2008 RAM 3500 DIESEL - DASH LIGHTS FLICKER WON'T START

[Scott Robinson]

New to Ram forum...so this is my first post....When I put key and turn on, dash lights flicker, there is some clicking as intermittent power seems to jump on and off. Won't even turn over if I try to start. Batteries seem to be charged and posts cleaned of any corrosion. Doesn't seem to be any issues in fuse box. Any thoughts?

 

[MADDOG]

Welcome to the forum.

"Batteries seem to be charged." So how did you determine the battery condition? If your dash lights and interior lights come on that isn't an indication that you have enough cold cranking amps to start the truck.

I'd recommend load testing the batteries and also make sure that all your connections (positive, negative, ground and starter) are clean and that the cables aren't corroded under the insulation.

 

[crash68]

I'm guessing it is the batteries. The Cummins has a grid heater that draws lots of current, all it takes is a bad cell in one of the batteries for the truck to not want to turn over. If the batteries are over 4-5 years old, best to start looking for a new set(you need to replace both at the same time) preferably AGM type.