Commander not starting

2006 Commander 4.7l auto full time 4x4

It has had no problems before this with starting...

I drove it home from work backed into garage and went inside...

Me n the family decide to go eat... I hop in... dome lights kick on... insert key into ignition...
Turn to start position... 1 click... no engine start up...

I press the brake pedal and shift into neutral... turn key to start position... 1 click... no fire up...

Radio and headlights work... no dimming of any lights (key on or key in start position)...

I have not checked voltage on starter yet...

I did notice a faint secondary click from something in steering column...sounds almost like a Solenoid when I hit the brake to unlock the column...

What are your thoughts on it...

I am leaning towards the starter but open to suggestions to check tomorrow morning...

Thanks garrett

I always start with the battery. Is it the original battery you have? If so it needs to replaced regardless because you are over do. Jump start if you can if it fires up after being hooked to another vehicle or after charging then it's the battery. These battery's really do give no warning before they go bad. Dozens of members that had bad batteries reported no issues before getting the no start issue like you have. Start simple before crawling underneath test the battery check the fuses and see whats up.

Yeah id say same as sal. Mine didn't show signs of being dead when it finally died. Although I had noticed it was running a bit worse right before it went. An interesting fact that some people dont realize is the battery actually fully runs the ignition system(and everything else for that matter). It's not like a motorcycle where it'll run with no battery as long as it's started so the battery going bad reduces sparking ability regardless of how good the alternator is.

x3... being a 2006, if its an original battery its probably shot. Start with that and check the fuses.

https://theultimatejeep.com/notfound.png

So I put the volt meter on it, it checked out OK, tried to start...click

So I grabbed the charger... 20A charge... immediately fired up...

Thanks for help guys I was gonna tear the starter off...

Nice to hear you found the simple fix. Often they will still read fine on a volt meter as well. I just took back a motorcycle battery that read 12v and was nearly new but wouldn't start my bike. When batteries plus extensively tested it they found it had an internal short. Got a replacement for free since it had warranty with them.

I had it tested 3 times at 2 different locations and it tested fine everytime... what should I do

I am having it tested 1 last time at another location... this location tests then charges then tests so we will see what it says...


Update... tested OK

Stop testing it and replace it. If you get 4 years out of a battery you've beaten it into the ground. you've already got 5 years. It needs to be replaced and unless they are using some extra scientific specialty battery testing procedures (it took batteries plus 1 day after i dropped off my battery with them to figure out my problem cause it always tested ok and thats all they do is work on batteries) they won't know. Just get a new one. You'll see.

Just the fact that you put a charger on it and it started tells you it doesn't work.

Testing these batteries DOES NOT WORK !! I dont know why but Sal did some research and I think he can tell us why. Just replace it. My buddy just went through the same deal with his Volvo, screwing around with having to jump it every other day and having it tested at multiple places only for them to tell him the battery tested good. He bought a new one and all problems went away. We have had lots of guys here with the same issues and its always the battery.

I find it hard to believe that a bettery that was replaced in September of 2010( after being tested many times) is bad.

Alternator and battery tested fine across my hometown

I am really leaning towards the starter...

It starts and runs fine right now at this very moment...

I will see if it does it again and check in with my synopsis

Garrett

I wouldn't rule it out. I took back a battery I purchased new in february this year in june. It too tested fine. It didn't work. If it were your starter why did putting a battery charger on the battery help it start? The starter is completely inependent of what you did with the battery charger. Just sayin...

The battery tests produce false positives ( good battery) do to the new design that relies on a mathematical equation to calculate if the battery is good or not. The old testers use to put a load test on the battery to test it and it was fool proof but change ushered in and now people are replacing part after part for nothing more then a bad battery testing good. The age of your battery is approaching the life expectancy of batteries in our jeeps anything over 4 years is a gift of good will and good luck. Not with standing that point on it's own putting a charger on and having your issue solved is basic 101 mechanics the battery is having trouble(why?). Were getting into that transitional period of weather again folks, cold nights warm days just reeking havoc on batteries and exposing all there weaknesses. This is the time of year that battery issues start flooding all the forums LOL. 3 years is a little early to have a bad battery but considering you put a charge on it and your problem went away leads you in two directions, alternator or battery. Alternator is a easy check just drop you meter on there and measure what it is putting out. The battery well, that's a different story. The only true way IMO to test it is to test it under a load...... No fancy math involved put a load on it and see how long it holds the amps period.

