Is my starter dying? (86 2.5l 5-speed 4x4 XJ)

Lately, my XJ has been doing something like this when I go to start it: *turn key* starter goes *STRAIN!* and engine barely turns at all for a second. After holding the key for a second or two more, it'll start turning over and fire up and run like nothing was ever wrong. I've noticed that it only seems to do this when cold. When it's been running and is warmed it, it starts normally. The engine got flooded *BAD* when I was having fuel injector issues a month or two ago, to the point that I ground a good battery down to nothing trying to un-flood it. All that fruitless, pedal-down cranking probably didn't do the starter any favors... I replaced the battery with a brand new Exide Werker, and it is fine, according to the meter on the dash. MY dad was driving the thing a couple weeks ago, and I asked him if it was starting hard when he was driving it and he said yeah. He forgot to tell me about it...derp. But, yeah. It's been doing this for a while. Anyway, does that sound like a damaged starter? I should mention that it never 'clicks' or anything like that. As soon as I turn the key, the starter is *trying* to start the engine...it just can't right away.

Have you had the battery and alternator tested recently?

The battery is almost brand new and the releveant gauge on the dash says everything is okay with the starting and charging system. The starter kicks into gear as soon as I turn the key. it just won't turn the engine over like it should

the solenoid on the starter might be gummed up with mud or something....I have a 92 5-speed that had similar symtoms. It eventually ended up with me tapping it with a hammer to start...then banging it...then beating it. Then for about a week I had to park on hills to clutch start it.

had the same problem with my jeep, my friends jeep, and my friends protege. We all switched the batterys and now it's fine. Our problems came from the subwoofers so I installed capacitor in our cars. You don't happen to have subs do you? The factory alternator only puts out 90w so if you have a new cd player and subs then you will need a cap or high powered alternator.

It had a sub/amp before I bought it, but all of that wiring has since been disconnected. Long before I had trouble or anything. Right now it's just a cheap cd head unit and the factory/factory equivalent speakers.

I just replaced my starter because it as doing something very similar. To me, it sounded like it was trying to turn the starter over, but didn't have enough power. Batteries tested good, so I figured the starter was seizing. I had taken it apart, cleaned it out, and rebuilt it a few times before so i figured I should just replace it. Once the new starter was in it worked fine. Until a few days ago, when it began showing the same symptoms again. I made sure it was in park, and wiggling the shifter (AW4) suddenly brought power back and it started fine. So, I figure I need to take my neutral safety switch apart, clean it out, and everything should be fine. Smarter, more experienced people, feel free to correct my if I'm wrong...

Well, I put a reman starter in, and that did the trick for now.

My old starter was just a mess, and I think it was original. I didn't even bother with taking it apart. Oil, filth, rust...it was all there in spades.