Here it goes… last Tuesday I changed out my battery because it was weak. After I changed it out the Jeep would not start. I turn the key and get nothing. So I had Justin come over and diagnose it. He found the following. " He pulled up the starter wiring diagram from an 03 FSM. If you go to page 2, you can see the starter motor relay. That’s what I had out and was probing for power. With ignition “ON”, I was reading 12V at “B1”, which is for terminal “30” on the relay. This is the 12V common feed for the starter. “B5” is ignition “switched” power to energize the coil. Tracing the yellow/red wire to the page above, it goes to the 30A fuse, which was good, then onto the ignition.
I suspect its a bad ignition. There is some further reading on how to diagnose but alas if its SKIM/SKIS related, a DRB3 scan tool is needed. My Jeep has a SKIM module.
His jeep is not getting ignition “switched” power to the starter relay in the PDC. I didn’t have time to trace wiring but I suspect its a bad ignition or an issue with SKIM module.
SKIM is a sentry key immobilizer used by Dodge. It uses a radio frequency key to trigger the computer . It can be re programmed out if the computer is bad and is then re flashed.
Anthony, My old TJ had this issue one day. The Jeep drove perfectly and then the next time (hours later) I tried to start, it would not go. I had to have it towed. Later, I took apart the column and found a screw/pin backed off in the ignition that had something to do with the switch and anti-theft of the time. I tightened it back and the Jeep was fine again.
Actuator pin was the ultimate culprit. Maybe this can help:
It was a long time ago, but the presentation of symptoms sounds similar. Not sure if you have dug into the column at all to check that everything is mechanically right yet.
Blind squirrels still find nuts once in a while right?
I am very happy you got it. It’s a 10 cent part spoiling a $10K operation in the end…
Crazy enough, I had the same issue described here with my LJ the night I gave you this advice. For me, I eventually figured that the wire to the starter had found a way to slip the loom and was residing between my battery and the tray. It was worn and found a false ground apparently. It would click, but no start, and not the same as a dead battery…
I was able to pull everything out and mend the wire and re-route it, but I was thinking there was something cosmic going on for about a day!
