Dr.Dizzle

Get them at the dealer because they will have the thinner gauge grounds linked or branched into them. They are not outrageous in price. If I recall correctly, the negative cables were about 75 to 81 a piece. Very easy install.

Shorts

Update:

Conducted the voltage drop test (Section 8F-20 in the manual) on all 4 posts and clamps & showed no voltage = 0.00. Conclusion: All battery-to-cable connections are good.

Next hooked up the Dside + post with the + lead and the - lead to the starter stud (as best as I could jam the probe in there under the rubber boot), then turned the key expecting a reading. The dang truck cranked! I released the key before it turned over, essentially performed a bump. Pulled the voltmeter leads. Tried the key again and the truck enthusiastically cranked over like nothing was wrong, albeit with a peppy rhythm likely due to the new batteries.

If you noticed the hook up, I said "post". I screwed it up (it was suppose to be on the clamp) and didn't realize it so I retrieved no information on the condition of the Dside + cable to the starter. But I wanted to tell someone in case it is a clue to why the truck didn't start with new batteries until I touched the +post to the starter stud through the voltmeter.

I'm going to actually try to get resistance numbers on the cables. It's kind of tough with one person and one hand and no alligator clips That's right folks. Gather round and watch Shorts' truck maintenance circus

ETA: I'm not certain what to do now though since the truck starts. But obviously it wouldn't start so there was a problem somewhere. So, I have to find the reason eh? So, how do I keep from the truck turning on when I turn the key but still do the tests? The manual here says disconnect the fuel shut down solenoid

jhenson

Chances are....either your cables or the ends are the issue......I'm kinda in that boat myself right now. Money ahead to just measure your cable lengths and go to a welding supply store and get the HEAVY gauge ground cables and then find your ends to put on them........wayyyy cheaper then buying factory cables!!! Now......maybe I should heed my own advice and do the same!!!!!

Shorts

Update #2:

I resistance tested the cables using the Ohm/Resistance setting on my multimeter (I verified with Diode sound to confirm connection). I wasn't exactly certain which resistance range so I did them all (I just have my Japanese multimeter so I can't really read the instruction manual ). I also did not put a load on by turning the key. It was just straight probe and power from the multimeter. I got zeros for the entire range except for the upper and lower extreme settings of "200M" @ 1.0 and (Ohm)200 @ 00.2. Everything else in between was zero.

Fired the truck up for a spin. It cranks really quick now.

Still need to find the cause of why it didn't start though. Possible the starter plunger stuck?

Dr.Dizzle

Possible that it's the starter or a bad cable/wire connection.

Shorts

Anyone know where the starter relay is? I looked in the PDC box and around the engine compartment but it wasn't obvious. I figure it and the starter motor are where I should look next.

Dr.Dizzle

The location of the relay is next to the drivers side battery tray, bolted to the fender. Just one relay on a bracket.

Shorts

Slap me around and call me Susan. I think I got it. Searching around here for "starter relay" I ran across other no start threads. Turns out the yellow starter wire gets chaffed and shorts out on a bracket right above the starter. So I ran out and looked at mine, sure enough, chaffed. Perhaps it wasn't enough to blow the little 2amp fuse in the power box, but enough to interfere with start up.

Dr D. your words about the "bad wire/connection" finally clicked when I saw those threads. The truck started after I fiddled with the starter wire boot under there. I feel confident that moved the wires around enough that the yellow no longer shorted on the bracket.

Anyway, just got in from wrapping it up with electrical tape and putting new loom. Even zip tied them to keep them stable.

I feel pretty good I might have got the culprit of the no start. If not, you'll hear me griping about it soon

Shorts

Oh yeah, guess yall know which wire to tap for a secret kill switch now, eh?

Dr.Dizzle

You found it! I figured since it clicked and then started later on, it was related to a wire issue. The starter issue is not very common on third gens. Dodge had a hard time keeping cables in stock last year. They were on national back order for a while. I really did not want to recommend pulling the starter for a bench test until all other options were exhausted. Well done Shorts! Those batteries are nice, aren't they? Heavy buggers. Just think no more off gassing and cable corrosion problems and a great warranty as well.

Shorts

Yeah, I'm feeling pretty good about it. Fingers crossed!

And the new batteries are nice. And heavy! It's nice they have a handle on top. The old ones didn't, talk about tricky While I had the old batteries out I took some extra time to pull my Pside battery tray. A long while back I broke one of the air box support tabs when I was doing my home depot airbox mod. I bought a replacement tray and it had been sitting on my shelf since. I told myself I'd install when I replaced the batteries, so the day came.