New starter installation issue?

FOREVERFORIT74

MEMBER
2005 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE LAREDO
3.7L
V6
4WD
AUTOMATIC
230,000 MILES

I just bought a new starter and got it all put in and the old one out etc. Anyways I'm having trouble when I go to attach the negative cable to battery it sounds to me that the starter is already running. Idk and also, I noticed none of the accessories were on actually during the time I connected the cable back to the battery.

1 Reply

STEVE W.

MECHANIC
13,443 POSTS

The description sounds like the main power cable on the starter is connected wrong. There should be two large studs on the solenoid. The one closer to the starter motor body should have a short cable that goes into the starter motor and the other is the post where the battery positive and the power wire from the alternator both connect with large eye ring connectors. It's possible they put the starter feed to the wrong post. The lack of power could be a bad connection at that same post. The Chryslers of that era are very well known for bad connections and poor grounds. The other possibility is that the starter was defective out of the box. These days getting good parts is getting to be somewhat difficult.
I would check the connections first. If they are correct, then it's possibly a bad starter.
https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-replace-a-starter-motor