The battery may not the the root cause... since its a relatively new battery but obviously lost its charge, you could have an accessory drawing current when the vehicle is off. Check the circuits for current draw.

Hear me out!

I find it hard to believe that a battery tested in 3 locations with various types of testing, that tested fine at all locations, is bad...

Analog and digital load tests were applied to the battery and alternator tested fine too...

It is weird to me that a battery can be bad, if the the lights and the radio worked and were not/did not dim...
In my experience a bad battery has either crapped out and not produced anything...or had enough power to turn on lights and some accessories but as soon as the ign switch is turned to the start position, those deminish and the solenoid just has a series of clicks...

So...

Is there a slight possibility that the starter or another part of the electrical/starting system could be malfunctioning...???

Yes.

But just an FYI, your experience with battery failures is a bit limited.

Having worked as a tech, I have seen plenty of occasions where batteries have died, but the lights/accessories did NOT dim when you attempt to start the vehicle. It depends on how the circuitry in the vehicle is designed..... and these newer vehicles have a lot of modules which require signal conditioning; so its likely there are controls in place to prevent surges from dead batteries drawing too much current.

Could it be the infamous yellow starter wire maybe?

This is one of those inexplicable things on Jeep's part - of all the guages you COULD put in a dash, HOW could you leave off the amp meter and oil pressure guage?!?! :rolleyes:

Granted, bean counters probably DON'T think of bogging or crawling a Commander; neither do soccer moms or mall commandos add a rack of KC's to the roof. STILL... it seems the factory would make some sort of aftermarket guage pod - to snap on the top of the steering column - so WE could add them ourselves.

I mean, I didn't bog or crawl my Mercury Grand Marquis - but the Big M has carried BOTH guages for the last TWENTY YEARS!!! What's Jeep's excuse? https://theultimatejeep.com/images/i.../11/chin-1.gif

I found this out the hard way, but on our Commanders, you cant just go to a local auto parts store and have the battery or alternator tested like a normal vehicle. I cant remember the exact reason why this is but I promise you the test will give you false readings. About a year and a half ago I left the house to go to work and the XK started no problem. Drove about a mile down the road and stopped at the corner store for a pack of smokes. When I got back in the XK it wouldnt start. Had my friend come and jump it off of his truck and it started right up. I took it to the local parts store and had a test done on the alternator and battery. Batter tested fine and alternator tested bad. Swapped out the alternator later that day with a new alternator from the dealer and the Jeep wouldnt start. I was furious. I called the dealer and told them they gave me a bad alternator. They had me bring in the old and new alternators and ran a test on both of them. Both tested Good at the dealer. Of course the dealer refused to take back the new alternator because they have a no return policy on electrical parts. So I reinstalled the old alternator and purchased a new battery from the dealer as my battery was 3 years old. The Jeep started right up and I havent had a problem since that day and over 30,000 miles later! I went back to the local autoparts store that told me I had a bad alternator and explained that it ended up being the battery and that I was out well over $200 on an alternator that never needed to be replaced. Needless to say after several phone calls and a lot of bitching, I got a store credit for the price that I paid the dealer for the alternator due to their screw up and still got to keep the new dealer alternator!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ErtsRide1

Hear me out!

I find it hard to believe that a battery tested in 3 locations with various types of testing, that tested fine at all locations, is bad...

Analog and digital load tests were applied to the battery and alternator tested fine too...

It is weird to me that a battery can be bad, if the the lights and the radio worked and were not/did not dim...
In my experience a bad battery has either crapped out and not produced anything...or had enough power to turn on lights and some accessories but as soon as the ign switch is turned to the start position, those deminish and the solenoid just has a series of clicks...

So...

Is there a slight possibility that the starter or another part of the electrical/starting system could be malfunctioning...???

---

The thing is your thinking with common sense and I can follow your logic here and if I haven't read a dozen threads that started out just like this one and ended up being the battery (granted a few where other parts gone bad) I would be thinking the same thing you are.

Well... the suspense is killing me what was it.
My vote is battery.

Starter... had it replaced today...

But thanks guys for all your help...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ErtsRide1

Starter... had it replaced today...

But thanks guys for all your help...

---

I told you so. :)

Glad it's all fixed up.