2004 Dodge Ram 1500 starting problem

On Tue, 21 Jun 2011 23:17:52 -0500, Hachiroku ???? >
wrote:

>Guy asked me if I knew anything about this.
>
>He has a 2004 Dodge Ram 1500, was starting normally, then one time he got
>in and turned the key, no warning lights or gauges, nothing happened. He
>waited a few seconds and then the gauges jumped and the truck started.
>
>It is now doing this more often than not, but no he has also noticed that
>if he gets in, puts his foot on the brake and starts it, it starts right
>up, and then shuts down when he takes his foot off the brake.
>
>The Dodge dealer said "It's probably the electrical control" for $600 plus
>2 hours labor.
>
>Any ideas?
Sounds like a bad ground or a bad battery connection to me. Instead
of stepping on the brake, what happens if he turns on the
headlights???
A low load can make the connection, allowing the heavy starter load to
connect.

Guy asked me if I knew anything about this.

He has a 2004 Dodge Ram 1500, was starting normally, then one time he got
in and turned the key, no warning lights or gauges, nothing happened. He
waited a few seconds and then the gauges jumped and the truck started.

It is now doing this more often than not, but no he has also noticed that
if he gets in, puts his foot on the brake and starts it, it starts right
up, and then shuts down when he takes his foot off the brake.

The Dodge dealer said "It's probably the electrical control" for $600 plus
2 hours labor.

Any ideas?

On Tue, 21 Jun 2011 23:28:08 -0400, clare wrote:

> On Tue, 21 Jun 2011 23:17:52 -0500, Hachiroku ???? >
> wrote:
>
>>Guy asked me if I knew anything about this.
>>
>>He has a 2004 Dodge Ram 1500, was starting normally, then one time he got
>>in and turned the key, no warning lights or gauges, nothing happened. He
>>waited a few seconds and then the gauges jumped and the truck started.
>>
>>It is now doing this more often than not, but no he has also noticed that
>>if he gets in, puts his foot on the brake and starts it, it starts right
>>up, and then shuts down when he takes his foot off the brake.
>>
>>The Dodge dealer said "It's probably the electrical control" for $600 plus
>>2 hours labor.
>>
>>Any ideas?
> Sounds like a bad ground or a bad battery connection to me. Instead
> of stepping on the brake, what happens if he turns on the
> headlights???
> A low load can make the connection, allowing the heavy starter load to
> connect.


Why didn't I think of that? Yeah.

He did mention something funky with the headlights. I had a ground problem
with a Toyota and it did weird things!

"Hachiroku ????" > wrote in message
eb.com...
> Guy asked me if I knew anything about this.
>
> He has a 2004 Dodge Ram 1500, was starting normally, then one time he got
> in and turned the key, no warning lights or gauges, nothing happened. He
> waited a few seconds and then the gauges jumped and the truck started.
>
> It is now doing this more often than not, but no he has also noticed that
> if he gets in, puts his foot on the brake and starts it, it starts right
> up, and then shuts down when he takes his foot off the brake.
>
> The Dodge dealer said "It's probably the electrical control" for $600 plus
> 2 hours labor.
>
> Any ideas?

Sounds like a problem with the ground.

First make sure the battery terminals are clean and well seated.

I'd recommend using a set jumper cables make a second run to either/both the
chassis and the engine block.

If that does not work the problem is still likely one of an intermittent
ground but it's in a place that will take some work to find.

On Tue, 21 Jun 2011 23:17:52 -0500, Hachiroku ãƒ�ãƒ�ãƒ*ク wrote:

> Guy asked me if I knew anything about this.
>
> He has a 2004 Dodge Ram 1500, was starting normally, then one time he got
> in and turned the key, no warning lights or gauges, nothing happened. He
> waited a few seconds and then the gauges jumped and the truck started.
>
> It is now doing this more often than not, but no he has also noticed that
> if he gets in, puts his foot on the brake and starts it, it starts right
> up, and then shuts down when he takes his foot off the brake.
>
> The Dodge dealer said "It's probably the electrical control" for $600 plus
> 2 hours labor.
>
> Any ideas?


Follow up. I passed the ground issue along to the guy, but he couldn't
tighten anything so he shot them all w/PB Blaster, and says the truck is
starting a bit more normally now. I asked about the ground at the starter,
but he can't get to it because of his back, and is hoping to get it on a
lift soon.

"Hachiroku ????" > wrote in message
b.com...
> On Tue, 21 Jun 2011 23:17:52 -0500, Hachiroku ???? wrote:
>
>> Guy asked me if I knew anything about this.
>>
>> He has a 2004 Dodge Ram 1500, was starting normally, then one time he got
>> in and turned the key, no warning lights or gauges, nothing happened. He
>> waited a few seconds and then the gauges jumped and the truck started.
>>
>> It is now doing this more often than not, but no he has also noticed that
>> if he gets in, puts his foot on the brake and starts it, it starts right
>> up, and then shuts down when he takes his foot off the brake.
>>
>> The Dodge dealer said "It's probably the electrical control" for $600
>> plus
>> 2 hours labor.
>>
>> Any ideas?
>
>
> Follow up. I passed the ground issue along to the guy, but he couldn't
> tighten anything so he shot them all w/PB Blaster, and says the truck is
> starting a bit more normally now. I asked about the ground at the starter,
> but he can't get to it because of his back, and is hoping to get it on a
> lift soon.

If the starter is bolted to block it's unlike a ground problem at the
starter. I would take one half of a jumper set and jump for a good place on
the block to the negative terminal of the battery.

If that's the problem you 'can' do it right and run a ground to the starter
or take the easy way out and jump from the native terminal to the block. I
did that with one of my daughter's friends dodge ram in the early 2000 and
except for replacement batteries it still ticking.

On Wed, 29 Jun 2011 01:12:49 -0500, NotMe wrote:

>
> "Hachiroku ????" > wrote in message
> b.com...
>> On Tue, 21 Jun 2011 23:17:52 -0500, Hachiroku ???? wrote:
>>
>>> Guy asked me if I knew anything about this.
>>>
>>> He has a 2004 Dodge Ram 1500, was starting normally, then one time he got
>>> in and turned the key, no warning lights or gauges, nothing happened. He
>>> waited a few seconds and then the gauges jumped and the truck started.
>>>
>>> It is now doing this more often than not, but no he has also noticed that
>>> if he gets in, puts his foot on the brake and starts it, it starts right
>>> up, and then shuts down when he takes his foot off the brake.
>>>
>>> The Dodge dealer said "It's probably the electrical control" for $600
>>> plus
>>> 2 hours labor.
>>>
>>> Any ideas?
>>
>>
>> Follow up. I passed the ground issue along to the guy, but he couldn't
>> tighten anything so he shot them all w/PB Blaster, and says the truck is
>> starting a bit more normally now. I asked about the ground at the starter,
>> but he can't get to it because of his back, and is hoping to get it on a
>> lift soon.
>
> If the starter is bolted to block it's unlike a ground problem at the
> starter. I would take one half of a jumper set and jump for a good place on
> the block to the negative terminal of the battery.
>
> If that's the problem you 'can' do it right and run a ground to the starter
> or take the easy way out and jump from the native terminal to the block. I
> did that with one of my daughter's friends dodge ram in the early 2000 and
> except for replacement batteries it still ticking.


Interesting. It certainly resolves the issue of a bad ground!