Dead Jeep issue

[Jaxom]

Yesterday morning I was taking my daughter to school when our '04 kj died while waiting at a left turn light. At first it wouldn't start as I was rapidly dialing phone calls to my wife. I did get her turned over, but if you know anything about St. Louis, it's rather hilly. Barely made it up the next hill and she died again, and wouldn't crank over.

Wife's uncle thinks the engine is seized and "dead". I think it's the starter. Here's the logic on both, you all help me decided.

There's a fresh battery in it, and all the lights stay on. When attempting to start it, you hear that "dead starter" rapid clicking noise. So that's why I'm pro swapping starters.

Wife's uncle say's it seized because it was low on oil and the cap smelt "burnt". Um...it's got just shy of 80k Miles on it, it's gonna smell burnt. I do admit it was using a bit more oil lately, but there's never any puddles under it as if it's leaking nor did it make any grinding or erratic noises prior to dying. The Uni belt has some oil on it, but there's none on the engine support/cross bar underneath the pan.

I know the simpliest test would be to get a breaker bar on it and see if we could get the engine to move a bit. Where would you personally try to do that? Can't get to the fan bolt, the shroud is in the way. The tensioner pully would just swing that out of the way. What to do?

 

[tommudd]

Only 80,000 miles and using oil?
Something major wrong right there
Can't get to the fan bolt?
To roll one over with a breaker bar thats not where you would do it
Down on the crank
Plus new battery? They can still have a dead short in them
Lots more to check

 

[LibertyTC]

Check to make sure all terminals are tight & clean, cold weather makes em looser often.
Without a load test on the battery, you may still not have enough cranking power.
A new battery still can fail a load test.
Cooler or cold weather reduces cranking power big time as well.
I would try getting a jump from another vehicle first, before assuming it is the starter or solenoid or worse,seized.

 

[M38 Bob]

Engines don't "seize" without some catastrophic failure. There'll always be knocking,
rattling, smoke, steam,warning lights, something noticeable. As mentioned, re-check battery, pull starter and have it load tested (any of the big box parts stores have the tester). while starter is off reach in with flat bladed pry tool (sometimes called a screwdriver) and try turning engine by prying against flywheel teeth.

Bet my **** against nine green walnuts engine is still free.

Bob

 

[Hockeygoon]

Engines don't "seize" without some catastrophic failure. There'll always be knocking,
rattling, smoke, steam,warning lights, something noticeable. As mentioned, re-check battery, pull starter and have it load tested (any of the big box parts stores have the tester). while starter is off reach in with flat bladed pry tool (sometimes called a screwdriver) and try turning engine by prying against flywheel teeth.

Bet my **** against nine green walnuts engine is still free.

Bob

I would agree. My guess is a poor battery ground or a loose cable (if the battery is known to be good and tested under load) that is preventing/limiting the juice getting to the starter. Poor grounds can be a giant PIA to find until you start looking for them and they can cause all sorts of weird electrical issues.

 

[kage860]

I agree with the others. Check the battery and connections first. Since it died on you twice I don't think a bad starter would cause that. Battery is new but you may still have a bad alternator, should be 14+ volts while running.

 

[Logan Savage]

A bad starter wouldn't have caused it to die at the light & wouldn't have caused it to run poorly after you got it restarted .