Hello all, I've been having some starting issues with my 2014 1500 Promaster (Gas). The inconsistency of the issue has made it hard to diagnose. But sometimes when I try to start the van i turn the key, all the electronics turn on but the engine does not. It doesn't even try to turnover, just here clicking noises. This doesn't happen all the time, sometimes it starts up fine, sometimes it's a bit of a lag and then starts, but the non-starting is becoming more frequent. I have a portable battery jump starter and whenever this issue happens i just jump it with that device and it starts right up. I thorougly cleaned every part of the postive terminal fuse block, got new battery terminals, thinking this was a loose connection issue, however it did not help. I've read about adding a ground cable directly on the starter and attaching it to the frame, but don't really know what i'm looking for under the engine. Some other things of note, our alternator died a few weeks ago and had it replaced. This issue occured before that change and is still occuring after. I also just got a new battery today but it is still lagging when starting sometimes and feel as if the issue is not fixed. If anybody has had a similar issue, help would greatly be appreciated!
Intermittent Starting Issues
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Sounds like a bad ground connection. I don't have pics of the cable but I think it was in another thread about the same issue.
www.promasterforum.com
Engine ground strap location/ ground strap TSB
The newest issue to my long list of problems I’ve had with this 2014 2500 diesel is recently the original battery was cranking slower and was replaced. Shortly after I swapped the battery I had a couple days where it wouldn’t crank or turn over, today I had the same with the battery freshly...
www.promasterforum.com
Thanks for the input and the reference to that thread. Sounds pretty similar to my situationSounds like a bad ground connection. I don't have pics of the cable but I think it was in another thread about the same issue.
Engine ground strap location/ ground strap TSB
The newest issue to my long list of problems I’ve had with this 2014 2500 diesel is recently the original battery was cranking slower and was replaced. Shortly after I swapped the battery I had a couple days where it wouldn’t crank or turn over, today I had the same with the battery freshly...
i had the same problem with my 2014 promaster 2500 and like the previous guy said it wound up being a ground wire. specifically the wire from the transmission to the frame of the truck, it had clear signs of fluids dripping on it which erroded the end attached to the body
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I’ve had this type of issue many times. It can only be a few things causing it, none of them catastrophic.
The first is the most obvious - dead spot in the starter. This is pure “old guy” car fixins’ - the next time it happens, have someone hold the key to the crank position, and beat on the starter with a hammer, log, rock, or whathaveyou. If it starts, dead spot on the starter. Replace starter.
It can also be the solenoid wire to the starter. Specifically, the connector. I’ve had those crap out. The way to test is hard to describe, but involves jumping a relay in the underhood fusebox. This also rules out any ground issues. Which brings me too…
ground issues. There is a main engine ground between the transmission mount and frame that has been problematic for many of us. The test would be to just add a ground with a set of jumper cables, and if it starts you know you’ve got that problem.
Some of us have also had problems with the key switch itself. It’s possible that the switch is bad and the computer isnt being instructed to start the engine. Easy to test with a meter on that relay I mentioned earlier.
There are other things that can cause an intermittent no-start, but they are rare compared to the ones above.
The first is the most obvious - dead spot in the starter. This is pure “old guy” car fixins’ - the next time it happens, have someone hold the key to the crank position, and beat on the starter with a hammer, log, rock, or whathaveyou. If it starts, dead spot on the starter. Replace starter.
It can also be the solenoid wire to the starter. Specifically, the connector. I’ve had those crap out. The way to test is hard to describe, but involves jumping a relay in the underhood fusebox. This also rules out any ground issues. Which brings me too…
ground issues. There is a main engine ground between the transmission mount and frame that has been problematic for many of us. The test would be to just add a ground with a set of jumper cables, and if it starts you know you’ve got that problem.
Some of us have also had problems with the key switch itself. It’s possible that the switch is bad and the computer isnt being instructed to start the engine. Easy to test with a meter on that relay I mentioned earlier.
There are other things that can cause an intermittent no-start, but they are rare compared to the ones above.
Some more information would help us give you guidance.
When the vehicle won’t start without a jump, what happens when you turn the key a second or third time or take the key out and put it back in and try again?
You said that the vehicle always starts with a battery pack, how are you hooking that up? Are you hooking it to the battery inside the cab, or to the jumpstart connections under the hood?
I was asking about the key process to try to isolate if it is actually something in the connection in the starting circuit, or something else. I was asking about the battery pack connections because it seems that those might be bypassing the connection issue that might be causing it to not start.
I have not read the other posting about the ground strap on the transmission, although it wouldn’t seem that using a battery pack would make a difference if The ground strap was bad.
When the vehicle won’t start without a jump, what happens when you turn the key a second or third time or take the key out and put it back in and try again?
You said that the vehicle always starts with a battery pack, how are you hooking that up? Are you hooking it to the battery inside the cab, or to the jumpstart connections under the hood?
I was asking about the key process to try to isolate if it is actually something in the connection in the starting circuit, or something else. I was asking about the battery pack connections because it seems that those might be bypassing the connection issue that might be causing it to not start.
I have not read the other posting about the ground strap on the transmission, although it wouldn’t seem that using a battery pack would make a difference if The ground strap was bad.
Yeah, I feel as if its not the starter as it fires up nicely most the time and if it does have that issue and it jumps it. Honestly we haven't had an issue since replacing the battery a couple days ago so im hoping it was just that. But I won't be confident until it goes a few weeks without it happening again. But thanks for that list, if it starts happening again i'll know where to start.
It'll just keep clicking when trying to turnover on the 2nd and 3rd tries. All the dash lights light up and the radio turns on, just not the engine. I hook this jump starter right up to the battery in the cab. But i replaced the battery a few days ago and its been fine since. But i won't be confident until a few weeks go by without this happening again. But i think i'll try adding a ground wire if it happens again
did you happen to notice if any of those fuses were loose in the cluster on top of the battery when you changed it? after my initial ground wire fiasco the problem returned a couple months later due to a loose fuse. the main fuse called a mega fuse connects to a post with a square bottom, when attaching the nut mine must have started spinning and didnt tighten properly, it worked itself loose and eventually stopped starting again
Sorry i'm just now seeing this, i checked that fuse and cleaned it really well just to make sure. It has now been a few months since replacing the battery and we haven't had that issue since so thinking it was just a bad battery!
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Had this problem with one of our Amazon vans After several jumpstart 12.5 volts reading on the Battery posts, 10.4 reading on jump start contact points under the hood, just had battery Replaced so connections were clean there, so when I removed the ground cable chassis bolt the threads were corroded and showed signs of shorting out, did a Tap & Die to clean the threads and wire brushed all connection points, now I got the same 12.5 reading on the battery & jumper points. Van starts every time when you turn the Key.
Was almost ready to send to the dealership for Ignition key replacement🤔
Was almost ready to send to the dealership for Ignition key replacement🤔
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Sorry to revive an old thread. But I had almost identical readings on my promaster with lower voltages under the hood. What ground cable are you referring too? Is it the one near the bottom of the PCM going from the chassis to the transmission?
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