starter wont turn over

Hi, did you use a testlite and check voltage circuits at the relay. There are two voltage circuits, one for the load side of relay, according to my info, terminal 30, hot all the time. The other voltage circuit is for the coil side of relay, terminal 86, according to the wiring info, goes hot with the key in the start position. The smaller brown wire at the starter should be hot when trying to start?

This guide will help us fix it

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/starter-not-working-repair


Please run down this guide and report back.

thanks for the feedback, will go and get test light and check, too hard with a meter,this is sooo frustrating,

checked relays r ok. odometer and dash light are out as well as computer wont like with code reader. could the computer be dead?. really wierd

Something is not adding up? If you have good voltage and ground at the starter and no starter action, it's either the starter or a mechanical issue with the engine, making it hard to turn over. Watch the lites when you try to crank, if the lites stay bright and no reaction, there is no load on the starter. I've already told you what voltage circuits to check, if everything checks out, don't know?

tell me about it. have never joined a site like this before cause have always been able to fix a problem but this has got me stumped ,the lights dim when trying to start,never thought of something seized, cause i drove the truck where it sits. will take belt off and see if i can turn over engine ,or if accesory drive is seized,(alternator, or water pump or ac). never thought of that, will let u know, thanks. still cant fiqure out why dash is out and odometer is dead. this truck has been really good. only other thing done to it is ball joints, dont want to give up on it

I don't think an accessory drive would keep the crank from turning? With belts off, it might make the crank easier for you to turn. Fluid in the cylinders could cause hydrostatic lock, pull the plugs.

I've seen parts that were tested good at the store, but, wouldn't work on the vehicle. The store uses their own voltage hook-ups. You use the circuits on the truck. Can you tell if the starter drive gear is hooking up with flywheel? On some makes and models, there may be a dust cover that you can remove, for the flywheel, if you can see the starter gear, see if it is acting correctly? Hey, right now, I'm stumped also?

At some point, I'd have to try an other starter. Ask the person at the parts house if you can bring the starter back if it doesn't fix the problem? If you had the starter tested at a store, that store may not agree to a return, try a different store. Some stores will let you return an electrical part, some won't, it don't hurt to ask.

The truck barely wants to turn over, even with a new battery. It runs fine once it starts. It just hesitates when you turn the key. Like a dead battery. After a second it barely turns, but it will start. Starter problem?

Sounds like the starter solenoid is sticking...it happens, older back yard mechanics use to carry a hammer to tape the sides of the starter when it happened...bottom line...time for a new starter, but before you do that, make sure your getting adequate voltage down at the starter.... Could be bad cables too.

I have a 99 3.9L Dakota. The truck worked well for me last weekend and now I can't get it to start. The battery had some corrosion on the positive terminal and was old so I replaced it with a new one. I knocked some of the corrosion of the terminal and place the battery in the truck. Initially it would not even start. Now I got it to turn over and fire but it will stall after that. I can keep the truck running if I stay on the accelerator but as soon as I let off it will stall. Any ideas?

REAL common problem. Just go out and drive it; it will be fine.

When you disconnected the battery, the engine computer lost its mind. It needs to relearn minimum throttle so it knows when to be in control of idle speed and when to leave it up to you. It will put the value from the throttle position sensor in memory when it knows your foot is off the gas pedal. It figures out when that is occurring when you're coasting. The conditions you must meet are to coast down from highway speed for at least seven seconds without touching the brake or gas pedals.

caradiodoc

1998 Dodge Dakota sport v6, 71000 miles. When I turnt the key to start the truck, I just get a loud CLICK. I changed the starter once and it worked fine for two days and the same problem occured.. just one loud CLICK when i turn the key. I replaced the starter again and it worked once then went out again. I have checked my battery, cleaned the terminals, checked the starter relay. I am stumped. Please help!

Check the wiring from the battery to the starter and engine block.

Mine used to do that and it was from a bad battery cable clamp. It would carry the small current for lights/radio and stuff but the surge from trying to start it would cause it to just click (sounds like someone snapping a pencil) and not start (lights would go out too, does everything stay on when this happens?).

That was the problem. I replaced the battery cables and everything worked fine. Thank you for your help.

My Dodge Dakota check engine light came on about a week ago had checked told emission no problem to drive. I now can crank and run the truck fine sometime others goes dead and will not crank until sits for awhile then will crank. when it wont crank engines turns over but will not fire smells like fllooded. sometime running down road will run ruff backfire and sometime stop when sits for awhile starts and runs?

Hi, how long since a tune-up? Use gage and check fuel pressure. With an extended crank, have a helper crank it, while you visually check for spark at the plugs. Let us know.

I will thanks

please help truck sometimes cut off sometimes want turn over.sometime skip

Check it for tune up
check ASD Relay
check crank sensor


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truck has a new battery .starter and altonator has been check but will not start.

Hi
Maybe faulty ignition switch, starter relay in Power Dist. Center or neutral safety switch. Do you have a volt meter or test light and wiring diagram for truck?
Let me know
Thanks for donate

where is power dist. located .when you try to start it the lights go off.i dont have a test light.

Underhood in engine compartment. You mean dash lights go out or dim?

