1996 Dodge 1500
Asked by ttwren7 Mar 08, 2012 at 02:25 PM about the 1996 Dodge RAM 1500
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
My truck has been running great, no problems, then I jumped in it one day, it cranked over about three quick times and then nothing. Repeated tries at starting yielded nothing. Now it won't turn over at all. Battery is obvious but is strong, confusing thinf was the three cranks then nothing... any suggestions?
9 Answers
Starter and cables are good to point of replacing the starter and ohming and cleaning the cables, no luck. How can I make sure the "fuse" under the hood is good? I already swappped it with another that was working and no change but wondered if there was an electronic way to check it. Also is there a starter selinoid on the truck?
In reading all this I can't help but remember Billy Bob Thornton's line in Slingblade when checking out the roto tiller that wouldn't start. "Ain't go no gas in it" Now, I'm not saying you're out of gas, but how do you know that battery is strong? Have you had it tested? How old is it? Are you getting 1.5-12+ volts at the starter when switch engaged? You can take your battery to any Auto Zone or Advance store and they will put professional equipment on it to give you a valid test. If it is over 5 or 6 years old, its time to replace anyway. Keep us posted and Good Luck!
usually no clicking sound indicates a bad battery, could be something as innocuous as a dirty post connection, dead cell, low water in cells. If you have a serviceable battery, check the water levels in the cells and top up with distilled water (bottled water works). As Mike said, if the battery is 4 or 5 years old, it is probably time to replace it.
That spec in my answer above should read 10.5-12 volts. Sorry
New Battery, no change, I also changed out the starter relay in the fuse box under the hood and I still have the same problem. I am getting the correct voltage at the battery, ant the starter relay, but not at the starter. I suspect the battery cables... sound good?
Does the voltage at the starter and at the battery agree when the key is in the start position? You can check the cable by disconnecting at the battery and using an Ohm meter by connecting one of the ohmmeter wires to each end. Should read close to 0 ohms. Much more than that and I would say you've nailed the problem.
No the voltage at the starter is zero but at the battery it is 12.4. Thanks for the verification... I hate starter problems... Thanks again for the info!
