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Can bad starter cause hard start?

wishihad1

NAXJA Forum User
Hey everybody

Well since it's gotten cold and the battery in my xj is about 6 years old I figured it was time to replace the battery. Little bit of back ground it was starting to turn over a little slow battery seemed weak. We thought we had killed the battery a couple times and went to jump it only I have to hit the starter and get it going fine. Well by the slow crank I figured it was time and ponied up for a diehard platinum 900cca battery and redid the battery grounding and positive wire to starter while I was at it. Go to start it and still slow cranking. Got battery tested and it's putting out 1050 coca and I know all connections are good. Now I've started it up and moved it and then shut it off and tried to restart it and it would slow crank and then start clicking like dead battery. Get out and hit the starter and fire right up.

Now obviously I need a new starter but could a starter going bad cause slow cranking and seeming to pull a lot of extra power to start?
 
Yes, I believe a bad starter could cause a hard start issue. :wierd:

Why don't you run it down to the parts store and have them check the starter.
 
I've run through multiple starters on my xj through various wheeling stages. I can say I've never had them test one bad and I've always reached them and fixed te problem. I feel their test is little more than hooking it to 12 volts and seeing if it turns
 
There are four brushes in the starter, if one wears shorter than the others it can cause the starter to suck a lot of juice and turn over slowly. It can be a sporadic type thing and not screw up every time, especially in the early stages before completely failing.

You can also fix it sometimes, the feed wire for a brush can hang up and cause a brush to make iffy contact. Sometimes all it takes is rearranging the feed wire for the brush a little. Though most times it is because the brushes are worn down to nubs, the brushes are covered in oil from a leaky oil filter adaptor or your starter is full of mud.

GoJeep had a good writeup on how to R&R a starter. http://jeep-xj.info/HowtoStarterClean.htm
 
I had a boat motor starter act like yours, cranking slow and drawing a lot of juice. The armature had a internal short. With a fresh charged battery it worked "OK", but otherwise it barely turned and sucked the battery down quickly. The starter shop old guy tested the armatures with a hack saw blade??????? Old school.
 
Ok sounds like I'll be putting a starter in it this week. Nothing more dissapponting that installing a 250 dollar battery and all new cables only to hear it still barely turn over
 
Yeah the new starter should do the trick. I have dealt with 5 or 6 vehicles with a similar issue. A couple were dirty connections and the rest were dying starters. The quick turnover with the new starter should make you forget about the disappointment pretty quick:eeks1:
 
Just wanted to follow up in this
I replaced the starter yesterday and all is well. I've been messing with jeeps now and doing side mechanic work for about 8 years and can say I've never seen this so it was new to me. Typically a bad starter is pretty obvious but I've never seen one that will turn over but just draw a lot of extra amperage.
 
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