My 2006 Dodge Magnum will not crank. When I put the key in and turn it, I just hear a click and a buzzing noise. I checked the starter relay and there seems to be a click coming from it when I turn the key. I have a new battery, fully charged. Took it back to Advanced Auto to have it tested. They say it’s 100% charged. Last week, before the car stopped cranking, I replaced the broken pink piece in the shifter. I took it back apart to make sure all of the wiring was correctly connected and that there were no torn wires. My remote key works; car locks and unlocks when I press the buttons. I’ve tried pretty much everything to figure out why the car isn’t cranking. If someone could be of some assistance, it would be greatly appreciated. I’ve been working on this car for a few weeks now.
Here’s a video of me trying to crank it: https://youtube.com/watch?v=F31jJeBKf3Y&feature=youtu.be
First, if you have done any work recently, double check your connections.
You may have not reattached a ground wire.
Secondly, try turning the key…put the shifter in neutral, and then try starting. If that works then the Park/ neutral safety switch may have failed.
Third, Battery connections are the first place to begin when you have a “No Crank” situation. Even
if you have a new battery, if the connections are loose, dirty or corroded, you will not be
allowing the full flow of current to pass thru the connections. The connection may be
enough to turn on the lights, but not enough for the huge flow that is needed to operate the
starter. This is where many people say that they know the battery is good….”because the
lights come on”. This is no more a battery test than licking a 9volt battery. It only tells you that there is electricity…not how many volts or the amperage that flows from the battery.
Jump starting may have wiggled the terminal just enough to allow the current to pass and start the engine, but tomorrow you have the same problem.
First remove the cables from the battery and use a wire brush to remove any corrosion and dirt from the battery posts and the cable terminals. There is a tool with a round wire brush for this purpose, found at any auto parts store for less than $10 http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/kd-tools-terminal-battery-brush-kdt201/25980576-P?searchTerm=terminal+brush.
Before connecting the cables, apply a coating of di-electric grease to the battery posts this will keep oxygen away from the connection so that it will not corrode as fast.
It is just as important that the other end of the cables also have a clean connection. Remove the negayive cable from the battery again so that you do not short anything out. Follow both cables to their far ends, remove this connection and wire brush the connection and the cable terminal clean and retighten these connections.
If there was work done recently, there may have been an “engine to body” ground that was not installed following the work. These grounds normally run from the rear of the engine to the firewall and are uninsulated and most are a braided wire. If any of these are found unattached…reattach them.
Remember….this is not a “Sherman Tank” don’t over tighten the connections.
Tight…tight………………too tight…broke!!!
Yosemite
Thanks for the pointers! I must also add that prior to all of this, the car had been sitting for a couple of years. I changed the rotors, put a new battery in and it cranked with no problem; even drove it around the block a few times. The next day, I replaced the defective shifter piece (the pink plastic thingy) and afterwards when I tried to crank, no luck. I’ve quadruple-checked to make sure all of the wires were put back in the right places and they all appear to be. The people at Advanced Auto also told me to clean the terminals and to make sure no corrosion was there, which I’ve done. Still no luck.
what is this “Broken pink plastic thingy” in the shifter?
The car needs to know that you are in Park or neutral before it will start, and this pink plastic thingy may be linked to the Neutral Safety Switch. If it worked before you replaced that, I’d recheck that work to make sure the gears are lined up properly (That the shifter is correct when it says the transmission is in Park, Reverse, Neutral, etc.)
If equipped with the NAG1 transmission I believe that there is a shift lever position sensor in the shift lever assembly. Observe the gear position indicator in the instrument cluster while shifting though each gear position, if the shift lever position sensor is damaged the display won’t work.
The pink lever is part of the brake/shift interlock.
Hi,
The gear position indicator seems to be correctly corresponding. The pink piece inside of the brake/shift interlock was broken, so I had to replace it with a metal one from Advanced Auto. This is another pink piece on it, is that what you’re referring to?
Hey, Eddo
Gears appear to be lined up correctly. Park, Reverse, Neutral and Drive all register as such on the dash. The pink plastic piece inside the shift interlock was broken, so I had to replace with a metal one. Could low transmission fluid also be a cause?
Check for power on the battery cable on the starter and the solenoid wire while turning the key to the crank position, if good you have a failing starter.
no. That will not affect the starting of the vehicle.
Do as Nevada_545 says, and check power at your starter.
You should have at least 10.5 volts at both terminals of the starter, measuring from terminal to starter case, when the key is in the “start” position. If you do and it doesn’t crank the engine, a faulty starter motor is probably the cause. Check the flywheel for broken teeth after the starter is removed too.