hello all im new to the forums and new to the whole diesel world,i picked up a 94 dodge ram 2500 for cheap and im putting it on the road,i bought the truck with no issues at all except until now,when I went to start the truck I can turn the key all the way to start but no click from the relay starter doesn't turn nothing?it was working fine for the past few weeks but now nothing at all? I then went didrectly to the relay and if I move the connection together the truck turns over and starts, just will not do anything from the key?i have checked the grounds and connections and have cleaned them all any ideas guys what this could be it would really help me out. cheers

 

Did you check the ignition switch? If not you should be able to jumper it right at the ignition switch and get it to crank to test if the switch is good

 

My bet would be on the switch, I've heard of a number of them fouling up... perhaps try wiggling the key around a bit while in the start position, or give it an inward tap.. if that at least temporarily cures it you know it's in the key

When you were jumpering the relay, was that the one in the fusebox? I hear some people call the starter solenoid (on the starter) a relay, so I just want to be sure... There is also a relay in the fusebox under the hood, that relay could go bad, swap it out with the AC pump relay for a test...

 

i'm having the same problem with my truck. i jumped the terminals on the starter and it starts right up. i checked relay for resistance and it seems good, i also took a known working relay and swapped them in the distribution block to double check. it wasnt the relay. i checked battery voltage at the slot that corresponds to the number 30 terminal on starter relay, no voltage. i checked relay for fuel pump that sits right next to starter relay ( they are identical relays) good voltage to that terminal. so somewhere i have lost voltage to the starter relay. i'd check your distribution block at that terminal to make sure you even have voltage to the relay. if you have power, then its probably relay. if you dont have power, i have no idea because thats as far as i've gotten

 

also if its an automatic, check connection at neutral safety switch. invest in a haynes manual, i couldnt live without it

 

If it's a manual, check the clutch safety switch...

If you can, listen for the relay clicking on when you hit the starter position.. if it clicks, check the connections that are from the relay through to the starter solenoid, if it doesn't click, check the ignition switch, clutch/neutral switches.. I don't think there's much more to it than that. If all else fails, put a pushbutton on it!

Edit: Try jumpering the relay terminals (you could take an old relay apart and manually "click" it), that will definitively tell you which side of the relay circuit to look on.. if it fires up when jumpered/manually engaged, it's something in the ignition or safety switches buggering up

 

i didn't mean to hijack this thread, but where is the clutch safety switch?

 

Under the dash, right around the clutch pedal... 2 wires I believe