Hello,

I figure that I know the answer, but since I work outside of the US where access to parts is limited I figured I would ask the question rather than risk ordering parts, waiting for shipping, and paying customs only to figure out it is as simple as a bad electrical connection (which I am pretty sure it isn't because I have cleaned all contacts).

If I turn the key and hear one click, but the starter does not rotate, that likely means bad starter motor, correct? Whereas, if I hear multiple clicking noises that means bad solenoid?

The one click has been happening recently, but the car would eventually start just by being persistent. The catch is, when the starter did engage, it did not have any drag whatsoever. I was under the impression that a bad starter motor would "drag" a little before going out.

What do you think?

 

I would probably test for the presence of 12V at the selonoid terminal when key turned to start

To some extent you can isolate the solenoid by shorting the main 12V power in direct to starter with a ring spanner

however, as a new starter/solenoid combo is not all that expensive compared to just a solenoid, I personally would order a new starter, just ordering a solenoid would be a risk

Its easy to remove the Starter, dismantle and inspect.

The problem is often obvious, in that one or more of the 4 brushes is worn or stuck

DONT let the small ball bearing inside fall out and be lost, dismantle on a towel

 

what does your battery show for voltage with the jeep off? the multiple clicks sounds more like a weak battery though the cleaned connections and persistent issue starting issue kinda lean me away from that. If at worst it is the solenoid - I agree with above; buying a replacement starter in itself isn't a terrible investment even if it doesn't fix the issue. A spare starter isn't a bad thing really

 

I have a brand new battery so I'm going to go ahead and get a new starter. It just sucks because over here (Doha, Qatar) they are around $150 because everything is imported. While I am at it I might as well get new cables... I really miss having my tools back in the US, and things like the box retailers.

 

Rock Auto may be good

$150 is cheap for a starter, and you can pay twice that for a XJ one

If it is already not going, I would still advise remove and strip the starter, if its just a stuck brush, you will be able to get it going for a while

New brushes are about $30 and a new solenoid $50

It generally takes only 10-12 days for Rock Auto to deliver from USA to Australia

 

I didn't think $150 was too bad for a starter, but have you considered having it rebuilt locally?