My 99 Durango (5.2, 130k miles, shift on the fly 4wd) will not crank over at first in the mornings. After repeated attempts it will fire up and will start normally for the rest of the day. This problem started about 4 weeks ago and has gotten worse over time. The battery is new, grounds and connections all look good. When the key is first turned the power comes on ok but the engine will not crank, only hear a tap from the starter (although not every time). When I try quite a few times it will start. Would a faulty starter work ok all day after a rough start in the morning? Could it be the ignition switch even though the power comes right on? Also tapping the starter when this occurs does not help, only repeated turning of the key. Thanks for any help you can give!

 

So your getting a 'click" sound but no turn over.


I would replace the starter. Also you can swap out the relay from the PDC under the hood with one of the same number to rule out a bad relay.


Look in here 2 down under starter: https://dodgeforum.com/forum/1st-gen...wers-faqs.html

 

i agree with hydra, i would replace the starter (the solenoid is probably the problem here, but it is one unit on these trucks)

 

Problem was the starter. It got harder to start in the mornings as it became colder, always started right up after its initial start though. I was able to remove the starter without removing the skid plate which made it much quicker to do. It was hard to fit but if you bring the front through the wheel well first then turn the rear of the starter all the way to the right, you can manipulate it enough to get out.

 

Thanks for the update and glad you found a way to get it w/o any undue work.