Truck Starts Intermittently

[Maverick01]

Hi All! First post on the forum!

I have a 2001 Ram 1500 Laramie 5.2L, Auto trans 2WD that I have had since I bought it new from the dealer. I just started having issues starting the truck sometimes...but it's weird. Sometimes it will start right up and if I shut the truck off for about half an hour and try to start it again I hear it try to crank 1x (like the battery is dead) and then nothing. No clicking, noise, cranking, whirl, etc. I turn the key to the off position, and then back on and the truck fires up with no issues
I load tested the battery and that passed. I am getting the right voltage at the battery and the alternator is charging. Fuel pump seems to be priming for the initial start up. Truck runs fine when it starts. No stalling. Sometimes if it is sitting for a day or 2 in the garage it will present these symptoms and won't start. I try to start it right after and it fires up. I replaced the ASD relay because I had one laying around........need opinions on what to look at. Ignition switch? Starter? IAC? Thanks for the input!

 

[Tank Guy]

Could be your starter solenoid is going bad. Every time it’s engaged the solenoid closes a contact that bridges the gap between the two points current must travel through to get to your starter. Every time that contact closes a small amount of metal is arced away by the current. Over time the contacts within the starter solenoid can be severely eaten away by that arcing, but there is a certain amount of play in the way the contacts within the solenoid engage. So sometimes you try to start and the contact closes in such a way that the current path is restricted or non existent, and others it makes solid contact and it starts right up. If that’s what’s going on it’s a precursor to complete failure of the starter solenoid.

 

[Maverick01]

I checked the battery cables and starter. Cables were good but starter is original. I had a new starter that I planned on installing when mine went, so I put that on. Still having the issue off and on. Happened Monday and yesterday. I thought maybe it was the check valve in the fuel pump or an injector was leaking, but I put a gauge on the fuel rail and it held steady at 42psi even after sitting for about 30mins.

 

[Tank Guy]

I checked the battery cables and starter. Cables were good but starter is original. I had a new starter that I planned on installing when mine went, so I put that on. Still having the issue off and on. Happened Monday and yesterday. I thought maybe it was the check valve in the fuel pump or an injector was leaking, but I put a gauge on the fuel rail and it held steady at 42psi even after sitting for about 30mins.

I see that I used the wrong term. I meant to say starter relay, but got solenoid stuck in my head. Sorry about that. Locate your starter relay and see if you can hear it actuating. The starter relay will cause this problem for the reason described above. If it’s actuating but no start, try jumping the contacts and see if it cranks. If it does then that’s the issue.

 

[Maverick01]

Ok. Thanks for the reply! I swapped the relay out last night with a new one. We'll see how that goes. I like to have an abundance of spare parts around for this very reason. LOL.