Starter or solinoid?

The click you heard may have been the starter relay. If it was, it is probably bad. See if a new one helps. If not, then the wiring in the start circuit will have to be investigated.

this will be the starter solinoid on starter cos if battery is flat ther would still be a click ftomstarter solinoid

Ok first there should be 2 wires connected to the starter the small one is from the ignition switch ( should only have 12 volts when key is cycled ) the larger one comes directly from the battery ( should have battery voltage at all times ) ck these things then get back with me on the results . Thanks Klay

well im not a jeep guy but it sounds like it may be your starter solinoid ,im not sure if its on the starter or if its simalar to a ford having it on the fender. u may want to check and see if your getting power there. to find the solinoid just folow the positive batery cable. it will go right to it you can then check the small wire for power while someone helps you by turning the key. if there is power check the big wire that goes to the starter. if the solinoid on on the starter it will be just a short copper connector if you have power there when the key is turned then the starter is open. the starter shouldnt be shorted or you wouldnt have the lights and radio dim a little it should just about kill them off. if u dont have power to the little wire on the solinoid then try jumping the small wire to power. be carful not to shot to ground. and also be real carful not to get ur hands where they shouldnt be anytime especialy when someone else is turning the key. if still no start but u do have power to the solinoid and still wont start even if u jump the little wire then u may have a bad solinoid. if u have a multi meter it will help a lot in your tests.first read voltage at the battery. turn the key and see if it drops. if not then u can check for voltage drops if it does drop the skipp down a little put the meter on volts and put one lead on the batter positive and the other on the solinoid. this will check the battery cable. have someone turn the key. you should not get much of a reading. less the a volt or u need a new cable. then the solinoid. check across both big terminals. same her u but u will read 12 or what ever ur volts are at the time...may be 12.6. when u turn the key u should drop to zero. if if u had no voltage before turning the key then u probly have a bad starter. if that checks out then check the wire from the solinoid to the starter. if u have one. u should read zero untill u hit the key then just a fraction of a volt. like i said if its a full volt the wire is definatley bad.
if u did have big difference in battery volts when truning the key then u most likely have a shorted starter. try taking it off and check to see if u can turn it. see if there is anything broken and laying inside of it. check to make sure it still has some brushes. if it smell real burnt the replace it. ok by now u should have got something. ether shorting the small solinoid wire to power and it starts then its from the ignition switch forward. some cars have a fuse in the fues box just for the crank wire. not sure about jeep. if u found there power to the starter andno big drop in volts at the battery then ur starter is open or not grounded. but the ground shouldt be the case unless your starter bolts come loose. one more thing to check is grounds you should have a big one from the battery. and a smaller one going to the fender or fram. also check the ground from the engine to the firewal. i think jeep put them there too. hope this helps good luck let me know what u find out if u still cant get it going.

check the wiring to the starter sounds like your starting wiring is not making good contact if not test with a test light and check the fuse hope this helps

no nothing will happen, if you listen for a clicking sound in the fuse box area when you turn the ignition on that meens the realy is ok, then it will possibly be a strater solinoid fault, you can try getting someone to turn the ignition over and at the same time tap the starter, this may start the solinoid off and turn the starter, make sure battery it 100% charged first hope this helps

it was probably the starter solinoid stuck.. Do you have a aftermarket alarm in it with a starter kill? or a remote start? Its possible to have a malfuntion and that was putting power to the solinoid. check the wires on the starter to make sure they are not melted, shorting power to the solinoid down there. (the small wire on the starter solinoid is the trigger, and should only get power when tring to start) if all that is good it is probably a bad starter. do you have an oil leak leaking onto the starter? oil leaks are very hard on starters.

(:DK

I have this problem right now also. Here is the deal as I see it. I have a 97 Saturn SC2 automatic (nuuf said!).
Against my intuition I let the guy at Autozone talk me into a battery, though I suspected the solinoid or the starter motor itself.
Put in the new batt and nothing but a single loud click. I took the new battery back and used the refund money to get a new starter.
I put it in and still just a loud click. I have cleaned the terminals and torqued the cable at the batt and starter.Because the solinoid clicks when I turn the key I am asuming (for now) that the ignition switch, neutral saftey switch and the "Startguard" (the little electric key you have to put in for your car to start) is good. In my knowlege, it has to be the main battery cable that runs from the battery to the starter. Next I'm gonna go out there and turn my key to the on position and connect a jumper cable from the battery directly to the starter solinoids high current side to confirm or bust my suspicion of the bad positive (red) battery cable. I will let you know how it goes.

begin by removing and cleaning all battery cable ends and connections. Bendix drive in starter may be hung up but it's driven by the solenoid.

The problem is either the starter solinoid (located on fender near battery) or you are not getting power to the "s" terminal on the starter solinoid from the ignition switch. If you follow the positive battery cable from the battery you'll follow it to the solinoid. Remove the small wire from the terminal marked "s" on the solinoid and using a screwdriver jump from "s" terminal (not the wire) to where positive battery cable connects to solinoid. (with battery connected). If starter doesn't do anything the solinoid is bad. If starter cranks then you are not getting voltage from ignition switch through "s" terminal wire.