2005 Dodge RAM 2500 Diesel 2WD Won't Crank

[XPostFacto]

Initially, the truck wouldn't crank so I went out and removed the battery leads off both batteries and painstakingly cleaned the terminals and the leads. The truck still wouldn't crank. The wife was outside and said she heard clicking. Since I couldn't tell where that was coming from, we traded places. I heard clicking toward the rocker arm cover. Then all of a sudden, the truck cranked up for my wife, but then wouldn't start. The truck is a stick shift. Then the wife was able to start the vehicle without mashing the clutch. Every time she mashed the clutch, it wouldn't crank. Then she thought she noticed that the truck was in gear when she mashed the clutch. She put the gear in neutral, and the truck cranked over. I told her to put the truck in gear and then try it. She did, and the truck started. We must have turned it off and then restarted 25 times, and it started every time so she drove it to her mom's house 33 miles away. She knows not to cut it off if she gets caught in a traffic jam. I told her to have it towed by AAA if it does this again. I know that cleaning the acid off the battery terminals didn't fix the problem, even though it was needed. At first, I thought it was the starter with a bad gear, but now, I'm not so sure it is the starter. All the idiot lights came on when we turned on the ignition and the "wait to start" light went off properly after the manifold heater warmed up. Cummins-Turbo diesels don't have glow plugs. I'm at a lost, but I don't believe in freaking magic that it fixed itself. I fear this problem will rear its ugly head again. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[Jarlaxle]

At a guess, I wonder if the clutch interlock is going bad. It SHOULDN'T start without the clutch pedal pressed.

 

[XPostFacto]

I went ahead and replaced both batteries this morning. One of the batteries had several dead cells, but the other one checked okay, as per the guy at the local NAPA Auto Parts. Just replacing one battery means that the one that is okay will probably go when I least want it to go so it was best to replace both of them Those batteries have only been in the truck for 10 years. MOPAR makes some good batteries. The truck hasn't been driven that much and for a 2005, it only has 71,000 miles on it.

As far as the interlock switch, I'm going to look into that one. It appears I have more than one problem. I always mash the clutch to start the engine as I do in my Toyota Tacoma. so I would never have done what my wife did and would not know of that problem if it hadn't been her, playing around. If that interlock switch is bad, that's a bad safety hazard.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Honestly...I hate clutch interlocks and always disable them. I've owned several vehicles without them and had no problems.

 

[XPostFacto]

Honestly...I hate clutch interlocks and always disable them. I've owned several vehicles without them and had no problems.

I understand where you're coming from, and if I was the only driver, it wouldn't be a problem, but my wife will drive that truck and leave it in gear. I know she would start it right up and have the truck lurch forward. With the amount of torque that machine delivers, the emergency brake won't hold it back, and that's if she even remembers to apply it.

 

[Bleipriester]

Maybe you can at least make a nice coal roller out of it, lol.