Jeep wont start starter wont even engage....battery is 12.49 volts headlights on turn the key and nothing changes lights dont dim starter wont engage...I ratteled the key with no results...is there a fuse or something between the key and starter solonid

Hmm, possible problems:
- starter or starter solenoid defective.
- neutral switch or wiring thereto defective. Shift selector has to be in Park or Neutral to start. Sometimes brake pedal has to be pressed also for starter to turn.
- remote starter system defective (if you have this) This would be hard to diagnose.
I would first confirm if the starter works by putting 12V directly from positive pole on battery to positive connector on starter solenoid (use jumper cable, and wear goggles in case of massive sparking when you accidentally touch ground.)

Try this:

Car Won't Start?
This procedure usually works:
·Check the battery cable connections:
Make sure the positive cable, makes a good connection at the battery and at the starter. Make sure the negative cable makes a good ground connection at the battery and (preferably) at the engine.

·Check the battery the simple way, like this:
Turn on the headlights, then try to start the car.If the headlights do not dim or go out, then the battery is likely ok.

·Check the starter and solenoid:
If the wiring looks ok, then look at the starter solenoid for a good connection, and proper voltage at the starter(10 volts minimum while cranking).
If the starter spins and no crank, the problem is most likely the Solenoid's pinion gear is stuck.
Have someone hit (not too hard) the starter while you try to start the car. This usually works by dislodging a stuck pinion gear.
·Make a simple test of the alternator:
If you can, somehow get the engine running, measure the voltage at the battery. It should be at least 13.6 volts to properly charge the battery.

turn on the headlights and try to crank the engine; if the lights dim out while you try to crank, then the starter is ok but the battery is too weak. just turning on the lights does not mean that the battery has enough juice to crank the engine; a starter pulls a lot more than lights. If the headlights do not dim out and it still won't crank, then the starter or a connection to the starter is your problem.

A mechanic would check for power at the starter and trace back to the key switch. There is a neutral safety switch to keep you from starting the engine in gear that could have failed.

Clean your battery terminals take them off and clean them. Turn on your headlights if you turn the key and nothing happens and the lights are bright hit the starter with a hammer try it a few times if it starts you have a bad armature in the starter. If nothing happens and the headlights go out or dim the battery has a bad connection or is bad. Check under the hood on the right above the battery the relays one is the starter relay switch it out with one of the extra ones in there. Put a volt meter on the battery just because you charged it doesn't mean it is 12.6 just sitting and not below 10 volts with key on

Sounds like your security system is preventing it from starting. Try locking and unlocking the doors with the key to override it. Also check your owners manual on security.

The clicking sound is probably the relay that operates the starter motor, but the motor is not engaging. Chances are that this is one of 2 issues. Either you have a flat battery, so the relay clicks but there is not enough power to turn the starter motor or the motor its self is faulty.

An easy test for the battery is to simply open the door of the jeep look at the interior light and put on your headlights, if the interior light dims significantly and the headlights are dim, you have a flat battery!

If its the starter motor its self then begin by checking the connections on the back of the motor to make sure that they are clean and secure. While it's possible that you have a faulty relay, this is fairly unlikely and if the tests above don't give you any leads then you will need to start treating this as a starter motor failure

will it start with a jump? check battery for full charge, maybe alternator is not charging, check battery connections all the way down to starter, check selonoid by cross jumping terminals to engage starter.

It could if battery only has enough power for just the lights, what I would try first is turn the light on and try to start the van, if the lights go to dim or off, then the battery is no good, if they stay bright then more then likely it's going to be your starter, another way to test the starter is hit the starter with a hammer or some thing you can reach it while some one holds the key to start, if it starts or not replace it anyway bad starter.

I has an 86 Mustang that did a similar thing and it turned out that the battery actually shorted out. This happens when one of the plates inside the battery brakes off and then touches another plate. When mine died it was like I turned the iginition off. It wouldn't turn over even with jumper cables.