Engine light on several big hiccups

[TGVET]

Drove 40 miles yesterday, shut off for an hour, started up again got on the freeway and couple of big jerky hiccups and engine light now on. Drove home and seemed to run fine except for a couple more hiccups. Any ideas ? Guess I need to find a scanner somewhere and find the code. 270,000 now.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Just cycle the key on-off-on-off-on within 5 seconds and the code will be displayed in the odometer.

 

[TGVET]

Thanks for that, I had forgotten the sequence.

Code I have are : P0340, P0341 and P483. Last Saturday I was power spraying off the truck and I had the engine running warming it up a bit. I sprayed under and around the front driver side wheel well and on the windows also and decided to shut off the truck before doing any more. I did get a little spray on the engine block and some spray directed downwards on the driver window weatherstrip, nothing any different then I have been doing for a very long time other than this time the engine was idling for a few short minutes. I was told the codes are camshaft timing and grounds in the system that much I recall. Wondering what if anything I should if I could troubleshoot to find the problem and correct it.

After the washing I drove 60 miles round trip with no problems, on Sunday the next day I again drove the same trip however, it wasn't until I started the return trip back the the freeway entrance when starting to get up to merging speed it had a couple big hiccups and the light came on.

Since then I have checked the codes 3 more times, disconnected the neg battery leads/reconnected with no change. The engine light has gone off two other times though after cycling the ignition to read codes.

It seems to run OK at 60-65 which is all I normally cruise at with just a few very subtle misses. . I'm worried something realllllly bad could happen if a big hiccup happened.

Also, I cannot operate the front passenger window anymore from my console, only from the passenger side button. Seems there must be a related reason not just coincidental all at the same time.

Rob

 

[Prairie Dog]

The pass window part is easy; Your drivers window control has bad solder joints - they can take years to fail and yours finally has. If your good at soldering you can take it apart and reflow the joints. Or, you can get a new one from someplace like Rock Auto for a little over $100.
Some guys say they have had luck spraying cleaner into the switch but I don't know how that can fix a cracked, cold solder joint for very long.

The eng problem may be a bit more obscure and I'm hoping Sag2 (or someone with experience) will chime in but your getting a code regarding the speed of the cooling fan. If I remember correctly the electronic portion of the fan can create such a load that it can pull down the system bus voltage and causes other items on the bus (sensors) to be unable to communicate.
If you end up stuck someplace then I would unplug the fan and see if things will function again.

 

[TGVET]

HI PD,

Thanks for the info. wondering if there is any relationship to the Bus issues and the window thing. Seems very coincidental it happened at the same time. I hope there is an easy fix to the code problem/fan electronics. As an electrical contractor and novice electronics tech. , I'm no stranger to circuitry fix'n. .



Be looking for Sag2 or others with far more exp. in the Cummin's/Dodge issues than myself.



Rob

 

[Prairie Dog]

The window thing could also be a broken wire where it flexes at the door jamb.

 

[LNaugle]

Sounds like loose wire or short to ground... Big enough one will cause a hiccup especially if on 5volt side... Have you inspected the fan wiring and connector? Is it happening when you hit a bump?

 

[TGVET]

Intermittent, not noticing on bumps, may have gotten the connectors wet for the cam sensor behind and under the CP3. Going to try and disconnect spray with brake clean,dry reconnect.

 

[LNaugle]

I would do the same with the fan wiring...

 

[TGVET]

Electrical gremlins in my truck

Got underneath and disconnected the connectors for the fan and what looks like the one for the timing (at the balancer) both fairly easy to reach. I could not see anyway water entered the connectors (short of driving through a river 3'deep) merely by spraying off the wheel well area or even against the engine area up over the wheel and towards the ECM and CP3. Both connectors were dry and in good condition. Prior to reassembling I smeared a dab of Deox Inhibitor I use in my electrical trade on the pin sockets. (I also keep my battery connections coated this way. )



The connector farther up and behind the CP3 (camshaft timing sensor ?) was too difficult to reach and disconnect with the time I had left on the lift. Again, I see no way spray could have reached that area to soak any connections from my short spray off the other day. However, that connector does have a fair amount of oil built up over it which at 271K miles I would assume is not that unusual.



Many times I have sprayed the entire engine down at ambient temperature with simple green on a warmer days to dissolve oil film and dirt and then used my pressure washer on low velocity to rinse off the entire engine getting water directly on parts of the engine where connections are and so forth, then using compressed air to blow off any excess and I've never had any issues. So, I doubt that the little bit of spray from the other day could have affected the electrical system as some have thought. Not saying it's impossible, but doubtful.



Control of front passenger window from main console returned without doing any repairs. About a year ago, I lost control of that briefly, but not like this last time where it lasted for three days. Also, driving home Friday the wipers decided it was time to swipe my windshield two passes without my command. Whoever says Dodge trucks don't have a mind of there own, think again.



PHANTOM, RANDOM ELECTRICAL ISSUES. Should be a forum Title.



Any other thought's conveyed regarding the cause of codes (P0340,P0341,P0483) appreciated.

 

[cerberusiam]

Whoever says Dodge trucks don't have a mind of there own, think again.

Oh, I believe you. I have considered an exorcism several times because THERE IS NO RESON FOR THE WIERDNESS. :-laf



Mine has done the wiper thing since it was a month old. No reason or trigger, just runs the wiper cycle a couple times randomly.



The last 2 issues were even more disturbing. Started it up one morning, warm, dry, new batteries, all grounds and battery cables were cleaned, scraped, treated etc, and 15 seocnds after start the rail pressure went to max, rattled like crazy, and threw every code you can think of. Spent all day chasing ghosts, pulled every harness connection and sprayed it out with cleaner and made sure it was seated good. Nothing worked. One time I got a whole 5 minutes of correct operation but the next time I restarted back to the same problem.



Out desperation I drained the filter housing, filled it with SeaFoam and ran for a mintue to circulate it in the system. Started the truck the next morning and problem gone. In over 2k miles and not a single hiccup until the other day. For no apparent reason the transmission dropped out of OD and CEL lit up, stock tune loaded at the time. Stopped at a light and took off, no more issues. Checked the codes and it was P0148 and the WG controller code. My WG controller has had a fooler on it for 2 years that has never caused and issue. Cleared the codes and have put 1500 miles on it with a UDC tune on it. Averaging 18 mpg at 72-75 mph and it has run perfectly.



I dunno, if I didn't know that Dodge has one of the best EM programs in existence I would think the sun spot activity and frequent coronal mass ejections that are hitting us is the problem.



It is either that or it is possessed. :-laf

 

[SierraRam]

Was out a Pismo a couple of years ago, went to start the truck one evening and it was running on three cylinders (forgot the code). I assumed thqat I had a grounded injector circuit. Unplugged the injector connectors and ohmed out, everything checked out. Reset the code and it imediately threw it again with the truck running on three cylinders. Left it overnight and was going to take it to a local shop in the morning. , started right up normally. Reset the code and figured it would be back soon, that was 20,000 miles ago?????? Go figure.

 

[TGVET]

Thanks for sharing the PHANTOMS. Today I'm going to try again to access the connectors that seem to be related to codes. This S^*T is driving me crazy.