Chrysler Repair: Lebaron slow start, solenoid switch, starter solenoid

Question
I have a 1995 Lebaron, 2 door convert. v6, only about 75k mileage wise, it's very slow to start.  What I mean is when you turn the key at first nothing, after about a second there is a slow wurr, wurr then it turns over normally.  At 1st I suspected the battery but I cleaned it and also started the vehicle w/ jumper cables hooked up and no change it still starts the same.  Any ideas? Should i suspect the starter?  Please let me know.

Thanks
Mike

Answer
Hi Mike,
Before changing the starter motor I would try that jumper approach again, only this time jump the + donor wire from the helper battery to the connection of the fat red battery wire from the car's battery where it attaches to the starter's solenoid switch. That would eliminate the possibility that you have a bad connection/corroded wire at either end of the fat red wire which is possibly deteriorated now that it is 14 years old. Similarly jump the - post wire from the helper battery to the engine block where it can make a good connection. Then try the key and see how it goes. If it is still slow, then the starter motor is probably bad, or the starter solenoid switch is bad, which gets changed out anyway when you trade-in the starter motor.
The other approach would be to disconnect the - post wire where it is grounded to the engine and shine that up and reconnect it firmly to the engine; similarly do the same thing with the - post wire that goes to the frame near the battery. Then, disconnect the - clamp from the battery and examine the fat red wire at the +clamp/wire interface connection and at its other end at the starter solenoid connection point and make sure that connection is shiny and the wire/eyelet interface is good, then reconnect it. Finally put the - clamp back on the - post. Then try the key and see if it is better.
Once you are satisfied that you have good current carrying connections from the battery to the the starter and to ground, and if it still is sluggish, about the only other possibility is a weak starter relay or poorly connected brown wire from the relay to the other terminal at the starter solenoid. You could remove the starter relay from its socket and simply jump a wire from the back pin to the front pin of the socket (be sure that you are in Park) and that will cause the starter motor to try to work. See if it works any better by such a jump. If so, then the relay is weak or the brown wire is loose or corroded. If is still is lazy, then I believe you would have a good basis to replace the starter motor.
Be careful when handling the fat red wire unless you have the - clamp of the battery disconnected.  
Roland