Quick thank you and possible heads up

[FARWEST]

Like to thank our dear forum member Drover for doing some research for me when 'Gina' decided to have a 'I'm not starting moment' outside the Auto store this morning.
ISSUE:
Depress brake pedal...push start button...everything cycled into action excepting the starter motor.
ATTEMPTS TO REMEDY:
Cycled start cycle several...well LOTS ....of times.
Removed J17 Starter Fuse in TPIM and replace/swap with another 40A fuse from TIPM.
Remove push button insert and try using the manual key.
All didnt not change outcome.
CALLS MADE:
All Grand Cherokee...diagnosis starter motor history, immobilser not disabling, battery not fully charged.
Then I rang me ol mate Drover...could hear the 'cogs' turning. Took some advice and tried it, got a text message stating J17 was the puppy to look at, location of starter motor, possible loose connection at starter motor......bugger...in a carpark, no lift on mine, underbody panels dont allow visual or 'hand access'.
OUTCOME:
WELL...It was a VERY simple 'user fault'...'salt mines' have had me 'using' 'Gina' a lot...horrific use for a diesel WK2...Idling around for loooooong hours...stationary with radio on and charging devices....I thought, possibly, these were the issues....however....I had taken it for maintenance run...80klm round trip to do a burn before changing the oil and fully charge the battery...sooooo...it was 'unlikely' to be battery related...car had performed as per factory specs during the maintenence run so wasnt an alternator or 'mechanical' issue...hmmmm..turns out the 'salt mines' use did play a part in it....'spilt coffee and crud' had gotten into the Gear Selector area and contact wasnt being made....jiggling the Gear Selector 'forced' contact...allowing the 'brain' to acknowledge vehicle was in Park,...and no, no message was displayed on evic stating...vehicle not in Park (as does happen occasionally).but...a VERY simple easy fix.

Now know what the issue was and what to do should it happen again...will take my 'upholstery tools' with me on the 'adventure' planned in a few weeks, and a can of contact cleaner...and roadside centre consol disassembly and clean will take place.....
Heads Up....dont spill or allow drips into the Gear Selector area.

Lots of buggering around for a simple free fix.

ITS ALIVE !!!

[drover]

Mate, I'm still peed off I didn't click to the age old , "No Start with Auto check", it was always give the gear level a good wriggle, fancy forgetting that, the old column shift when the damn thing wouldn't start give it good shake and it would work........

Glad it came together in the end for you, "Shifty" sound s like a good name but possibly not in your job though, I will wait till you retire from the Salt Mine........

[Treebreakerbob]

Nice one drover, shifty could suit. Any way saw one of those aircraft crash shows and it turned out to be the pilot used to get the hostie to make him a cup of coffee while doing the preflight checklist, any way he spills it over the centre console and that causes a lot of issues when taking off, pretty sure it didn’t land well. So maybe your lucky it just didn’t start. Reminds me of another funny (to me) incident around 1970 dui .08. Fella I worked with used to like a drink anyway he had a GTHO Falcon but automatic and he used the old steering to brake pedal bar lock. You can see where I am going. Cars locked and he has a fight with his girlfriend so storms out of the house into his car, starts it puts it in drive and takes off. Didn’t last long, couldn’t brake and couldn’t steer, not enough time to think handbrake, hit the fence. So again sometimes it’s better if it doesn’t start.
You got the oil quantity sorted Peter, sorry mate was not much help, been travelling for 27 hours at that stage and was just booking in to the hotel in Japan. Even though I used to work on jets I still cannot sleep on them, well, when there flying, but I have got past the stage of what was that noise
Bob

[FARWEST]

