Not enough electricity getting where it is needed.

Surprisingly I will say you should check the body ground strap that runs
from the engine head to the firewall. I suspect it is rotted or the
connections are dirty on it. If it doesn't pass clean electricity, then
the engine control modules don't have enough power when the starter is
cranking.

If that strap is ok, then I would suspect a dirty connection on the
starter solenoid relay. There are a bunch of small wires there that
direct the power when the starter is working.

I would still be cleaning the TPS connection like I mentioned earlier.
It causes one of your symptoms. That connection can be cleaned with
WD40 even...

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

Bud wrote:
>
> Hi all -
>
> I have a 1991 Jeep Cherokee Laredo with the in-line 6 and
> auto-transmission. I have been fighting a hard start problem, which I
> posted on this forum about a month ago. My suspicions at that point
> were the fuel pump or the crankshaft position sensor. I've noticed
> lately some different behavior, and wanted to see what folks thought of
> these symptoms. Here goes. If I just sit and crank it, it takes
> forever to eventually catch and start. What I've developed is a way to
> almost always get it to start. I floor the gas, start to crank it, but
> after about 3 seconds or so, I stop cranking it by turning the key to
> the ON position from START. While I do this, I keep the gas floored.
> Almost always, when I stop cranking and turn the key from START to ON,
> *then* it catches and starts running!! At first I thought this was a
> fluke, but the method has been consistent for about the last dozen
> starts or so. I'm at a loss here, can anyone offer anything?
>
> Thanks,
> Bud