I recently had to start parking my 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 conversion van outside again is the only reason I can figure for this phenomenon: Suddenly, one day my van had all of the symptoms of a blown CTM and flexplate, simultaneously. It was clicking from the dash (but I knew it wasn't the PCM due to previous replacement experience and no codes) and the battery was dead.
It took a lot to get enough power into it to turn it over, but it failed to start, even though it had spark and was getting gas. After taking both cables loose from the battery to reset the computer (it takes about 1/2 hr but I left them off all night), I was able to get it to start with a jump. It had a scraping kind of chatter from underneath, near the bell housing that I'd previously disregarded as exhaust leaks getting worse when I'd heard it before. Then the wife drove it around a few blocks and it performed well, until she went to back into the driveway, at which time it stalled out and acted like it didn't want to start. It was still making a horrible chatter from the bell housing, too.
Research of online forums had me ready to replace my CTM and flexplate, or sell it to avoid the investment. I tried taking loose the door lock buttons on the doors (in case there was a short) and removing the batteries from the key fobs (in case they were dead).
'Still had the dead battery the next morning. I was beginning to wonder why my new battery was puking out like that.
If I took the cables loose when I turned off the engine and then reconnected the battery when I went to start it the next day, the van would start right up.
I peeked behind the inspection plate on the trans and saw no indicator or shavings or scraping from loose bolts. Tried tightening them, anyway; all tight.
I gave-up, put it online for sale. Then, I decided to try one more thing:
I jacked up the front driver's side and safety chocked it all up. Then I started the van and crawled under the driver's side with the tools to remove the starter. I carefully loosened the retainer bolts that hold the starter in place, little by little, and the loud chatter stopped. It took a few tries of shimming it in place with homemade shims to get the starter in position where it would start and not scrape against the flywheel at idle and acceleration. On the third attempt, I had it perfectly placed where it would start and then be out of the way during idle and acceleration.
It started fine last night, twice, without the "drag" as if the battery went low. Then, this morning, after a cold night, it still started right up and seems to be driving fine.
So, the only thing I can deduce is that the cold must have caused a contraction in the metal that caused the starter to contact the flywheel just enough to make a loud chatter. And that slight contact must have been what was killing the battery, somehow, too.
I felt obligated to post this, in case someone else has this problem. Fixing the flexplate would not have fixed my problem, nor would a new CTM; both kinda expensive fixes if you do not need them.
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