2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Electrical Gremlins ;starter, voltmeter, horn, APPS, light switch, and fan switch

[WaltHess]

Here are the basics. 2001 3500 HO 6spd with 260,000. Purchased used with 101,000 miles. Most items still stock; alt, starter, etc. Replaced batteries over 3 years ago with 100 month Costco brand. One boiled at just over 3 years old. . Had tested at Auto Zone to confirm kaputness, and warrantied by Costco. Currently commuting 206 miles a day in the truck until I get my 98 Saturn SW2 back on the road (293,00+ on that engine). The gremlins are as follows.



1) The starter got a case of the clicks off and on when it was colder. Now that it has warmed up -95 today- it has worked fine.



2) Voltmeter drops down to 0 . First time a week ago I checked the alt, it was still putting out voltage, and the meter came back after sitting for a day. Seemed fine till last Wed. when it did the same thing. Figured the alt was still charging like last time - wrong. Jumped in the truck after grabbing some Del Taco, and RRRR rrrrr rrr rr click, click. Jump start Vroom! Down the road my headlights were fading fast, so I put the pedal down to make it home before they quit completely. Made my turnoff , 10 miles to go with very dim lights all around. Went across the cattle guard, and POOF! full power to the lights. No voltage showing on meter. Got home, and put a trickle charger on just to be safe. Fired up the next morning, gauge works fine, and no issues since. Forums are leading me towards brushes. Who has the best rebuild kit, and should I do diodes too?



3) Horn honks alarm mode sometimes when unlocking with fob.



4) APPS would dead pedal on downhill coasts, and when cruise control was turned off. This one was installed @ around 120,000 IIRC. Sticker shock kept me from replacing sooner when this one started acting up around 190,000. Gave me fits for awhile, now it hasn't goofed up in several thousand miles of commuting.



5) Headlight switch panel gets very hot. I usually run my dash lights low, and even on high they they are the same temp. Seems too hot for me. Loose connection causing high resistance? Anyone else notice this?



6) Fan switch only has high working. which is better than low during the summer. Should I check the switch, or fan motor first?



As a side note, I just remembered that the relay for my FASS HPFP came apart. Found it laying down in the engine bay. Put the relay , and wires, back into the upper part of the housing, and zip tied it together.







Thanks in advance.

 

[PBJ2500CTD]

#3) If you find the cure let me know. My truck does the same thing. It has never happened at the house (I live out in the country). It happens when in town and often in rainy weather. I did set it off once when manually unlocking the passenger door. Makes me think it may be related to the lock switch in the passenger side door lock.

#5) I also run with the dash lights low. I haven't experienced any excess heat. Recommend pulling the light switch and check the condition of the switch and connections. My former '97 had the major meltdown syndrome of the headlight switch due to towing trailers with lots of lights.

#6) I would start with the fan motor resistor - passenger footwell - look up - near firewall on base of heater plenum.

 

[HBarlow]

Here are the basics. 2001 3500 HO 6spd with 260,000. Purchased used with 101,000 miles. Most items still stock; alt, starter, etc. Replaced batteries over 3 years ago with 100 month Costco brand. One boiled at just over 3 years old. . Had tested at Auto Zone to confirm kaputness, and warrantied by Costco. Currently commuting 206 miles a day in the truck until I get my 98 Saturn SW2 back on the road (293,00+ on that engine). The gremlins are as follows.

1) The starter got a case of the clicks off and on when it was colder. Now that it has warmed up -95 today- it has worked fine.

2) Voltmeter drops down to 0 . First time a week ago I checked the alt, it was still putting out voltage, and the meter came back after sitting for a day. Seemed fine till last Wed. when it did the same thing. Figured the alt was still charging like last time - wrong. Jumped in the truck after grabbing some Del Taco, and RRRR rrrrr rrr rr click, click. Jump start Vroom! Down the road my headlights were fading fast, so I put the pedal down to make it home before they quit completely. Made my turnoff , 10 miles to go with very dim lights all around. Went across the cattle guard, and POOF! full power to the lights. No voltage showing on meter. Got home, and put a trickle charger on just to be safe. Fired up the next morning, gauge works fine, and no issues since. Forums are leading me towards brushes. Who has the best rebuild kit, and should I do diodes too?

3) Horn honks alarm mode sometimes when unlocking with fob.

4) APPS would dead pedal on downhill coasts, and when cruise control was turned off. This one was installed @ around 120,000 IIRC. Sticker shock kept me from replacing sooner when this one started acting up around 190,000. Gave me fits for awhile, now it hasn't goofed up in several thousand miles of commuting.

5) Headlight switch panel gets very hot. I usually run my dash lights low, and even on high they they are the same temp. Seems too hot for me. Loose connection causing high resistance? Anyone else notice this?

6) Fan switch only has high working. which is better than low during the summer. Should I check the switch, or fan motor first?

