[Mitchness]

Well I finally did it. After 15 years of working on vehicles I finally crossed the cables trying to jump the Jeep's battery. I now have no cranking action at all. The relay does click, the fuel pump does prime, but I have no starter click at all. Once I realized what happened I connected the cables correctly, let it charge for about 5 minutes and attempted to start again with the cables connected. No starter click at all.

What does this leave me with- starter solenoid and/or the computer, correct? I'm up $#!+ creek if it's the ECU since no yard within reasonable distance has one, so I'm hoping the starter solenoid, unless there is another area I'm forgetting to check. Can't get to a parts store or yard 'til Monday anyway so...

Please help if you can. Thank you much in advance.

 

[BlueRidgeYJ]

when it started arc welding you pulled them off and didnt try to start it with reversed polarity, right?

 

[BlueRidgeYJ]

I guess what I'm asking is was the starter circuit open or closed when the cables were connected? If the key was off, it is probably a fuse. If it was on, jump the pos starter connection with the trigger, if it doesnt do anything your solenoid is bad. If it does start, its somewhere else.

 

[Mitchness]

No, the key wasn't on when it happened. I was just hooking it up; hadn't gotten that far yet. I've checked almost all fuses related to the starter or ignition and they all look happy. I'll try the jumper solution. Thank you!

 

[BlueRidgeYJ]

As I think about it I think the starter solenoid is direct from the battery without a link, so try that jumper move. If it doesnt do anything, check to make sure you have voltage at the starter pos. I bet its a solenoid without a link in that line, especially since the ign/starting/charging fuses are OK.

You are getting acc power, correct? Direct shorts of the batt can be bad. A very good reason to have a tie down. It can fry instrument clusters, chraging system, all kinds of stuff. Good thing the key was off, that is exactly why you leave it off until you are all hooked up & ready to start. Had it been in the acc position you couldve fried lots of things much more easily.

 

[vermonster]

You either have power at your starter main at starter coming from batt. or you don't. If you have power at your starter main just use a jumper wire ie. any wire with alligator clips or not and jump main post (big post) to signal post (small post) and your starter should crank over. does it punch and zing? if not the starter solenoid is shot.

easiest way to check your starter is to bench test it if you can. pull it, throw on a bench watch your finger and hold onto her to what I said up to but also ground the entire starter on the body of the starter

 

[BlueRidgeYJ]

You either have power at your starter main at starter coming from batt. or you don't.

Agreed, but with a reverse polarity hook up it couldve always fried a wire or connection. Thats the only reason I would say to verify the electrical system did not sustain any damage in addition to the starter, assuming the jump test has no result, meaning the solenoid was the "fuseable link".

 

[Chris Larabell]

checkout http://www.wranglerforum.com/f5/hooked-up-cables-backwards-jump-blow-a-fuse-175255.html

Ends with "Thanks for responses. Battery was deceased. 7 year old battery, had seen 60K miles and decided living wasn't for him anymore. Replaced battery and starter fuse(although I think old was still good), and have had no problems since."

 

[Mitchness]

Ok, I jumped the main post to the signal post. I did get spark (like a literal spark) when I connected the clips, but it did not turn over. I also double checked the starter relay again, this time by putting fingers on it instead of listening to it. The starter relay is NOT clicking over. Double checked that with a known working relay and it is definitely NOT clicking over.

This leads me to believe the solenoid, correct?

Thanks for all the advice so far, guys. Electrical is my achilles so this is big help right now. :flowers:

 

[vermonster]

Not sure about the relay but could just buy new 1. Should be pretty cheap so you can eliminate that. On almost every starter I have ever put in or taken out of a vehicle (100's) new/rebuilt or used you usually get sparking. Can be big sparks so that's normal but if your starter sprocket is not plunging and zinging. Your solenoid is shot ie. starter shot.

 

[BlueRidgeYJ]

Not sure about the relay but could just buy new 1. Should be pretty cheap so you can eliminate that. On almost every starter I have ever put in or taken out of a vehicle (100's) new/rebuilt or used you usually get sparking. Can be big sparks so that's normal but if your starter sprocket is not plunging and zinging. Your solenoid is shot ie. starter shot.

^
Put another way - Its got juice, the starter isnt doing anything when its told to, b/c the solenoid is lazy now and doesn't relay the message to go. The point of that test is to hardwire the starter and see if it goes. Yours did not, so the starter is the problem, which bla bla bla bla bla is because of the solenoid. Uh, I bored myself there for a minute. But yea, what vermonster said. Your relay may also be bad, and they are cheap. But that isnt the main problem right now. Also, just about any parts store will bench test and confirm a bad starter for free.