Having Trouble Trouble Shooting

Got a '75 CJ5 last year and it doesn't run. The main issue is won't crank at all. Previous owner lost his key, so installed a push button start by pass. Got it running last fall for a bit. It seemed to die if you weren't constantly giving it gas though. Now it doesn't crank. You can hear clicks when you try to start it. Any help would be appreciated and I can give more info if needed.

 

Clicking but not cranking sounds like the battery is under charged.
Have you got a charger to get the battery back up to full charge?

That should solve the click but not crank.
The not idling issue might need a few more details and someone with more experience to chime in.

 

check all the ground wires too

 

Check voltage at battery. Remove and use wire brush on both ends of ground strap. Check operation of starter solenoid.

 

I have had several starter solenoids go bad on me. Take a battery jumper cable and attach to one connection on the solenoid and tap to the other, if it cranks the solenoid is bad, this of course assumes you have checked what has been mentioned above, good battery fully charged, good ground, clean connections.

Jay

 

The TSM (technical Service Manual) from Jeep is very helpful. It's published every year, and contains information specific to your year and model of Jeep.

We have a reference article about Jeep manuals - PSA - Which Manual Should I Buy?

Unfortunately for you, there is no 1975 manual online, so you'd have to purchase it Electrically, the 1975 CJ is pretty much the same as the 1976 model, so you can look at the 1976 TSM online and it will help you. Jeep® 1976 TSM online Section 3. However! Almost everything else changes from 1975 to 1976, so don't rely on the 1976 manual for much else.

The manual will help you a lot. It has flow charts that diagnose common electrical conditions, like no-start and no-crank.

 

Clicking is often just a dead battery or poor connections.

Otherwise, either starter or solenoid is at fault.

Try a jumper cable direct to the starter input (jeep in NEUTRAL!!!), thus bypassing the solenoid. That should spin the starter if it is good.

 

Clicking instead of cranking should probably be diagnosed in this order:
Battery state of charge
Cleanliness/tightness of all connections between battery, starter solenoid, and starter, including ground through physical contact of the solenoid and starter
Starter solenoid function
Starter function

Refusing to idle could be any number of things. I'd get it to crank good first, then go after that.