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Very hard starting/ battery acting dead

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Old 08-08-2012, 06:57 AM
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Default Very hard starting/ battery acting dead

Ok so I have a 95 xj 4.0 ax15 and when I start the jeep it either shuts everything off like the battery is dead as a doorknob or it clicks at me like my battery is dead. After 3 or 4 trys it will turn over but very slowly. Once it's running everything is fine. I just replaced the alternator and the battery tested good at oriellys. Could this be my ignition switch? Or coil pack? Any help would be greatly appreciated
Old 08-08-2012, 06:59 AM
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Oh and forgot to mention the starter is a few months old and also tested good at oriellys
Old 08-08-2012, 07:07 AM
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Battery leads are ok? Have you went though and checked all your grounds?
Old 08-08-2012, 07:12 AM
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Yup, check all your connections. Sounds like you have a bad connection somewhere.

Check: Starter connection, both battery terminals and the other end of both positive and negative leads.
Old 08-08-2012, 08:20 AM
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X2... check all conections
Old 08-08-2012, 09:15 AM
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x3. thought my starter was toasted, turned out to be corroded connections at the battery
Old 08-08-2012, 10:45 AM
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Did they put a load on the battery when they tested it? I had a bad cell in mine and it did this... but sounds like connections
Old 08-08-2012, 11:48 AM
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Bad connection at the starter is my guess. Crawl under there and refresh the ground an the connector from the solenoid to the starter.

If you've done heavy mudding, mud can get into the starter even though it's relatively new. If mud cakes in there (or if you have a chronic oil leak like on my XJ lol) it can gum up the electrodes inside the starter and it'd be worth taking it apart and cleaning it out.
Old 08-08-2012, 12:07 PM
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Like everyone else said. Check your grounds. Not just the battery. But, All of them need to be checked and clean. Including the starter, oil dipstick, head to fire wall and of course the battery.
Old 08-08-2012, 04:07 PM
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Replace the stinking battery already. They don't last forever, especially if you have a huge stereo and a bunch of lights.
Old 08-08-2012, 05:16 PM
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I'm not going to replace the battery when it's 6 months old and just tested good with a load on it. I've been checking connections for a week an still haven't seen anything questionable. I read somewhere that the factory ground for the starter sucks and if you ground it with a separate cable it helps?
Old 08-08-2012, 05:21 PM
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Originally Posted by silver95
I'm not going to replace the battery when it's 6 months old and just tested good with a load on it. I've been checking connections for a week an still haven't seen anything questionable. I read somewhere that the factory ground for the starter sucks and if you ground it with a separate cable it helps?
I'm pretty sure 95 has a modern ground set up and not under dipstick like Renix.

Get sand paper clean inside battery clamps, clean the battery terminals, die electric grease it. Check copper for corrosion at main alt wire going to battery. Remove battery ground and engine ground sand paper and replace.

Looking you won't see nothing cause sometimes the corrosion is thin and it'll still cause an issue. Good luck and this will 80% fix your issue.

Oh and 20% it'll be a bad cell in battery if this doesn't work cause your symptoms describes what everyone said on here
Old 08-08-2012, 05:21 PM
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Just for the hell of it, check your connections! haha Since everyone else said it, i thought i might as well too. What is your battery voltage before cranking and does it drop really low when you crank it? Also, try hooking it up with jumper cables to another car. Its possible that orileys got it wrong. If it starts good off another battery, then yours is probably bad.
Old 08-08-2012, 05:43 PM
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Originally Posted by Drewjharper1900
Just for the hell of it, check your connections! haha Since everyone else said it, i thought i might as well too. What is your battery voltage before cranking and does it drop really low when you crank it? Also, try hooking it up with jumper cables to another car. Its possible that orileys got it wrong. If it starts good off another battery, then yours is probably bad.
It's at around 13 volts before cranking and 12 or so after cranking. I've started a vehicle much easier off less. I'm going to replace the terminals and clean up the posts on the battery. If I were to replace both the negative wires off the battery where exactly do the run to? And how long of replacement cable should I get?
Old 08-08-2012, 05:51 PM
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I believe you can run them to the same point. Just sand the area.


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