Alright fellas so here it is. 01 ram 1500 4x4 5.9 magnum. I’m hearing a strange metallic grinding noise coming from under the truck where the trans meets up with the engine. I crawled under to investigate as soon as I heard it. I thought maybe the starter isn’t disengaging and the sound seems like it’s coming from the same side as the starter. With the truck off and no key in the ignition I tapped around the housing with a hammer. The starter started turning the engine over and I had to jump out and put the key into the ignition, start the truck and then turn it off for it to stop. I tried to recreate what happened and it did the exact same thing. The only difference is the first time it stared was when I hit the actual starter the second time was when I hit the bell housing where the starter mounts to. What in the world is going on?


*****swapped in new starter and all is good in the world again****

 

Must be a short in the starter solenoid. I would buy a new starter, not reman.
REMY 99617 {Click Info Button for Alternate/OEM Part Numbers} Remy Gold Info
$114.79

 

You have a bad starter solenoid. Replace the whole unit. You CAN replace just the solenoid,, but you may have some excess wear on the starter with failure down the road. When you have the starter off, check the flywheel ring gear for damaged teeth.

 

Swapped in new starter this morning. Gear faces all looked good. No more ****y metallic noise. No more random start attempts.