Hi drove my 1999 3500 24v truck to work the other day and parked came back to it in the evening and whent to start it, first thing i noticed was no wts light.It turned over but fail to start and no fuel pump and no bus showing in odometer. Popped the hood and could smell burnt wires. The joint connection 2 in the pdc burned up the local dodge dealer told me that usually the pdc gives out 90% of the time the pdc shorts out its self and causes this but I'm not sure about that. I got a good used one from a local parts truck my plan is to clean all the grounds and check for shorts then I will hook the batteries back up and pull what codes i can. Just wondering what else i should do to prevent it from happening again or does anyone have an idea what might have caused it in the first place.would be thankful for any feed back.

Dale

This may have to be added to that ground mod we all did.

Yes it might. Where in the world was this connected?

1 hour ago, Daleb said:

This is one of the main grounds for the pdc was nothing but black tap holding the wires to the ring connector. One of the heavy equipment mechanics at work said this would cause extra draw through the pdc. As I remove the old wire harness I will see what other surprises await. 

 

I've got to ask what in the world else was added to that ground in that manner? Where do the wires go to?

 

10 minutes ago, dripley said:

Yes it might. Where in the world was this connected?

 

Good question where is this ground connection at?

20 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

 

I've got to ask what in the world else was added to that ground in that manner? Where do the wires go to?

 

 

Good question where is this ground connection at?

The more I look at it the more previous owner hack I see. Dont know that but it dont look right. 

This is the ground under the left battery from the pdc. Has most of the grounds from the pdc all grounded there. 

I pulled my battery tray, cruise control servo and everything and did not find any ground except one just in front of the battery tray above the headlight, but down low. Dale is that the one?

 

The one in the picture is pure garbage W-T would be more than appalled.

I will get a picture of the spot today after work. It is on the flat part of the fender under the head light and to the front of truck. 

Either G100 or G101...

 

I think G100. Sure looks like it. This looking straight down in front of the battery.

Sure brings new meaning to cleaning all your grounds. I have not touched half of mine if I am lucky.

Edited October 16, 20186 yr by dripley

1 minute ago, dripley said:

Sure brings new meaning to cleaning all your grounds. I have not touched half of mine if I am lucky.

 

I've never done any of my grounds. The only ground that got attention was the W-T ground that's it. I've never clean any of mine. I do not want to scrub the paint off and have the metal start rusting which is worse than just leaving a "good ground" just being surface dirty. 

1 hour ago, Mopar1973Man said:

 

I've never done any of my grounds. The only ground that got attention was the W-T ground that's it. I've never clean any of mine. I do not want to scrub the paint off and have the metal start rusting which is worse than just leaving a "good ground" just being surface dirty. 

The ones I have cleaned I dont take them to bare metal unless it is already bare metal. I just hit them with scrubby and sometimes put a new screw in them. But there are so darn many of I just get them when i come across them.

Like I look at my ground in the driver side kick panel and left it alone. Good ground. Closed it right back up.

Yes it was g100 the g101 was in good shape. Sad thing is I was planning on doing all the grounds this winter when truck was parked. Guess as I install the new wire harness will make it easier to find them all. 

1 hour ago, Mopar1973Man said:

Like I look at my ground in the driver side kick panel and left it alone. Good ground. Closed it right back up.

Same as me only I went ahead and sanded the connecting surfaces anyway. I found the chrome coating on the terminal was rather soft and sanded off easily. When I put it back together the headlights were brighter enough that you could tell. I don't know...... maybe just psychologically brighter.

 

Thanks to Dale for sharing this and showing where this important ground exists . Everytime I looked in there I never noticed it.

 

Dripley, chickens that fly in truck windows aren't very well grounded. 

Edited October 16, 20186 yr by JAG1

1 hour ago, JAG1 said:

Dripley, chickens that fly in truck windows aren't very well grounded

I let a 12 gauge do my chicken grounding.

I’m in the process of putting the new harness in my truck. This wire in the pic was not connected to the truck in the old harness. It is in the harness close to the pdc and is coming out of the harness with these two plugs. I’m just wondering if the wire is connected on your trucks or if anyone knows what it is for. Also in the 3 pic is a small wire that comes out of the harness between the abs pump and the fire wall I thought it went through by the fender but now I can find where it connects. I remember it was easy to unplug. When someone has the time I would appreciate it if you could trace it. 

Thanks

Dale

Dale,

Hope a couple other guys chime in.  But I and my brother have the same unconnected ground you have in the first picture.

The second picture COULD be the cummins ECM connectors for diagnostics.  I cannot find proof for this at the moment.  But I swear there was a place (usually wrapped up in the harness) where a connection could be made.  (I could be seeing ufos too.)

Not sure on the third picture.

 

I attached the connector locations for the drivers fender It might help you remember where it connects.

 

GL  HTH

 

Hag

2001 FSM Ram 8w-90-18.pdf

2001 FSM Ram 8W-90-20.pdf

2001 FSM Ram 8w-90-15.pdf

On 10/16/2018 at 5:22 AM, dripley said:

I think G100. Sure looks like it. This looking straight down in front of the battery.

Sure brings new meaning to cleaning all your grounds. I have not touched half of mine if I am lucky.

Thank you Dripley. That one looks important enough for sure. Way down low on the flat part like Dale said. Be servicing that this weekend. A big thank you to Dale for sharing this with everyone.

 

Thanks Haggar for the diagrams I think they will help. I remember it was an easy plug to undo. Looks like it either goes way down or out by the hinge