It took how long for the dealer to figure out the grid heater failed in the 'on' position and tortured the charging system???
There was a recall (or at least a TSB) on a bad batch of grid heater relays quite a while ago <
wink-wink> But I'll assume the dealer knew nothing about that either.
Anyhow,
It would take about 15 or 20 minutes to do this...
After the dealer replaces everything yet again (
in a blind attempt to fix the problem) DONT start the truck until you disconnect one of the two heavy wires on the grid heater relay under the hood. (FCA calls it a Relay-Intake Air Heater)
The wire you want to disconnect is the one that feeds the grid heater itself, (not the one coming from the battery).
Once its disconnected & secured, start the truck.
(
Yes it will start & run just fine without a grid heater), then hop in and scroll your instrument cluster to the "Battery Voltage" reading. If it's 12 volts or lower then the Body Control Module may also be smoked. It must be changed and re programmed.
But first...
The Intelligent Battery Sensor module (
on the driver's side battery Negative terminal) may also be damaged. The tech should test (or replace) it
before replacing the BCM.
Once you get a healthy reading on your dash volt meter (with the engine is running) it's time to proceed to test the function of the Relay-Intake Air Heater (or R-IAH)...
With the engine running take a voltmeter and look for 12+ volts from ground to the two heavy studs on the R-IAH. One stud should be hot and one dead. If they are
both hot with 12+ volts then there is a malfunction!
Next you will need to disconnect either of the thin wires that go to the R-IAH relay. That should in-turn disengage the R-IAH thereby making one of the two heavy studs dead, (zero volts to ground).
So look again for 12+ volts to ground on the heavy studs of the R-IAH. Only
one stud should be hot. If both studs are hot then the R-IAH relay has failed in the 'on' position and should be replaced.
If however the R-IAH relay does NOT have power on both studs after you disconnect one of the thin wires mentioned above, then the R-IAH is ok but the Power Train Control Module is telling the grid heater to stay on when it should NOT be on!
At this point it gets too lengthy to proceed here in text but at least "you" can tell the FCA Tech what the problem is (and he can hopefully grasp it).
<
cough-cough>
1.) I find it hard to believe that the Tech would change all those parts in your intake air heater system and NOT do the above 15 minuet test BEFORE he made the final connection and returned the truck.
2.) Fascinating how I am NO mechanic, I've never owned one of these trucks before, and yet a moron like me was well aware of this defect (and how to address it)... but FCA was not aware??? :confused013:
Completely ridiculous.
3.) These grid heaters fail and blow engines because they are commanded to stay on far too long, sometimes continuously as you drive until the entire charging system is damaged...
or you drop a grid heater bolt into the engine and then...
. . .knock, knock, knock, knock, BOOM! :rof
Sorry for the painfully long post, but damn that was fun!
Time for my meds :food012:
Regards,
-Ej-