I am restoring a 1996 Dodge Ram 1500 and I have never had issues with it properly cranking and firing. For the last week when I go to start it, it will crank very slowly (6-7 seconds). It does not matter if it is cold or warm. Any suggestions on where to start diagnosing the issue?

Thanks!

 

The first thing I'd check is the charge in the battery and the cleanliness of the cables. If you have a weak cell in your battery, instead of 12.4 to 12.7 volts at rest, you might have 11.8 or less. This will still crank the engine, but not as fast as normal. You could also have a corroded battery cable which would add resistance.

Get yourself a digital volt/ohm meter. They are handy to have anyway. Check your battery when it's been sitting for a bit. Right after you shut it off, it may show more but lose charge quick. It could be other things, but I'd check the battery first. Especially if it's fairly old. If you get 5 years out of a battery, you're doing good. I've seen longer, but I've seen less too.

 

I'd start by testing your battery then inspecting battery cables.

 

And, if the battery and cables are in good shape, remove the starter and have it tested.

 

I’m about to replace the factory cables on my 97. I just got underneath today and had a quick look at the starter-end of the positive cable. How is it connected to the starter? Looks like a “block” that is somehow attached to the starter with another small wire on the “block” as well. Any special tools or tricks needed to remove the factory cable from the factory starter, and to replace that cable?

 

Nothing fancy to remove the two cable connections from the starter. Just make sure that you disconnect the wires from the battery before starting the process.