Starter problems for a potential owner
 

Hi Guys,
New to this forum, my first post. Maybe a few Dodge owners can help me out. I have a few questions about a 96 Dodge 3500 Cummins engine truck that my son wants to buy. First off it has 150,000 miles on it. Some rust showing on the fenders and doors. Generally in good shape EXCEPT.. The starter motor is stuck on, you have to pull the battery cable to get the starter to quit. I also found the fuel shut off solenoid burned (melted). The owner told me that the solenoid burned before he could get the batt. terminal off. He left it set for a couple months and can not afford to have it fixed so he wants to sell as is. I was an auto mechanic for 20 years in a past life l.o.l. and hope to give my son a hand if he buys it. I'm leaning towards a stuck starter solenoid and of course a new shut off solenoid. But then why did the stuck starter burn up the fuel shut off? HELP !!! And one more question...is $3500.00 too much for this truck? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Welcome and you are right on the money -

The starter contacts will be the culprit - they were worn and not replaced. The owner let this go for a bit and because of that, the fuel shutdown solenoid burned up. Essentially what happens is the contacts stick the starter backfeeds 12V to the fuel relay solenoid. The solenoid thinks its getting power from the ignition key and energizes the pull coil. Because the pull coil is energized, the truck wont shut off.


Good news - its an easy fix. New starter and new solenoid or pull cable.

do not give back your oem starter. Keep it and rebuild it - the new ones they are selling now are complete junk.

When a starter sticks like that you can usually whack it with a mallet and it will turn right off.

You can buy everything you need right here - LarryB's Dodge starting problems solved here. - they even sell a diode to keep the voltage from backfeeding

Also, Im sure this truck will need some work and a few bucks spent on it - but once you are done, you will not find a more reliable diesel truck. Oh, and for that mileage - that truck would be considered a steal (of course the rust is an issue). Good 12Vs with low milage like that are getting very hard to find and are much soughtafter (mostly by guys that have owned third gens)...

Thanks Dr. Looks like an easy fix. Can the contact parts in the starter be replaced or is it more economical to just buy the starter and be done with it ?

Actually, yes...go to the site I posted and Get the Heavy Duty contacts and plunger assembly and that should fix it (get the diode as well). That being said, I cant vouch for the condition of rest of your starter - which is why I suggested buying one.

That site also has brand new starters. Im sure its more than you want to spend - but they are there and are pretty much impossible to find elsewhere.

FYI, do some reading in the 12V forums - there are a number things you will want to look at and replace. One of the biggies is the rubber fuel lines.

you can get a fuel shut-off solenoid from Geno's Garage for half of what you can go to the Dodge Dealership to get one also

Larry B has them for $100

Thanks guys for all the help. Looks like we are buying some parts and giving it a whirl. Will let you know the outcome.
Thanks Again:tu:

Thanks for all your help, We rebuilt the starter and replaced the fuel solenoid and she fired rite up..:tu: My son is in his glory, he ran about 3/4 of a tank of fuel through it and no problems. Looks like we need one fender and it will be back to new. Thanks Again for all the help.:jump:

Glad to hear it. :tu:

3500 is really good for only having 150k on it :tu: