88 Cherokee Laredo/wont start

[Jewel]

Hello,

I have a 1988 4.0 automatic Cherokee Laredo Jeep. It has always started up and been quite dependable.

On Christmas evening I had to drive my son and grandchild to the bottom of my driveway. There was so much snow my son could not drive up the road to the house. So he parked down at the bottom of the driveway (a mile long driveway/one way).

When I turned my jeep off to help my son put x-mas gifts into his car and I got back into mine my Jeep it would not start. I figured it was the battery. I took my old battery out of my jeep carried it up the driveway and put the battery on the charger. I then took the battery back down to my jeep the following morning put it in and tried to cranked it over. The only thing that happened was all of the lights came on etc., and hummed . . . so I cleaned all of the connectors etc., and it still would not start.

So I called a friend to bring me a new battery from town (20 miles away) which she did. I installed the new battery (my old one was 6 years old) and the only thing that happened to my jeep was the same as the old battery it turned on the lights inside and outside of the car has a loud humming noise but wont start.

I am stranded with out my jeep can anyone tell me where to start. I cleaned off everything I could think of/connectors/battery cables etc.

As I mentioned all my jeep does is turn on the lights and humms but wont start.

Could this be a starter problem? I could sure use some help/direction to help myself.

Peace be with you, Julie

 

[TerryMason]

My best guess would be a bad starter, but it could be some other sort of electrical gremlin.

I know that alot of auto stores will test the battery / starter if you bring them in. I personally like advance:
In-Store Services - Advance Auto Parts

Only downside to bringing it in is that you have to get on your back in the snow at the end of your driveway and remove the starter... not a fun situation.

 

[Jewel]

Hello Terry,

Thank you kindly for replying so quickly. I love the four seasons especially, winter so getting down into the snow is not to much of a problem it is walking the mile back home that is the bummer. Be it as it may . . . my home is warm.

I crawled under my jeep before I made the trek home and eyed that starter, but I was starting to get cold and it was getting dark.

Tomorrow I will go down again and check it out till I get it started. If you could . . . tell me . . . if a 1993 Cherokee Pioneer starter will fit my 1988 jeep. I have this jeep as a spare parts rig. Though some things are different it still has a 4.0 engine ? I live in the mountains and one only goes into town when one really needs to and I have no neighbors . . . maybe two miles away or spare rig. If the starter is the problem knowing this other starter would fit/work would certainly add to my day.

Looking forward to a reply.

Peace be with you, Jewel

 

[Jewel]

Well, I found out the starters are interchangeable . . . great. I also went down to work on my jeep today and got it started. After cleaning off some of the connectors again I proceeded to knock on the starter a few times with a small hammer. Then I got in my jeep and cranked it over and drove it up to my house. I will have to change the starter since it is probably going out but ,for now all is good.

Thanks, Jewel