Dead Durango

Hey there,

I just pulled up to the house, shut down the 1998 Durango and the car went black. The remote security system was not acitvated. A clicking sound was going off on behind the glove box and the interior light dimly went on. The dome light then went to normal color. I thought maybe the security system was accidently activated so I tried to shut it off... but the remote key entry did not work to unlock or lock the truck.

The ignition system is completely dead. No power now to the interior light or the ignition system. No 'security' light flashing on the dash.

The ground is secure to stable body panels and has no corrosion on it.

Any ideas (besides being a Durango of course)?

Thanks for any help you might have,
Got Skis

Hey, it's an update...

I pulled the security fuse (not blown) and disconnected the battery. I reconnected the battery and the car had normal power. The car started like a champ. Then I replaced the security fuse with no changes.

I shut the car shut down and then restarted it with no problem. I tested the keyless entry and it worked again like normal. The test drive went off without a hitch.

Any ideas what the gremlin might be?

Thanks,
Got Skis

I am having a similar problem kinda. My post is above. I called the dealer and made an appointment and they said to try what you did, so when I go home I will. He said it could be static electricity that shorted the main something. Who knows. Hope it works

Gvish...

Well the 'fix' worked for about three miles. Same thing happened when I got home... so I tried the 'fix' again. No such luck. There is no power to the ignition.

I then got lots of good input from the Durango Owners Group Forum. One idea from that forum is that there is a draw on the system draining the battery. Second idea, is that there is an Auto Shutdown Relay that has failed. Third, the Security System has failed. Fourth, there is some corrosion built up on the power supply lead to the starter.

Idea one: the battery is new (a month old), shows 12 volts on the tester and goes to 13.7 when the engine is running. Still could be a draw somewhere.

Idea two: the Auto Shutdown Relay has failed. I replaced it with no change. Per the dealer, the Auto Shutdown feature should only cut out the fuel pump/fuel system in cases of theft. If the starter relay failed there would be no turning over of the engine but there would be power to the dash. If the transmission relay failed the car would start but the D would not go into gear. I am pretty sure tthe relay is not the gremlin.

Idea three: the fuel system has never been cut off. If the car dies it is electrical. There is no 'security' light on the dash panel that is going off.

Idea four: a check of the power supply/lead from the battery to the starter turned out to be clean/intact.

I was able to jump start the D and get it going. I got about a mile and half (on my way ot my mechanic) when it stalled out due to no electrical working. Nada. No power to anything. The door locks and hazards wouldn't even work. I immediately thought it was the battery leads and checked them. Very minor corrosion only with a snug fit. Embarrassingly when the tow truck arrived the guy gave the negative lead a good tug and twist. Voila, power to the hazard lights. The D started right up. The tow guy said that the onboard computer won't let anything work without a good connection... hence the complete shutdown. I drove a few mile sto my mechanic where the battery checked out, the alternator and generator are normal.

Do I know for sure if the gremlin is gone? Not a chance. But for a few bucks I think I'll invest in some new battery leads. That way the fundamentals will be covered.

Take a look at your leads and make sure you have good power to onboard computer. That seems to be a good place to start. Good luck and hope your problem fixes quicker than mine did (or will?)!

nah, no such luck, i tried it twice and it didnt work. I have no clue at this point

Skis,

I had a similar problem on my 98 Durango one year after I purchased it new.(fortunate for me) The car would die, no power but had that clicking noise. Then after the car was towed and dropped off at the dealer it would start up and they couldn't figure out what was wrong.

Finally, when it was at the dealer it did it while it was there and it was determined that there was bad wiring from the battery and it was causing a short somewhere. They re-wired it and no more problem.

Now I'm having to deal with the known ball joint issue, AC issue, and tranny issue, and just had the oil pressure dropping problem fixed by replacing the oil pump. As soon as a dealer accepts my trade in no more owner of a Dodge Deadrango for me. :biggrin:

Hi Durango owners I'm having this same problem. It went dead and if you got a boost u could drive it, but as soon as u turned it off it would be dead again except for the clicking you'd hear from the dash. We bought a new battery but still had a few problems. He then checked the fuses and that fixed everything except the clicking you hear in the dash. We still can't figure out how to fix it. As soon as we get our income taxes we're selling this ride. It would be a great ride but too many problems. Does anyone know how to fix this problem?:banghead: