ATTN:person with wiring diagram 96(and knows how to use it)

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I was changing my batteries on my 96, the origional ones. I noticed that a orange around 14g wire on the drivers battery was limp. I looked at it closer, and it had a hole in the insulation, and the wire was in several pieces. The insulation does not look like it was hot. The wire was dull dark brownish, and there was gaps missing. The wire was brittle, and I was able to break it with my fingers. It appears to have been like this for a LONG time. I think the hole in the insulation was caused by a broken piece rubbing through from the inside. Everything seems to work, and any help would be apricated. Doc suggested it was a fusable link, but what does it fuse??

PS It does run better with the new batteries in. It was getting to the point that I could count the cylinders compress.

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1996 2500, 4x4, 5 speed
-- email address removed -- Great Lakes TDR
PURDUE STUDENT 
GO
BOILERS

 

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If it is a 10ga org/w black tracer it's the + supply to your fuse block. Don't know what went wrong there,but I'd sure as heil replace it.

 

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I went out and looked at my '96. I think I saw the wire you are talking about. Have searched the service manual and can not find it. Mine is taped with a blue one but it is too dark to follow them tonight. Do you have the trailer tow option?? I will look again in the a. m. unless someone figures it out before then.

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96 2500 4x4 Driftwood auto Waren 4x boards pyro,boost,trans temp on a piller mag hytec trans

 

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Update...
The orange wire has a black tracer on it. It turns into a red wire with a tan tracer on it after a few inches. It is bundled to a dark blue wire off the battery that turns into a red with black tracer at the same spot in it. The splice on the blue has white dots on the covering of the splice. Both wires go down, and enter the big wiring bundle by the grid heater relays.

My truck is a ST, 2500, 5 speed, 4x4, no fog lights, AC, tow package, CUMMINS, no clearance lights, am/fm radio, reg cab, long bed, no overhead computer, manual locks, crank windows, no camper package, rear anti lock, manual seats, no light under hood. That is everything that might affect the wiring that I can think of right now.

wayne

[This message has been edited by Jff24Gordn (edited 11-23-2000). ]

 

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Wayne,

I have a '95 and it appears to have the same wires you describe on the driver's side positive terminal. However, the manual does not show them all. And the one it does show is messed up. There are four small wires on my battery. Two are black about 10 and 12 gage I guess. There is a blue one that does not appear on any diagram I can find. The other appears to be orange. The blue one and the orange one go into black tubing (may be fuse links) about four to six inches from the battery. There is a wire in the diagram that is labeled pink that goes to a splice. On the page where the splice is shown the wire from the battery is labeled black. ???? Anyway, this one goes to a fuse and then to the hazard warning flasher. You might check to see if that works.

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Joe George
Eureka, CA

'95 2500 CC auto 4X4,3. 54,Combo EGT/boost guage,custom switch panel,PacBrake,TST #5,BD valve body,Automatic motorhome steps on both sides,Foldacover hard bed cover,Cummins chrome kit,Black steel grill guard,Front hitch receiver

 

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The wire you are talking about is one of the biggest problems why your trucks wont start if (you have a problem starting
). What happens is this wire rots or coroids and does not let solinoid (the one on side of injection pump) open to let fuel in. Originally posted by Joe G. :
Wayne,

I have a '95 and it appears to have the same wires you describe on the driver's side positive terminal. However, the manual does not show them all. And the one it does show is messed up. There are four small wires on my battery. Two are black about 10 and 12 gage I guess. There is a blue one that does not appear on any diagram I can find. The other appears to be orange. The blue one and the orange one go into black tubing (may be fuse links) about four to six inches from the battery. There is a wire in the diagram that is labeled pink that goes to a splice. On the page where the splice is shown the wire from the battery is labeled black. ???? Anyway, this one goes to a fuse and then to the hazard warning flasher. You might check to see if that works.

 

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Update 2. 0
I think I might have found where that wire goes. I think it ends up at the passanger side plug above the fuel filter on the top of the firewall. I am pretty sure thats it, its the same size and color. It goes to the bottom center pin, if you consider the clip on the plug to be the top. What is this plug for?? It either goes there or maybe stays in the bundle as it goes back behind the motor. It doesnt appear that a simmlar wire comes out anywhere else. Thanks for any help in advance.

Also, I found a bare wire on the line that goes to the lift pump(fuel heater??). It was rubing on a power steering line, and was doen to the copper. I put tape on it for now, and will figure out a better fix later.

 

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Did you try your hazard warning lights?

 

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There are two relays on the firewall there, but no connectors. One is the fuel heater relay and the other is the fuel shut down relay. If the truck runs ok, then the fuel shut down relay is not the problem. If the fuel heater relay does not work you may not notice anything wrong unless the weather is really cold. There are not many things that come directly off the positive post of the battery without going thru the power distribution center (the box just in back of the driver's side battery). Hazard lights, these two relays, and the manifold heaters.

