Hey everybody! I bought a 1997 Jeep Cherokee Sport last November, with
106,000 miles on it. I've since added 10,000 miles. Two seperate but
possibly related problems that started right after I bought it have me
flummoxed.

The first is that when I turn the ignition key off, all the
accessories stay on: the fan, radio, wipers, etc. I quickly learned to
turn everything off before parking the car.

The second showed up a few weeks later. When the car is parked for
several hours, the battery (which is a new die-hard) drains enough so
that the motor will turn over but not start. If it's parked for a
longer time, it has no juice at all. Sometimes, after using the power
locks to open the car, I can hear a rapid clicking behind the dash to
the left of the main guage display. If I use a jump starter it will
start, and after I drive it for a while, it will start again just
fine. So it doesn't seem to be the charging system.

I've talked to a mechanic who says it might be the coil or fuel pump,
but that doesn't sound right.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, since I have to do this
myself. I don't have the cash to take it to the garage.

Thanks!

 

Get yourself a decent multimeter and start poking around until you
figure out where the electricity is going, you have a leach somewhere,
prolly has to do the accessories not turning off...sounds like a stuck
relay (stuck closed, allowing flow) or the ignition switch. If you
put the ignition in ACC position does it all still work, and then
maybe turn off after you come out of ACC? Someone have a link to
wiring diagrams for this guy??

--
--
Joe Pribe
NC
jpribe 'at' nc.rr.com <you know the drill
jegp 'at' hotmail.com < at is really @
---- I Love My O|||||||O TJ



"RJO" <bob@rjoassoc.com> wrote in message
news:c5bdc97c.0404100946.2465a92e@posting.google.c om...
| Hey everybody! I bought a 1997 Jeep Cherokee Sport last November,
with
| 106,000 miles on it. I've since added 10,000 miles. Two seperate but
| possibly related problems that started right after I bought it have
me
| flummoxed.
|
| The first is that when I turn the ignition key off, all the
| accessories stay on: the fan, radio, wipers, etc. I quickly learned
to
| turn everything off before parking the car.
|
| The second showed up a few weeks later. When the car is parked for
| several hours, the battery (which is a new die-hard) drains enough
so
| that the motor will turn over but not start. If it's parked for a
| longer time, it has no juice at all. Sometimes, after using the
power
| locks to open the car, I can hear a rapid clicking behind the dash
to
| the left of the main guage display. If I use a jump starter it will
| start, and after I drive it for a while, it will start again just
| fine. So it doesn't seem to be the charging system.
|
| I've talked to a mechanic who says it might be the coil or fuel
pump,
| but that doesn't sound right.
|
| Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, since I have to do this
| myself. I don't have the cash to take it to the garage.
|
| Thanks!

 

Get yourself a decent multimeter and start poking around until you
figure out where the electricity is going, you have a leach somewhere,
prolly has to do the accessories not turning off...sounds like a stuck
relay (stuck closed, allowing flow) or the ignition switch. If you
put the ignition in ACC position does it all still work, and then
maybe turn off after you come out of ACC? Someone have a link to
wiring diagrams for this guy??

--
--
Joe Pribe
NC
jpribe 'at' nc.rr.com <you know the drill
jegp 'at' hotmail.com < at is really @
---- I Love My O|||||||O TJ



"RJO" <bob@rjoassoc.com> wrote in message
news:c5bdc97c.0404100946.2465a92e@posting.google.c om...
| Hey everybody! I bought a 1997 Jeep Cherokee Sport last November,
with
| 106,000 miles on it. I've since added 10,000 miles. Two seperate but
| possibly related problems that started right after I bought it have
me
| flummoxed.
|
| The first is that when I turn the ignition key off, all the
| accessories stay on: the fan, radio, wipers, etc. I quickly learned
to
| turn everything off before parking the car.
|
| The second showed up a few weeks later. When the car is parked for
| several hours, the battery (which is a new die-hard) drains enough
so
| that the motor will turn over but not start. If it's parked for a
| longer time, it has no juice at all. Sometimes, after using the
power
| locks to open the car, I can hear a rapid clicking behind the dash
to
| the left of the main guage display. If I use a jump starter it will
| start, and after I drive it for a while, it will start again just
| fine. So it doesn't seem to be the charging system.
|
| I've talked to a mechanic who says it might be the coil or fuel
pump,
| but that doesn't sound right.
|
| Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, since I have to do this
| myself. I don't have the cash to take it to the garage.
|
| Thanks!

 

Get yourself a decent multimeter and start poking around until you
figure out where the electricity is going, you have a leach somewhere,
prolly has to do the accessories not turning off...sounds like a stuck
relay (stuck closed, allowing flow) or the ignition switch. If you
put the ignition in ACC position does it all still work, and then
maybe turn off after you come out of ACC? Someone have a link to
wiring diagrams for this guy??

