2005 Dodge Caravan SE (4 cyl)

This started a few weeks ago when my wife called and told me the battery light came on while on her way to work. Later in the day I went out to the carport and, what to my wondering eyes did appear, the outer ring off the harmonic balancer where the van had been parked.

I drove out to her work place and found the other half of the harmonic balancer still attached to the crank shaft. I replaced the harmonic balancer the next day.

Then, there was just a click from the starter. I replaced the starter, still a no go. Occasionally it will start but mostly I get grinding against the flywheel. Seems like the starter isn't getting enough juice to get the job done. Had the starter tested at two different places and it tests fine.

Had the battery & starter tested in the vehicle. Battery is still like-new (the battery was only 2 months old when this started), but testing did reveal a parasitic drain of about 5 amps. Starter tested fine again.

I'm coming to the conclusion that insulation on cables/wiring between the battery & engine may have melted, creating a short somewhere. I disconnected the battery until I had time to get to it. Trying to start on it today.

I need opinions on what to do next. I figured I'd start looking for this problem but I didn't even know if I should start on the positive or negative battery cables, if that is even the issue.

Suggestions?


PS I think the problem with the harmonic balancer occurred when I removed it a few months ago while installing a new timing belt and water pump. I heated the harmonic balancer in the oven to get it on the crank shaft, may have damaged it by heating it too much?

 

Currently trying to figure out how to inspect the flex plate. But I really think it's a problem with power to the starter...

 

Update: turns out it was a problem with the two reman starters I got from O'Reilly Auto Parts. The first reman seemed to be bad, replaced it at O'Reilly. Worked on this problem for two months and finally decided the pull-in/hold-in coils were bad on both starters I got from them. I brought the second reman starter back to O'Reilly's and demanded a refund. THEN, I went to my local Pull-A-Part and got an original Denso starter. Just put it in and the van fired right up with no issues.

 

Nothin but frustrating. Been there. Thanks for posting the fix.

 

So you're about to do a fourth one ?




Oh, nevermind it's CA where nothing rusts (:

 

I'm becoming more & more interested in what life would be like without humidity...