I have a 2008 Dakota 3.7L 2wd extended cab, manual trans. Have been dealing with this problem for a couple months now. Get in, turn the key, may or more often than not wont start. Hear relays clicking in fuse/relay box, and have tried swapping relays with no change. Battery load tests good, starter went bad so replaced starter, replaced ignition switch, even tried replacing start relay...no change.
You may turn key 1 to (literally) over 100 times, all the while hearing relays clicking, before it will actually crank. You can be clicking away and the engine will start cranking after you have let off start to run positions sometimes. Engine runs fine, just tiring turning key repeatedly until it decides to start.
I'm decent at mechanical work, and can fix this problem myself if only I had some idea of what could be the problem. Not sure what else to try. Any help greatly appreciated!

 

Jalex:


On a 2008, you just have to "bump" the key up against the contacts and release it, and the computer takes over until it starts. Almost everything electrical on these trucks can be traced back to a bad battery, as a first guess. There are so many draws on the electrical system in modern vehicles that by the time the fuel pump is fired up, the computers get going, etc, there might not be enough volts left in a "good" battery to turn the starter.


I would swap the battery with a known good one, and clean the posts/connectors. But I'd also chase the "bad starter" replacement. It could be that some of the connections were not cleaned and connected correctly.

 

I agree with swapping in a known-good battery and checking all power connections, both under the hood and at the starter.

 

Replaced battery, cleaned terminals real good, also cleaned ground at engine block, no change. Cleaned connections at starter when I replaced it. Still getting only a relay click every time ignition switch turned from run to start. Turn switch repeatedly until it finally cranks, which sometimes is after I've returned key switch to run position. Like a delay.
As I previously said, I had pulled all relays before, and click continued every time key switch turned. Seems to be coming from a thin silver box on back side of fuse/relay box, but not sure what it is. Is it the computer?
Any other ideas would be appreciated! Can't afford to take to dealer, but may end up with no other choice.

 

I'd also have look at the clutch safety switch. Try slamming the clutch pedal to the floor while key in start mode.

 

Have tried that many times, no effect.

 

On my 2005 it was the plug under the fuse box. Take out the 2 screws and then pull up and to the front. There is 3 plugs under there with levers. I pulled the plugs and put electrical grease and plugged back up. Make sure the levers are down tight.

 

if you have a second key that came with the truck like mine did, try using the second key, my original key that I used all the time got so worn out, that the truck would just crank and not fire, when I put my new unused key that sat in safe for 8 yrs, truck fired right up