Plz help

Tiny
MURRMAN84
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  • 2001 DODGE RAM
  • V8
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 89,000 MILES
My truck wont turn over after changing the transmission and steering column. What could it be?
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Wednesday, February 9th, 2011 AT 7:37 PM

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Tiny
CARADIODOC
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Is the neutral safety switch plugged in? Do you hear the starter relay click? If you're not sure which relays are clicking, pop the cover off the starter relay, plug it in without the cover, then squeeze the contact. If the starter cranks the engine, that proves the medium-current and high-current circuits are working. That leaves the low-current circuit with the ignition and neutral safety switches.

Caradiodoc
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Wednesday, February 9th, 2011 AT 8:21 PM
Tiny
MURRMAN84
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When I put a screwdriver and touched both bid and little wires on starter together it turns over but when I try it with the key there is nothing. I do not know where the neutral safety switch is on my truck. It worked fine 3days ago before I changed out the column and transmission.
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Thursday, February 10th, 2011 AT 1:48 AM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
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The neutral safety switch is a three-wire switch right above the pan, in the middle of the left side of the transmission. It's right behind the shifter linkage.

Caradiodoc
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Thursday, February 10th, 2011 AT 2:13 AM
Tiny
MURRMAN84
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What should I check for with the neutral safety switch? I put the switch in when I had the transmission in neutral or did I do that wrong?
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Thursday, February 10th, 2011 AT 3:01 AM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
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Nope, I just sent you there because the problem started right after you replaced the transmission.

There are three circuits, the high-current, medium-current, and low-current circuits. You already proved the high-current circuit is working by jumping the solenoid at the starter. A quick way to test both the high and medium-current circuits is to pop the cover off the starter relay, reinstall it that way, then squeeze the contact. If it cranks, that just leaves the low-current circuit which has the ignition switch on one side and the neutral safety switch on the other side.

You can test all four circuits at the starter relay with it removed. Use a test light, (or voltmeter), with the clip lead grounded to the battery negative post. Probe the four terminals in the relay socket. The fifth, middle one, isn't used. One terminal must have battery voltage all the time. One must have battery voltage when a helper turns the ignition switch to "crank".

Move the clip lead from the negative battery post to the positive one, then probe the other two remaining terminals. Both should show a good circuit to ground. Find which of those four terminals on which the light doesn't light up.

Caradiodoc
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Thursday, February 10th, 2011 AT 3:34 AM
Tiny
MURRMAN84
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When I has the lead on negative terminal only one of the terminals lit up and then when I put it to the positive terminal only one other one lit up as well.
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Thursday, February 10th, 2011 AT 4:27 PM
Tiny
MURRMAN84
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When I took the cover off the starter relay and squeezed it together the engine turned over but like I said I have 2 terminals where the light didnt work.
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Thursday, February 10th, 2011 AT 4:30 PM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
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Look for a disconnected connector because you have two different problems. Since squeezing the relay worked, you know the constant 12 volt feed is working. That's the first test with the clip lead on the negative post. And you know the circuit that reads to ground through the starter solenoid is good because the solenoid engages and it cranks. That's one of the last tests with the lead on the positive post.

That leaves the 12 volts that only shows up when the ignition switch is turned to "crank" and the ground circuit through the neutral safety switch. Ground your test light and look under the dash for the clutch switch jumper wire. It's a yellow / red wire, about 4" long, with both ends connected to a two-terminal, possibly dark green connector along the firewall just in front of the brake pedal. Probe either terminal. You should have 12 volts there when you turn the ignition switch to crank. If not, you'll have to remove the trim covers to access the ignition switch.

Caradiodoc
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Thursday, February 10th, 2011 AT 5:25 PM
Tiny
MURRMAN84
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Should I get a new neutral safety switch incase its bad?
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Thursday, February 10th, 2011 AT 5:51 PM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
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Throwing parts at a problem is the most expensive and least effective way to diagnose a problem. Let's figure out one circuit at a time first. That switch was obviously working in the truck the transmission came from so it should be working now.

Did you find the clutch switch bypass jumper wire?
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Thursday, February 10th, 2011 AT 6:09 PM
Tiny
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3 out of the 4 light up on the relay terminals. I had to have my dad turn key just now and 3 out of the 4 are lit up. Only one dont light up
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Thursday, February 10th, 2011 AT 6:33 PM
Tiny
MURRMAN84
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Its my neutral safety switch from my other tranny. It used to start the other transmission in gear but it wouldnt start it in park or neutral. It started my original transmssion normally thought in park and neutral. By it starting the other in gear I was thinking maybe it messed it up.
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Thursday, February 10th, 2011 AT 6:41 PM
Tiny
MURRMAN84
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I believe my crank sensor is bad though because when I git the starter relay button like you said I dont hear the crank sensor working if you know what I mean.
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Thursday, February 10th, 2011 AT 7:08 PM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
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? The crank sensor doesn't make any noise.
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Thursday, February 10th, 2011 AT 9:34 PM
Tiny
MURRMAN84
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It starts in gear but it wont turn over or anything in neutral or park. I just found this out. Do you think it could be my neutral safety switch?
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Thursday, February 10th, 2011 AT 11:02 PM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
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The neutral safety switch turns on when the transmission is in park or neutral. It is turned on by a rotating gear inside the transmission. The only way it can turn on at the wrong time is if that gear is lose or the linkage on the outside isn't adjusted properly. The best test is to disconnect the shifter linkage, then move the lever on the transmission to "park". If it cranks, put the shift lever on the steering column in park, then adjust the linkage until you can reconnect it without having to move the lever on the transmission.

Caradiodoc
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Thursday, February 10th, 2011 AT 11:13 PM
Tiny
MURRMAN84
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So I figured out part of the problem was the linkage. But now I have the motor turning over but my crank sensor is bad I think because I noticed one of the wires is split in two. But if I change it and it dont work then ill be giving you more details on what my truck is doing.
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Friday, February 11th, 2011 AT 12:14 AM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
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Yippee! It's cranking!

The crank sensor probably got broken during the transmission replacement. When you install the new one, there will be either a thick paper spacer stuck to the end or a thin plastic rib molded onto the end of it. They are used to set the critical air gap. If you install a used sensor with the rib, you are to cut the remaining part off then use a new paper spacer.

Caradiodoc
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Friday, February 11th, 2011 AT 2:03 AM

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