[Guest]

I remembered reading on TDR about a little wire that rubbed bare when I first got my truck three years ago...well, I found it, and it was bare. I found I had looked at the WRONG wire then...I had looked at the wire with the connector, it was the OTHER wire!

The wire is part of the AC circuit, but IIRC it is also part of the CPS (crank position sensor) circuit. You can see the oil filter right above the wiring...the wire rubs a bolt head on the AC compressor and runs to a AC pressure sensor next to the AC compressor. I ran a little RTV over the bare spot, added a piece of convoluted tubing, and ziptied it up a little better.

I had a intermittent rough idle, and a very lopey high idle. After I fixed it, it coughed and stumbled, just like it does when you replace the CPS. It completely cured my rough idle, intermittent hard/bucking start, and lopey high idle.

If you can see the pictures, it is a VERY small bare spot.

This is one of those things I had put away into the "ah-ha" files so long ago and, for whatever reason, decided to look a little deeper tonight since I was already there.

My power is back to normal, with very little smoke. Rough/hard start is gone...idle is normal. Things runs like it did when new...I also gained between 2 and 4 psi of boost. The thing acted like I was losing an injector and like the timing was retarded...

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w114/sdeeter19555/brokenwire/IMG_1941.jpg

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w114/sdeeter19555/brokenwire/IMG_1942.jpg

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w114/sdeeter19555/brokenwire/IMG_1945A.jpg


steved

 

[Guest]

As a side note, this caused NO codes to be thrown...just poor running.

steved

 

[AH64ID]

wow.. good find... something else to put in the headbone.

 

[DORKWEED]

This should be a sticky in the 3rd gen area IMHO!!!:thumbsup Good job as always Steved!!

 

[Dad]

Nice work..

Makes you wonder how many parts have been swapped at Dodge dealers across the country looking for that..

 

[Guest]

Nice work..

Makes you wonder how many parts have been swapped at Dodge dealers across the country looking for that..

Thanks, but I want to stress that I only used the information someone else provided to find this problem...I didn't find it on my own, although the last time I read that thread was over 3 years ago.

I'm quite sure there has been a lot of time and money spent in vain trying to locate this problem...I know when it is bad, it causes a no start/no run condition.

steved

 

[AlK]

steved,

Thank you for posting this. I took a look at my 2006 and everything was ok. Just to make sure that the wires will never rub against any metal surfaces, I took two pieces of 5/16" rubber hoses(1 about 2" and 1 about 6") and cut them length wise on one side and slipped them over the electrical wires.

 

[ynots57]

Gotta love this site........... Thanks for sharing this info steved,

 

[BBRam]

This should be a sticky in the 3rd gen area IMHO!!!:thumbsup Good job as always Steved!!

Sticky it is. Thank you Steved, Great piece. :thumbsup

 

[BearPaw]

I know what I'm going to be doing this weekend. Thanks.

 

[05610on24s]

Mine has been doing the rough idle and hard start for a while... It doesnt do it all the time though. I had talked to a diesel mechanic that i know and he actually told me about this. I just have been to damn lazy to look at it. Well, i did the other day, wrapped it, and cleared it from the AC line... Since i have noticed that it idles smoother and sounds better. As far as boost gain... If i get in it all the way with my TST, im holding 40psi......which is all i wanna get out of my stock and what my TST is set to limit at.... No fuel pressure guage yet to tell anything there... But like i said, it sounds better and idles smoother since i fixed this problem....

Very nice write up steved.. you actually made me remember about the wire and go fix it... Thanks

 

[BighornCTD]

Well I am crossing my fingers on this one. My truck has been plagued with the same symptoms which the dealer has never been able to fix for the last 20K miles.

Last weekend I was under the truck investigating a coolant leak and decided to look at this. All I did was pull some slack in the wires so they weren't up against the compressor. It was cold and I was laying in my driveway so I didn't put on any loom yet, but I will as soon as I get it pulled in the shop. I couldn't get a good enough look to see bare spots, but will look closer to see.

So far it seems to be running much better, like it was new again. And my overhead is reading 20 mpg (should be about 18 hand calc'd) which would be a record for me driving to work and back. :thumbsup Funny thing is this has been an intermittent problem...maybe changing oil filters has disturbed the wire enough to make it either better or worse?

 

[VjjR]

is this what is wrong with my truck? i checked a few times... never found anything but my truck runs rough sometimes at idle and sometimes smooth at idle smooth the rest of the time and dosent matter if hot or cold. starts good. nothing else is wrong.

 

[antimullet]

Wow that would look extremely hard to detect as even a problem!

This must be causing some type of Radio Frequency Noise/Interference with the CPS signal with the wire exposed only so little.

Nice info thanks for posting!

 

[hillbillydeluxe]

is that pic from the bottom of the motor or top

 

[kelownacummins]

would it be a good idea to avoid the 03 because it is a new model year?

 

[5"-O-PLEASURE]

is that pic from the bottom of the motor or top

I'd say bottom looking up.

 

[Palmtree]

Thanks for taking the time and effort with the pics.., that's what makes this site so great..the people here! AWESOME!

 

[yoda]

is this still a fix for an 05? my truck started giving me problems when i started it yesterday, it would run rough at idle and as i drove it seemed like it didn't have power...like it was down a cylinder. i also noitced that my a/c doesn't work too...turned out to be a fuse blown (a/c clutch) but when i replaced it, it blew the new fuse. i think i've got a short and now i'm gonna go under there and check that wire. but do you think it could be my issue?

thanks for the info!

 

[millco]

Yoda,
What'd ya find? (I think it could have been your problem!)

Kelownacummins,
No I don't! You see, the thing with Dodge has been that they are constantly changing things in these trucks. So if you aren't going to buy a 'new model'; you might not buy a Dodge..... I would recommend checking it out like you would any vehicle you want to buy. If it is in good shape, get it: you'll be glad you did!

(Welcome to the site!)