Tractorman

The valve cover cover is a heat blanket developed by Advanced Thermal Products in Irvine, CA. It is custom fitted to the valve cover. I also so have the exhaust manifold, turbo charger (exhaust side), exhaust down pipe, and oil pan covered with the same material. This heat blanket is designed to easily withstand temperatures well above 2,000 degrees F., so the material does not deteriorate. The engine compartment runs considerably cooler, the seals in the exhaust brake vacuum cylinder don't get scorched, and the passenger side floor now stays cool when pulling a long grade on a hot day. My wife likes that. There are noise reduction benefits, as well. The raucous idle clatter is subdued when standing outside of the vehicle as well as when sitting inside or driving down the road with the windows up or down. My wife likes that, too. The purpose for covering the valve cover and oil pan was for engine noise reduction only. The purpose for covering the exhaust components was for heat reduction in the engine compartment. There was some noise reduction benefit, as well. - John

I am tired of struggling to do repairs in that confined area between the front of the engine and the radiator shroud. I modified the top of my fan shroud and now the work area is very accessible - I should have done this a long time ago! The belt tensioner, water pump, and fan clutch are now very accessible, in fact I removed the belt and then the fan clutch assembly just so I could clean and inspect the fan blades. The work was very easy. I know that someone has probably already done this, but here are some photos anyway. I made the cut in a specific manner so there would not be any sharp corners when you reached into the work area. I used two zip ties on each side for easy removal and installation of the modified shroud top. Note that in the photo with the shroud top installed, the zip ties are not very conspicuous. - John

My truck is a 2002 with a manual six speed transmission. I am not sure if your '01 truck will be the same. The wiring diagram for my truck shows that the ECM supplies the "speed control switch signal" and the PCM handles "sensor ground" and "speed control supply". I know that some of the circuit has to pass through the clutch switch and brake switch, as well. I would check these two areas first. The only problem I ever had with my cruise control was a broken power supply wire in a panel just below the steering wheel which was an easy fix. The broken wire was caused by lots of use of the tilt steering wheel. In my case I had code "0577 - cruise control switch voltage high" set. Do you have any codes set? Hope this helps. - John

If you still have the parts, you may be able to do a close inspection and figure out whether you had a loose wire connection, or the contactor failed internally.. When inspecting the wire connection (after the damage has occurred) look at the copper eyelet, the two nuts, and the stud for extreme discoloration. Then make the same inspection where the contactor connects with the post. Whichever location shows the most evidence of an extreme heat source would likely be the problem area. Not an absolute method of troubleshooting, but usually the source of the problem can be detected. - John

I removed the insulation from the PCM wire and soldered in the wire that I added. I brushed on a couple of coats of liquid electrical tape for water proofing and finished with regular electrical tape. I actually ran the added wire through a relay to a good ground contact and wired the foot switch to operate the relay. This step probably wasn't necessary, but I wanted to keep the tapped PCM wire separate from the foot switch wiring to protect the PCM from any possible unwanted electrical voltage. Let us know how everything turns out. - John

I think that there is a definite benefit to having a momentary switch on the floor by the park brake. Just make sure the switch has a low profile and that it is durable and can be activated with light foot pressure. I had this setup on my 99 truck for 70,000 miles and I liked it very well. I used the lock-up feature in 3rd and 4th. With a little practice you can have smooth, quick manual upshifts from 3rd locked up to 4th locked up (unlocked during the shift) Once up to speed the floor switch no longer needs to be activated, but if you are accelerating after a curve or you are cresting a hill and don't want a downshift to occur you can just step on the switch and pour on the power without an unwanted downshift. Also, if you are pulling a grade in 4th gear and it is inevitable that a downshift will be needed, you can keep your foot on the switch and pull hard until the shift is required. Then ease up on the throttle, manually downshift while simultaneously releasing the foot switch and then quickly activate the foot switch when the converter locks up in 3rd gear. Again with a little practice you will find the shifting will be smooth. The foot switch can also be used to keep the converter locked up going down a grade, thus giving you a little hold-back power. When I had my 99 truck my foot switch (wired in series with a throttle switch) also operated an exhaust brake - a great combination. - John

