I have a 1997 Dodge ram 2500 diesel extra cab long box with 140,000 mi. when I turn the key it wont turn over I just get a click. this happens about half the time I start it. I found that if I turn the ignition on and off several times real fast it will finally turn over and start. The batteries are 5 mo old and are good, I removed the cables and cleaned them also removed starter cables and cleaned them also followed all grounds and cleaned them and this did not help. This has been going on for 2 weeks now any ideas for me? thanks David.

 

have you replaced the start itself

 

Sounds like the contacts in the starter are about done

 

sounds like you've eliminated bad battery terminal contact as a problem.

1. do a load test on your batteries. if you don't have access to a tester. simply charge batteries overnight. low batteries can act exactly as described.

2. if battery is low, then check out alternator.

3. with hot batteries, test again. if still clicks. by pass the key switch by energizing terminal on side of solenoid. usually if starter clicks, solenoid is pulling in but internal contacts are fried. or solenoid is good, starter motor is bad.

4. if after by passing switch, starter still doesn't work. then yank starter. replace with a re-man starter.

 

Don't replace the entire starter.. All you are doing is making money for the rebuild shops. Do what they do and just install the new contacts and plunger from Larry B. Its what I did over 1 year ago and it made an old unreliable starter new again.

Larry B's Contacts .

The heavy duty contacts eliminate the need to do the repair again.

 

this happend to my 01, i finally replaced the starter and it cured it...come to find out i could of just put in new starter contacts for around $35 dollars...

 

before you spend $$ on contacts. apply full current load with jump starter cables to starter motor (not solenoid) starter motor should jump and spin hard.

if starter has 140K miles of starting, odds are brushes/bushing are near end of life. personally I would not RR a marginal starter. too much labor to do it again. not to mention downtime.

that's why I prefer to go a fully re-manufactured starter put back to new spec's.

 

Thank you all! Problem solved. This site is a great resource thanks again David.

 

so which way did you go to solve problem?

 

Ya man,both of my trucks have had this problem.I replaced the contacts in both and the brush plate in the 12v too.The only problem was the wires for the brush plate were so big I couldnt solder them so I welded them to the bars instead.Truck cranks over unbelievably now