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Hi all-

I have a 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan Sport and have been having issues with turning the car on.  I went to Autozone and they tested the battery, alternator and starter.  All I needed was a new batter but the other 2 were just fine.  They said that if my key was loose in the igition then it was the iginition switch that needed to be replaced.  
Last night my daugher came to pick me up and we sat in the parking lot for almost 10 mins- trying to turn the van on.  All we heard was "click,click, click.......", it finally turned on!! What do you all think?  Should I replace my ignition switch?  Helllpppp!!!  I am a single mom with 3 kiddos and I need to get this done, ASAP!

Thanks!  

do you have any tools..    you are going to need just a few metric sockets and a wire brush ..   i normally use a wooden handled stainless steel wire tooth brush from the hardware or paint store.. and no.. its not for teeth.. its the size and shape of a tooth brush..  the wooden handle ones are about 2 bucks and have stiffer bristles than the plastic handled ones..


as for tools..  how handy are you with tools...

you will need to remove the battery..   you will notice that one side has a + sign.. the other a - sign.. if you hook the cables up backwards.. you will do hundreds of dollars of damage..   so be sure of which way the battery is sitting..  and which cables go where.. one battery post is larger than the other..   slightly...

  unbolt the battery tray from below it..  13 or 15MM SOCKETS. A 10MM for the bracket..    there are bolts on top and some on the side  under it.. there is also a bracket on the back side and vacuum hoses that are a pain to get off..   but .. if you get the tray up..  you can see a ground wire connection directly under the battery tray.. usually has a red painted nut..    count the wires on it.. use a 10 MM socket on an extension with a ratchet to loosen it..     wire brush both sides of the ring terminals..   wire brush the base of the threaded stud.. wire brush the back of the nut where it touches the wire ring terminals..   put it back together..

while you are in there..    to the left of the battery tray is the engine.. you will find the negative battery cable hooks to a stud with a 15MM wrench size nut.. again .. count the wires..   take the nut off..  wire brush both sides of the ring terminals..  wire brush the stud..   wire brush the back side of the nut..    count the wires.. put it back together...     reinstall the battery try..  you can install the nut on the side under it and then slide the tray down onto it..


this is where i would start at..           i have remotely fixed a LOT of these mini vans by cleaning these ground connections..

why..

like a table lamp.. it needs both wires to be plugged in to work..

when the wire connections get dirty.. or corroded..  there may be enough current flow to operate some of the devices.. but the starter takes a LOT of electrons...   when the starter relay sends power to the starter..  if there is a dirty connection.. the voltage will drop and the relay will click open.. as the relay clicks open.. the voltage is not going to the starter and there is enough to close the relay again..  where the voltage drops and the relay snaps open again.. . this is usually where you get the click click click when trying to start the car..

there can be problems with the starter motor solenoid contacts inside it.. where one wears more and the disc that drops across them to make contact cannot flex enough every time to make both contacts ... so you get the click click click for that also...

 if it was a single click when you attempted..    you might have a starter going bad..

if you got machine gun of clicks..      click click click click..   you probably have a dirty battery cable or ground like i described..

there is very little chance the ignition switch is going bad..

clean the ground wires like i described..    there is one more ground wire down on the subframe directly down from the red nut under the tray..  about a foot down.. those might need cleaning also..


you will want to use hot water to rinse the top of the battery cables off ..   you can dip the ends in baking soda and hot water to remove the acid build up.. you will have to wire brush them to a bright shine..  as the crusty stuff on the battery terminals is lead oxide.. a ceramic .. and an insulator..

please print this text..

name the local parts stores.. or if you have a harbor freight tools store near you for metric sockets in 3/8 drive some 3/8 wobbly extensions and a 3/8 ratchet..    3/8 drive is the square size of the tools..   metric is the size of the hex opening to grab the nut or bolt head.. as your car has metric bolts..    you might also find a combonation wrench set in metric also..

try not to buy the cheep sets in the thin steel case..   you won't be happy when they break..

i will be back late this afternoon pacific time..  

10 Piece 3/8" Drive Metric Color Coded Socket Set
ITEM # 93260

then  a ratchet and some extensions..