Archived Truck will not run

[ACoyle]

It started yesterday, The ABS light and the Airbag light were coming on and off and the chime sounding. Occasionally, the truck would stumble when I stepped on it.

I went out this morning and the truck would at first start then promptly shut off. I checked DTC codes and got a P2005 or 2029, I do not remember which. The message was powered off due to data loss.

The instrument panes is very erratic, the lights come on when not turned on, the fuel gauge does not work, the low fuel light comes on and the odometer says nobus.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thank You

Andy

2004 Ram 3500 325/600 motor.

 

[HHhuntitall]

No Bus? Sounds like an electrical connector is undone somewhere... check grounds on the batteries and the crossmember, to the block, and to the frame, then check the electrical connectors on the PCM on the firewall, then the ECM on the side of the engine. Something is loose somewhere, or you've lost the ECM..... Low voltage will make it have ghosts, too. Make sure your batteries are good, and they have good contact to the posts.



P2005 Intake Manifold Runner Ctrl Stuck Open Bank2?

P2029 Fuel Fired Heater Disabled?

 

[MLee]

How about Battery voltage, The ECM loves good wattage.

 

[BGlidewell]

How about Battery voltage, The ECM loves good wattage.

agree. How old are the batteries?

 

[ACoyle]

It is a 2004 with original batteries. I will check the voltage when I get home that could be it.

I had a similar issue with my '99. They had a connector on the dash issue. When the dash went funky a good rap in the middle of the dash fixed things.

I am not overly suspicious of the batteries as it cranks well. It seemed to start yesterday on the way home. The ABS and Air bag lights would come on and go away, but, it ran OK. Last night, it stumbles a couple times then after I stopped at Home Depot and came out all was OK.

Then this morning it all went to heck in a hand basket.

 

[HHhuntitall]

Check the batteries and the alternator... . it could have quit. If you're pulling all the amps to the starter, then the ECM will lose voltage, and that throws some wierd codes, sometimes... .

 

[p-Bar]

You really have an 04. 5 anyways try a re boot on the computer and disconnect the batteries for a half hour or so.

 

[ACoyle]

Here is tonight's escapade. There is a shop near me, small time shop. My wife had them look at it today. They did not find much / anything and they did not charge anything, honest people.

Anyway. As I read the codes tonight, I have a P1652 - J1850 short to ground. Does any one have a schematic that can look up J1850?

I get ABS lights / Air Bag lights, when I stomp down it stumbles badly. The dash says on and off "nobus". The shop guy dis say that he checked the grounds.

I will disco the batteries before I go to bed and leave them off till tomorrow night.

 

[Bob4x4]

Inspect the wiring harness near the C108 (14 pin) connector. This connector should be at the back of the engine, near the transmission bell housing.

 

[Nyoest]

Remove clean and install all the grounds under the hood. Cheapest thing you can do, and just about the quickest too. Don't count on the shops diagnosis, if Earl didn't see no green on them there bolts they must be good.

 

[Superglide]

What Bob4x4 said. Mine started fine but died backing out of my driveway. It would crank but not fire and it was the C108 connector. Wire frayed from rubbing against the bell housing.

 

[ACoyle]

Last night, before I went to bed, I disconnected the batteries. I noted a lot of white powdery stuff on the negative post of the battery on the drivers side. I also noted that the shop guy had not removed cleaned terminals. After sitting all night and today, I will clean terminals and measure battery voltage tonight.

I will look for the C108 connector. from your description, I assume that I need to look for this from the underside? I have also been fighting a fuel leak. When I hit the brakes more than a little I can smell diesel in the cab through the heater / AC vents. When I stop the truck, I see a small spot of fuel under the center of the truck just about at the bellhousing engine joint. This could play into the connector which is alps in that area, or be a separate thing. There is no fuel leak when the truck is running and prior to the onset of this problem, there was no power loss or stumbling.

 

[HHhuntitall]

Yes, and check to see if your fuel pump is on the back of the fuel filter housing. Those are prone to failure, some less than 50k miles. If that pump has gone bad, it could be causing the stumble and die problem. I don't know how it could be related to the ABS lights, though, unless the wire loom has rubbed into near there.

 

[ACoyle]

Just an update. Strong thunderstorms last night kept me from working the problem. I hope to look tonight. I really appreciate all of your help and didn't want anyone to think that I was not working the problem.

