Wife has a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan with a 3.3 liter (non flex fuel) engine.

Weve owned the van since Jan 09 and this issue first occurred in October of 09.I was at a Car Wash vacuuming the interior and the Van wouldnt start. All I got was clicking.The instant Jumper Cables were hooked up it started right up.

Its happened off and on since then.There are some times when you can shut it off to go into the store,and when you go to start it ,all you get is the clicking. Try cranking it a few more times and it will start.

Never gave an indication of a weakened battery when cranking at anytime.

Connections to the battery are tight and clean. When it does have a no start issue,the settings in the radio dont get wiped out,like they would on a dead battery.

Since it is only an intermittent problem,does this sound like a Battery issue or a Starter issue?

put a battery in it

Dont just throw parts at it.The batt might be bad but most parts stores will test for free.After 30 years in the buisness it sound like the starter is going bad.Typically if you have to keep turning the key to try and start amd nothing its the starter going.Like I said have the batt tested.Simple test if you can get it to not start.Hook a test light to ground.have someone hold key to start while it wont crank and touch the other end of test light to the small terminal.If it lights its the starter.The old trick was to bang on the starter while trying to start.New starters usually have ceramic magnets in them and banging on them will crack the magnets.Rocky

Yeah, it sounds like crappy contacts in starter, somewhat common in higher mile nippo starters. Especially if a "click" from starter is heard when you turn key.

granted-have battery checked for free at aap/az/oboys

Im thinking its a starter as well because it only does it once in awhile. Im under the impression that if it was ABSOLUTELY the battery,then it would do it EVERYTIME the engine was shut off.

A friend of mine used to be a Tech at the local Mopar Dealership,and he told me the contacts in the solenoid get burned up after awhile,does that sound right? He tells me theres a starter solenoid repair kit that he frequently installed in the starters of vehicles with similar symptoms. Is that really a common issue? That gave me another hunch that it is the starter.

When you put jumper cables on it it fires right up,no lagging or sign of a weak battery,and then the vehicle will operate flawlessly for a few weeks,and it will happen again out of the blue.

Battery has a problem is my bet, I had the same thing happen to me while I was 1000 miles from home on vacation. I threw a walmart battery in it and it's been trouble free for two years. Battery tested good but problem went away with new battery.

Did you have the batt tested yet?Seems like a moot point unless its been tested.Rocky