--
--
Joe Pribe
NC
jpribe 'at' nc.rr.com <you know the drill
jegp 'at' hotmail.com < at is really @
---- I Love My O|||||||O TJ



"RJO" <bob@rjoassoc.com> wrote in message
news:c5bdc97c.0404100946.2465a92e@posting.google.c om...
| Hey everybody! I bought a 1997 Jeep Cherokee Sport last November,
with
| 106,000 miles on it. I've since added 10,000 miles. Two seperate but
| possibly related problems that started right after I bought it have
me
| flummoxed.
|
| The first is that when I turn the ignition key off, all the
| accessories stay on: the fan, radio, wipers, etc. I quickly learned
to
| turn everything off before parking the car.
|
| The second showed up a few weeks later. When the car is parked for
| several hours, the battery (which is a new die-hard) drains enough
so
| that the motor will turn over but not start. If it's parked for a
| longer time, it has no juice at all. Sometimes, after using the
power
| locks to open the car, I can hear a rapid clicking behind the dash
to
| the left of the main guage display. If I use a jump starter it will
| start, and after I drive it for a while, it will start again just
| fine. So it doesn't seem to be the charging system.
|
| I've talked to a mechanic who says it might be the coil or fuel
pump,
| but that doesn't sound right.
|
| Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, since I have to do this
| myself. I don't have the cash to take it to the garage.
|
| Thanks!

 

Get yourself a decent multimeter and start poking around until you
figure out where the electricity is going, you have a leach somewhere,
prolly has to do the accessories not turning off...sounds like a stuck
relay (stuck closed, allowing flow) or the ignition switch. If you
put the ignition in ACC position does it all still work, and then
maybe turn off after you come out of ACC? Someone have a link to
wiring diagrams for this guy??

--
--
Joe Pribe
NC
jpribe 'at' nc.rr.com <you know the drill
jegp 'at' hotmail.com < at is really @
---- I Love My O|||||||O TJ



"RJO" <bob@rjoassoc.com> wrote in message
news:c5bdc97c.0404100946.2465a92e@posting.google.c om...
| Hey everybody! I bought a 1997 Jeep Cherokee Sport last November,
with
| 106,000 miles on it. I've since added 10,000 miles. Two seperate but
| possibly related problems that started right after I bought it have
me
| flummoxed.
|
| The first is that when I turn the ignition key off, all the
| accessories stay on: the fan, radio, wipers, etc. I quickly learned
to
| turn everything off before parking the car.
|
| The second showed up a few weeks later. When the car is parked for
| several hours, the battery (which is a new die-hard) drains enough
so
| that the motor will turn over but not start. If it's parked for a
| longer time, it has no juice at all. Sometimes, after using the
power
| locks to open the car, I can hear a rapid clicking behind the dash
to
| the left of the main guage display. If I use a jump starter it will
| start, and after I drive it for a while, it will start again just
| fine. So it doesn't seem to be the charging system.
|
| I've talked to a mechanic who says it might be the coil or fuel
pump,
| but that doesn't sound right.
|
| Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, since I have to do this
| myself. I don't have the cash to take it to the garage.
|
| Thanks!

 

The ignition switch is down at the bottom of the steering column and can
be adjusted. Sounds like yours is loose or for sure out of place.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

RJO wrote:
>
> Hey everybody! I bought a 1997 Jeep Cherokee Sport last November, with
> 106,000 miles on it. I've since added 10,000 miles. Two seperate but
> possibly related problems that started right after I bought it have me
> flummoxed.
>
> The first is that when I turn the ignition key off, all the
> accessories stay on: the fan, radio, wipers, etc. I quickly learned to
> turn everything off before parking the car.
>
> The second showed up a few weeks later. When the car is parked for
> several hours, the battery (which is a new die-hard) drains enough so
> that the motor will turn over but not start. If it's parked for a
> longer time, it has no juice at all. Sometimes, after using the power
> locks to open the car, I can hear a rapid clicking behind the dash to
> the left of the main guage display. If I use a jump starter it will
> start, and after I drive it for a while, it will start again just
> fine. So it doesn't seem to be the charging system.
>
> I've talked to a mechanic who says it might be the coil or fuel pump,
> but that doesn't sound right.
>
> Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, since I have to do this
> myself. I don't have the cash to take it to the garage.
>
> Thanks!

