Help Please !!! / starting problems

[lobsterman]

Hi all, i have a 1994 full size ram van, V-8 /360 and am having starting problems, it got worse as it got much colder over the last few days, but it doesn't seem to be the battery thats the problem, as i've tried using ether, charging it and jumping it and none of that seemed to make any difference.

i did notice that over the past few days when it started to act up, it made a series of soft clicks just before it would start, now i'm not hearing the clicks and it won't start.

so i guess my ? is... what were the clicking sounds coming from that i was hearing just before it would start ? ( is there a fuel injector solinoid or some type of ignition relay switch that it could be ? )

( a mechanic once told me what the clicking sound was coming from a few years ago but i can't remember what it was called ???? ) any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

Pat.

[restrorob]

Thats the starter solenoid you heard clicking, It's mounted on the side of the starter. When the solenoid engauges it pulls the starter drive gear into the flywheel, When this happens the plunger inside the solenoid trips a contact switch and makes the starter motor turn the engine over. So no click no start, The fix is replace the whole starter and solenoid assembly.