No crank, no lights

[TRevs]

So this morning the Jeep started right up like normal, and after my first stop it wouldn’t start. The dash lights would illuminate intermittently but were mostly dark. When I turned the key I heard a click like a relay ir a spasm from the starter once or twice but mostly did nothing.

No headlights.

Tried a push start and a jumpstart, with nothing. No lights, no crank.

 

[TRevs]

The battery is old but always cranks strong. The terminals are clean and tight.

I thought of the ignition switch, but then I should still have headlights.

I looked at the PDC and the fuses look ok.

What causes a total electrical failure?

 

[TRevs]

Problem solved: The positive battery terminal cable was loose after all.

Looking at replacement cables now.

 

[Plastic Fury]

The first thing I did when I started tearing into my Sahara project was to pick up the Big 7 wire kit from Jeep Cables. My battery cables were looking corroded and it gave me a good reason to go through and clean all the grounding points on the engine, firewall, etc. All new cables in one step and no chasing gremlins. The Jeep was sluggish to start when I got it, after that swap it started instantly. More pricey then doing them yourself but it was easy and to me, worth it.

 

[TRevs]

The first thing I did when I started tearing into my Sahara project was to pick up the Big 7 wire kit from Jeep Cables. My battery cables were looking corroded and it gave me a good reason to go through and clean all the grounding points on the engine, firewall, etc. All new cables in one step and no chasing gremlins. The Jeep was sluggish to start when I got it, after that swap it started instantly. More pricey then doing them yourself but it was easy and to me, worth it.

I was looking at that exact product. It was top of the search results, so probably a popular choice. Seems like a good idea.

Did you put dielectric grease on the ground points to prevent corrosion?

 

[TRevs]

The first thing I did when I started tearing into my Sahara project was to pick up the Big 7 wire kit from Jeep Cables. My battery cables were looking corroded and it gave me a good reason to go through and clean all the grounding points on the engine, firewall, etc. All new cables in one step and no chasing gremlins. The Jeep was sluggish to start when I got it, after that swap it started instantly. More pricey then doing them yourself but it was easy and to me, worth it.

Did you go with the 2G or 4G?

 

[machoheadgames]

Did you go with the 2G or 4G?

4 would be plenty for anything a YJ can do. Anything larger just becomes harder to route. Nothing wrong with 2G, but a bit overkill.

When I built mine I ended up using 4 gauge welding wire and I mimicked them to stock lengths and routing but used military terminals. All is well.

 

[Plastic Fury]

I was looking at that exact product. It was top of the search results, so probably a popular choice. Seems like a good idea.

Did you put dielectric grease on the ground points to prevent corrosion?

Yes, I put dielectric grease on all the connecting points as it is good at resisting water and corrosion. As I was adding a winch and lights and maybe other things down the road, I opted for the 2G kit. I had no problems routing the wiring in the bay. The kit comes nicely labeled for what wire goes where and was an easy install. I just removed one wire at a time and ran the replacement. Cleaned up all ground connections while doing it. I had read so many threads of people chasing down electrical issues in these old rigs, it seemed like a no brainer to me. My battery cables were very corroded and stiff and the ground strap from the cylinder head to the firewall was almost completely severed. For me, it was money well spent.

 

[TRevs]

The first thing I did when I started tearing into my Sahara project was to pick up the Big 7 wire kit from Jeep Cables. My battery cables were looking corroded and it gave me a good reason to go through and clean all the grounding points on the engine, firewall, etc. All new cables in one step and no chasing gremlins. The Jeep was sluggish to start when I got it, after that swap it started instantly. More pricey then doing them yourself but it was easy and to me, worth it.

Did you install their external fuse, and remove the two 50A fuses from the PDC? The instructions on that seem ambiguous.

Did you install the wires to the alternator? Seems like a fair bit of work to open the factory loom and wire bundles to the alternator.

 

[Plastic Fury]

Did you install their external fuse, and remove the two 50A fuses from the PDC? The instructions on that seem ambiguous.

Did you install the wires to the alternator? Seems like a fair bit of work to open the factory loom and wire bundles to the alternator.

Yes, I removed the two 50A fuses and used their external fuse. I haven't had any issue. I didn't have any trouble running the alternator wire, it was pretty straight forward. I just secured the old wire back to the loom.

 

[TRevs]

That’s what I ended up doing after watching a couple more videos. For some reason I thought I would have to remove the old cable out of the loom, but I guess it just stays put.

The fit on the double PDC posts was awkward; I couldn’t arrange it so the little plastic shield would fit over it. But overall it looks good.

 

[Plastic Fury]

That’s what I ended up doing after watching a couple more videos. For some reason I thought I would have to remove the old cable out of the loom, but I guess it just stays put.

The fit on the double PDC posts was awkward; I couldn’t arrange it so the little plastic shield would fit over it. But overall it looks good.

Yeah, that was a little tricky. I wound up shaving down that cover to cover what I could with it.