[This message has been edited by Joe G. (edited 11-24-2000). ]

 

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Update 2. 1
The hazzard lights do work, I forgot to put that in earlier. How would I test the other 2 items (the grid heater works). I hafta crank a little unless I give it some fuel to start off with, I guess becuase of old check valves, rubber lines, ect, and not the soloniod. What temp does the fuel heater turn on at? And could this be because of the wire I found bare, but not shorting going to the lift pump? Only 1 of the 2 had a hole in it, and it was rubbing the rubber coated steering hydrolic line.

THANKS for all the help Joe G.

 

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I sounds like the fuel heater is the problem all right. It's supposed to turn on at 40 degrees to prevent the fuel from gelling. This might also explain the extra cranking on start up. The bare wire you found does NOT go to the lift pump. There are no wires on the pump. There are wires that connect to the fuel heater assembly which is right next to the pump.


Testing it is done with a multi-meter. Kind of an inconvient thing to test. The resistance of the two terminals on the side of the heater should be about 1 ohm at 0 degrees up to 1000 degrees when warm. No hint on how to cool or warm up the fuel in your truck to do this. The fuel temp sensor is on top of the heater. There is a pig tail coming from it. Check the resistance across the two wires. It should show an open circuit when the fuel temp is above 80 and closed with below 40. With the fuel temp sensor disconnected there should be 12V on the wire comming to it. If the fuel temp sensor is connected and working (fuel temp below 40), there should be 12V on the wire to the fuel heater. I suppose you have the below 40 business ok in IN at this time of the year. You can always drive to FL to warm up the fuel I guess. If the wires are all connected and have bare spots that's a pretty good indication that the fuel header flunked the test.


According to the manual it's easy to take off. (I've heard that one before!) It may be shorted and that's why you have the bad wire. The fuel heater and prefilter assembly is a three piece sandwich. The bottom is the prefilter. You can remove it from below with a 17mm socket. Be carefull when you do because you may get a fuel bath. I use a long extension so I can stay out of the way and a drip pan when I inspect and clean the prefilter. I have never had the fuel heater off so I'm just looking at pictures now. Disconnect the electrical connector. It also says remove the starter motor but you may not have to do that. At this point the manual just says "remove the fuel heater assembly from housing". No hint if it screws on with the central screw or just pulls down. There is a large screw that goes thru the middle that appears to hold the whole mess together so if the preheater is threaded on that screw it will have to be unscrewed. Otherwise it may just pull down. If it's shorted it may have taken the relay on the firewall with it. I hope all this BS helps.

Oh yeah, almost forgot, you may have to rewire it if the fuel heater burnt up the ones you have. It draws a LOT of juice when it really cold!


You really should have the manual. It's cheap at twice the price!



[This message has been edited by Joe G. (edited 11-25-2000). ]

 

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Does this fall into the 100,000/5 year warnetee? The 5 year part goes in Janurary, I have 73k. I have played with the fuel plate, but this has nothin to do with power, so it should be covered, right? If it does, I might get this done the easy way, dealer. Or I might just let it go, and use standyne, to keep the fuel from gelling, and get it fixed at some later time.

 

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I dunno if you could sell them on a warranty fix. It involves Dodge wiring and a Cummins part. At this point we don't know if it's a wiring problem or the fuel heater is shot. I suspect the latter since the wires appear to be cooked. It all has to be tested to confirm these suspicions. We could be barking up the wrong tree here.

 

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All of warranty is thru Dodge, engine too.
Try dealer Jeff if you can't find problem.
Up where you are the weaher should be cold enough for fuel heater to be on. Feel fuel lines or pre-filter it should be warm. A lot warmer than outside temp if 40 or below.
Wiring unless you have extended warranty ended at 36,000. But fuel heater mite be under engine warranty except it's electrical and most of the time electrical equipment is not covered. Check warranty book
Also Jeff if your doing cold weather starts it's not unusual to depress go pedal 1/4. Unless of course you have it plugged in(coolant heater).

 

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Jeff,
Looked at my truck today, yesterday it rained all day.
Orange wire goes to fusible link,so does a black one, their right next to each other.
As they come out of the fusible link orange=red/tan, black=red/black.
The red/black goes to fuel shut down relay, yes the fuel shut down relay has hot/power(+) wire going to it all the time.
Quess where the red/tan( as per service manual 8w-30-47 1996)wire goes to? Give up the fuel heater relay. It apparently has power going to it all the time also.
I forgot to check post to see if fusible link was history on orange wire. Check wires all the way to fuel heater relay and fuel heater make sure they didn't ground. Check fuel heater relay to see if working,should be able to use test light. Also check to see if fuel heater was pulling to many amps(power), if fusible link no good(as in melted apart)and no shorts, relay working, heater was pulling to much power.
If your orange wire is the only problem splice new one in, from connector on battery to fusible link(if link is still good) if not new wire and fusible link to red/tan wire.