Red Rambler

Thanks dripley. I was messing with my wires today and the surging has stopped for now. I took a 40 minute drive. 20 there and back. On the way I had my MPG switch off, and on the way home I turned the MPG switch on. I used cruise control both ways and was logging live data on my OBD. At one point my temp dropped to 65 like it has been when my idle is irratic, however the RPMs did not change, this was in cruise. I am going to drive my truck and see if I can get the issue to duplicate itself. I am still not ruling out my temp sensor or something along those lines being my temp gauge zeros out and the way it acted by simply touching the wires today.

I had a little time after work to mess with my truck. I had it running and went around and wiggled my sensors and upon wiggling my wires on my ECT sensor the engine would change RPMs and it threw a CEL light. The interesting part is it did not rough idle at all after doing this. It was cold upon doing this, took it for a spin and got it up to temp and came back home as slow as possible allowing it to idle as much as possible. My RPMs appear to be much more steady. Not exactly sure what that means other than a possible short. I am going to put a few miles on it and check for results.

@Mopar1973Man So I could unplug the below sensors and just leave the crank sensor plugged in and this would verify that my ECM is still good, given the engine idles fine? Would there be any issues with this throwing codes, or could i just clear them after with my OBD scanner? Thanks. ECT APPS MAP IAT

I am right there with you Dripley. I am only 31, and some of the electrical knowledge on here blows me away, but thanks to all of those who take the time to explain, and pictures help.

Yes, looking back I knew better than to make more than one change at a time. That’s first day stuff for diagnosing. My hopes were that one of the two would fix the problem but no luck and I had the time and no kids so I just knocked them both out. I was also hopeful that if I fixed the alternator quickly than it wouldn’t take out my VP if it had already done damage to my ECM, however that might be bass ackwards. This might be worth looking into and determining if it idles normal with only the crank sensor plugged in. Would I then shut the truck off and begin plugging sensors back in one at a time? Would this throw CEL? I was rolling through Home Depot today, getting mulch and as you know people walk right out in front of you. I yielded and my damn truck had a snorting fit and I got a few looks, so needless to say I gotta get this fixed. It almost acts like it’s running out of fuel, however my fuel gauge never drops. Only my RPM’s raise and my temp gauge drops, it never raises above 180-190.

I haven’t given up yet. I am hopeful that the APPS sensor will possibly fix my issue. But as Dieselfuture has stated, this is one fix that needs to be done no matter the case. I hope you are correct and it’s not the ECM. Did you pull your MAP sensor out or just unplug the connector? I might fire my truck up and crawl around it wiggling all the sensor connections.

Did you ever find where you could pull boost off the blue driver? I see it’s supported but unsure which of the many otpions to check box?

P I concur. Thanks for tagging along. I saw @pepsi71ocean stated that the below website is a verified and suggested ecm rebuilder and the website says $299 currently for a rebuild. https://autocomputerspecialist.com/shop-now?olsPage=products%2F1998-2002-dodge-ram-cummins-diesel-59ltr-i6-ecm-ecu-repair-service

Yeah, I really don’t want to throw a ton of money into parts until I know what the issue is. I just know my alternator was on its way out. I did not test my old alternator again. I put the new one on and off I went. I do still need to test the nations alternator and see what readings I get. The high idle switch plugs into both the coolant temp sensor and the IAT sensor. I am hopeful there is a way to test the ecm, but most people who have had ecm issues show a code being thrown.

Thanks Alexio, I would be curious to know this as well? I have the high idle switch that plugs into the temp sensor, and that’s the only code that pulls. For $11 I wouldn’t see any harm in replacing it. I put a new t stat on mid winter. For now I am basically throwing parts at it, hoping one part eventually fixes this.

I ordered a new Timbo APPS this AM. Hopeful this will remedy my issues. I am ready to get a few tranny parts and some injectors and tuner, but new alternators and Timbo APPS must come first. Is there an accurate way to test my ECM to ensure it is working as it should? I haven’t seen any codes as others have seen when their ECM goes thankfully.

