does any one know if an 87 dakota 2.2 has a Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC). my starter will work outside the truck when i run a ground wire directly to the negative terminal.. for some reason it will not when its inthe truck .i jut put a new srarter in the relay closes but no go. im thinkin its got a bad ground and i hear that the starter uses a ptc to make the ground. but i dont know where it is and what it looks like. you all have been very heplful and i appreciate it.i was also wondering my battery reads 12.4 volts so thats good. i realized the man i bought it from has a marine battery in it. are the cranking amps and all the same?

 

IF your starter is functional, then yiou have a wiring issue. Either you're not getting good power to the starter, or no power at the solenoid. Check for full time hot at the power cable and start postion power at the solenoid terminal.

And no, marine batteries are not the best idea for automotive applications. They are deep cycle, meaning designed to supply small amounts of power for long periods of time for electronic equipment and trolling motors. They are not intended to supply cranking power, which is why they do not havea CCA rating (typically)

 

if there was a bad ground my starter selonoid would not close right?