No power to anything

Can you list any modifications that have been done to your Jeep?

I'm going to send you a couple of solenoid pictures.

The big posts do not care which side is used for the positive battery cable and what goes stacked with it (all 12 volt accessories).

The remaining big post is used only for the starter cable, yes, all by itself!

Re-cap

The solenoid does not care!

One big post is the constant 12 volt side, Positive battery cable and all 12 volt accessories (like the fuse box and the alternator)

The other big post is for the starter cable only!

"S" and "I" (little posts) remain in their same place.

The solenoid body (its housing) must be grounded to the fender.

In my pictures, for my two Jeeps (1977 and a 1946) you will see I have chosen the left big post to be my battery feed and the right side is only the one starter cable to the starter!

I'll show you why I chose this way, as the original way is just opposite (I'll show your soon)

How about a picture of your solenoid set-up?

I know CJs well and will help as long as you respond.

Last two pictures.

Using a remote starter

Using a screwdriver as a remote starter (the reason I use the left lug for positive, it gets me right beside "S"

Picture 1- pink 3 and 4 are fusible links-meaning everything 12 volt original on the Jeep is fusible link protected (except for the starter- and anything "added on" to the solenoid later).

I have many pictures and diagrams, a dumb question is the one that was never asked.

The Medic

I'm looking for where your fusible links are/should be. See my picture, answer it's questions too.

Are you good at tracing out wires if given a simple wire diagram?

Since you have no power, we'll stay with the solenoid and around it till we find it.

Insure your positive battery clamp is so tight you cannot move it with your hand. Same with the negative.

Insure the negative battery cable connects to the engine.

The Medic

Pictures did not make it with last response.

I hope that in some of my other posts that you checked out that I explained things simple enough for anyone to understand.

Looks like maybe yours has had some tinkering over the years, we will prevail!

The Medic

I'm going to give you a bunch of information.

Don't overload on me!

The diagram I've chopped stuff out of is for a 1979 258 (that's a 4.2 liter for any of those drink bottle oriented fellers out there)

Much of the basic things are the same from 1976-1986. Things that changed over the years are the ignition, the fuse box, and the primitive computer and the monster bundle of wires used just to move the stepper in the carburetor.

To me, the 1979 six cylinder was the purest, sweetest, most effective, and the simplest wired AMC Jeep CJ ever! (I had two of them in the past) I have upgraded my present 1977 to copycat the 1979.

I love the diagram for it, as it is basically a map.

Later year diagrams make it easy to trace a wire, it's just not in a map type format.

There's nothing wrong with having a different Jeep!

If you are going to keep it, you may want to jump into Microsoft Paint and do as I did to "your" diagram, it'll make tracing so easy, now and in the future.

The first three diagrams I'm posting is for a 1979. (Scanned from a paper manual, then I colored each wire with MS Paint)

I even had the office store blow up both halves. I connected them where they overlapped and then they laminated it for me. If I recall right, about $25.00. You just can't beat a giant colored diagram!

Buying a "Real" AMC service manual for your year is the very best info you can get, and it's "simple written" (it's almost as good as me!)

The next four diagrams are specific to your year and engine. Sorry! This is where "you" coloring them will make things easier for you!

I know you will need time to soak this in and start applying it.

Let me know if this helps with your wiring!

Don't forget about us, I'll be here for the long run, keep us posted.

A nice pretty picture of your Jeep would be nice too!

The Medic

P.S. Make sure your solenoid is grounded well to the fender.

Go ahead and rule out the fuse block as having a "master fuse". The fuses in there are for individual circuits and are independent of each other.

Unless someone added something on, I'm not familiar with a "master"

There are "fusible links" in the system, they are the last line of defense for your electrical stuff.

You could describe them as a "wire fuse". They look like a wire. They have specific amp ratings just like a fuse. You must replace them with a fusible link with the same amp rating. If not, your Jeep could possibly burn to the ground if the right short occurred.

Normally, I see one burned into, melted and bubbly insulation, or sometimes looking normal, but with a good tug, the insulation will stretch out like a rubber band (as the wire within it has disintegrated).

Sometimes it might seem difficult to spot one. Usually they are the beginning of the wire. They start out at the connection (like at the solenoid) and may run a few inches before they are soldered onto a regular stranded copper wire. Heat shrink or tape might camouflage the joint of the two.

I went into "Prodemand" and grabbed the first diagram which shows the beginnings of the electrical system.

I had to blow it up in order to read the text. In doing this I had to make three screenshots to get the whole diagram. I insured there was ample overlap so nothing was left out.

The first diagram stacks onto the second diagram, those two stack on top of the third.

The Medic

Really need to get him going!

I'd go bonkers if mine were down that long!

I'll be right here when you respond.

You have a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year too!

The present you sent me must have gotten lost!

The Medic

It's about time you showed back up!

How can you drive your Jeep if we don't fix it?

"S" should not be "alive" unless you are cranking.

"I" should only be alive with the key on.

Unless someone "added" fusible links to "S" and "I" there should not be one in either of those wires.

Maybe it's just regular old wire extensions butt spliced to the wires.

The run of the mill OEM solenoid did not have the spade connections as yours does (nothing wrong with that).

So maybe the butt splices were just to convert from the push on connectors to the spade type.

Do you know how to butt splice? If so, re-do both poor connections.

Got you another diagram below.

One more thing-your solenoid is upside down on your pictures. My diagram shows it right side up ("S" and "I" are found nearer to the bottom) Just want to keep any confusion from starting!

The Medic

If I'm reading you right, you are going to eliminate the butt splices by putting a female spade on each wire if they will then reach to the spade on the solenoid.

That would be the best thing to do, eliminating unnecessary connections will keep the current flowing better in the long run.

Keep us posted on progress,

The Medic

Glad to hear that it is alive!

This is how I relax after work, I really like hearing that something I presented was useful in helping another Jeep person getting their baby back on the road.

Should you need me more on this fix, just reply here again.

If you jump to another fix, create a new question, ask for me if you wish in the submission.

The big guys like "different" repairs isolated from the others so that someone "searching" can easily find information they need quickly without having to sift through an entire Jeep restoration.

When you get to a "Happy Place" in your fixing, Let's see another picture of your Jeep.

The Medic

This does sound a bit strange to go down in that short of time.

Let's check this out first:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-battery-dead-overnight

There are also some good decent "parasitic draw" videos on "YouTube" that use a voltmeter between the battery and disconnected battery clamp.

This method allows you to see the draw on the voltmeter and pulling fuses might find the circuit producing the draw (then you must find the part in the circuit that's responsible).

If the alternator is a possible problem, you can disconnect it one wire at a time and see if the voltmeter shows the draw has gone away.

Return with the results, hopefully this task will go fast.

Return with a grin!

The Medic