This was my initial thought of what the cause of the idle swings was caused by. I will give the Timbo APPS a go. I hope it isn’t my ECM, however I would think I would see more widespread issues if it was, but you never know. Thanks for the help.

I thought at first it was only happening when idling and no pedal input. However, now it is happening when I am applying pedal input and this occurs while in drive and when in park. Is there a way to test to determine if apps is good/bad? Mine is still original. I did the reset where you key on and depress the pedal very slowly, however no change.

Well, after putting 100+ miles on my truck today, the issue is not resolved and started acting up again. I pulled the codes and the only codes listed are below. At this point I’m stumped and not sure what my next steps are in diagnosing the issue. It did increase the idle under very light throttle however so it’s not just when the ecm is in control. Little scary if it was to last any longer than a split second. It is strange how my only gauge to zero out is the temp gauge. Thoughts?

The nations alternator states it supplies roughly 55 more amps than a stock alternator. Pretty sure factory is 100 amps. The website states it’s a direct bolt in, however I chose to upgrade my battery cables and terminals to the military style. The alternator has a two year replacement warranty. It’s a very solid unit and you can use your stock serpentine belt as other alternators have a smaller drive wheel requiring a different belt, from what I have read. I am very happy with my purchase. However I am unsure which fix corrected my idle surge, regardless I hope it’s gone for good. https://www.nationsstarteralternator.com/180-Amp-HP-High-Output-Alternator-for-2000-Dodge-p/13874-180-hp.htm

I was able to take some time today and put on my new nations alternator and do the ground wire mod. So far after a few miles I am happy to report my idle surge has not reared its head. I need to get my dads fluke meter to test the new alternator. My crush splice was located here trophy of the day

Thanks for sharing

I tried looking it up, but no luck. I received my Blue Driver today. Amazon orders deliver on Sunday. I hooked it up to my wife’s Subaru and my Tahoe. Impressed so far with the interface and the ease of clearing codes and seeing historical codes. The live data logging is very cool as well. Can’t wait to use it on my dodge. But my new battery cable and cable ends took a misrouted to Hawaii.

Dee, just curious how you are liking the blue driver? I am about to purchase the same one as I too use iOS. Any drawbacks? Thanks.

Sounds like me, you don't get to choose, it chose you.

I gotta give thanks to @IBMobile for taking the time to document his course of action in this thread. Really breaks it down. Thanks man. Also to @W-Tfor his discovery and ensuing work. Great stuff by both of you.

I grabbed one of these as cheap insurance. Going to be running the nations alternator and hoping it lasts a long time. 200 Amp.

I took mine off with a heat gun as well, however I was trying to preserve the below paint. I found that once the 3M double sided tape gets hot enough, it can be rolled off. It was fairly easy, just took time. If you are going to get the rocker area touched up, you might consider putting PPF(Paint Protection Film) on your rocker area. I would hate to go through getting your rock chips fixed only to have them come back due to flying rocks/debris.

Typically a paint sealant that is made by many companies is the most ideal base, and you can layer a wax type product over the top of it, as wax's typically don't have a long life span. However the paint sealant creates a layer of protection that lasts along the lines of 6+ months, dependent on garage kept, how frequently washed etc. Below is an example of a paint sealant, and you can apply by hand or machine. This is the ultimate in protection, and the "shine" can be enhanced by adding your wax on top of this. Your vehicle will need to be clayed using a clay bar to remove all contaminants to ensure the paint sealant adheres to the bare paint, versus having a layer of crud between your paint and sealant. Keep in mind I truly like to wash/shine my vehicles, its like a therapy for me. -Paint Sealant: Both of the below paint sealants are Made in the USA, and both great companies. https://adamspolishes.com/shop/exterior/waxing-and-glazing/adam-s-liquid-paint-sealant.html or https://www.chemicalguys.com/M_Seal_Paint_Sealant_16oz_p/wac_113_16.htm -My favorite product to spray on and wipe off and offers incredible shine: https://www.amazon.com/CarPro-Reload-Sealant-milliter-Sprayer/dp/B00L9A0AC8

Those were on there when I bought my truck. I have recently removed them due to I didn’t want it to become a rust issue down the road. Very durable and installed with 3M double sided tape