I have a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo V6. I am ready to sell it but I have a problem and the problem only happens when I’m driving it. Every once in awhile…about 7 times a week, when I turn the key it will make a one click noise but not start. It then starts after the 2nd or 3rd try. I have now taken my Jeep to 3 car repair shops. It has never happened with any of them. They have checked the usual suspects: battery, alternator, and starter (I even had a new starter installed just in case) and everything checks out. My latest car repair guy has had it for 3 days and it starts every time. The last time I brought it home 10 minutes after I had cut my car off and got back in to go somewhere, it did it again. There is no consistency when this happens whatsoever. I can’t sell my car with good conscience until I fix it. Please Help!!!
Replace the starter, the contacts are worn in the starter solenoid. This will usually act up during a cold start in the morning and after a few “clicks” the solenoid will make contact.
The next time the no-start happens just shift to neutral and see if it starts. If it does then I suspect the neutral safety switch is bad. They fail with regularity on the Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee as well.
By chance is this a manual transmission? If so, remove the floor mat and see if that helps. You might have your mechanic check the trip point of the clutch released safety switch to see if the adjustment is correct or is on the hairy edge of not closing.
Hope this helps.
If you hear a clicking sound there’s nothing wrong with the park/neutral safety switch as voltage is reaching the starting circuit. And since you’ve had a new starter installed that can’t be the problem.
However, there is a starter motor relay that’s seperate from the starter solenoid. It could be that this starter motor relay is what is causing your starting problems.
Tester
Remove all other keys on the key holder except the starter key, and just use the single key. The weight of the additional keys sometimes causes wear in the ignition cylinder. Let us know.
Do check the starter relay as Tester suggested. Has anyone done a careful inspection of the main power cables? Sometimes you have to strip some insulation off to get a look underneath. I also wouldn’t discount the replacement starter being bad off the shelf.