I have a 2000 Ram 1500 2wd 5.2.

The past few weeks I had a slow/dragging start, like the battery was going out. Then this weekend I went to start the truck and the auxiliary and dashboard lights came on, but it wouldn't turn over. No clicking except a click coming from the fuse box under the hood next to the battery. The battery is less than a year old but it doesn't appear to be the issue.

Today I changed the starter and it still wouldn't attempt to turnover and I took the old one in to be tested too, it passed.

Anyone with any good ideas for me to test and or attempt to check what truly the issue would be, would be awesome!

Happy 4th to everyone!

 

Swap the starter relay, with the horn relay. (in pdc, under the hood, behind the battery.) See if that doesn't help.

 

I did switch those around and still no dice. Sorry I didn't mention that in my original post.

 

Check to make sure all grounds are good , clean and tight

 

Turn on your headlights and try to start the truck. Do they dim slightly or go very dim? If they all but go out, it's either the battery or a shorted starter.

 

Lights didn't dim when trying to crank.

 

Need to see what kind of voltage you are getting to the solenoid. (should be a purple wire, not the fat red one from the battery.) Gonna require a second set of hands to test.

 

On a 16 year old truck, I suspect the cables providing power and ground to the starter and starter solenoid.
ROLL TIDE!

 

all wires, hot and ground look fine. actually no sign on corrosion or being loose.

 

Check Fuse 9 in the PDC. That's where the power to the solenoid comes from.
Did you test the cables? You can't always tell by looking.
Do you have 12v and a good ground at the solenoid and starter?
Can you jump-start it?