my van will crank fine but will not start. the battery has 12.4 volts when not running. I cleaned the terminals. The only way it will start is if I hook up the battery charger and set it to 200 amps on high. then it fires right up and keeps running even after charger is removed. once running the battery charges at 14v . I even tried a new battery and it still wouldnt start unless jumped with the charger.

You need to do a starter draw test to see how many amps the starter is drawing,it could be the starter on its way out,just guessing i would think any draw when cranking,should be less than300amps.

New as in NEW, or just a different battery. What's more important then "static" battery voltage, is the voltage while cranking.
They may show 12.5v while static, but could drop down severely when any load is applied.
If you have a known GOOD battery, & still the same, then comment about starter could be pertinent.

Exactly.

I got stung by this last summer on our Kubota, Started fine and was mowing, Jumped off to move a branch without disengaging the deck. Lights would light etc. but no start. chased my tail for 4 or 5 hours, and it was the flippin battery.

I got a brand new battery 12.6V, and it cranked fine but would not start. I charged the new battery up to 12.9 volts and it fired right up. The strange thing is I have 2 , 2013 grand caravans. the old battery works in one van but not the other. Another weird thing is that when I jump started it and it started, It would only rev to exactly 3000 rpm. but after i let it run half an hour and charge the new battery up to 12.9v I could rev it up way over 3000 rpm.
I dont think my multi meter will test how many amps the starter is drawing.

You've gone online, asked the questions, and got good answers. Now take the vehicle to a local chain that will test the starter for free( I see autozone is 15 mins from you) and go from there... Let us know what they tell you..

Question about CCA when your vehicle has two batteries? I still have my E350 van with a 6.9 L (International) Ford diesel that came with two batteries. The two batteries that are in it now are 850 CCA batteries so when I start it does that mean I have 1700 CCA available if needed? If so then does that mean when the OP says he can only start it with a jump that he is combining, let's say two 700 CCA batteries, and he's using or needs up to 1400 CCA's to get it to start. Wow that would mean the starter is really drawing some amperage and might be the problem as someone and some have noted. Can Auto Zone check how much draw during starting the OP's Caravan has?

Mike

Advance AP has a tester that checks the battery w/o load, starting and running, charging also. Stop by one of them. I'd think the other stores would but don't work at them

Yes, autozone has an all in one testing cart that prints out all of the tests and results.

The ignition system is what fires the spark plug, correct?
t sounds like one of the circuits, components, in the ignition system has a component that is not working below 12.5 V
I would look closely at all the grounds, make sure they are really good , and then start by replacing the ignition ballast resistor first, the coil next and then the ECU
Can you have someone help you by sitting in the car and have them do the starting while you use a voltmeter to check the voltage to both sides of the ballast resistor with the starter spinning the motor over and then check the voltage to the coil and last to the ECU
Murphy loves messing with us hot rodders

if it all tests good you have a deeper rooted issue like a ground problem or component that is requiring extra V/I to function
keep us posted

I went to autozone and they tested the starter. They said it was fine but could not tell me how many amps it was drawing. With the starter cranking the battery reads a little less than 12v.

grounds, grounds, grounds.
the next place i would look, is at the battery cables themselves. the newer vehicles have really cheaped out on cable ends, and "green death" is commonly found, starting where the cable is terminated to the end.
if any "green death" is found on either cable, trace it to see how far up the cable it goes. you will most likely find the cable[s] need replaced.
another place to examine closely on these minivans, is the fuse and relay box by the battery.
as the battery outgasses, many times the gasses start to corrode the connections in that box, as well as any wiring around the battery itself.
chasing wiring issues can be challenging to say the least. [right now, i am trying to figure out why the door locks on my "bus" won't lock or unlock using the door switches, yet the 'rolling lock' feature works. i am getting balder by the second chasing this issue, even using the factory diagnostic manual. ]
please keep us informed as to how this progresses, and what you find.

Funny but not so funny when it happens to you DAMHIK with a 90's German car I just had to replace the entire upper engine wiring harness. They are no longer available so used non-eco harnesses are going for upwards of $1500 Engine heat destroys the insulation and it just flakes off. Who the he77 thought eco (soy based) insulation was a good idea??? Sorry for the OT rant.

i perfectly understand your rant !
although i have no german car experience, [not much foreign experience really, but enough to be dangerous. ] i have loads of experience with the "green death"...........
it's NOT any fun.

,

OH YEAH !

Before this a rodent (groundhog) chewed through two spark plug wires and all of the wires on both the upstream and downstream O2 sensors on my wife's Chrysler Town & Country and not knowing this until I started it, it shorted and took out the PCM/ECU. This took lots of $$$$ to replace all of those components as they don't sell just two spark plug wires and the PCM/ECU was several hundred dollars and on top of that the upstream O2 sensor exhaust manifold threads were damaged when I removed that sensor.

IF you had comprehensive that could be an insurance claim