'02 Ram 2500 6-speed

I went to the store last night, truck started fine. Went to start truck and there was a click when going into the engine start position, and all gauges/interior lights died. A few seconds later the dash lights came back on, interior lights were weak but then got brighter. After several tries (including a jump from another truck), I noticed that the lights weren't quite so bright as they usually are, which to me suggests that this was really draining the batteries.

I don't notice a noise from the starter or any attempt to crank at all. Just a click (I don't know where it comes from, but it's not really loud, could be a relay somewhere) and immediate shut off of all electrical stuff. I am pretty good with electrical stuff, but I don't know squat about how a truck is wired.

From what I've heard, normally starters don't burn out in an electrically open state, such that they would cause a short. So, I'm left thinking that maybe the wire that powers the starter has rubbed bare in some place, and is touching the chassis or other grounded metal, or maybe the starter or engine is stuck somehow. A friend of mine and I pushed the truck as fast as we could go, and I dropped it in gear, hoping that would maybe break something free, but it just stopped the truck abruptly.

Any advice is much appreciated, as my only vehicle is now stranded down at the convenience store!

 

Does the truck start or no. If not, do you have control at the starter, meaning 12 volts at the solenoid control wires?

 

The title of the post begins "No start: won't crank". It won't even crank over, let alone start up.

I don't have any idea what the voltage is anywhere, as the truck is still down the road at the store, and it was late last night when I was there, and I had no tools nor light to see anything. Also, I don't know what solenoid control wires are... as I said in the post, I don't know squat about how a truck is wired. Sorry that I don't have any knowledge about this.

Unfortunately, this is not a situation where I can just get to my truck, test something, and then post a reply, since the truck is not in a place where I can get Internet access. Thanks for the response.

 

The starter contacts have shorted to the case.
Get some "Larrys" contacts. Do a search on it.

http://www.fostertruck.com/dodge/default.htm

 

Is there any temporary fix that I can do to get it running in the meantime? Would it help to wiggle or clean or otherwise mess with the contacts so I can just get it back down the road to my house? Thanks a bunch for the reply!

 

It sounds like you've blown a fuse or fusable link. Besure to check all of the fuses and relays under the hood and the smaller fuses in the left side of your dash.

 

Did you check all of your battery connections? Maybe one of the cheap POS battery connections are broken or corrodided to such an extreme, you've lost either pos or ground?

 

Well, there is one battery terminal that's corroded a bit, but that shouldn't cause this problem, because there are two batteries; I've had that whole battery terminal come off in the past, and the truck would at least turn over and start, albeit without the oomph it normally has. This isn't doing anything. I can hear a click coming from the starter as if the solenoid is engaging, but there is absolutely no response from the starter motor at all.

I will check all the fuses next time I get over there, which should be a little later this afternoon/evening. I am really hoping that it's either a fuse or those contacts. Thanks for the help!

 

Oh, I missed that earlier. You say you can hear a click at the starter? I thought that click was only the first time. In that case, I agree with j-fox. Starter contacts might be shot. When this happen to mine, hitting the starter with a hammer would move the contacts and the bushes around just a bit. But that little bit was all that was needed to start the engine.

 

Yeah, I went back to the truck with a friend (obviously, since I don't have a ride) and he said the click was coming from the starter when I turned the key. I wasn't sure what was making the noise until then.

Well, I will get some contacts and see what happens. Does anyone know of store chain that carries these? I'd really rather not have to wait several days to get a ride again, but all the places I've called like O'Reilly, Vato Zone, and NAPA don't carry contacts or even a solenoid, just the starter or a starter relay.

Also, if anyone knows offhand where I would find some good directions on how to remove the starter, that would be awesome. The bolts holding it on look very strange, I don't recognize them. They look kind of like a torx, but inverted so that the bolt head has the points on it, and there are a lot more than 5 points.

Thanks very much for the responses.

 

Contacts for a rebuild are not gonna be available at just any auto store. Check out the link that's posted above. As for the bolts, a 12 point box wrentch or socket will work......If I remember correctly, it's a 10 mm...... or was it 12 mm......... It's been a long time since I've replaced mine.

 

its a 10mm 12 point,
check for a starter rebuilder in your area
did you try taping on it with a hammer?

 

X2.. it may get you going for now.

 

10mm, once you take the starter apart youll see there wolnt be much of the contacts left thats why its not getting a good connection. ive done a few and its only about a 20min job in the parking lot. i couldnt find anywhere that had them in stock.

 

There should be a starter/alt repair shop in town. They will have the contacts in stock or repair your starter perhaps. Starter repair shops are very well aware of this shortcoming on this series starters.