Yes, you can. I have had mine wired with a manual momentary toggle switch since the truck was new. It is simple to do and works very well. Since your truck is an 02, you should be able to use the attached wiring diagram. Find the two relays that control the intake heaters. They are located just below the driver's side battery and power distribution center. You will see the two relays side by side, each with two small gauge wires and push-on connectors. One wire on each relay comes from the ECM (12 volts when commanded) and the other wire on each relay goes to ground. Remove the two wires from the ECM side of the relay and protect them from the elements (the wires will no longer be needed). The wire colors (according to the diagram) are orange with a black tracer and yellow with a black tracer. Sometimes colors differ slightly. From an un-switched 12 volt source add a fuse, a momentary switch (your choice of location), and enough light gauge wiring to complete the job. The wiring and the switch will only need to handle less than 150 milliamps of current. Coming from your switch, connect to each exposed terminal of each intake heater relay The terminal posts are threaded, so you will need to provide a nut with the proper thread pitch for a secure connection. Codes P0380 and P0382 will be set, but should not activated the CEL. - John

A couple of thoughts: * What happened to the alternator 30,000 miles ago that it needed brushes and bearings? * Disconnecting the alternator output wire and then running the engine is never a good idea. The field circuit for the alternator is controlled by the ECM and could easily damage the ECM. Before you remove the alternator you can inspect the alternator output wiring and fusible link as you mentioned, as well as inspecting the ground circuit and the field wire to the ECM. You could use a jumper lead from the alternator case to a battery ground as a test to bypass a potential ground circuit problem. - John

I understand and I like having a simple circuit, but are you not concerned about having only one fuse for all of the headlights? If that fuse blows for any reason, it could be exciting getting your truck stopped. Also, are you using heavier gauge wire from the 87 terminal of each relay to each headlight, or are you tapping into the existing very small wiring to each headlight? - John

I agree with you here. A few months ago I converted to an after market Sports headlights version from Headlights Depot. I chose to go the aftermarket way because of the very high cost for the OEM headlights. The optics on the Headlights Depot lights are definitely not OEM quality. Fortunately in my case the headlights were of better quality than many others out there and there was a significant performance improvement over my two-bulb system making it well worth the purchase. I would rate the low beam circuit as good. The roadway is well lit when looking down the road and to both sides. The low beam works good in rain and fog conditions as well. The beam can be properly aimed and does not interfere at all with other drivers on the road. The downside is that the light is not evenly projected onto the roadway - there are some dark areas (although small). These dark areas do not cause any problem, but they should not be there. I would rate the high beam as very good to excellent. The beam projects very far and is evenly spread. The high beam is properly aimed when the low beam lights are adjusted properly. I wired my headlights the same way an OEM Sport version is wired. I also used Philips Extreme Vision lamps as Daniel Stearns recommended. Katoom, if I understand correctly, you have OEM Sports headlights on your truck and you were very satisfied with them, but they are yellowing now. I am curious as to why you are not replacing them with OEM equipment. Is it because of cost? - John

Unfortunately, the my particular switch is no longer available. It was made in China and cost less than $5.00 at the time, including shipping. I think it was made by 8 - 10 year old kids because it was of good quality. II think if you keep searching on Amazon you will come across something that will work. A Linemaster T-91-S Treadlite II looks like it would work (1" tall). It sells for around $20.00. It looks like you can get it with or without a cord. Either way you will have to do some modification. - John

I tried different setups and I found that a momentary, easy to actuate ,low profile sturdy switch worked the best. It took me awhile to find my final switch, but I did find one on Amazon. The switch is contained in a metal frame that is less than an inch tall and has a large operating platform that has a mechanical stop so the switch inside will not be damaged. I have the switch held down by two carpet tacks and Velcro backing so the switch won't move around. This mounting method also allows for the switch to be placed anywhere and for easy removal when cleaning the floor. You could wire the switch in parallel with an LED light and have a nice setup. If you are considering this approach, just search on-line for "foot switch on Amazon" and you should be able find one right for your budget. - John