Cheers Bob...nice to hear from you....and to both Drover n Bob...yep...I have proven my well documented age old saying....'better to keep your mouth closed and be thought an idiot then to open your mouth and prove it'...comme ci comme ca....(googled that to spell it right)...I didnt even think to give the selector a jiggle...doh....must add...it was a 'pretty vigorous' jiggle....have started stopped n started it 4 times since....all good....oil n fuel filters and an oil change tomoz....will tip in the full 5lt container of the 10w-40 Penrite 'Liquid Gold'...then slowly make my way to full mark after adding 2x measured litres....brides working so I have ALL day....beach on Sunday so the air n cabin filters can wait until after the 30klm dirt road round trip.
ps: Bob...on the 'noise' thing and sleeping....the years spent at sea have created a monster...if theres NO background noise I CANT sleep...'tuned' to engine noise/background noise means alls well....no noise....WTF IS HAPPENING !!!!....WE'RE SINKING !!!!

[drover]

KNow about the noise and sleep from sea faring days, at home liked the radio on now it doesn't matter I bring my own, these Cicardas or on occassions the sound of the beach always in the head .... Tinitus is a bluddy pain............. could always sleep on proper aircraft but these flying buses full of people I don't even want to sit inside one .............

[FARWEST]

Yes Drover...Im NOT your 'slim model' average height Korean test model....the 'sardine tin ' packing on these jets is pretty 'average'....luckily the hosties are generally kind enough to grant me 'reseating' if the cabin isnt FULL...and I use the capital letters to descibe 330 on a 330 capacity aircraft....not here to 'shit can' individual Airlines...pretty sure its common knowledge which ones are worse then the others....on my flight to Brizvegas last week I couldnt tell the difference between a picture of a full crab pot on Deadliest Catch and the image before me....VERY glad it wasnt Brizvegas to Perth....on the return flight...different airline...,,little bit 'more room'....still had to stand up for 30min of the flight when cramp set in to the back of both thighs...not real easy with hosties serving 'snax' and the obligeratory idiots that decide the toilet on the aircraft is a better option then using the airport toilets prior boarding.
Still....couldnt have got up and back in the time frame so driving wasnt an option....'adventure' starts in a week, then I can enjoy the ride.

[FARWEST]

Bob....7.8lt (ish) put the the oil smack on the MAX mark with n oil and filter change, start up, idle for a few minutes, shut down, allow oil to settle...10-15mins then dip....gave it a 40klm round trip to ensure all had settled and temps were at operating range...let it sit for 20 odd mins...dipped...smack on MAX.
Oil had been in it for 15mths and had done 15k...truely wasnt that bad(will add I had 'topped up' with Moreys around 5k ago)...oil filter looked pretty sad...fuel filters looked not to bad at all....had been in it for 12mths n done 12k...greyish but not 'blackened' and certainly no 'gunk/goo' on the them....service was quite obviously well overdue...I use 10k cycles 'normally'....air and cabin filters after the beach run on dirt roads on Sunday.....only thing I may do is renew the Coolant while on the adventure....will ask my 'contact' in Brizvegas which Radiator shop he recommends and get that done by the pro's...may even throw a thermostat at it...mine runs WAY cooler than what members state their disels are running at and Grippy stated he had his swapped out when experiencing the same running temps....new tranny 'soon'...diffs and transfer case after the adventure...both have 30% Moreys blend which extends the oil life and gives 'better' overall protection....then....its right to go whenever, wherever....'salt mines' will have me doing a LOT of travel....if its for extended periods I'll tow the van....if I get 'enough' notice and its short term I'll drive....nice to have a vehicle in the driveway thats 'ready' at the drop of a hat.
Winner.


ps: for those with the 'fingers n thumbs dropsies syndrome'
The Engine Oil Cap fell off the 'special' place I had put it, down onto the factory front underbody cover. No lift on mine. No chance I'd fit under the car normally...was looking like jacking it up and putting it back on the jack stands.....bugger.. Saving grace...suspension hadnt settled after being up on jack stands to drop the oil and change the fuel filters, and I could fit under it 'enough' to remove the back two underbody cover bolts...reach my arm in and 'find it'....yep...nothings ezy....jus sayin