1999 Dodge Ram Repair Question
I have a 99 dodge ram 1500 with a 5.9l. I went out to start it, and the starter won't turn over.
Asked by williamrogersAnswer
Are you jumping the two terminals together right on the starter? What exactly do you hear when you try to crank it from the ignition switch?
Yes I am. The red one coming from the battery hot to the one coming out of the starter to another wire with a rubber cap on it. There's a small black, or dark brown wire connected with a plug as well, but I'm not sure what that one is.
OHHH! You're jumping the solenoid contacts. That's what the solenoid does internally after it engages the flywheel. You're actually bypassing the solenoid that way so it isn't going to engage; just the starter motor will spin, and your jumper wire is going to have to pass about 100 amps. If you want to jump it that way, you have to jump from the large battery terminal to that brown wire right next to it. That will activate the solenoid to make it mechanically engage the flywheel teeth, then the movable plunger will switch the high-current contacts to activate the motor. The engine will crank that way.
A much easier way is to bypass the starter relay, either by jumping terminals 30 and 87 together or by removing its cover, reinstalling it that way, and squeezing the movable contact.
Oh. Ok. Thank you for clearing that up for me. So does that mean the solenoid is bad? Because i switched it out with another one, and that didn't fix it. Do you know what else causes this problem. I just put a new stater on it today, but that apparently wasn't the problem.
What exactly is it doing? This page might help:
http://randysrepairshop.net/chrysler-1960---1980s-rwd-operation.html
The entire system can be broken down into three circuits; the low-current ignition switch circuit, the medium-current solenoid circuit, and the high-current starter circuit. If you bypass the starter relay and the starter cranks the engine, that proves the medium and high-current circuits are working and the problem is in the low-current circuit which includes the neutral safety switch.
That was my next guess. I'll try jumping the solenoid as you said to see if that works. I appreciate your help, and if I need anything else. You'll bee the one i talk to.
I jumped the relay, and it started. Thank you for helping out with your advice. If I can. I'll get a donation sent.
Thanks, but we haven't solved the problem yet. Did you do the tests on the bottom of the Nippendenso starter test page?
http://randysrepairshop.net/chrysler-1960---1980s-rwd-system-tests.html
Last section, "Quick Tests at the Relay".