It's just starting to get cold here in Michigan... and as soon as we got our first near freezing day here my starter hasn't been working. I can get it to work eventually by hitting it with a hammer and turning it repeatedly.
I've tested the battery and it's working fine (12.4 volts)

Once I do get the car running and drive around the car will start fine after that (when I turn it off and then back on) Is this starter bad? Just not working intermittently? The truck is a 92 dakota with 122,000 miles

I want to replace the starter, but i dont want to do that if it's really more of an electrical or this or that problem. It seems like it's the starter though since hitting it makes it work.

 

Yes it sounds like a bad starter.

 

mk. replaced the starter but its still happening. will start eventually through hitting it and/or sheer luck.

Bad ground? any other suggestions?

 

also: I just figured out that my shifter can shift into any gear it wants to whenever you want to. No pressing of break required. What would cause that and how could it factor into the starter?

 

put it in neutral and see if it starts. could be the solenoid went bad but thats usually on the starter itself. also check the connections at the battery and the asd. i've never had to hit the brake to shift out of park in my truck(even when i had an automatic in it).

 

**** on it

 

The no/intermittent start could be caused by a faulty/intermittent park/neutral safety switch (located on the transmission).
As was stated, you can try starting with the transmission in neutral, and see if that helps. If that works all the time, but starting in Park is still an issue, there could be an issue with the shift linkage being out of rig.

These trucks do not have a Brake/Shift lock, so you don't have to have your foot on the brake to shift from park.

 

I just replaced the nuetral/safety switch so it's not that. But update: It ended up being in the ignition as a result of me not putting it back together properly. So now that I've put it back together... electricity gets to the starter every time but it doesn't turn automatically.

It at least click's everytime but usually doesn't start until the 3rd time. Once the truck is warm it will start right back up again without clicking. But what does this click mean? Weary solenoid connection? Bad ground? I just installed a new starter so it shouldn't be that in theory.

 

If a click comes from the starter, but it doesn't actually turn the motor, it pretty much means either (1) VERY weak battery, or (2) bad solenoid.

For #1, i say VERY weak because even a weak battery will crank the engine a little. Since you can eventually get the truck running without a jump, I can't see how it would be the battery.

So, that leaves #2. Bad parts happen. Before you return it, make sure the mating surfaces between the starter and the engine is clean (bare metal); that the connections for the starter are clean and tight, and same at the battery.
If that doesn't help, I'd say return it.

 

Dodgerules is right on there.

And last time I bought a starter from NAPA, it was bad out of the box, it wouldn't disengage itself once the engine turned over. So it is very possible to have a bad one.