I have a 94 ZJ with the 5.2l. Everytime I go to start it, it has to really crank over like it has a dead battery and then finally starts. I tested the battery itself and it has 12.5 volts. I tested with the vehicle running and it's at 13.9 volts. Can anyone tell me what would cause this? I was thinking maybe the starter solenoid drawing to much power but not sure.

 

Change the starter. I had this happen once before. It would crank over just fine when it was cold, but if I drove it and it was warmed up and I shut it off to run into a store for a few minutes, I'd come out and it would crank really slow like it had a dead battery. One day, it didn't crank at all. Turned out to be the starter motor itself.

 

It could be as simple as a bad ground or corrosion on the battery cables.


I'd start there before just throwing a starter at it.

Checking for loose or corroded cables is at least free.

Tossing parts at a truck with no real diagnostics is stupid.

 

I will check the cables again, maybe I missed one that was loose.

 

True, I probably should have mentioned that and didn't just assume that he already made sure those weren't the problem. Man... I forgot how bitter people can be to new people in forums!

 

Don't forget there is more than one end to a battery cable. They go somewhere.

Dunno if that was aimed at me or not, but lets not forget there is no tone or feeling via text on a computer screen.

Don't confuse short, simple, honest, and concise answers and suggestions with someone being "bitter".

I just stated the honest truth about throwing money and parts at a problem that isn't fully understood. Its a foolish waste.

 

Just because the cables look good does not mean they are. Mine looked brand new, they were corroded as hell. I needed a starter, in my case it wasn't the cables despite how bad they were. They appeared to solve the issue but they only slightly extended the life of the starter.

 

That brings to mind another point. Sometimes poor connections can be the source of a dead starter.

 

Just so everyone knows, the whole problem was a bad cell in the battery. Wouldn't hold a charge at all.