I have just got my timing chain replaced. But it will still not turn over. It sounds like it out of gas. Is thier maybe something else wrong with it or is it not lined up right ? And how do I line it up right ? Battery is charged and I think I here the fuel pump kick in, I can smell gas in the fuel injection. 1997 Dodge Dakota

You have conflicting symptoms. If it won't even crank, how can it sound like it's out of gas? You should hear the fuel pump run for one second when you turn on the ignition switch.

It was running fine and all I did was replace the plugs and wires, and now when i try to turn it over it clicks and the power from the battery gets cut off. I can disconnect the battery and reconnect it and the electrical power comes back on,but if i try to turn it over again, it will just click and cut off the power again. Its like some safety mechanism is kicking in when i try to turn it over. Im 99% sure the wires are all in the right positions. Please help! I dont understand why it is doing this!

Get the battery load tested and make sure its clean and properly tightened-changing plugs and wires won't do that unless you touch something you shouldn't have-backtrack your work

Do you have a security system if so have that checked too.

We recently purchaced a totaled 98 dokota with v6 and auto transmission. After swapping motors, trannys, and all wiring, into a 97 dodge dakota, that was a standard with a 4 cylinder, the truck will not even turn over. It makes a clicking sound from either a relay or solonide. We did here the new motor run before we made the swap. Any suggestions?

it may be wired the same but where it connects to the piece going in the truck may be different.but going from a 4 to a 6 you neeed to also change the computer as there may be a big differnece there, especially to make it run.

Pick your symptoms below check it and get back with some testing results

**Cranks but no start condition:

Get a helper disconnect a sparkplug wire or 2 and ground it to the engine at least 3/16 away from ground -have helper crank engine over-do you have a snapping blue spark? If so-you have a fuel related problem,Do you hear the fuel pump come On when you turn key on? If not check fuel pump fuse and fuel pump relay if so, check the fuel pressure to rule out the fuel filter/fuel pump/pressure regulator and listen to the injector/s are they pulsing or hook up a noid light. No snapping blue spark continue to troubleshoot the ignition system-power input to the coil/coil packs,coil's resistances,distributor pick-up coil, ignition control module, cam and crank sensors and computer Note: If it doesn't apply disregard it.

**No crank at all/nothing/nada when key is engage to starting position

Could be a blown fusible link, the starter, starter relay, clutch switch/park and neutral switch/transmission position switch and ignition switch assuming the battery condition and connections are good. Note:If it doesn't apply disregard.

I have a 1997 Dodge Dakota V8 I purchased about a month ago. Everything was fine for the first three weeks, then midday, after driving to work, it wouldn't start. When I first got in the vehicle I had power, but as soon as I turned the key all power died. I tried jump starting, checked the fuses, made sure the battery was good, verified the alternator was good and checked the starter. I discovered during my troubleshooting that the truck has an alarm system. Thinking I might have somehow tripped the kill mechanism I began troubleshooting the alarm. I have tried locking and unlocking the door, holding the override switch while turning the key on and off, even disconnected the alarm under the steering wheel. Nothing has worked. If I disconnect the battery for several minutes then reconnect, I have power in the cab again until I turn the key. Any suggestions?

Are the battery cables in good shape? Have you made sure the terminals are clean and tight and the ground at the block is good?

Engine Mechanical problem
1997 Dodge Dakota 6 cyl Four Wheel Drive Automatic

My 97 Dakota has power to all the lights but when you turn the key nothing happens. There is no clicking, it just does nothing.

I'd have to be sure the battery has a full charge and all connections that lead to and from the battery are ok. Next, I'd check the circuits at the starter relay. Terminal 30 has voltage/hot, all the time. Terminal 86 goes hot with the key in the start position. Terminal 85 is ground for the coil side of relay, grounds through the neutral switch. Without voltage and ground the relay won't energize.

It just turns over but does'nt get and fire.. He replaces a sensor..I guess the one by the crank shaft sensir or something to do with that.. Spent 80.00 and it was not that...
Thanks for any help
not sure about miles thats a guess

check ASD relay in the relay box (mark it and switch it with a similar one )

check ignition coil very common too

the battery is new. got fire going to starter and threw the relay switch. the starter is good. got plenty fuel pressure. the motor will not turn over. it seems like it is still n gear but its not. and the windows want roll up and down but everything else works fine

Does the starter make a loud clunk? Do you hear the starter relay click?

yea starterrelay
makes a click

That implies the neutral safety switch and ignition switch are working. If there's no loud clunk from the starter motor, the logical suspect would be the relay but they aren't a real high-failure item. Switch it with a different one like it in the under-hood fuse box.

Put your finger on that relay while a helper turns the ignition switch to be sure it's really clicking. There are other relays that will also be clicking so sounds can be misleading.

You can reach over the left front tire to get to the two wires on the starter. If you carefully short them both together with a screwdriver, the starter should crank the engine. If it does, that will verify the battery and cable connections are okay. If that works, remove the relay and jumper terminals 30 and 87 with a piece of wire or stretched out paper clip. That should also make it crank the engine.

i got a 1996 dodge dakota that quit running down the road in the middle of a rain storm and has not started since. what can it be? It will crank over good but no start.