I have a 2007 DRW 3500 Ram Mega Cab with 6.7 Cummins and 6-speed automatic. I bought the truck about 3 weeks ago. It already had the DPF and EGR deleted and a H&S XRT programmer. While driving down the highway today, running about 60 mph, it died. As I pulled over to the shoulder, it started running again. I continued down the highway and about a mile down the road, it died again. This time, it did not "come back to life" on its own. I pulled over, put it in park and turned the key off. I then tried to start it again and, even though everything electrical seems to be fine, the starter will not engage and turn the engine over. I checked the battery cables and found the clamps on one of the batteries were a little loose. I cleaned them, as well as those on the other battery, and re-installed. No change. I have since checked the connections on the starter, tried jumping each battery with my '98 12-valve Cummins powered 3500 and disconnected both batteries for over 20 minutes and none of these efforts made any change. When I turn the key on, everything lights up, gauges come to life that are supposed to, etc, etc. When I turn the key to start, nothing - just a low "click" that you can barely hear that tells me the the ignition switch is making contact and attempting to send a signal. Additionally, I'm not getting any "check engine" lights or "service needed" on the overhead display. I did connect the programmer to check for codes, just in case, but it said there were no codes to read. Any suggestions as to what's going on? Another forum had a few threads pointing to the Wireless Control Module. Any experience with this? Thank you, in advance, for any help anybody out there can provide.

 

IDK about it dieing, but to diagnose the starting issue, get a test light and hook it up to the s-terminal on the starter. When you turn the key to start, your test light should light up, if it lights but does not turn over, its your starter. If it doesnt light up, then i would bet its either your TIPM or your ECU. Thats the first thing to try anyway and move on from there.

 

Mine did that a couple of weeks ago.

Turned out to be the starter.

BUT ALSO......

I have a 1999 with the factory alarm installed - it's no enabled but it's installed.

I disconnected the alarm and it did the same thing you said.

I plug the alarm back in and it worked fine.

The previous owner hit the bypass switch somewhere but I don't have the remote so I don't care.

Then other day I replaced all my positive cables (this by the way fixed my hokey transmission shifting) but didn't reconnect a power line cause I wasn't sure what it was. Truck started, started pulling out and it died. Wouldn't start again. Plug that wire back in and joyous of joys. It started.

So in short, I would check the starter and make sure the fuse for the alarm is good and that you didn't accidentally disconnect a wire.

 

Thank you for your responses! I checked voltage at the starter. With the key on, the S terminal is getting 10 volts. The main lug on the starter is getting 12 volts with the key on or off. The voltage to the S terminal stays at 10 volts when the key is rotated to the start position. I'm planning to have it towed to a mechanic I use on Monday. He only charges $65 an hour and is pretty good at diagnosing issues like this. I'll post the results once we have figured out what's going on.

Again, thanks for the help!

 

If you have power to the s-terminal and it makes a click, then your starter is toast. Between that and the loose cables, and probably a poor charge from the cables and/or old batteries i think you have found your problem.

 

And if you're able to install the starter on your own (in my case a friend did it), I found my starter new on e-bay for only $40.

So if you can wait for it I'd check e-bay before hitting the local auto parts store.

 

I may be wrong, but I don't think it's the starter. For one, would the starter going bad make it die going down the highway? Also, I'm getting 10 volts to the S-wire with the key on and no change when the key is rotated to the start position. When the key is rotated to the start position, I get nothing - no clicking, nothing.

 

Did you ever get this problem solved, as I am having the exact same problem and need this truck back in service as it is my life line for working

 

A buddy of mine had the same issues a few months ago. It turned out to be his key fob had gone bad. He bought a new key and had it programmed and hasn't had any issues since.

 

The dying could be die to the battery cables. If your connections we bad, may not have been getting good charging.