I have a 2003 dodge dokota that will not start i replaced a bad terminal on the ground side and that did not work but when I touch the ground wires straight to the negitive post then it does start what could that be
This is really where testing needs to start.
On paper that makes sense, but it’s not quite so in the real world. I have seen many cases where the starter trigger wire is getting the signal, but the starter doesn’t respond to it. Often in this situation, if one were to apply 12v directly from the battery to the solenoid trigger terminal, the starter would operate. Bench testing the starter gives it an artificially strong trigger signal and disguises the fact that the starter doesn’t always work when installed in the vehicle.
This does not mean that there’s a problem in the trigger signal circuit. That circuit goes through a few components between its battery feed and the starter (in this vehicle the ignition switch and the starter relay), so at the starter there’s normally a bit less than battery voltage. With an old starter, failure to respond to this slightly reduced voltage level is a typical first sign that the starter is on its way out.
Good plan. This may or may not be your problem in this case, but if it is this is the only way to find out. You need to connect a test light* to the trigger wire with that wire still connected to the starter. If upon turning the key to start the test light goes on but the starter doesn’t operate, it’s a faulty starter. Often this is an intermittent problem. It may work for a number of times before failing again. If it does work, leave the test light hooked up so that when it does act up again, you can see whether or not the starter is getting the trigger signal.
*A voltmeter will tell you if the circuit is getting voltage, but in some cases there can be voltage but not enough power. A test light glowing brightly assures that there is a proper signal.
zombie or no (because you’ve awaken an old thread).
more description on the terminal (do you mean the clamp that goes on the battery?)
and the ground wires (do you mean the cable/wire-strap that attaches to the battery?)
if you mean the negative clamp and cable/strap:
there might be a bad connection between the new clamp and strap.
there might be a bad connection between the strap and frame and when you pull it to make contact, on the strap and not the clamp, it then makes good contact.
:smack:
May I suggest responding to his new thread over here?
The starter solenoid uses a momentary surge of power durring the pull down phase that can act up if the relay or any connections between the relay and starter are weak. Sometimes the wire size they use is marginal and with anything less than optimal conditions can cause an intermiitent failure.
Christ, I’d forgotten about this thread…
For the record, we just (like three weeks ago) got the damn thing diagnosed and fixed. A computer module, buried in the dashboard (not the BCM) was faulty. This module is what controls the anti-theft, and it was errorneously sensing a break-in and deactivating the whole damn van. Goddamn computers. $900 fix.