I have a 2004 Dodge Dakota 2WD manual trans with 160K racked up. In the morning it does not like to start right away. I put the clutch down, key in the ignition, turn it to engage the electricity, say a prayer and turn. When it doesn’t start nothing happens. No sounds. Nothing. If I hold the key fully turned and wait, sometimes much longer than 60 seconds, it starts and sounds just fine. Once it is running for some time I can turn it off and turn it back on again without hesitation. In colder weather it takes much longer to start. Any advice?
Start with pulling and completely cleaning your battery connections. Little wire brush tools for this are cheap & available at any auto parts store. Put them back on wrench tight.
Also under the clutch pedal someplace is a switch that will prevent the car from starting if you don’t have the clutch depressed. Checking out that switch is probably the next place to go. I’m not sure how it works on this truck, and these could all be fairly standard, but the switch either completes or opens a circuit & that info usually ends up with the PCM which will then allow the ignition system to operate. Its a basic safety device.
One thing you can do is just pull the switch, clean it & its connections & see if that helps. If not, a wiring diagram (probably available free in Autozone’s online repair info) and a multimeter would be the next step. If a new switch is really cheap sometimes its less hassle to just throw one on & see. But it is wasted $$ if you’re wrong.
Cigroller is the man…stole the words
Does your dash light up when you turn the key?
If so, do they dim or go off when you turn it to the start position?
Thanks for the responses. The dash does light up when I turn the key, but then off as the ignition is engaged.