OK so I have a 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan 3.3L V6 with 125,000 miles. Recently about a month or so ago I began having a starting issue. Basically what happens is that when I go to start the car, all I get is one click. The engine does not crank at all. Now this will only happen once or twice in a row and then when I try to start it again the car will start fine and it does not have any issues at all. This will sometimes happen 4-5 times in one day and then it works perfect for a week or two before it starts acting up again. Two weeks ago when I had this issue, I took it to have the battery, alternator and starter tested. Supposedly they all were good except the battery had a lot of corrosion around it. I cleaned the corrosion off and it started fine for 2 weeks straight before it started acting up again yesterday and today. I am worried that it will get to a point where it wont start at all. The battery was last replaced in December 2011.
The starter solenoid contacts are burned/pitted. I have had many towed in that required several start attempts so they would start to bring the vehicle into the shop. Replace the starter.
Did the battery fail? A weak battery will cause wear on the solenoid contacts.
“the battery had a lot of corrosion around it”. That probably means there is corrosion in the connections themselves. Remove the battery cables (on both ends) and clean the area where they make contact. Then apply dielectric grease and replace the cables. But first check the cables for corrosion inside the insulation.
Clean the posts an connectors as @BillRussell said. I use the the red & green post felts plus the grease. Clean the connection to the starter and ground connections to the engine and frame. You can have the battery load tested at a auto parts store. If none of this fixes it, it’s time for a starter.
I had the same problem with my 1998. I changed starter solenoid, and battery. No change. I had my starter tested, showed good. I changed it any way and that fixed it. The brushes were worn out inside, and sometimes would make good contact, start OK. Make bad contact just a click. Change the starter.