1996 5.9L 3/4ton - Won't start - only "clicks"

Batteries are fully charged, and the cables are clean and tight. When we try to start it, it just clicks - the starter does not engage or spin.

A few times recently, re-depressing the clutch firmly gets her off and running, so I'm suspicious of the clutch safety starter switch going out...

Is there any way to quickly and easily bypass the switch, to further narrow down the problem?

It is now to where the only chance of starting her is to keep trying over and over, and hope for a start.

Thanks for the advice!

G

 

is it a single click, or sort of a fluttering series of clicks. the fluttering sound is when your not getting enough voltage/amperage to the starter, and the relay just flutters back and forth.

it could be a bad battery, dirty terminals at the battery, or dirty terminals on the ends of the big cables at the starter or ground point.

turn on your headlights and dome light, and then try to start it. do the lights go dim, if so its probably a bad battery. parts store can to a load test to prove good/bad.

if nothing wrong with battery, the clutch switch is probably not expensive, just replace it

 

it sounds to me like a starter solenoid. The switch side is energizing but when it pulls the plunger the solenoid doesnt connect the curcuit to the starter moter, this could be due to corrosion on the plate or arching. Try jumping 12v directly to the switch side of the starter solonoid, if it does the same clicking sound, the solonoid is at fault, if it cranks everytime you jump it then its somwhere else, possobly the clutch safety switch

 

Good point. That would have been my second guess. You can jump the solenoid with a screwdriver just don't touch the medal on the screwdriver (duh huh?).

But I am also interested in bypassing the safety start if someone could chime in. I know it is a bad idea...but I am curious.

 

if you crawl unter there, you should see a button mounted on a bracket that gets ingaged when the pedal is pushed down all the way, if you jump the wires you should bypass it. i havent done this on a ram, but my camaro was like this.

 

Wow that is easy! Thanks for answering my question!