The WJ is not starting. It does not crank the starter motor.. It doesn't attempt to fire.

The gauges went all the way to the right.. The gas and engine temperature gauge. They stayed there until I turned the key backwards towards me into the off position. In the key off position the gauges both went back n forth repeatedly. I turned the key back into the run position. The gauges all went dead pointing all of the way to the left. I turned the key all the way forward into the starting position, and nothing changed. It is completely dead. There are no lights or noises/sounds of any kind happening no matter what I do...

I have the hood opened up. Everything looks fine. I need it starting and running.

 

Its okay now. Its running again. I seen all the corrosion at the battery terminals lately. Looks like a small mound of grey snow gathered around them. I took them off. I had a wire wheel and a battery powered drill. I cleaned the battery terminals with it. I cleaned the battery cable terminals on their edges with the drill and wire wheel. I scraped the interior perimeter of the battery cable terminals with my pocket knive. It started right up after I tightened the terminals back down and turned the key.

They are those cheap painted terminals (painted red and black on the exterior). They are probably the worst terminals available! There was nothing else available at the time, no other choice. I needed the terminals fixed, and these were a better option than trying to continue using the original 20 year old stock ones.. These new ones lasted since I think it was March of this year, or about six months. Not very good. I think they will be fine for a little while now, but I am going to replace them anyway. I want to put the military spec'd versions on soon as I can find them..

I ended up going to the junk yard after I got it started. I finally got around to fixing my broke a/c and heater blower motor. I found one from out of a 1999 JGC in the yard. I noticed it had three different types of screws that were holding this 99s blower motor in place. I believe for it to have recently been replaced, prior to when the Jeep came in to the junkyard. It looked new pulled out of the Jeep. I also found a 2004 WJ with a blower motor still in it, and I took out its blower motor comparing the 99 vs the 2004. The 1999s blower motor fit into the spot on the 2004. I have a 2004 WJ JGC. They were different looking from one another on the exterior casing and screw-hole plastic ears. The 1999 one is the cleaner one in the picture below. It is different than the one that was in my WJ. My WJ, it had the original stock blower motor in it, the same as was pulled out from the 2004 WJ model that was in the junkyard. I decided to go with the one out of the 1999 that looked different. It works perfectly. The counter guy charged me $17.00 for the blower motor. I think that is a great bargain. The auto parts stores were all asking $80.00 + which is like $95.00 when you add in the tax... Or, maybe like $70.00 + with having/using a good coupon.

I installed it as soon as I got back to my Jeep in the junkyard parking lot. It is constant consistent continually cold running a/c back again! It used to squeal all the time. I would have to turn the fan speed **** down to the lowest setting. Turn the a/c switch to the off position, and then back to on again. Finally, I would have to turn the fan speed **** back up to either the 3rd or 4th highest settings again. It would work for a little while after doing that, but I would always have to keep doing that all the time. I've just been keeping it turned off lately bc it got soo bad.

It is soo great I have good cold a/c coming from out the vents again on my WJ!

 

The old one from out of my WJ. The two from the junkyard. I took the cleaner looking one from a 1999 WJ

 

I did not take a picture before with the corrosion built up on the terminals. I took this picture after fixing it to get the Jeep running again. I put these on it myself awhile ago. The red painted terminal, and that other one. They are both cheaply made terminals. It is not my best work either.

 

A little dielectric grease on both would help

 

Thanks, that is a good idea. I even have some of it in my tool box. I'll do that.

 

I prefer an older-school method on the battery terminals - a bit of spray paint. OR even clear lacquer. Seriously. It works well. Obviously, you want your terminals very clean, first.

But the dielectric is also good.

 

I might give these cheap terminals a second chance, to see if they can do better than this? I like the spray paint/lacquer idea. I am going to try it. I will clean up my terminals and the exposed wiring. Tape the ends up good with some electrical tape. I think I will probably use a clear lacquer to coat them when I am done..

In case they should fail on me again, I will put a similar looking pair of the better quality lead or zinc terminals in my tool box, or in the glove compartment to use as backup.

 

Got a propane torch?
You might have enough cable to put some lugs on them.
Fill a lug with a bunch of solder, melt it down with the torch, stick the cable in.
If you put to much in it will just overflow. Don't burn yourself but doubt it would matter.
Put a little heat shrink on the cable before you do that and melt it after.
Then bolt them to the bolts on top or in between. Doubt it would matter.
If I had to guess they are 6 gauge.
Also make sure the lugs will fit side by side so you can put one on each bolt.
If not you just put them back to back and attach to one bolt. Might have to go on top if you have to do that.
Not a perfect solution. Be nice if you could clean up the end of the wire some by cutting it to a clean point but........
And I find Fluid Film works great on battery terminals. They even say it is one of its uses.

 

Marine battery terminals the one with the stud that you tighten the battery cables to. Cable end has terminal connection on end tighten with wrench no more problems !

 

Marine terminals sounds good. I think that's what I'll end up doing instead of continuing to use these ones.

 

Take a look at . I use them with custom cables made by http://www.bestboatwire.com/custom-cables/custom-battery-cable-assembly (order them with clear heat shrink and you can keep an eye on the connection). You get one more attachment point than with marine terminals, and they don't stick up as much.

 

Military terminals sounds good. I think I'll use those ones instead of the marine terminals. Thats a good price too..

 

They work out well.

 

This one has covers.