91 cherokee that I just bought was turning on and off fine. Jeep needed maintanance so yesterday I swapped out the spark plugs, wires, and cap. Jeep started fine. I was doing all this last night as I was finishing up i noticed it didn't want to start. I tried again and it would start. Kind of like it would start when it wanted. This morning it started so I moved it to do the oil change and I tried to start again no dice. Sometimes when I turn the key I hear like a moaning sound. I thought maybe bad starter so I go underneath and hit it a few times but nothing. Battery is good, terminals are new. Lights everything works just can't get it to crank. Any ideas? Previous owner mentioned when cold sometimes it wouldn't start but right now it's about 90 degrees in Arizona.

 

You mentioned cap, did you do the rotor also?

 

I did not do the rotor

 

Does it not "start" or not crank ???????

 

Generally speaking cap and rotor should be replaced as a pair, same brand. Sounds like old rotor doesn't like new cap.

 

No crank I will replace rotor wI'll check back in thanks.

 

Well, the rotor won't have anything to do with that but good idea to replace it when doing plugs, wires, and cap. It's a cheap part.


Probably, you have a bad battery or bad connections and your jeep just picked right now to start acting up. We used to have a saying in the timber business: "any machine will break down if enough improvements are made to it."

 

Yea I know this all too well trying to fix what's not broken. I tried jumping the battery and nothing just no crank.

 

Well I just replaced the rotor and she fired right up. Well I'll be damned kids if your doing cap always do rotor ha ha.

 

Coincidence.


There is no logical connection at all between the starter and the rotor.


I guess it's remotely possible that the old rotor was jammed against the new cap and not letting the engine turn over ???

 

I examined the old rotor had nothing wrong. I am surprised as well that that would be the cause of the problem.

 

Ignition parts can have non-visible problems. But usually that causes failure to fire up or rough running, not failure to crank.


Even if the rotor jammed on something inside the cap, I would expect the starter motor to break the plastic (or worse!) before failing to turn over the engine.


I still think you may have an unrelated problem that is occurring randomly. I once had a battery that was stone dead one try, and plenty of power a little while later. I actually went out and bought and installed a new starter before I discovered that it was really the battery.