The voltage you state for the battery (13v) is a little high. Most auto batteries I have put a digital voltmeter on have read 12.6V when fully charged, and about 14v when the engine is running and charging the battery. Was it running normally the last time you got into the Jeep?

 

First put in park or neutral and touch plus 12 volts to small terminal on solenoid on starter and by what happens you will be about half way to finding problem


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Check your ground wire.


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If nothing is happening when you turn the key, I'd check all the fuses including the ones under the hood.
Next check the ignition switch itself.

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My bet is you have nothing more wrong than a broken ignition switch actuator pin which is a common cause of this problem. It mounts immediately behind the ignition switch tumbler lock.

This is it, I carry one as a spare.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004BYX8W8/ref=ya_aw_oh_bia_dp?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

I have an 04 Rubicon and had to fix this same thing. This is my bet.

 

Alternator my dude

 

Try giving it a jump and see what it does. Have you noticed the lights dimming out at all? Give it a jump than disconnect the battery if it stops running it’s your alternator

 

Give it a jump than disconnect the battery if it stops running it’s your alternator

No it's not. Modern Jeep and most other automotive alternators REQUIRE 12v from the battery to power the alternator's exciter circuit. Disconnect the battery and the engine WILL die in a minute or two once the exciter's magnetic field collapses.

It has been a long time since we could drive all day with a dead battery once started with a jump start. True.

 

Atleast give the guy some advice don’t just come on here to tell everyone they’re wrong when you don’t even know what’s going on man lol you ain’t helping this guy that’s for damn sure

 

A
You're not paying attention, I had already replied early in this thread to suggest the OP has a broken ignition actuator switch pin which is common cause of his symptoms. So much so that I carry a spare.

 

Well process of elimination buddy. You can never be 100% especially with vehicles with electrical issues. I didn’t say you’re wrong. If it’s so typical and you’re so sure of it how many times have you had to use your “spare”?

 

And many of his symptoms are also a sign of a bad alternator

 

A broken ignition switch actuator pin is simply a very common cause of his exact symptoms on the TJ. I'm not here to convince you, I'm very comfortable with what I suggested.

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I'll add that a bad alternator wouldn't cause his symptoms. I spent way too many years (40+) in the tech side of the electrical/electronic and automotive industry to go along with that. Often teaching how to isolate and troubleshoot complex electrical and electronic issues. It was my field.

One hint why it's not the alternator... think about how he could be measuring 13.0 volts on the battery. A fully charged battery puts out 12.6 volts without the engine running. So that means his engine was running when he measured the 13.0v, which says the alternator is working and putting out a low rate maintenence charge out to the battery.

 

A broken ignition switch actuator pin is simply a very common cause of his exact symptoms on the TJ. I'm not here to convince you, I'm very comfortable with what I suggested. I'll add that a bad alternator wouldn't cause his symptoms. I spent way too many years (40+) in the tech side of the electrical/electronic and automotive industry to go along with that. Often teaching how to isolate and troubleshoot complex electrical and electronic issues. It was my field.

One hint why it's not the alternator... think about how he could be measuring 13.0 volts on the battery. A fully charged battery puts out 12.6 volts without the engine running. So that means his engine was running when he measured the 13.0v,which says the alternator is working and putting out a mild charge out to the battery.

Wouldn’t that keep the key stuck in the ignition though? Or not going in or possibly turning at all?
no need for convincing like I said you might be right. I had this happen in an old Ford Explorer of mine and rigged it up to start with out a key all together and jumped the relay Lol
Do you notice the key while turning is kind of floaty or not really engaging through the cycle of off acc run. If this is the case sounds like he may have gotten it stuck in the run position? What do you think?

 

Either way good luck man hopefully you figure it out. Just remember if all else fails hit it with a hammer lol
Check that alternator just to get it off the check list
Might not be generating enough energy to spark them plugs. Just because it ain’t draining the battery doesn’t mean it ain’t bad especially when none of you’re electrical component are working so nothing to drain the battery in the first place. Try a jump if that’s what starts her up I’d be willing to bet my whole left nut it’s your alternator. Weird that it’s not even cranking though and starter not clicking at all. I hope it’s one of the 2 suggestions that have been given to you or you might have a bigger issue on your hands here bud. Let us know!

