Why Your Dodge Ram 1500 Won’t Start And Just Clicks [SOLUTION]

The Dodge Ram 1500 is a vehicle you have to rely on to both get you to the destination and carry everything you need to get the job done. However, nothing makes a person more hopeless than to take a seat behind the steering wheel, turn the ignition only to hear a clicking noise. In this guide, I’ll explain not only the main causes for the ignition failure but also how to solve the problem.

The reasons why the Ram 1500 won’t start and just clicks could be: loose battery cables, corroded cables, drained or dead battery, failed starter, or a bad alternator. 

Why Your Ram 1500 Won’t Start & How To Fix It

1. Drained Battery

The most common reason why you’ll hear the clicking noise is the battery that has some power, but not enough to run the starter. To fix the problem, you need to recharge the battery by using either jumper cables, battery booster, or a battery charger.

Jumper Cables

 

The jumper cables are the cheapest option but require another vehicle to give your Ram a boost. Position the other vehicle as close to yours as possible and keep it running. Connect the red cable on positive terminals then the black cable on the negative terminal. Wait one or two minutes to start your truck, then you can disconnect the cables – negative first, then positive.

Keep the Ram running for at least 15 minutes, but preferably longer than 30 to give the alternator enough time to recharge the battery.

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Battery Booster

 

Booster packs are a very useful tool if you’re having battery-related issues, or if you drive multiple cars as I do. When the battery drains, place the booster pack on top to instantly get enough power to start the engine. Battery boosters work on the same principle as jumper cables but are much more convenient. Keep the vehicle running after jump-starting to recharge the battery.

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Battery Charger

 

If you’re not in a rush, a battery charger might be the best option out of the three. Unlike jumper cables and booster packs, it fully charges the battery, so you don’t have to keep the engine running to recharge it.

The downside is that unless you have a safe backyard, you’ll have to remove the battery and take it indoors for recharging. The process can also take over 12 hours, which may be too long in some situations.

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What Causes Battery Drain

The car battery drains when you leave the parking lights, interior lighting, radio, or any other electric consumer on for too long. It’s essentially a much more powerful phone battery, but when it drains beyond a certain point, it doesn’t have the massive amount of energy needed to power the starter and crank the engine.

If you’re sure that everything’s turned off and the battery still drains, there’s a power leak in the system or the alternator has failed and isn’t recharging the battery. To solve a power leak, you’ll need to hire an electrician, but the alternator can be changed at home, although it’s a challenge. I’ll explain how to do that once we get to that section of the article.

2. Loose Battery Cables

The battery can be at full charge, but in the case of loose battery cables, the connection won’t be sufficient for the complete power transfer. Terminal connector clamps rarely loosen up on their own, but it’s possible.

Open the hood (or the truck) and check the cables. Grab hold of them and try to wiggle them off – if they start to move, it means the connection was not secure. Use a classic wrench to tighten the screws and carry on driving.

3. Corroded Terminals & Bad Connectors

Battery connector clamps may appear fine and properly secured, but if corrosion formed between the clamp and the terminal, it could cause a circuit break.

Take the connectors off (negative first, then the positive) and check for green dust and grain deposits on the battery terminal and connectors. Use sand paper to thoroughly clean both and then and reconnect the cables. If that did not help and connectors are showing great signs of wear, you’ll have to replace them.

Tools You’ll Need:

	Title	Price	Buy
Top	IRWIN Vise-Grip Wire Stripping Tool / Wire Cutter, 8-Inch (2078309)
Top	ACDelco Professional 3BA35 Battery Cable Terminal
Top	DURATECH Super-Thin Open End Wrench Set, Metric, 8-Piece, Including 5.5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27 mm, Slim Spanner Wrench Set with Rolling Pouch

Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:

To change the terminal connectors, aside from a replacement set, you’ll need a couple of tools – wire cutters with an integrated stripper and a wrench set. You could also use regular clippers to cut the wire, and then a scalpel to strip the insulation.

Steps To Replace The Connectors:

1. Remove battery terminals, starting with the negative, then the positive wire.
2. Check if you’ll have enough wire to complete the circuit once you cut off the old connectors.
3. Use the wire cutter to cut the cable just behind the connectors to save as much wire length as possible.
4. Strip half an inch of wire on both cables.
5. Connect the red terminal to the positive wire, and the black terminal to the ground. Installation is simple – carefully slot the exposed wire into the terminal, then tighten the two bolts with a wrench.
6. Reconnect the battery, positive wire first, negative second.

4. Bad Alternator

Once the engine starts running, the alternator takes over from the battery and also recharges it. When it fails, you’ll drive on battery power, and in some cases, you won’t notice the issue, reach your destination without any symptoms aside from the check engine warning. It’s only when you try to restart the engine will notice that the battery doesn’t have enough charge.

Changing the alternator is not a simple task, as it involves removing the serpentine belt. On older vehicles, this is not a complex job as you tighten the serpentine belt much more easily. But on modern vehicles, not only is it harder to reach everything, but the serpentine belt is non-adjustable and needs the right amount of tension to function properly. I would recommend that you do what I do and leave the alternator change to a professional.

5. Bad Starter

When the starter goes bad, even if the battery has a full charge, your Dodge Ram 1500 will fail to start. The starter is responsible for taking the electrical current and transforming it into a rotation that will get the engine going. Once the fuel-air ignitions start to occur, the engine can run fine on its own.

I’ve learned the most bizarre method of temporarily fixing the starter years ago. It involves taking a hammer and tapping the rear of the starter. This will push the starter brushes back in place and it will regain functionality. Sometimes, this method will solve the problem for a few months, even years, but I would suggest that you change the starter when you can to avoid getting stranded on the side of the road.

FAQs

How much is a starter for a Dodge Ram 1500?

The starter for a Dodge Ram 1500 will set you back around $200, with the cost of labor priced very reasonably, around $50. The cost of parts will be more for relatively newer models, but it can also be cheaper for older vehicles.

Where is the starter relay on a 2006 Dodge Ram 1500?

The starter relay is mounted to the firewall underneath the fuse box, and it should be easily accessible.

Where is the starter on a 2011 Ram 1500?

You can find the starter on the driver’s side of the engine, located towards the base of the engine.

How long does a starter last?

Engine starters should last for at least 100,000 miles, with some lasting a lifetime. The main reason why starters fail is the wearing down of the moving parts, but there’s no way to tell just how long any specific starter will last.

How long does a car battery last?

The lifespan of a car battery greatly depends on how well it’s maintained and cared for. On average, the batteries can last 3-5 years, but frequent drains, as well as very hot or cold weather, will negatively affect longevity.

Summary

When your ignition produces nothing but a clicking noise, it’s important to properly identify the problem. The battery is an obvious cause, but without checking the alternator, starter, and cables, replacing the battery will be an unnecessary cost. Start with the most simple and cheapest problem, and work your way up to figure out what’s wrong, and then you can use the advice provided in this guide to solve the issue.

Here are some other Dodge Ram topics you might want to check:

How Long is a Dodge RAM 1500?

Dodge Ram Air Conditioning Problems – Common Causes and Solutions

Where Is The Dodge Ram Made? Who Owns Ram?