My 2001 Dodge Caravan 2.4 will not start. When the key is turned to start, nothing happens, no clicks, nothing. When the key is returned to "off" or removed completely, accessories (radio, blower etc.) remain on. Only way to stop them is to disconnect the battery. Battery is good, alt is good, starter is good. I replaced the ignition switch, (the actual switch housed the left side of the steering column) and no change. Please help! Any thoughts/ ideas appreciated!

 

Welcome to DF
Did you check the fuse for the ASD relay. The fues is also for the starter too.

 

I've been doing some online research while at work, and I was leaning that way. Can you give me more guidance about it? Is this related to a corrosion issue under the battery/battery pan that I've read about?

Anything is helpful, thanks for the reply!

 

When did this problem start?

 

A few days ago without much warning. The van picked up a rough idle at stop lights a few weeks ago, and I was in the process of narrowing that down, when the no start/ignition issue started. I believe the two to be unrelated, as time wise there was no specific correlation between the two.

 

Check under the battery for wire connectors and for battery acid.Unplug the connectors and inspect them for acid. If none found, use dielectric grease and put them back together. Then ck the fuses in the PDC/IPM, if you have a blown fuse for the ASD relay the van will act the same way. No start or crank.

 

All the above and look at the fuse box (IPM) connections and internal circuit board. They are known for corrosion problems creating a laundry list of problems. Try a shake test with power on then disconnect the battery and inspect for corrosion.

 

I inspected all above areas, and the icm was surprisingly clean, but there was some strange isolated corrosion on the positive battery cable, and two associative wires (one orange, one black). Upon scrubbing this off, the car will start with a jump, but will die when the negative battery cable is removed, or if you leave the car to run for about a minute it will die on it's own... Thoughts!?

Again anything helps!

 

As an addendum, the alternator is new, within a week. I know typically removing the negative cable while car is running, and having the vehicle die can suggest an alternator problem...

 

With cars and vans of today, don't take the neg cable off while running. it could cause the PCM to fail, because the PCM is also the voltage regulator for the charging system. If you go into full field, you could cause a spike and blow the circuits. Also when a battery has gone dead or a jump start, the PCM needs to relearn the base idle or it will die out. Do you know if the charging system is charging?