02 was pissed off @ me... so i ignored it... well the other day i was by auto zone and had them pull the code for free they told me it was o2 #2 aka the emissions bastard i chuckled and said i'll be back before may

your problem sorta sounds like a solenoid but... if it clicks its usually working
check the grounds on the car too sometimes a loose ground can cause both of those issues
(alternator seeming broken too)

and you never mentioned it but i surely hope you charged the battery or jumped it after you replace the alt. i'm not calling you dumb but i've seen that happen before too.

3/21/2006 12:03:08 AM

the battery wasn't totally dead, it was a new batt. bc he replaced the old one. so anyways, me and slravene and southern had guessed it was the solenoid neways, and he got a new one, but it works fine now and he has a spare solenoid.

3/21/2006 12:47:52 AM

Quote :

"hahaha and a dodge ram is glowing beacon of reliability steaming pile of crap too."

oh yeah, i forgot i posted that they were God's gift to the auto world since you brought it up though, they are a hell of alot more reliable than a jeep and always have been. when chrysler took control of AMC, reliability has only increased for jeep and been brought up to the standards of other chrysler trucks/suv's. what have ever been any common major problems with dodge trucks? don't give me the standard bullshit auto transmission failures either. that was only for a couple of years, and if you reasearch into it the majority of those failures were a lack of proper maintinance. just another one of those things that's been completely blown out of proportion. like crankwalk on dsm's or head gaskets on 3.0 toyotas.

i will agree yotas are about the best overall trucks. you've got trade offs in price, power, and towing/hauling ability though. at that, even they have had their common issues over the years.

[Edited on March 21, 2006 at 1:58 AM. Reason : .]

3/21/2006 1:56:12 AM

man up, buy a scout.

3/21/2006 8:56:19 AM

yeah the best mods for a cj

#1 if you have a dana 35 pitch it... the only time that axle is decent is in exploders (front) and even not great then

#2. efi small block chevy or ford... possibly even the new hemi but thats $texas

you can get an ls1 for nothing complete with harness.

3/21/2006 12:49:50 PM

^uh, since when did cj's ever come with d35's?

Quote :

"dude i know jeep parts... trust me... if there is one thing i know its jeep parts."

3/21/2006 1:05:57 PM

i thought there was one year when cj7s were a yj waiting to happen the 4.2 had a dana 35 behind it...
but you're correct i'm wrong.

but good call out.. i know yjs, tjs, xjs zjs and wjs they're whate i've worked on. i don't know shit about the old stuff if i wanted a project i'd get a bronco and start with a 9" (28 or 27 spline?) easily upgraded to 31,33,35 spline and a dana 44 not an amc 20 or crappy 10 ore 19 spline dana 44.

you win on the brainfart though gg.

3/21/2006 2:37:20 PM

nope, as far as i know cj7's carried the amc 20 through their last year (86). early yj's had the 4.2 with a d35. amc 20 isn't a terrible axle with one piece shafts. hell of alot better than a d35 anyway.

a 44 is really too weak for a bronco, unless you're just farting around, using smallish tires, or you put it on a serious diet. you could throw ctm's, yukon shafts, etc. at it but then you're meeting/exceeding the cost of a 60.

[Edited on March 21, 2006 at 2:44 PM. Reason : .]

3/21/2006 2:44:06 PM

little bronco not fullsize 78ish

i'm a fan of dana 60 knuckled 9"s too

3/21/2006 3:30:44 PM

'86 CJ-7s had Dana 44's for rear axles simply because they ran out of AMC rear ends. Dana's are made in Toledo, so it wasn't too hard to get a steady supply of them. AMC was just trying to use up as many existing parts as possible before Chrysler took over.

3/21/2006 3:34:19 PM

^correct, d44's did come in some 86's. alot had amc 20's also.
^^you mean an early bronco? 66-77? they didn't get a front 44 until 71. i think it was 75 or 76 before they got discs and 30 spline axles. many carried the small bearing 9", which isn't too desireable. i'd love to have a pretty much stock one with uncut rear fenders as a warm weather DD. 289/column 3 speed.

hybrid axles are cool for bling factor, but i can't think of a single one that's really worth the $$ or extra work involved for what you get. maybe some of the hybrid portal axles (hum9's, etc.) but that's it.

[Edited on March 21, 2006 at 4:42 PM. Reason : .]

3/21/2006 4:34:42 PM

last time i was really into 4 wheeling you could order curries with d44 or d60 knuckles

3/21/2006 4:42:33 PM

yeah, there's still people building steering 9 inches with dana outers. i just don't see the big advantage when you factor in the cost. if i was ever going to do a hybrid for something, it would be a 44 housing with 60 shafts/outers. not terribly exspensive, and a nice weight/clearance advantage over a conventional 60.

3/21/2006 4:44:59 PM

^knows nothing of parking deck burnouts...gg

3/21/2006 5:37:12 PM

ahaha. my car still smells like burning rubber. fuckers went all through my stuff too.

3/21/2006 5:48:52 PM

i support this thread

my jeep has been nothing but problems

3/22/2006 12:14:53 PM

it's not a real jeep unless it has ford, chevy and jeep parts all mixed together

3/22/2006 1:49:29 PM