Hey dodge folks, haven't posted in a while. Since my last post, I had to have the trans rebuilt again. Fun stuff. Anyhow, on to the latest issue. 98 ram, 360, 170k miles. Occassionally, when I first crank the truck, I will here a buzzing/grinding noise that has been going away in like 30 seconds. . Lately its been doing it more frequently. The last two days, it did not start on first attempt. Turned the key and it turned over once, then nothing. Turn the key again, and it starts as normal. I sat out in the yard and cranked it about ten times just now. Sounds like the noise is coming from the starter (it only did the noise 1 out of 10 times). Also, when you crank it now, it acts as it has when I reset the computer in the past. Cranks up, rpm's go way down until you think the motor will die, then it recovers and idles as normal. Do you think the starter is sticking and the grinding is the flywheel? Do I need a new starter?

 

Multiple possibilities all with one answer. Fortunately it's cheap and easy.

Starter sticking, starter dying, solenoid dying = Get new starter!

 

Pull the starter and hook up the negative on the negative of your battery and tap the positive and see if the starters doing its job. Engaging, spinning, and disengaging properly...Or just replace it. Thats low hanging fruit. Kinda like suspension work =P
And please don't hurt yourself because of my advice.

 

I work at a scrap yard, I pulled a remanufactured starter off a 94 ram with the same size motor several years ago. Still have it in the attic. Anyone know off hand if it'll work on my 98? I'm assuming it probably will. If no one knows for sure I will see if the part #'s are the same at o'reilly's or somewhere tomorrow after work. Thanks for the help and if you guys need small oddball parts for your trucks occasionally let me know. I'm always pulling sensors and such in case I need them later. My attic looks like a scrap pile.