04.5 Electrical Problems - Loosing all power

[SGregson]

I have a 04. 5 auto that has some major electrical problems. I will be driving usually early evening and all the power to the truck shuts off, the engine dies, all electrical power, headlights, dash lights, radio... . everything. Most of the time the truck starts back up for a sec and then it does it again, then it will run fine until it looses all power the next time. There are times when the transmission has to be put in neutral and I have to manually start the truck with the ignition. I have had it in 4 different dealerships in two states (recently moved) and they can never reproduce the problem. It will show error codes sometimes and then the next morning they are gone. However the last time it did it I got these 3.

P2509 - ECM/PCM Power Input Signal Intermittent

P0630 - VIN Not Programmed in PCM

P0088 - Fuel Rail Pressure High



On a trip to Vegas I was at an intersection and the truck died, and the truck would not start back up for 15 minutes. During that time I had the hazard lights on and they would come on and off and very dim but the motor would not crank at all and no power to anything. Recently I have noticed that at night with the headlights on the lights will flicker or dim briefly and this gives me some notice that the truck is about to shut off. I called Dodge today and talked to someone about the problem, they where no help at all. They called the dealership where the truck is at and said that there is nothing that they can really do if they can not reproduce the problem. I am so frustrated that I am considering selling the truck and getting something else. I need some ammo to take back to the dealer so I can get my truck fixed. :-{}

 

[brista]

Have they checked the ECM connections to make sure they are tight and not corroded?

 

[SGregson]

Well, I am hoping for one more last ditch effort to get this truck running otherwise I am going to get rid of it. I have had it at two different dealerships and an independent shop as well. The first dealership could not reproduce the problem while it was in the shop, their best guess was the PCM. So they replaced the PCM and when I drove the truck home it did it again. They said that they checked all of the grounds, batteries, battery cables with no avail. The second dealership says they can not find the problem and they did not seem to be helping. At last I took it to an independent shop and they where able to get it to die on them. The only problem is that they are not 100% sure what it really is. They suspect that it is the BCM, but I did not think that the BCM had any interaction with the engine. At first it would only do it once to twice a week. Now it does it every time I drive it. The truck has been in the shop for 6 weeks and it is beginning to be a financial drain. I love the truck and want to keep it, but I can not drive it especially in the dark when everything goes out. Any suggestions or any ideas are greatly welcome.

 

[rbattelle]

What's the "BCM"?



Are you sure the basics - alternator and batteries - are good? As brista mentioned, have the ECM connections been checked for corrosion and conductivity?



Ryan

 

[sag2]

The P2509 is the most telling of the codes. It means that B+ was lost to the ECM. If you look at the wiring diagram it feeds from the batteries to the FCM/PDC to the ECM. From what you describe battery power is being lost to the PDC and ECM. Don't overlook a battery shorted internally. Replace the battery cable(s) from the battery to the PDC, and from the PDC to the ECM. Based on the slow ing you describe I would say it is most likely from the battery(s) to the PDC. For the price of batteries I would replace them also.

Can't tell if your still in warranty or not, but even if you are and it's costing you down time, pay a shop to do it anyway, as unless they can duplicate the problem they are not going to start replacing parts.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Brista is rite, there were problems with those connectors on your era of truck. Pull both pos batt leads and then unplug the two connectors from the computer on the lower drivers side of your eng. If you find corrosion or water there's a TSB to fix it.



Scott

 

[p-Bar]

You may want to monitor the batt. voltage with a "real" voltmeter . The low volts could cause this possibly

 

[Turbo1Ton]

I remember reading posts about the connector in the steering column shorting out and catching fire on the early 3rd gens. If you adjust your tilt often, you might want to check that connector also.



Jeff