Starter electrical connection

[Turboz31]

Is anybody familiar with what style connector this is? It's a yellow wire that goes to the starter. Looks like a simple slip on connection but it won't simply slide off, and I don't want to force it and break it. My Jeep wouldn't start last week and I figured out that when I applied pressure on this connector, it would start. I want to remove it to maybe clean the connection and also figure out a way for it to not come loose again. Has anyone else came across a similar issue? Any input is greatly appreciated.
2254

JF

[06JeepXKHEMI]

Common issue with that, mine took some negotiating to get off when I replaced the starter. I squeezed and gently wiggled it back and forth til it came loose. Matt or Adam will chime in with good advice..

[Turboz31]

Common issue with that, mine took some negotiating to get off when I replaced the starter. I squeezed and gently wiggled it back and forth til it came loose. Matt or Adam will chime in with good advice..

Awesome, thanks for the response. What is the best way to access the starter, removing the driver side wheel? I've been accessing it from underneath, not much room to work that way.

JF

[06JeepXKHEMI]

Support transmission, drop cross member and it will open up a bit more room, I think that was it

[06JeepXKHEMI]

Remove front drive shaft as well... But you really dont have to remove the starter unless its shot. Just unplug the harness and clean it out. Before reinstalling put some electrical grease to keep dirt/salt/water out

[Turboz31]

Remove front drive shaft as well... But you really dont have to remove the starter unless its shot. Just unplug the harness and clean it out. Before reinstalling put some electrical grease to keep dirt/salt/water out

Sounds good, I'll have to give that a try. Thanks for the info.

JF

[Matt]

Yeah those types of clips can be a pain, especially when they corrode together. You can try spraying some electrical contact cleaner up there, let it sit for a few minutes and then wiggle it like Andrew mentioned. It also usually helps if you push it "on" further, which breaks any of the bonds, and then try pulling it off.

I havent gone this route yet but I believe Adam finds it easier to access the starter through the wheel well. You'll just need a $5 box of plastic rivets and the install tool to get the liner back in.

[07JeepXK]

I replaced the starter from under the Jeep. Save yourself the headache and pull the front driveshaft. I lowered the transmission cross member to help get the drive shaft out. It only takes a few minutes and will open up some room to get your hands up there and also to get the old starter out and new one in. My starter wires were all corroded and broke when I was taking them off the starter so I had to put new connectors on it .

[Matt]

I stand corrected... Adam takes out the driveshaft too :p

[Turboz31]

I replaced the starter from under the Jeep. Save yourself the headache and pull the front driveshaft. I lowered the transmission cross member to help get the drive shaft out. It only takes a few minutes and will open up some room to get your hands up there and also to get the old starter out and new one in. My starter wires were all corroded and broke when I was taking them off the starter so I had to put new connectors on it .
Where can the connectors be bought from by themselves? I saw that some people have replaced the entire harness, but i'd rather not do that unless I really have to.

JF

[07JeepXK]

Where can the connectors be bought from by themselves? I saw that some people have replaced the entire harness, but i'd rather not do that unless I really have to.

JF

I purchased the harness from the dealer, cut it a few inches from the connector and spliced it into the exhisting harness.

[Turboz31]

I purchased the harness from the dealer, cut it a few inches from the connector and spliced it into the exhisting harness.Ok, that makes sense. Thanks for the info.

JF

[Turboz31]

Just an update on my wire harness issue. I purchased the entire harness from the dealership and installed it over the weekend. Seems like the best method is to drop the front driveshaft like 07JeepXK suggested, I don't think that it can be done with the front driveshaft in place. The connections in the engine bay were a piece of cake, I removed the battery to have more room to work. So far the Jeep fires up every time, with no issues. Even with the front driveshaft out of the way, it's still very difficult to access the starter connections, definitely not a job for someone with a short fuse. Here are some pictures from the job. Thank you for the advise guys!

225622572258

JF

[mrnavy2]

Good to know cause mine cost me to have the dealer do it for me of 300.00 and that was the discount price. Thanks for the heads up.

[mrnavy2]

Would have been cool if u even made a DIY Video on it.

[Turboz31]

Would have been cool if u even made a DIY Video on it.

I thought about doing something like that but it wasn't a very smooth process, I wasn't even confident that I would be able to get it done. You would have seen me cursing at the electrical connector on the starter for about half the video. The most tricky part for me was removing that connector. In the end, it was a long bent nose plier that was the tool for the job, similar to the one in the picture below, but with longer handles.

2259

JF