I used to have a 99 Dodge with an automatic as well. I used a momentary switch mounted on the floor near the park brake pedal. The momentary switch was actually a universal horn switch (button). It needed to have a low profile, be easy to depress (just the weight of your foot), and be robust. The floor switch made it very easy and natural to control the lockup feature. Whichever switch you use, you may find the converter lockup feature doesn't perform the way you might expect. From what I recall, here is how I used my switch: I put the gear selector in "Drive" and turned the "Overdrive" switch off and started driving the truck. When the transmission shifted into third gear, I watched the tach for a small RPM drop noting that the PCM had just locked up the converter. When converter lockup occurred, I immediately pressed and held the floor switch as I modestly accelerated the truck in lockup mode. As the transmission approached the shift point for fourth gear, I easeup on the throttle and released the foot switch momentarily to allow for the shift and for the PCM to command lockup in fourth gear. When that occurred I immediately pressed and held the foot switch. Under normal driving at highway speed the PCM will keep the converter locked up, so you can release the foot switch and drive the truck. If you need to slow significantly for a curve, but don't want the converter to unlock or the transmission to downshift, then you press and hold the foot switch (before PCM has a chance to unlock the converter) and drive through the curve in a normal manner. Once you have manually locked the converter in fourth gear with the foot switch, it will remaine locked in fourth gear whether accelerating, coasting, or braking until you release the foot switch. This feature is useful to help slow the vehicle when traveling down grades as well. Reverse the procedure when shifting from fourth to third with a touch of throttle during the downshift. After a little practice you will see that it works quite smoothly. By using this procedure you will never have the converter locked during a shift, and it makes for smooth and precise shifting even pulling heavy loads. When I had my 99 with an auto, I had an exhaust brake controlled through the same foot switch as well - a great combination! Attached is a schematic confirming what Jlbayes posted. - John

That's even easier to remember! - John

Here is what I wrote down in my notes for my 02. For left side adjuster, turn star wheel tooth up. For right side adjuster, turn star wheel tooth down. Hope this helps, - John

I converted my headlight system to the sport package system last July. I chose to use two fuses and four relays for the following reasons: * one fuse and two relays per side for safety * one fuse and two relays per side for lower amp draw (10 amp per side with four high beam bulbs activated) * two relays per side using both 87 an 87a terminals on both relays so low and high beams are not mixed when switching from low to high or vice versa. I wired my headlights per OEM specs and Daniel Stearns recommendation. Even though I purchased my Sport Package headlights at HeadLights Depot.com, the greatly improved lighting is very good on low beam and excellent on high beam. I am not talking about how bright they are, but how well they light up the roadway and surrounding area without impacting other drivers. I think one important step is overlooked much of the time and that is to perform a voltage test at the headlight bulb when the project is complete. Most bulbs manufacturers require 13.2 volts AT THE BULB to perform to their specs. This means making the check with engine running and headlights on. Both test leads should be placed at the connector on the bulb for most accurate reading. In my case the low beams showed 13.4 volts and the high beams showed 13.2 volts. In the diagram below I interfaced the factory schematic with my modifications. I used 14 gauge wire in the relayed part of the circuit. The schematic works for either two bulb or four bulb system. The factory part of the schematic makes it easier to find wires however you decide to do the project. - John

I installed a vacuum operated switch ( a GM heater / AC control from a wrecking yard) years ago. The cost was $5.00 and it has worked for over 250,000 miles. I think it is the best option because it allows for easy engagement and release of the CAD with vehicle slightly rolling. I use the 2WD Low frequently and I believe this is an excellent upgrade. If you go this route, just about any automotive HVAC control with vacuum ports and a rotary control knob will work. You will need to figure out which ports will work for you - a vacuum pump with a gauge will be very helpful. You will probably need to cap off some ports to make it work. The end result is well worth the effort. - John

I very much agree you and here is why. I am the original owner of my 2002 truck. The VP44 and lift pump were replaced in 2005 at 87,000 miles under warranty for timing piston failure code on the VP44. The lift pump pressure was in specs before the VP44 and lift pump were replaced. I drove the truck for a week (50 miles per day before I gave the truck to the dealer)with a fuel gauge attached to my windshield wiper and the fuel pressure always stayed within specs under all driving conditions. After the replacement of the VP44 and the factory modification of installing an in-tank lift pump, I installed the same fuel pressure gauge and fuel pressure was much lower than specs under all driving conditions (6 psi at idle and 3 psi under a load). I questioned the dealer mechanic (a very knowledgeable guy) about this and he said he is aware of this, but the new lift pump installation change is required by Dodge. Fast forward a few years - I currently have 267,000 miles on the truck (180,000 miles on the replaced VP44). In the spring of 2016 (at 251,000 miles) I replaced the in-tank lift pump (which was still working) with a frame mounted used FASS lift pump. I only did this in case the lift pump failed while on a road trip which would make for an easy repair. So the VP44 ran for 11 years and 164,000 miles with the in-tank lift pump operating at very low pressures and the VP44 is still running fine. Hmmmm.... Thanks for listening - John