Model: 97 Cherokee Sport 2wd, 4.0L, 5-speed manual, 258k miles

Problem: Several days ago, I go to start her up and the first turn over was normal speed, and then it slows down to a crawl like I have a dead battery. She does start up though, eventually. I drove to Advance to get my electrical system tested. My battery, alternator, and starter all came back normal. The battery is two years old, the alternator is one year old, and the starter is three years old. The plugs, wires, and negative battery cable are all a year old. I sanded down all of my ground points and cleaned the terminals. Still have the same problem. I checked the relays and fuses and they seem to check out OK. The only thing I haven't replaced, it seems, is the positive battery cable, but I don't see how it could be that. Any ideas?

 

If you are 100% positive the battery is fully charged I would check both battery cables. Give them a bend and if you hear a crunching sound it time to replace them. The crunching means that they are corroded and need replacing.

 

Cables or someone filled your crank case with SAE80 oil

 

If the battery and starter is 100% is check for bad cable connections.
Start it a couple times.. On off on off and feel the cables for hot spots. Mainly at both ends.
Hot end will be the problem area.

 

UPDATE. I replaced the positive battery cable and the problem is still here. I even swapped out batteries with my S2000 (which had a brand new battery) and the problem persists. Kind of at my wits end here.

 

What's the battery voltage when cranking?

 

Time to get the DVOM out...

 

Only thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is ignition switch, though it's just a thought...

 

Just spit-balling but I had to replace a starter that was only a year old before. A couple days before it died, I noticed it cranking slower than normal and progressively got worse. I checked everything you mentioned also and even had them bench test the starter and they said was borderline but still ok. I picked up a replacement starter anyways figuring that was worth a spare just in case since the XJ is my only trans and I commute over a forty miles each way for work, I had to keep it going. Replaced it and problem solved. Just saying, just cause a part's relatively new, doesn't mean it can't go bad... hope you figure it out Good luck~

 

^ agreed - as far as symptoms go that's exactly what a bad starter will do, just had it happen to me as well, and will have it happen whenever this one starts to go, which will be any day now since it was an old one off my last 96.

Also could be something weird with the starter relay - could try shorting it as another test, just an idea.

 

after all those things checked, I would remove the starter and look to see any odds

i've seen starters fail like this, one or two wires shorted/burnt internally and it acts like this.

 

I'm betting starter? How exactly did they check it? If the alternator is putting out and it did the same thing with another known good battery I would guess starter.

Or, check both cables to be sure there is not corrosion under the insulation.

 

Too bad the core charge is so high. It would be nice to stick a new one in and have a spare if that didn't help. (you will use it someday!)

 

Figured out it was the starter. I guess when Advance tells you its good, it really isn't.

 

And the crowd cheers! Glad you got it fixed. Both the starter and alternator tests seem to be problematic. I'll bet at least some of the time the bumping around that happens on the way to the test frees up a sticking brush or something else, so it tests OK, but the problem is still there. Belt driven alternators can be "load tested" easily enough, but I doubt they can do that with starters without some pretty complicated stuff.

I put my meter right on the positive from the battery, (on the solonoid), juice the solonoid, and if she won't crank with 10+ volts......that's a pretty sure sign the unit is not working.