To welcome me to a new eta of problems, my starter is acting oddly. Solenoid engages consistently, then sometimes it cranks for a moment before dropping out, or it doesn't crank at all, or it cranks just fine.

Battery is recent, junction box cable connections are fine, so I guess it is crawl under the car time. Starter solenoid end of life? Engine ground? Your similar experiences?

 

I've been LIVING in this zone... Let me ask, and have you tried turning the key to the 3 position, then going around and jumpering the starter relay...? Thru painful experience,,, I've learned that something can be gleened approaching the initial diagnosis this way.

If, when it does crank like normal and fire up,,, this is good. If when it doesn't, leave the key in 3, then go over to the starter relay and try with a wire,,, it turns but doesn't start (no fuel or fire) it kinda says that the BPM and the SCLM aren't getting the "ok to start" command - and stuff... If it DOES start with the jump even when the key fails I would say its more a hardware problem, less an electronic computer problem and, the opposite the other way around... I really do hope yours is a hardware problem. Mine isn't. Sucks.
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As with all things intermittent, it's been work working fine since the initial problems I encountered. Nothing worse than trying to troubleshoot an intermittent issue!

Before the no crank problem showed up, I was having concerns about the time between turning the key into the start position and the starter engaging. There was a second or two delay which clearly isn't normal.

​​​​​​The starter and I are patiently waiting for a really frigid day here in Texas for it to fail again so I can start troubleshooting - hopefully many miles from home in a dimly-lit parking lot.

 

Any discoveries? I'm still looking for answers over here.

 

It's gone back to working. The issue was only when it was (Texas) cold. Now that it's not, it seems happy again.

I'm about to tear the front suspension down for a much needed bushing refresh, and plan to clean the ground strap at that time. Just in case.

Back in the days of my youth, the first thing I would have suspected was a bad solenoid contactor.

 

Congrats and good for you. I know that's right...
Happy trails