Starter or solenoid not working?

I haven’t read the entire thread but after reading that it wouldn’t start after running but did start after charging, the first question that came to my mind was: Is the charging system working? I got stranded once because I threw a belt and didn’t know it. No idea how many miles I drove before the battery couldn’t keep the engine running anymore. 

Damn thing just did it to me again, after the other day once the battery charged up it fired right up, I’ve driven it a couple of times since then with no issues. Fired right up again this morning and I drove it about 15 miles to come play some morning basketball shut it off and immediately tried to start it again and nothing. Voltage gauge shows 10 and it was between 10-12 when I left.

Yeah I’m just surprised that it would fire right up this morning no problem and then be dead when I get to my destination? Weird, I definitely have determined I need a new battery though, had a buddy push start me this morning to get home haha

10-11 which I know is low but I guess my battery is just to weak to charge which makes sense but for it to drain down to dead when running seems odd to me. What would causing that? The only thing pulling juice would be headlights and a cigarette lighter that is only on when the key is on and I didn’t have the headlights on this morning at all. 

That could definitely be the problem, if it is the alternator output wire. Otherwise you need to be testing the charging system. It should still put out proper voltage if the battery is fubar.

A vehicle won’t run forever without a charging system. The ignition, lights and radio all pull power and will kill a battery. I got stranded one day out working because I left the radio on for 4 hours. Just long enough the F150 wouldn’t start to get me home. Older incandescent bulbs draw a lot of juice. Gauges draw juice. I have never looked into how much an ignition system will draw but draw it does. It’s not surprising to me that it would start run a few minutes then not start. A few years after the radio incident, my alternator light came on about a mile from work. I drove it the 5 miles home that evening thinking I would hit the parts store in the morning and replace the alternator at work. It didn’t start that morning. That was about 6 miles total (4 on the highway) without headlights or radio and only one start on a battery I would have thought was fully charged when the light came on. 

Edited by Jeff J - 18 June 2022 at 7:36am

If you are going to peel the crimp connectors, solder then cover with glue and heat-shrink then you may want to look into solder sleeves. 

So just now after having the trickle charger on the battery for a full day the indicator on it red green light which means it’s just now monitoring a charged battery. I left the charger connected. Started the jeep, let it run for about 5 min and now the indicator light has turned red which means it’s now charging my battery again. Now I’m wondering if it’s my alternator, I don’t have any loose belts as there is only one connected it directly and I can see it make the alternator spin. I repaired that wire but it’s not charging the battery like it should yet the battery will take a charge. Onviously my battery is still in need of replacement as it shouldn’t get weaker that fast, well maybe I guess if the jeep electrical is running if the battery alone it might right? That would explain why it would fire right up at home after being charged and then be dead by the time I get somewhere or back home after a trip to town and back wouldn’t it?