This is a favorite mod of mine that I have done on a couple of trucks now. To me it seemed cool having a rumble button just like the big rigs in our Cummins equipped trucks. So I ordered the SRT Ram push button starter switch from the dealer and learned the schematics to hook it up. The '05 and previous trucks just get a wire and a ground and it works. The '06 and up trucks is just slightly different in that it uses a set resistance in the same wire. So all you will need is the switch, the bezel, a few connectors, some wire, a 180 ohm resistor and an hour or so of your time. Alright here's how:

1. Megacab owners and console truck owners may have to remove the lower console and dash framing pieces to remove the two dasterdly screws that point upwards in the bottom of the radio-a/c control bezel. This truck had them whereas my previous '07 did not. You can find out easy by pulling the top of the bezel and gently prying towards the bottom. It will pop off easy or it will not. If not don't force it. You will have to pull up the console. It's just some extra screws, nothing complicated. Just time consuming. I actually did mine over two nights to make it a little easier. Again the console coming out is just to remove two little annoying screws that the factory could have left out. Remember to leave these out when you're done. BIG HINT THERE!!!



2.Take the radio-a/c bezel off the dash. Disconnect all the electrical connectors and remove the left side useless pocket and keep the three screws. Throw away the little useless pocket. Or keep it either way. Go ahead and screw on the new bezel. If you have the four wheel drive selector switch, you will have to lengthen the wires and move it to the right hand side. PM Blake Clark for info on this as I'm a two wheel drive and didn't have to deal with it.





3.Take off the clamshells around the upper steering column. Take off the tilt pull **** then the three torx-head screws that hold the halves together and put them aside. On the left hand side is the ignition switch. It has a black plug with four wires in it. Unplug it and find the purple wire with the brown trace. Put a splice connector on this wire.

 

4. Now make your wires. I found some small female spade connectors that fit into the starter switch real nice. Have the 180 ohm resistor soldered in line to about a two foot length of wire. Now put a male spade on the other and fish it through the opening in the dash over to the splice connector on the purple wire. Go ahead and connect it. Now notice the two phillips screws directly in the dash. Take one out and use it as the ground. Make the other wire about a foot long with a small eyelet on one end and the other small female spade at the other. I recommend wrapping the switch ends in black tape as it is real tight inside that switch and if these two wires touch, it will engage the starter. The pins you will use are #1 and #2. They are numbered right to left instead of left to right. Turn your key on and give the button a push. It should engage the starter immediately. This style does require you to hold the button until it fully starts. It is not a tip start like the Hemi trucks are.





5. If everything is good then screw the switch into the bezel using the two screws you took out in step one. Plug everything back into the radio bezel and snap it back in place. Put the clamshells back on and you should be good to go.



P.S. DON'T CUT THE PURPLE WIRE!!!!!!!!!! (right blake? )

 

Great write up Chris!


And uhh... yeah.


Dont cut that purple wire.

 

I didn't notice it on the last truck, but the keys seem hard to turn and feel a little flimsy. I haven't heard of anyone breaking one, but I could see it happen. This will help.

 

AWESOME!!! Thanks.

 

Will the start button for the challenger work?

 

Never looked. Went with this one because it was factory engineered for the cab of our truck. IIRC the Challenger is a start and stop button. The SRT Ram switch is a simple design. Don't know about the Challenger.

 

Would this switch be "kid" friendly? I mean it needs ignition power to make it engage the starter? My boys would love a big red switch like that to play with.

 

If anyone is going to throw out their useless pocket, let me know, because I need one. I'll pay ya for it. Thanks!

 

i havnt done this mod yet but I'm pretty sure it would work just like your key ignition. If your kiddos were to push it while truck is running it wouldn't do anything. A bonus would be that you could hold it when you hit your speed limiter and it would override the speed limiter.

 

Correct. The key has to be in the run position in order for it to work. The button is just taking the place of the last little turn the ignition switch makes to engage the starter. Really just a neat factor add-on.

 

Not sure where mine landed....

 

Really?


Not sure if I would want to try that.

 

Im glade to see this post. I cant wait to throw this push botton on the truck... I love buttons, itd be better if it lit up at night.

 

Yeah havent figured out which poles are for illumination yet. Chris may know. The wiring diagram on bodybuilder doesnt show.