odd turnover
whats up guys, hers what I got, doesn't do it all the time but on cold start when I turn the engine over it will crank 2 or 3 times and then on the 4th 5th or more, the cranking slows to almost dead battery state, then when I turn the key off and try it again it will start right up no more issues for the rest of the day never does it when the engine is cold... thank you and any help please..
There is a check valve from the gas tank that starts to fail over time. Could be that. Common problem. The car will struggle the first time but fire right up once pressure is built. Try to prime fuel pressure. Leave the key in the on position for a few seconds before starting to build fuel pressure
CF Veteran




Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 2,856
Likes: 201
From: syracuse ny
Year: 1997
Model: Grand Cherokee (ZJ)
Engine: 4.0, new lifters valve job with new springs and exhaust valves, preload set with shims
Maybe a battery charging issue? Check the voltage of the battery before you crank it in the morning with a digital multimeter, record it to the tenth of a volt (eg, 12.0) , and look up a 'state of charge' table for the voltage you read. You will see a huge difference in charge at 12.0 vs. 12.6 (fully charged).
CF Veteran
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,469
Likes: 26
From: North canaan Connecticut
Year: 01, 99, 98, 98,98
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
The wj I had a few years back had a bad starter and for the love story time I thought it was a problem with the battery. Acted like a weak battery. Also check for corrosion and make sure battery cables are tight.
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CF Veteran




Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 2,856
Likes: 201
From: syracuse ny
Year: 1997
Model: Grand Cherokee (ZJ)
Engine: 4.0, new lifters valve job with new springs and exhaust valves, preload set with shims
I guess you can't go wrong with the little free test they do at Advance or AZ these days, that little micoprocessor controlled tester will print out the alternator output, test starter draw and battery condition. Lots of free info.
CF Veteran

Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 1,820
Likes: 60
From: Pasquotank, NC
Year: 1990
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
My truck did that for a couple YEARS, especially during the cold months. I had the battery tested, and sure enough it had a bad cell. Kept running it until it finally stranded me. Took a couple years before it stranded me. As a note, the battery will test good with the hand held tester the auto parts stores use these days. You need an old school load bank to truly test the battery.
Long story short, test the components but run them till they truly die. Why replace it if you can get another year or two out of them?
Long story short, test the components but run them till they truly die. Why replace it if you can get another year or two out of them?





