2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Won't go into overdrive, will not charge mystery

[kacee3759]

I had a problem a couple of months ago that may be of interest to some of you and may save someone a lot of head scratching. While driving down the freeway in my 99 2500 QC the auto trans. suddenly shifted out of overdrive. I later discovered that it would not shift into first either and the electrical system was not charging. I found the local Dodge dealer in Burley Idaho who tracked the problem down to a faulty power-train control module (PCM). They said it caused the alternator not to charge which caused the transmission solenoids not to work and shift properly. They ordered and replaced the PCM which worked fine for about five min. and the new one went bad. To make a five day story short. A smart and lucky mechanic discovered a wire that was warm to the touch and traced it to a main engine wiring loom running across the front of the engine near the timing cover. The wire turned out to be for the alternator drive circuit and was sticking slightly out of the loom cover and had rubbed through and shorted out. A simple repair of this wire and a new PCM fixed the problem. I was lucky and only had to pay for the wire repair and they covered the PCM under warranty. But another shop told me they would have charged me since the problem was with the shorted wire.

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

SWEET!



Can ya post a pic of where the bad point is?



I am having a helluva deal going on that is leaving me one moment needing an Injection pump and the next scratchin my head cause the truck runs fantastic after performing simple and seemingly unproductive wire jiggling and re grounding.

 

[kacee3759]

I'm pretty new at this and don't know how to attach more than one photo at a time so I'm going to include a link to a web page for the photo's.



The wire bundle comes out from behind the alternator between the alternator it's upper bracket. Then runs across the the front of the engine under the upper radiator hose. My shorted wire was right in the middle of the engine where a support bracket attaches the wire loom to the engine. While standing facing the engine the loom is right under the upper radiator hose behind the "O" in "caution fan" printed across the fan guard. Pretty tough finding a shorted wire in this tight place with many wires.



http://www.c4caraudio.com/tech/turbodiesel.htm

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

Whoa as odd as it seems just me moving this wire harness has made it possible to drive the truck. No more cutting out and thinkin I need the VP! (Altho I am puzzled as I did not find damage)

 

[kacee3759]

Hope this helps you track down your problem. Seems to me like that wire bundle runs across the front of the engine and ends up down near the pump so maybe you have a loose or intermittent connection in that area. Even after the mech. found my shorted wire and pointed it out to me it was hard to see. A very small rubbed area. Hard to see anything down near the VP area also.



GOOD LUCK! Oo.

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

Welp Follow this and we will see.

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

BTW in this photo is THIS where you had the repair done? I moved the harness and found no abraisions but can see how it could wear very easily.



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[kacee3759]

No in that photo I was just pointing to the wire bundle. The third photo with the white pointer is where the repair was made. It was right where that bracket holds the wire bundle to the engine.