1996 Trooper-sluggish engine crank

:banghead: The other day I turned my '96 Trooper off and now it won't start. It turns over but VERY slow. Like it's 10 degrees and a half dead battery. It doesn't even try to fire. The battery is new(6 months) and tests out to 12.7 volts. I hooked up a battery charger that puts out an extra 100 amps for starting but it had no effect. I also installed a new starter. Guess there might be a chance the new starter is bad also. I got it from Schucks" Auto. There is 114k on the vehicle and has an automatic transmission. Someone said it might be a timing belt , however, I can't see how a bad timing belt would not let the engine turn over so slow and sluggish.
PLEASE I need some ideas really bad!!!

sounds like the start to me too.

You May Have Done This Already But Incase You Have Not Check Out The Cable At The Starter And Connections At Battery Is Any One Of Them Corroded

My vote is for the cable to the starter or the ground cable. Sometimes they will corrode from the inside and while they look good they are not. Try carefully feeling along the cables for any irregularities. Also, can you get good highbeam headlights, if not that too says bad battery connections. Might want to watch the battery voltage when you turn on the headlights and try to start the vehicle. Sometimes a bad battery will test good with no load and drop off to nothing when loaded.

You May Have Done This Already But Incase You Have Not Check Out The Cable At The Starter And Connections At Battery Is Any One Of Them Corroded

Checked for that and using my ohm meter I got 12.7 volts at the battery and 11.77 volts at the starter(this was not during an attempt to start the engine.

My vote is for the cable to the starter or the ground cable. Sometimes they will corrode from the inside and while they look good they are not. Try carefully feeling along the cables for any irregularities. Also, can you get good highbeam headlights, if not that too says bad battery connections. Might want to watch the battery voltage when you turn on the headlights and try to start the vehicle. Sometimes a bad battery will test good with no load and drop off to nothing when loaded.

I checked voltage from the battery to the starter with the headligths, radio and wipers on and while turning the engine over the battery went from 12.7 volts to 11 .4 volts. Without cranking I got 12. 4 volts.

How bout your alternator?
Also, what size/kind of battery is the new one?

I had an offal experience with a Walmart battery a few months back; turned out the battery wasn't big enough for the job. Actually think they goofed and gave me a battery for the 4-cylinder Rodeo's.

Could be the starter. However I still vote for a cable problem especially given your 1 volt loss in the cable going to the starter.

Have your tried jumpering directly to the starter connection (as opposed to the battery) and good ground point? Or, have you tried running a cable from the existing battery positive to the starter connection (i.e. a new temporary wire to the starter) and/or a cable from the existing battery negative to a good ground point (i.e. a new temporary good ground)?

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