 

The ignition switch is down at the bottom of the steering column and can
be adjusted. Sounds like yours is loose or for sure out of place.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

RJO wrote:
>
> Hey everybody! I bought a 1997 Jeep Cherokee Sport last November, with
> 106,000 miles on it. I've since added 10,000 miles. Two seperate but
> possibly related problems that started right after I bought it have me
> flummoxed.
>
> The first is that when I turn the ignition key off, all the
> accessories stay on: the fan, radio, wipers, etc. I quickly learned to
> turn everything off before parking the car.
>
> The second showed up a few weeks later. When the car is parked for
> several hours, the battery (which is a new die-hard) drains enough so
> that the motor will turn over but not start. If it's parked for a
> longer time, it has no juice at all. Sometimes, after using the power
> locks to open the car, I can hear a rapid clicking behind the dash to
> the left of the main guage display. If I use a jump starter it will
> start, and after I drive it for a while, it will start again just
> fine. So it doesn't seem to be the charging system.
>
> I've talked to a mechanic who says it might be the coil or fuel pump,
> but that doesn't sound right.
>
> Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, since I have to do this
> myself. I don't have the cash to take it to the garage.
>
> Thanks!

 

The ignition switch is down at the bottom of the steering column and can
be adjusted. Sounds like yours is loose or for sure out of place.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

RJO wrote:
>
> Hey everybody! I bought a 1997 Jeep Cherokee Sport last November, with
> 106,000 miles on it. I've since added 10,000 miles. Two seperate but
> possibly related problems that started right after I bought it have me
> flummoxed.
>
> The first is that when I turn the ignition key off, all the
> accessories stay on: the fan, radio, wipers, etc. I quickly learned to
> turn everything off before parking the car.
>
> The second showed up a few weeks later. When the car is parked for
> several hours, the battery (which is a new die-hard) drains enough so
> that the motor will turn over but not start. If it's parked for a
> longer time, it has no juice at all. Sometimes, after using the power
> locks to open the car, I can hear a rapid clicking behind the dash to
> the left of the main guage display. If I use a jump starter it will
> start, and after I drive it for a while, it will start again just
> fine. So it doesn't seem to be the charging system.
>
> I've talked to a mechanic who says it might be the coil or fuel pump,
> but that doesn't sound right.
>
> Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, since I have to do this
> myself. I don't have the cash to take it to the garage.
>
> Thanks!

 

The ignition switch is down at the bottom of the steering column and can
be adjusted. Sounds like yours is loose or for sure out of place.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

RJO wrote:
>
> Hey everybody! I bought a 1997 Jeep Cherokee Sport last November, with
> 106,000 miles on it. I've since added 10,000 miles. Two seperate but
> possibly related problems that started right after I bought it have me
> flummoxed.
>
> The first is that when I turn the ignition key off, all the
> accessories stay on: the fan, radio, wipers, etc. I quickly learned to
> turn everything off before parking the car.
>
> The second showed up a few weeks later. When the car is parked for
> several hours, the battery (which is a new die-hard) drains enough so
> that the motor will turn over but not start. If it's parked for a
> longer time, it has no juice at all. Sometimes, after using the power
> locks to open the car, I can hear a rapid clicking behind the dash to
> the left of the main guage display. If I use a jump starter it will
> start, and after I drive it for a while, it will start again just
> fine. So it doesn't seem to be the charging system.
>
> I've talked to a mechanic who says it might be the coil or fuel pump,
> but that doesn't sound right.
>
> Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, since I have to do this
> myself. I don't have the cash to take it to the garage.
>
> Thanks!

 

you have some sort of battery drain. you can check the ing. switch if
it's bad
it's under the colum covers .not at the base. the saginaw steering colums
were dropped in 94
i would be checking out all the grounds real good when grounds are loose
or poor, elcectric relays make alot of noise and battery power looks for
grounds backtracking thru wires looking for the ground points and things
get dim
the main ones are on the engine block by the dipstick
the dash harness has some on the lt side under the kick panel and one is
under the drivers seat
you can check for a draw using a test lite and pulling fuses
RJO wrote:

> Hey everybody! I bought a 1997 Jeep Cherokee Sport last November, with
> 106,000 miles on it. I've since added 10,000 miles. Two seperate but
> possibly related problems that started right after I bought it have me
> flummoxed.
>
> The first is that when I turn the ignition key off, all the
> accessories stay on: the fan, radio, wipers, etc. I quickly learned to
> turn everything off before parking the car.
>
> The second showed up a few weeks later. When the car is parked for
> several hours, the battery (which is a new die-hard) drains enough so
> that the motor will turn over but not start. If it's parked for a
> longer time, it has no juice at all. Sometimes, after using the power
> locks to open the car, I can hear a rapid clicking behind the dash to
> the left of the main guage display. If I use a jump starter it will
> start, and after I drive it for a while, it will start again just
> fine. So it doesn't seem to be the charging system.
>
> I've talked to a mechanic who says it might be the coil or fuel pump,
> but that doesn't sound right.
>
> Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, since I have to do this
> myself. I don't have the cash to take it to the garage.
>
> Thanks!