1989 jeep cherokee no spark

[1989cherokeepioneer]

so the other day at 330 in the morning my dad was driving my xj when it died, he called me and i went out and we towed it to the farm, i was doing some checks, i have power going to the positive side of the coil, i did not have a noid light so at the moment i can not be 100% on if i have injector pulse, i was told i could do it with a test light but after much research i now know that i can not do so.
so heres the deal,
at the time the jeep decided to shut down, it was reported the headlights were dim, then got bright then dimmed as the jeep shut itself down.
he said he had smelt some burning the day before but thought it was from the foglights we ran slightly burning the electric tape.
when the jeep shut down there was a burning smell again.
with power making it to the positive side of the coil, and a brand new crank sensor, as like most i go straight to the crank sensor when there is no spark and 99% of the time thats it.
some one please help me out here, ask me if you need any further details and i will tell you what i know and remember right off hand, thanks in advance

[1989cherokeepioneer]

anything, anything at all?

[4.3LXJ]

Do you know how to do the key on key off dance to get your engine codes?

[1989cherokeepioneer]

I have a rough idea but have never done it on a cherokee because i never have a check engine light

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[Mudderoy]

Any wiring modifications? Especially any made recently?

Any changes to the battery, alternator, starter cables?

Any melted insulation on any of the wires? I'd check the main cables between the battery, alternator and starter.

[1989cherokeepioneer]

Actually yes sir there was, bare with me for a sec, about two years ago i put an alternator on and it caught the positive cable on fire that goes from what i believe is the starter relay on the passenger fender just above the coil to the battery, so i ran a dummy wire from the battery to that relay, everything was fine, the day before the incident i decided to put the right size wire back in place, its a short wire i just cant remember the gauge all i do know is without this wire in place absolutely nothing on the jeep works, at the same time my dad was running foglights since im giving him the jeep, when he drove home he smelt burning inside the jeep and thought it had to do with his fog light wires, the next day hes driving, the headlighta flashed from dim to bright then back to dim and he realized the jeep had shut down.

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[1989cherokeepioneer]

Oh and the only reason it caught fire, it was a rebuilt alternator that someone forgot to put a very imported rubber bushing in the back so i had to take it out and fix it

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[Mudderoy]

I don't recall the wire routing between the battery, alternator, and starter, but I bet you have a wire that isn't handling the current, and is acting like a resistor. Resistance = heat. Has heat increases, the current goes up and voltage drops.

[1989cherokeepioneer]

See thats the thing the wire i originally had was smaller than the wire i put on, then all of a sudden he smells burning inside?

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[Mudderoy]

See thats the thing the wire i originally had was smaller than the wire i put on, then all of a sudden he smells burning inside?

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Not sure of the cost, but I might be inclined to replace all the cables between the battery, alternator and starter.

Hmmm I guess it could be a bad alternator or starter but I've never had that happen.

[1989cherokeepioneer]

Everything works, i an even getting power to the coil, it just wont spark

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