HELP...need to 'hotwire' my Jeep

Don

Don

Darth Camaro 12/27/15
The ignition switch on the wife's Jeep gave it up today (no power sent to the starter), of course away from home, and OF COURSE on a day where the rain is never ending and COLD.

I know on the older cars there was a way to use a screwdriver on a pair of contacts in the engine compartment that would make the starter turn over, and start the car if the key is "on" and that if I knew the schematic for the loom that connects to the switch, I could "jump" the wires to make the starter work.

The problem, I can't find the contacts under the hood, and I don't know which wire leads to the starter solenoid from the ignition switch.

Can anyone help??????????????? The Jeep is sitting in the mall parking lot as I type this
 
You need to jump the two posts on the starter solinoid, it's either mounted on the starter or mounted externally on the firewall or side panels. Follow the thick +(red) battery cable to the solinoid.

Another way is to run a thin wire from the battery to the THIN WIRE that runs to the solinoid.

Basically, there is a THIN signal wire that goes to the solinoid that tells it to turn on. When it does, the 1 or 2 thick wires send power to the starter. So either give the solinoid signal manually (with a thin wire from the + batt to the thin wire on the solinoid, or jump the thick wires on the solinoid.

Do this at your own risk, I have never attempted it before. be careful.

you can call me if you need to, my cell # is on my website (look at my signature)
 
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Thanks to both of you, I'm thinking that once I get it back home I'm going to go with a permanent 'push button' starter. I'll keep the ignition switch, but instead of getting a new one and having two different keys, I'll just wire up a "turn key, hit button" system. Now all I need is to find which wire in the ignition switch assembly goes to the starter solenoid to do it right....maybe I'll end up running a new wire to the solenoid for the puch button.
 
andriver said:
You can also tap on the starter with a hammer. Just don't whack it. Sometimes this helps.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't you know it, I tapped on the starter w/a screwdriver handle and the durn thing started...now I have to wonder if the starter is about to
a_expl04.gif
 
Don said:
Wouldn't you know it, I tapped on the starter w/a screwdriver handle and the durn thing started...now I have to wonder if the starter is about to
a_expl04.gif
Click to expand...

Same thing happened to my son's Jeep. Replaced the starter and no problems after that.
 
Don, the starter may have just stopped in a bad spot...
But plan on replacing it just in case, I got tired of banging on the one on my Ranger.

You never know where it's gonna stop next time
 
UPDATE

It was the starter...it was working from the time I tapped on it, but I took it off anyway and when I got it to Auto Zone, it was DOA :ghost

It was only $65 for the new lifetime starter, so that wasn't so bad...those in-line engines are nice to work on...plenty of room
 
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