My son has a '99 1500 that recently has been acting up

Last Saturday he went to goto work & his truck wouldn't turn over. I wasn't home, so he thought it might be the starter & replaced it )at a cost of nearly $200!).

Truck fired right up after replacing the starter

Tuesday morning the truck wouldn't turn over. I thought it might be the battery, so I gave him a jump, Still wouldn't turn over - no click, nothing.

Checked battery connections - tight

I had him put the truck in neutral, coast back & place in park - still nothing. Had him run the battery into Autozone to have it checked - fully charged & good to go

I had a thought today - he disconnected the battery when he removed the starter, which would have reset the computer, correct?

I had him throw the battery back in the truck - it fired right up


He also told me that when his headlights are on, his dash lights won't work - it's been that way for about a year

Am I on the right track with the thought about the computer?

Any other possible causes?

Thanks guys - he is one of four that I have in college, and money is tight right now for both of us, so I really appreciate your help!

 

Hello there, sounds like a starter relay sticking to me here is a test procedure you can do and save some cash.
1. Remove the STARTER relay from the Under hood Bussed Electrical Center (UBEC).

2. Check pin 86 for a ground.

3. Check ground 102, Left Front (LF) of engine.

4. If G102 is OK, lift the UBEC up, check the Black wire, pin D12 of the large black connector.