Start Issues

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

1500Ram2012

Junior Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2021
Posts
1
Reaction score
0
Location
VA
Ram Year
2012
Engine
Hemi 5.7
Hope y’all are doing well. I have a 2012 Ram 1500 and I’m having some starting issues. The issue I’m having is the truck will click but will no start until I’ve moved it from park to neutral and then back into to park. From there it starts right up. I’ve had a dealership look at it and they called the starter. I replaced the starter myself and I’m still having the same issue. Thanks for any help/advice in advance.

-Chris
 

GTyankee

Senior Member
Supporting Member
Military
Joined
Nov 2, 2020
Posts
10,127
Reaction score
12,745
Location
El Cajon Calif. 92021
Ram Year
2016
Engine
3.0 ecodiesel
If these Rams have a Park/Neutral Switch
I would suspect it
 

JeepManDan

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2021
Posts
10
Reaction score
4
Location
Colorado
Ram Year
1989
Engine
5.9 V8
Having similar issue in my 89 w150 5.9. I replaced the neutral Park switch but it still does this. I'm told there is a lever inside the transmission that activates the switch. I hope I don't have to take that transmission out
 

Jeepwalker

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2017
Posts
3,223
Reaction score
3,435
Location
WI
Ram Year
2012 Reg Cab, 4x4
Engine
5.7 Hemi
Yeah, I think the other guys called it: it sure does sound like the neutral/sw.

While you are at it, I would certainly consider buying/replacing the brake switch too, proactivaly, if you haven't yet. Or at least buy a spare. They flake out too and spoof a lot of traction control issues. It shouldn't cause your current issue, but I'm just saying that's another item on these trucks that go, and if you're replacing one item under the column, could do both and never have to worry about the brake sw. And it's a 5-min replacement job.

Since it doesn't cost anything, you could also check your relays under the hood. The smaller gray ones. One of them is the starter relay (check the key on the lid), which you could swap out for one of the other similar adjacent relays and see if that changes anything. It doesn't seem like it would be, but you never know.. Starter relays seem to go flaky after many yrs. Mine's been acting up. I looked at the contacts inside the relay with a jewerler's loop and yeah, they're pretty badly pitted. I haven't had a problem since I swapped out another relay for it.
 
Top