1996 Dodge Ram No Crank
Try the anti theft device if it has one. Some ATD system kills the starter circuit when activated.
1996 Dodge Ram with 0 miles
v8 318 = 5.2Liters Automatic 2 Wheel Drive
1996 Dodge Ram Relay check
starter not working. replaced starter worked for a few minutes . not working. pulled relay inserted jumper wire into where prong # 30 and #87 outer go starter engaged. could relay be bad how to check relay
Asked by Stingray-02
Replies
Replied on December 11, 2010
Have you checked for continunity?
Answered by Jacobandnickolas (expert)
31,021 answers provided
Replied on December 11, 2010
Swap it with a different one. Failure is very rare. Based on your tests and observations, I'd suspect the neutral safety switch.
When you can catch it not cranking, grab a test light, ground it to the engine or battery negative, then test the four terminals in the starter relay socket. (Middle terminal is not used). One will have battery voltage all the time. One will have 12 volts when you turn the ignition switch to "crank".
Next, clip the test light lead to the battery positive post and probe the two remaining terminals in the socket. The test light will light up all the time in one of them because it is finding low resistance to ground through the starter solenoid coils. The other one will read to ground through the neutral safety switch when the transmission is in park or neutral. If you find ground in only one terminal, suspect the neutral safety switch. The starter solenoid windings hardly ever go open circuit and you already found it working when you jumped the relay terminals.
caradiodoc
Answered by caradiodoc (expert)
Suggested Repair
Check the anti-theft system if equipped, since it can disable the starter circuit. Also test the under-hood starter relay and the neutral safety/backup light switch. On a similar 1996 Ram, jumping relay terminals 30 and 87 engaged the starter, and replacing the three-pin neutral start switch on the driver's side of the transmission fixed the no-crank condition.
Conversation Summary
The owner of a 1996 Dodge Ram V8 4x4 said it would not crank or click after a new starter and battery were installed, although it had power. An expert suggested checking the anti-theft system because it can interrupt the starter circuit. Another owner with the same symptom reported that the fuel pump primed and that jumping starter-relay terminals 30 and 87 engaged the starter. Experts advised checking relay continuity, swapping the relay, and testing the neutral safety switch. That owner later reported that replacing the three-pin neutral start safety switch on the driver's side of the transmission, just above the pan, solved the problem.
