Archived Engine just quit again

[RPNeet]

My 2007/5. 9L with 66K miles on the Odo just quit abruptly while driving thru a parking lot at 10Mph. I stopped the vehicle and it re-started immediately and ran as if nothing happened. Afthe finishing my errands and three more start/stop cycles I headed to the closest Dodge dealer(20 miles by freeway to have the codes scanned. No active codes but four stored codes.



P2509 - ECM/PCM power input signal intermittent

P0708 - Transmission range sensor circuit high

B210D - Battery voltage low(new batteries were installed about 6 weeks ago)

B2204 - ECU configuration mismatched



Since this happened twice to my wife and once with me, I'm thinking maybe I've got a loose or bad connector somewhere in the harness.



Any one have any thoughts or suggestions?



Thanks

 

[Missouri Mule]

Try cleaning battery post and terminals. Also spray down ecm connections.

 

[cerberusiam]

What did the dealer have to offer?

 

[RPNeet]

1) $185. 00 for a troubleshoot & diagnosis to "maybe" find the cause, or 2) "keep driving it until it quits working and then the diagnosis will be easier". The truck's still covered under it's extended warranty until June so I'd like to get the issue solved before then.

FWIW - New batteries, cleaned cable connections and no-co on the re-installed terminals performed 6 weeks ago.

 

[klcammie]

When mine did the same thing it was the lift pump. After replacing no more dying then restart.

 

[RustyJC]

Just FYI to keep in the back of your mind. My wife's 2000 Durango (long gone now, rest its soul!) started dying just as you describe. Unfortunately, it would do it in the middle of intersections, on the freeway with traffic all around, etc. It would always restart immediately, but it put her in some dangerous situtations.



We were lucky to have a Level 4 Dodge service tech who worked at our selling dealer and lived right across the street from us. Jim took this Durango situation on as a personal challenge. He drove it to work and had it idling all day in the next bay with the diagnostics all hooked up - naturally, it never quit. He then decided to turn the A/C on and let it idle - in less than an hour, it shut down. To make a long story short, there was a crack in the motherboard of the ECM that would only open up under heat, but it was intermittent enough that the Durango would always restart. A tipoff was that the engine hours, start counts, etc. in the ECM were all showing very low values, despite the fact that it had 60,000+ miles on it at the time. They were getting dumped intermittently when the crack opened up and the ECM lost power.



The reason I'm giving you this story is that the Durango was out of warranty - but not the EMISSIONS CONTROLS warranty required by the EPA. It ran something like 8 years and 100,000 miles (don't quote me on that). At any rate, the Durango got a new ECM under the emissions control warranty at no cost to us. It might take a sharp tech to do some deeper digging in the ECM, but there may be similar clues to your problem.



Rusty

 

[RPNeet]

PROBLEM SOLVED! It was a corroded connection where the positive lead from the battery connects to the main fuse block. See attached photo.



The truck died again, this time 120 miles from home. Called AAA for a tow back to my local dealer. AAA responds but says they can't do a long distance tow until the next day but will store the car overnight for free. That's just great..... especially on my wife's birthday. Anyway, the tow truck driver arrives and says they've seen a lot of electrical issues with the newer electronic vehicles so he pulls out his tester and starts checking battery to ground and different points. Upon touching the clamp where the B+ is feeding the main fuse box he gets no reading. He then pushes harder and the light starts to glow. Another push and wiggle of the cable and voila we have full power. One thing I failed to notice during previous power failures was that all power was dead, lights, radio, dome light etc. He grabs a ratchet and socket from his truck, backs off the clamp bolt and retightens it. The truck starts, I drive home, and no more issues.



Today I disassembled the clamp and cable, buffed the mating surfaces with my Dremel tool, re-assembled and sprayed some No-Co stuff on it to prevent it from happening again.

 

[RPNeet]

To Rusty,

Same thing happened to my Dakota years ago. It would just die while cruising down the interstate. Call AAA, they'd tow it to the dealer, and the dealer tech would then drive it into the work bay. After three "no fault codes exist" diagnosis I told the dealer after the 4th tow in to keep the damn thing drive it until it happened again. It was still in warranty so the Svc Mgr. drove it on errands, as a shuttle, etc. until it died on him about 20 miles away from the shop... HA! Turned out to be a bad ignition board that would open up a circuit when it got hot. Board was replaced and it never happened again. In fact that truck gave me 175,000 almost completely trouble free miles.

 

[JJPage]

PROBLEM SOLVED! It was a corroded connection where the positive lead from the battery connects to the main fuse block. See attached photo.

The truck died again, this time 120 miles from home. Called AAA for a tow back to my local dealer. AAA responds but says they can't do a long distance tow until the next day but will store the car overnight for free. That's just great..... especially on my wife's birthday. Anyway, the tow truck driver arrives and says they've seen a lot of electrical issues with the newer electronic vehicles so he pulls out his tester and starts checking battery to ground and different points. Upon touching the clamp where the B+ is feeding the main fuse box he gets no reading. He then pushes harder and the light starts to glow. Another push and wiggle of the cable and voila we have full power. One thing I failed to notice during previous power failures was that all power was dead, lights, radio, dome light etc. He grabs a ratchet and socket from his truck, backs off the clamp bolt and retightens it. The truck starts, I drive home, and no more issues.

Today I disassembled the clamp and cable, buffed the mating surfaces with my Dremel tool, re-assembled and sprayed some No-Co stuff on it to prevent it from happening again.
View attachment 85199

Rusty, Thank you for returning to the thread and sharing the results of your findings. This is what makes the forum work. Good Job! Jess

 

[RPNeet]

Jess,

Actually it was I, "RP Neet" that responded with my findings on the issue. I think you mistook my reply to Rusty as his. No worries though as, just like you said, it's the active involvement of all the members that make this the best of all forums.

Cheers ... . Rick aka "RP"

 

[HBarlow]

This is a good informative thread. I read it when first posted and moved on because I had no idea what caused the problem.

Follow-up was very helpful. Many of us will remember the printed circuit boards that opened when hot and the battery cable with corrosion on the end opposite the battery.