 

[Sticks]

Just an update. Strong thunderstorms last night kept me from working the problem. I hope to look tonight. I really appreciate all of your help and didn't want anyone to think that I was not working the problem.

It's your truck, work on it when you want. We're here to cough up ideas and suggestions when you run into a wall.

 

[ACoyle]

Sticks - thank you for that. I feel helpless without it and the wife is starting to bemoan the not having her car thing.





Apologies in advance, this will probably be a long post.



I have been thinking about this a lot and I have always felt that history has a lot to do with things.



When I go over bumps, I hear a bang from the back seat area. I have always thought that it was the fold up platform under the rear seat. Now I wonder if it is not tailpipe or something else banging on my wire harness.



What is happening seems to have an intermittent nature about it. That is to say that the ABS lght comes on and goes out, the AirBag light does the same. There are times when none of them are on. The stumbling could well be the fuel pump being switched on and off. I really think the wire harness that you have pointed out is the culprit and that it has become snagged / frayed / pinched. This would also explain the 1649 code that was not there before. Also the nobus in the odometer comes and goes.



Anyway, here is my plan.



The night before last, I disconnected the batteries as suggested. Tonight, I will measure battery voltage and clean the terminals. Reconnect and start the truck. Then measure voltage across the batteries with the engine running. I suppose that I am looking for 11. 5 to 12 volts or so off the batteries and 13. 5 or so running, please correct me if I am wrong.



Then pull the truck off the street into the driveway. Jack up the front end and try to follow that harness. Does anyone have an idea about how it is routed?



The wife is getting edgy about not having her car, I gotta do something. I really hate to take it to the dealer, but may have to make a backup appointment if I cannot even find a clue.



Wish me luck, plese add in any other ideas that you might have. I have 90K on the clock, hoping that computers may be covered still, but, I thought I read where they are not.

 

[Sticks]

A smashed harness will be hard to spot (noted banging), and could be the culprit.

While under the truck, grab and wiggle the exhaust, drive lines, skid plates, shocks, trailing arm, fuel lines, and anything else that looks like it could come loose to try to locate the banging. Check any and all harnesses in the area where it may be hitting.

 

[HHhuntitall]

Check for smooth, worn spots against the frame and body, as those might indicate the loom has been pushed against it repeatedly. If there is a connector issue, I'd think it would be somewhere in the engine compartment, as that's where almost all the engine wires run. There's a connector on the firewall behind the engine, several on the driver side of the engine, and of course, the main ECM connectors on the side of the engine. Then there's the wire connectors in the PCM on the passenger firewall, behind the air filter box.

 

[ACoyle]

I have had a successful night. I came home and checked the batteries 12. 7 - 12. 8 volts out of each. Cleaned the connections and put the cables back on. Before I did anything else, I crawled under the truck and looked around. On the driver side down low right where the engine block meets the bellhousing, is a connector. I believe that is the one that you were telling me about. I felt around there and I felt a lot of loose wires. I could not really see well. I poked my fingers in between all of the wires that I could reach. I then got out ans started the truck. No errors and it dis not stumble. I am going to have the shop clean will up the wires and fix the fuel leak. Hopefully then I will be good to go. You all are probably the only group who can understand how attached you got to your truck. Thank you very much for the help and encouragement. I hope this is the end of it and I will post back and let you know.

 

[HHhuntitall]

I have had a successful night. I came home and checked the batteries 12. 7 - 12. 8 volts out of each. Cleaned the connections and put the cables back on. Before I did anything else, I crawled under the truck and looked around. On the driver side down low right where the engine block meets the bellhousing, is a connector. I believe that is the one that you were telling me about. I felt around there and I felt a lot of loose wires. I could not really see well. I poked my fingers in between all of the wires that I could reach. I then got out ans started the truck. No errors and it dis not stumble. I am going to have the shop clean will up the wires and fix the fuel leak. Hopefully then I will be good to go. You all are probably the only group who can understand how attached you got to your truck. Thank you very much for the help and encouragement. I hope this is the end of it and I will post back and let you know.

You bet, hope it fixes it. I'd also think your fuel leak could be part of your problem with it stumbling. Also has to hurt your mileage. A little leak adds up over time. Let us know how it goes.