KK5263

Hi
Last night I changed the starter on my 1998 1/2 Dodge 2500 it had been giving problems for a bit, it was time to change it.
Everything went good, jumped in the truck nothing no dash lights.
The truck has a Clifford Immobilizer installed from the previous owner that was a pain. I figured it was the Clifford causing the problem when I put my key into it broke into pieces.
Took the dash apart to uninstall the Clifford soldered all the wires together that had been cut.
Now I have dash lights but will not turnover with the key.
I can jump start it and it runs good but.....the ABS and Airbag light stay on, the windows and heater fan don't work.
I took it for a drive and it wouldn't come out of 1st gear.
I have checked every fuse and relay and they are all good.
It has been a good truck never had wiring problems before.
Any ideas what to look for.

Busboy

I would start with the ignition switch, you can check it all you want but might be simpler and easier to just replace it as they have been a known problem in the past.

KK5263

When I turn the key the relay clicks switched around relay still just a click.
And I will add there are two new batteries.

Busboy

Ah sorry I missed that the truck was a gas truck. I might suggest that the starter solenoid is bad.

KK5263

Definitely a diesel

Busboy

Ah must have been half asleep when I re read your post as I saw 1998 1/2 and I'm thinking half ton truck.. I was going to say that the original starters were very good quality and the most that went wrong was the starter solenoid contacts would wear and cause a no start situation. Heavy duty contacts are available to cure this. If by "jump starting" you mean jumping across the solenoid contacts and it turns over and when you try the key all there is is a click at the solenoid, then you have a bad starter solenoid. But with your other problems I would go for the ignition sw next. I looked up the Clifford immobilizer and not much info, I was hoping for some wiring diagrams, could you have missed a wire from the immobilizer, the info I could find seemed to indicate 6 wires.

KK5263

Yes there was 6 wires. I agree with you about the clicking being a solenoid but what I should of said was I can hear/feel the relay click. The original starter was drawing way to much power, the new one starts the truck much better. even with jumping it.
I too went to the Clifford site I have it here and there is no model # anywhere on it.

KK5263

I've had this truck over 11 years and it is only the second time it has stumped me. I always do all my own work. Up until now everything worked even the air.

AlpineRAM

To me this sounds like the truck does not really know the ignition is on, and that gives the PCM the *******. (No shift, no AC etc.)

I would really suggest checking the ignition switch and it's associated wiring. Do you have a factory service manual with the wiring info for your truck?

KK5263

No I do not have a manual for this truck. Its something I talked about getting but I have had so little problems with this truck I just never got around to it.

KK5263

What's odd about it is half the stuff works the other half not so much. If it where a house with 220v you would think that one side the fuse is blown.
Even the started relay clicks on and off and lights up a test light when you turn the key on and off. Its no get from the relay to the starter.
I don't know how bad the boards are in the fuse box but I'm leaning that way.
I'll play with it again tonight with grounds.

Busboy

Do you have power on both sides of fuse "D" in the PDC. I'm looking at a 2000 wiring dia and that fuse supplies power through the starter relay when energized to the starter solenoid. Very strange but after double checking the picture of the PDC shows fuse "D" as being a "SPARE" but ALL the wiring sheets show it really is the power fuse to engage the starter solenoid when the starter relay is engaged.

torquefan

Sure sounds like one of the power feeds to the ignition switch is gone. Either a blown maxi fuse in the underhood fuse box, or maybe one of the wires in the column, leading to the ignition switch connector, chose that day to break or pull out of the connector.

How about the power feed leading to the underhood fuse box, from the battery, could it have been disturbed?

Busboy

Fuse "D" should be hot all the time and if the starter relay is clicking with the ign key then it's either a bad starter relay or the starter solenoid.

KK5263

Well after pulling all my hair out we figured it out. After checking every thing a dozen time there was a short in the new starter that blew a 30 amp fuse. Apparently I must of tightened the 9m nut just a bit to much. To fix it I double nuted the stud and turned it back just a bit presto now its fixed. Drove the last two days to work ran and started good.
Thanks for everyone input it just showed me I was nuts.
Some times the most confusing things turn out to be the simplest