Truck will not crank

My 2003 Dakota with 4.7 engine sat it started fine and moved it about 15' away from barn door and shut off. got tractor out and was ready to use it to load trailer hooked to truck. Went to start truck and turn key, nothing. Lights all good and bright, only one on dash not working is gear shift position indicator, automatic tranny. Battery cables clean and tight. Battery on load tester checks good and jump start makes no difference. Turning the key makes no difference, hear nothing. Just like a wire would have droped of terminal. Do you think a starter can fail like that or could it be something else. Friend was out and thinks starter and tried reaching down in tight spot and tried tapping starter, nothing. Always when I had any starter trouble you would notice something ahead of time it failed completely so can they go out just like that or not? Have not been able to get ahold of my mechanic friend that helped me buy the truck. He just a couple of hundred miles ago replaced the exaust manifold and steering coupler. To do that would he have had to have taken the wire to seloniod off in that it might not have gotten tightened to stay on? Or do you think it might be switch went out all of a sudden. One time perfect then half hour later nothing.

I would assume something in the circuit between your key switch and the solenoid, like a neutral start switch, before suspecting the starter.

I would say the safety switch in the shiftier is bad or you do not have it in park. I would play with the shiftier and see if you can get it to start. Or if the starter is not real hard to get to try jumping it and see if you can get it to turn over

I was trying every position on the gear shift, that is how I noticed the indicator light was not working, do not know if it had been or not. Just a square light around the letter. I myself cannot get down on the ground to crawl under the truck even tho it sets higher than my 2001 Dakota as the 2001 is 2 wheel drive and this one is 4 wheel drive. Any idea where that safty switch would be?

That is my thoughts.

It is likely to be if a floor shiftier in the console and the shiftier it self my push on a button sort of thing. Or it could be in/on the transmission it self. Some times you can see the starter form the top and then jump it form the top. I have started many things by jumping the starter and people look at me and say how did you get it to run.

Turn the key to the start position, and move the shift lever with your other hand.

Colum shift and I cannot myself even see the starter from the top.

Those Chyrsler products are notorious for corrosion problems in the positive battery cable. They will fill the inside of the coating on the cable with corrosion and lose connection. I would shake and twist the cable and see if it will crank. I have sceen several have that problem. Be careful about pounding on the starter. You will damage the starter and they are very expensive for that truck.

It was just light taps as trying to reach the starter with a 2' socket extension and could only move end of bar 2-3", not like getting direct on with a heavy hammer. Cable looks like new.

I would think if was crosion it would show up on dimming lights as well but they are full bright when trying to start. Just half hour earlier everrything worked perfect.

I *think* the starter is on the bottom. If you can crawl under, again, I *think* it should be clearly visible from the bottom.

Hth

My problem is if I would get down to try to craul under I could not get back up again, I use a cane part time when walking as my legs just do not like to work corectly since they took the blood vessels out for my chest.

Does the switch feel normal when it turns? I have seen Jeeps break the aluminum link between the lock and the switch, a Dodge column probably isn't much different setup. On the Jeeps, the switch turns and clicks, but not in the right spot and isn't as "springy" when turned to start. They work normally right up till they don't.

Most vehicles now use 2 cables off the battery. One to the power distribution center, one to the starter. Therefore, if the cable to the starter has failed you can still have power to everything else in the vehicle.

I had this problem with a 1991 GMC. No sound of any kind, no click of the solenoid, lights would not dim, voltage at battery was 12 volts with the key on start. Jump the battery with a running vehicle and it would start right up. Cleaned all wire connections ended up replacing the solenoid, no more problem.
Bill