As a side note, I just remembered that the relay for my FASS HPFP came apart. Found it laying down in the engine bay. Put the relay , and wires, back into the upper part of the housing, and zip tied it together.



Thanks in advance.

I think you have several separate problems.

1. One battery out of a pair should never be replaced. If you replace one you should replace both. Your batteries are only as good as the weakest of the two and the old one is almost certainly junk.

2. Your alternator brushes are probably worn completely out at 260k. Rebuild or replace the alternator. It's not charging.

3. My '01 always has a hot light switch during night driving but after 11 years and around 360,000 miles the OEM light switch is still installed and still working fine. Apparently Dodge wiring draws a lot of current through the light switch.

4. Weak batteries and low output from the alternator will probably cause the other voltage related problems.

 

[WaltHess]

Thanks for the replies.

Only one was replaced (warrantied) due to tight finances. If that changes I can use these batteries in the forklift, or other car, and put two new ones in the Dodge.

Shade tree fix on the starter this past week. Pulled it out at a friend's house just to inspect it, and the battery contact looked like lace. The starter side looked new, and the solenoid disc had a slight taper, but lots of meat left. Since it was out, and we were a block away from where I work, I figured why not try a budget fix since I did not have a kit handy. Silver soldered a piece of flattened . 500" copper tube to the contact after I milled down the contact to make it even, Removed . 069" to match the smashed tube thickness. After silver soldering, it was smashed down in the milling machine vise to make it even. It was within . 0015" of being flat, and parallel, so I called it good. Cleaned the disc up on a wire wheel, and filed the new contact to clear the solenoid. Tested, installed, and it works perfectly now. Gonna see how long it lasts for grins.

The horn does not honk if I lock the doors before unlocking. Has not done it in awhile, so I have been just unlocking normally, but I have suspected possible low voltage causing this. The heat here kills batteries fast.

Forgot this problem earlier. The 4x4 light flickers when it isn't engaged. I looked under the truck, but did not see a switch. Is it in the transfer case, or did I just not look close enough?

Thanks.

 

[Missouri Mule]

If you have the CAD (Center Axle Disconnect) it is in the CAD Housing on the passenger side front axle. If you have the new 4x4 engaging/disengaging system I have no idea.

 

[BK]

When I start to hear of all these assorted problems, and if they appeared all at the same time, I start thinking a bad ground.

As well, the new systems seem to really depend on the battery to filter out the alternator ripple.

A weak battery, high internal impedance, will not act as a nice filter as a new battery would, and can drive the computers and electronics crazy.

Badly done battery cables, will contribute to both a "bad ground" symptoms, and "high internal impedance battery" problems.

As mentioned above, you must replace these batteries in pairs.
Even though one tests fine, it's not long for this world if the other died of old age.
And keeping an older one in parallel with the new one will contribute to an early death of the new one. They will not share the high current loads evenly.

 

[GAmes]

Not sure where the air outlets are on your dash. Mine has one below the light switch. I pulled the facia off and drilled several holes in the top of the tube. Now there is some air circulation and the light switch stays cooler. The heat is, in fact, caused by the resister when you turn the dash lights low. On the '97 all the marker lights are directly powered by the switch as well. I replaced all of them with leds. The switch is cooler than before. Then I wired my head lights to relays, so they are powered directly to the battery. Again, cooler. Now the only heat is the resistor for the dash lights. I don't know how to fix that.



The default for the resistor that is for the fan (and mounted right next to it) has a default to high. I got one from a u-pull-it yard from a 1500 for $1.

 

[WaltHess]

Hey GAmes,

I had thought about doing the same thing - venting some air up to the switch. I figured that the high resistance by having the lights low was probably the culprit, but I really don't like having the lights bright at night. One thing that I would like to change is how the cargo light works. Whose bright idea was it to have the dome light come on before the cargo light!? Doing so just about makes it impossible to see what is in the bed at night. Looking to put it on a separate switch.



I haven't been to the wrecking yards down in Las Vegas since moving here in 05, so I will have to get acquainted with them to see who has what. Back home I was a regular at the various ones we had locally.



Missouri Mule, I will check to see which one I have. There is a bundle of wires that plugs into the transfer case. Guess I could unplug it, and see if the light goes off. Hadn't thought of that when I was under there.



Thanks for all of the replies so far. This truck, and my 98 Saturn SW2 are the newest vehicles I have owned. There is a lot more to them electrically than my 74 Duster, 72 Olds ambulance, or my 67 M-715.

 

[GAmes]

I too drive with the dash lights low. It is something I learned early in flight training when we did our first night flight. The dimmer the instruments the better you can see outside. I just can't convince my wife of it. :-laf



Once again, we have different switches so I don't know if this will work for you. I identified which wires powered the cargo and dome lights, then cut and spliced them to the opposite wires.

 

[WestTN]

With this many systems nvolved, I think you have a bad ground somewhere.