UPDATE - I jumped the starter relay and got the same click - no turn over. I tried to jump it with my other vehicle - same click. I tested the battery with a multimeter and it was still strong over 12.5. It was new last winter. I tested the ground by hooking the negative battery cable to the frame with a jumper cable. I cleaned and tightened both battery cables. I checked the hot wire at the starter and got 12.5 down there as well. I took a 24inch breaker bar and whacked at the starter a few times and still just got the click.
Unfortunately the way Dodge designed this engine the starter is almost impossible to reach without taking half the engine bay apart. I found a couple replys to some other videos suggesting the starter can be changed by only removing the front motor mount. I started to do that and it started to rain and I was outside on the street so I put it all back together. I was able to get a better angle tapping on starter with front mount partially out of way but still could not jump the starter with a screwdriver or get at the lead that brings power when the key is turned. Anyways I put it all back together and tried starting it one more time and the starter made a brief high pitched whining noise and then started right up.
Drove straight to mechanic who could find nothing wrong. It's been a few days now and its started perfectly every time. My guess is that it's the beginning of the end for that starter and I'm going to get stranded somewhere else sometime soon if it's not changed.
UPDATE 2:
got stranded today. Just a click again. Tried to jump it from another vehicle. Got the same thing again, just a click (starter engaging but not spinning). Tried tapping on the starter, nothing. Called for a tow and the tow truck driver tried to start it one more time and said battery sounded low. Of course it was by then with me having been trying to start the car unsuccessfully for 2 hrs. Anyways he got out a 1500 cca jumpstart battery pack and hooked it up and it started right up. So now I'm lost. Did he just happen to get lucky on that start like I did last week, or is there really an issue with my battery even though it was showing 12.5 volts last week? Or is there a bad ground at the starter that the higher CCA battery pack was able to overcome? I was trying to test that when I gave up the first time because I couldn't get at the thing. I have seen somewhere on RU-vid, Eric the car guy I think, where he tests a battery for cca and it comes up short while still showing 12 volts. So I find it hard to believe it could be that but who knows. I called Oreilly auto where I bought the battery and they said it's under warranty still for another month but to give me a new battery on my warranty they have to test mine to determine it has failed. I didn't clarify with them exactly how they test it.
RESOLVED:
it was the battery all along... not enough CCA cold cranking amps - I couldn't believe it would be the battery as it was relatively new and still showing 12.5 amps when I would test it... but have not had a single problem since replacing the battery... thank God for the warranty.
21 авг 2024