Archived no bus signal, dashboard gauges dead!!

[JohnMcIntyre]

I have a 2001 1 ton 2nd Gen 3500 truck which has been working perfectly since I took delivery brand-new just over 5 years ago. I am currently in England and the nearest Dodge dealership is about 4,000 miles west of my current location, so options are pretty limited.



This afternoon my dashboard display went crazy, and displayed both the Transmission and ABS warning lamps, plus speedometer, revcounter, oil pressure, battery and temperature gauges are all no longer registering.



In addition the digital odometer, initially displayed the current mileage (118397) and then flashed off to be replaced by the words < no bus > which holds steady.



I won't be able to check out the details of any MIL diagnostic code until tomorrow (Monday) but would like to know if it is okay to drive the truck to the garage then without doing any harm? The engine starts up and runs okay for now, but I don't want to take any unneccessary risks.



All information and advice gratefully received.



Thanks!

 

[JohnMcIntyre]

P-Code diagnostic information

The diagnostic code reported is P1698 which translates into



short version on the scan tool: No CCD message from TCM



long version: No CCD/J1850 messages received from the electronic transmission control module (EATX) or the Aisin transmission controller.



Any ideas where either of these two items are on the truck as it is not immediately obvious to me?



Cheers,





JMc

 

[Sticks]

Disconnect both your battery ground connections.



Check all your PCM connections - disconnect and inspect for corrosion or loose wires. Engine compartment behind the air filter against the fire wall. Do not go poking anything into the female pin holes, you may distort them.



Then check your ECM connections, side of the engine under/behind the fuel filter.



Now check all the connections under the dash. Be particularly careful with any connections with a BIG YELLOW WIRE - air bag.



If you can get an inspection mirror, check the back side of the gauge cluster for connections that came loose.



I will check the trouble tree when I get to work for a dead dash/no bus signal.



Worst case scenario - ECM/PCM dead.



Sticks

 

[JohnMcIntyre]

Tcm?



Thanks for all the advice/tips - Is it likley the CTM module is a symptom or at fault perhaps? Do you happen to know what the Chrysler part number may be for the CTM module, and how to verify easily? i ask because there are Chrysler dealers in the UK so they may have a common/standard part that srvices the data bus itself for Dodge vehicles too.



Do you know if there a specific page in the Factory service manual or Service supplement manual for 2001 model year trucks that show this CTM module,

in-situ or standalone, so I know what I'm supposed to be looking for/at?



JMc

 

[NoSeeUm]

Any chance some thing got wet?



Jim

 

[JohnMcIntyre]

No way Jim, we're three weeks into a period of steady hi 80s deg F and no rain.



JMc

 

[JohnMcIntyre]

Hey - thanks Sticks! Much appreciated!!



JMc

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

So John it's good now? Mine did it a while back. Checked everything and the NoBuS is in fact a direct link to the CTM, which come to find out is not a cheap unit (Then again what is ... oh yeah I remember those push on grommet thingys that hold down the wiper cowl) Anywho I simply pulled the batt terminals and cleaned 'em up and she fired right up full readings and all . . allmost like nothing ever happened.



In fact here is the post from 2003:

Yep Mine did the exact same thing. NoBus and The Truck Ran like Poop. The Following month proved to be a major issue. Finaly I Pulled the main ground strap cleaned the connections and the battery posts and connections and all has been better than perfect.

 

[wtfd6]

mine does it only when it is extremely cold outside. i havent figured mine out. now that it is warm out i wont be able to get into it. the cluster biases and terminates the bus in the dodge ram. so most likely it isnt the problem. if there were no bus communications all togethor the truck wouldnt run. im not sure what year the ram went to a pci bus from a ccd bus. there is a whole procedure for testing bus communications in a book i recieved in a seminar i attended. i will get into mine when it does it again. i will check my book tomorrow and see if i can give you some insight.


mark

 

[Mick2500]

Thanks for all the advice/tips - Is it likley the CTM module is a symptom or at fault perhaps? Do you happen to know what the Chrysler part number may be for the CTM module, and how to verify easily? i ask because there are Chrysler dealers in the UK so they may have a common/standard part that srvices the data bus itself for Dodge vehicles too.



Do you know if there a specific page in the Factory service manual or Service supplement manual for 2001 model year trucks that show this CTM module,

in-situ or standalone, so I know what I'm supposed to be looking for/at?



JMc

John,

Read my posting here:

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?t=127041

I traced my No bus error to Connector C130 in the PDC.



Mick

 

[JohnMcIntyre]

Older and just a bit wiser.....



Finally managed to clean up the connectors at the PCM end of the wiring loom up by the firewall uner the hood and next to the cone airfilter assembly by the firewall. After 118k miles some of the connectors were looking a bit ropey, so they've now been reterminated.

The ECM end of the wiring loom also under the hood and next to the engine was also pretty much solid, so that has been left alone.



Inside the cab, I removed the instruments cluster from the dashboard and found that the problem was the connectors that drive all the analogue gauges and digital odometer plus the overhead console information computer.



There is hardly any space behind the dash from whatever direction you get to it and this makes checking wiring problems a real nightmare. I discovered that the connectors driving the instrument cluster don't appear to have any M/F retention clips to prevent them coming apart , which is what has happened over the course of 5+ years and 118k+ miles. Don't you just love them DC beancounters eh?

:--)



Its all back together now and working once more. Once again thanks to everyone for their helpful advice and suggestions.



(Note to 911Forum Admin : One more for the archive... ... . )



JMc

 

[Andy Redmond]

The i-panel cluster is bad about failing, The Dodge dealer we use sends them to Houston for some undisclosed shop to repair the boards if they fail (DC contract repair facility). For about $800!



Murphy dicates they fail at about 37K and 37 mos. :{



Good troubleshooting advice saved you some cash.



I will differ with you on how the IP cluster connects. Unless the screws that hold it down are broken its an easy in and out in minutes and a very reliable connection. If the connection was "jacked up" maybe someone that repaired your truck was rough on it when it was pulled previously?



Good luck in the UK.



Andy

 

[jjohn]

nobus fix for my 2002

We Gentlemen,
My nobus/dead dash appeared out of the blue, on startup, after going into the Post Office for 3 minutes!

After reading these posts I started my bug hunting. After cleaning all the battery terminals and ground connections nothing.

Then the three PCM connectors, nothing.

Then the ECM connector, also with no success ridding myself of the nobus dead dash problem...

With batteries disconnected I started taking apart the dash by removing the molding, and then the gauge module. I looked at the self docking connectors at the left and right top corners of the recess where the gauge module was with no Idea what to do next but put the dash all back together for another day!

After (re-seating the self docking connectors) I hooked up the batteries "and"... problem gone??? Apparently the connector(s) just needed re-seated.

However one mishap, while removing my code reader from the OBDII diagnostic port, my trucks OBDII plug fell apart. I disconnected the batteries again, taped up all the individual female connects that were once inside the ODBII port. . Now onto my next repair, the OBDII port!