Hello, I have a 2001 Dakota that will not start, it just clicks. We have checked battery, starter, fuses, there are no codes, checked wiring to make sure everything is getting power. We are out of ideas.

 

if you haven't fixed it yet. try putting a new battery in. old one might have lost it cold crank amps.

 

A rapid clicking is battery or current flow related. Single click is usually starter. Tap on the starter with a hammer or lug tool while holding the key in the full crank position.

 

yep. In the camaro, more than a few times I had to reach through the right front fender with a 12" crescent wrench.

 

I'd still lean towards battery considering the limited amount of information provided. OP makes no mention of how the battery was "checked". Sticking a volt meter on it tells you nothing. Load testing is recommended. I've had plenty of batteries that read 12 volts that dont have enough juice to turn the engine over. Just saying, keep it simple.

 

yesterday, I was showing 11.7 volts on my digital display, but it wouldn't fire the MSD ignition and the PCM/fuel injectors at the same time. I shut the MSD off, spun the motor over with the throttle wide open so the fuel injectors would fire, then turned the MSD back on. Had just enough fuel puddled on the valves/pistons that it was able to fire off, granted it didn't run long. Took 3 tries at that with a very slow spinning starter before i could get it to run off the alternator.

 

My 99 5.2L Dakota just started doing the same thing this morning. It was about 20 degrees outside this morning, and the battery is a NAPA that's barely a year old.


Turn the key 'on' and all you get is a couple of clicks under the dash / behind the glove box and the dash lights come on. Wait until all the noises and warning lights go through their normal start up routine.


Everything seems to work until you try to start the engine, then nothing. No clicks from the starter, no turning over - nothing.


The one odd thing is that the old car alarm sometimes goes off when I try to start the engine, just like it does when the battery is re-connected after it's been disconnected to work on the truck.


My cheapo, been working for a few years battery charger has been plugged into it for hours now (it started at about 50% charged), and no change to the symptoms.


If charging it doesn't fix it, I'm going to see if I can get the battery pulled and tested over at the auto parts store tonight/tomorrow, but it's new years eve and odds are that's going to be tough to do...

 

Just like everything else, you can get bad batteries. Get it tested and report back. Welcome to the forum and happy new year to you.

 

Thanks jkeaton.


Took the battery to the auto parts store, watched them test it and it's not only good, it's still at 100% of it's capacity.


So, now I get to start chasing electrical. Because it was easy and quick, I swapped around fuses and relays involved in ignition and the starter in the electrical box under the hood. (nearly all the relays and some of the fuses are identically sized, so there's no issue with trying that). Unfortunately, no change in symptoms.


When it gets light outside, I'll crawl under and check the wire running to the starter to make sure it's still attached and not damaged. Then I'll work my way back towards the battery.


Not how I wanted to spend my new years day...

 

Check your grounds. There's a handful of them that can rust out from road salt, not to mention the starter itself. Also, if you have a solenoid jumper, see if it will spin the starter that way (I wouldn't suggest using a screwdriver). It clamps on with aligator clips, and lets you activate the solenoid trigger using the battery feed. I wouldn't suggest using a screwdriver to jump solenoid posts.