Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Dash light warning indicator

[Gunny]

I'm having a problem with a dash warning light on my 2002 3500 6speed 4x4. This warning light in the owner's manual is light number 22 and the manual says it is a malfunction indicator light. First time this light came on was before I had the guages installed in this truck and I was going through a pass and climbing about 4000 feet in about 8 miles. I ran this pass unloaded about 70mph. Sometime after that I noticed this particular dash light was on. I was going out of town for the day, a trip of about 200 miles one way and noticed after I stopped and started 3 or 4 times that the light went out. 2 or 3 days later going through the same pass the light came on again. I thought it had to be that damn pass but after shutting the truck off and restarting it 3 or 4 times during the day the light went out again. The next time this light came on I wasn't in that pass. I was passing a truck on a 2 lane road and had the throttle pretty much buried for 1/2 minute or so... light came on. I didn't turn the truck off and on for the rest of this trip and the light stayed on even after I got home 300 miles later. The next morning I went to drive the truck this indicator light was still on and stayed on until I had shut the truck off and on 3 or 4 times. I now have had EGT and Boost guages installed and I think that I have figured out why this light is coming on. As a matter of fact, I can make it come on any time I want to. . Let me explain, this '02 Cummins makes a lot of boost for a stock truck. How's about 29 or 30 lbs anytime you bury the throttle in 6th gear. Now just hitting 29 or 30 lbs of boost does not turn on the indicator light but leaving the throttle buried and making this much boost for 25 or 30 seconds will turn the light on every time. So I guess my question is... what in the hell could be going on and could I be doing any damage? Thanks guys. Gunny

 

[Turbo Tim 1]

Have you tried cycling the key 3 times fast to see what codes come up on the odometer? Lets start there and see what we get. We need to know what the code is in order to diagnose the problem properly.

 

[Gunny]

Turbo Tim,

Thanks for the response! I atually had forgotten about that code thing in the odometer window. I did check that and here is what happens. In the window it says: P PCU and then --------, and then P 1693 and then -------,and then P DONE after a short pause in the window it says P PCU, and then -------, and then P 0234, and then -------,and then P DONE. Hope that you or someone can figure this mess out. For this old Marine it's all greek to me. Gunny

 

[Turbo Tim 1]

Gunny,



It looks kind of like what I expected after reading your first post, P-0234 is Turbo Boost Limit Exceeded (your lucky I am at work but had my Diesel Powertrain Diagnostic book out in the truck) Does your gauge go past 30 psi? Why I ask is because maybe it is going higher than that and tripping the code even with your box and boost fooler in there. If your gauge does go higher than that so you can be sure that's all your getting then I would get ahold of wherever you got your VA box and look into a new harness because that one seems to be letting the high boost signal get to the ECM or my other thought is that is were they want the boost to top out and your wastegate isn't working. Check with who you got your box from, they should know what kind of boost should trip that code through their harness set-up. That's my 2 pennies worth. Good luck Sir

 

[Turbo Tim 1]

Oh and p. s. P1693 is just a code to tell you that you have a code. Directly from the book it says, "trouble code indicates that there is a Diagnostic trouble code stored in the PCM or ECM"

 

[Gunny]

Tim, Thanks man! All of the above has happened and is happening with the VA off the truck. I actually had this problem before I ever got the box hooked up. Never hooked the VA up because I wanted to solve this problem first.



Now I am reading something into your post about the box. Correct me if I am wrong here. But what I THINK your are saying is the box itself may just have the ability to FOOL the computer. Is that right? If that is so maybe just hooking up the box may in fact solve this problem. Thanks again man and let me know if my thinking is right here. Gunny

 

[snowracer69]

I'm not sure about the VA box, but if it does hook into the map sensor, then yes, it will fool the computer into not seeing the high boost numbers. Basically, it turns into a boost fooler with the added benefit of more power.



Josh

 

[Turbo Tim 1]

Somewhere around 20-22 psi is the maximum boost that you should see stock and with out a boost fooler of some type. If you haven't done anything to raise things from stock boost levels then I would do two things- 1 figure out someway to check the accuracy of your boost gage and 2 Possibly check the wastegate for operation. I set the Boost limit code once when towing in the mountains of New Hampshire before I had done anything to my truck but my MIL light never came on, I only found out when I went in to get something checked out and they hooked the DRB up to the truck and saw it, of course their first question was if I had a box, which I didn't at the time. I would really suspect the accuracy of your gauge right now though. If you have a warranty bring it in and let Dodge look at it. The book says if you have this code replace the wastegate, but my guess is that your just pushing her to the limits and it's somewhat normal. Check your gauge, if it's bad get a new one then put the VA on, it should have a connection for the MAP sensor and a boost elbow, that should fix your problems if I am not mistaken. I could be completely wrong though.

 

[Big White Beast]

Sounds like the waste gate......

Did the VA box come with an elbow to put on the turbo? If so did you install it already? If your making that much boost stock it is a waste gate problem.



Garrett