 

also check your fuses!

 

I’ve been around the stuff my whole life as well step dad was a helicopter mechanic in the military and we’ve restored about 10 cars and 3 motorcycles other various things on wheels. My uncle is a mechanic owns his own shop helped him all summer long every summer as a kid along with harvest and working on the farm and my grandfathers small engines business. NoW I’m a building engineer and sort of a jack of all trades at This point. So I’m no slouch either.
hopefully you’re right an ignition switch so far cheaper than an alternatorthat’s for damn sure

 

No, it doesn't cause any problems getting the key out, the ignition switch actuator pin is located behind the lock tumblers. It's a separate assembly. It can sometimes make the ignition switch feel a little wonky depending on how the pin broke but not always.

As you said a fuse could also cause this problem, most likely inside the power distribution center, but I'm assuming he already checked those from the level of troubleshooting he described.

 

Wonder if it’s a manual?clutch issue maybe?

 

Could be clutch interlock too or the NSS if he has an automatic. My $$ is still on a broken ignition switch actuator pin though.

 

You know what they say about assuming? Lol
You know how it goes sometimes you get tunnel vision and them frustrated and don’t think about the simple things sometimes.

 

Jeepfag - Jerry is the noted TJ Guru (although he doesn't like that description) on Jeep items. I've been on the forum for 6 years and have yet to find anyone prove him wrong. He has forgotten more about Jeeps, especially TJs, than most of us will ever know. If he says it's the actuator pin, the very first thing I would then do is replace the actuator pin. He even gave us the link (which I have noted and saved in my Jeep parts listing).

Jerry - would the clutch interlock keep the ignition from turning on? I know it would keep the starter from activating, but in OPs case the switch won't even turn the ignition on which threw me at first as well. But the actuator pin would keep the ignition off even if the key was in the on position, wouldn't it?

 

hey I can respect it like I said before never said he was wrong but we’re all in this together (COVID) Haha That was my whole point in the first place especially when it comes to electrical issues in car you can never be so certain of an issue
you have to throw reason out the door all you can do is trouble shoot sometime even theory isn’t making since for your problem. It’s like metal detecting eventually you’ll hit some silver
I’m no master electrician but I have a license in the field and in my trade I’ve learned knowledge will help you and destroy you
sometimes if you know too much you think of the harder issues or reoccurring themes and get tunnel vision when it was just really simple all along. I just don’t like the idea of shooting down suggestions unless they’re just ridiculous Especially with something like this too many variables come into olay
And I can tell hell forget probably more than I’ll ever know about a TJ because I don’t have one lol my cousin does but he owns a body shop so he just has the shop guys look at it.
They have safety switches in the clutch so it’d keep the starter from turning you might hear a click and that’s about it and it ain’t coming from your starter lol

 

I'd check all your grounds and negative battery connection. I had this issue with my TJ and as stated before, it can be many things. I pulled my whole ignition assembly apart based on the advice from WF and the actuator pin was just fine. Mine was simply a bad ground connection. Cleaned it up and put it back and no issues since. Lots of boxes to check on this one. Start simple (and free) and work your way through.

 

I'm inclined to believe it's a ground problem. I would check and clean any ground to the body or the motor You can hook up a temporary ground to the chassis to see first if it's a bad ground.

 

I went back to the original posters comments and saw the "even the underhood light doesn't work in this condition" statement. I wouldn't think that the light would be through the switch (I may be wrong), and would bring me back to the ground. That's just my take on it.

 

Mine did that and it was the main wire harness along the firewall. The clip had broke so it separated. Pushed it back together and zip tied it and haven't had any issues since. Before everyone says I'm wrong its just another option. It could also be the actuator pin, alternator, clutch interlock, bad battery, bad ground or a faulty flux capacitor.

 

I had same symptoms on my 05 Rubicon. My fuse 22 under the hood was blowing. Ended up being broken ignition wire in the harness by the fire wall just after it leaves the PCM. Good luck. Ignition switch and or starter relay was what I thought it was at first. Took me a few weeks to finally cut off the wrapping on the harness.... bingo. 5 minute fix after I saw the wire.

 

Obviously it is in your transmission
See Encabulator fix