hey guys im a little new to the whole working on trucks thing since i am only 17 but i am tryin tolearn as fast as i can so give me some time if im a little slow at the start.

i have a 1985 dodge ram royal se or d150 witha 318that will not start without a jump start. problem is i just baught a new battery about 2 weeks ago and have started it maby3-5 times then it stopped. i also checked the solenoid an i dont see any corrosion or loose connections. next i checked the starter wich is also brand new doesnt even have a speck of dirt on it and the connections are also fine there even the fuel pump is fine. an after all that i checked all the connections to make sure nothings loose an i couldnt find anything and i checked the ignition the only thing there is a loose screw (but plug is still firmly in place)that connects the plug to the electronic ignition box. if youhave any suggestions please help me out thanks.

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First advice I'd give is to buy a multimeter. You'll need it countless times over the years. I spent $25-30 on eBay and got a brand new Craftsman that also has a temp probe.

Ok, now for the truck:
Disconnect the wires at the starter. Test the voltage of the battery (from terminal to terminal) and remember the number. If it is less than 12.5-12.75 volts recharge your battery before doing anything else.

Next check the battery voltage at the starter end of the battery cable. Put the ground probe against the block and the frame. It should read the same or very little lower than the battery voltage. If you get a different reading going to the block then to the frame then you have a bad ground.

Now would be a good time to check groundsanyway...should have a ground wire between the engine and frame, engine and body, and body to frame. Some might be under the cab. If they look rusty then check the ohms between the two parts you are probing. Should be zero! Sometimes if a ground is bad you'll get strange readings...you'll show voltage in the engine the first time you probe it then nothing after that.

If your grounds check out then check voltage between the small wire to the starter...put the ground probe against the frame or engine. The small wire coming from the ignition switch should have battery voltage when the key is turned to the "start" position. If there are several small wires probe them all...usually only one has battery voltage. If you aren't getting battery voltage there then your ignition switch is probably shot.

If that all checks out then something is bad in your starter. If you have a GOOD quality set of jumper cables you can jump from the battery directly to the start and see if it will spin. MAKE SURE THE TRUCK IS IN NEUTRAL!!

Another tool you might think about buying is a remote starter switch. You can make one with a remote starter button, some wire, and a pair of alligator clips. With the battery cable hooked to the starter you can run one end of the remote starter to the positive battery terminal and the other to the small terminal on the starter. This will bypass your ignition switch inside the truck. Don't use it to bypass the battery cable because the wire won't be big enough to handle the load and might burn up.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Derek

 

How about that alternator belt?
If you're not sure replace it, won't kill your budget for sure.

And if you're in the mood, I'd be for getting a socket and a wrench and making sure those two starter bolts are on right, it's all too easy one comes loose, more so if it was just recently replaced.