IBMobile

Manual Air Recirculation Control The HVAC control in a 1999-2002 2ed generation Ram only has the ability to recirculate air when either the controller is in the OFF or MAX A/C. In all other positions outside air is entering the cab interior. This modification will give you the ability to either have the air recirculation controlled by the factory HVAC controller or have the system in recirculation in any position. How it works The black hose supplies the vacuum to the HVAC system. The green hose supplies vacuum from the HVAC controller to the recirculation actuator. When the mode knob is in the OFF or MAX A/C positions vacuum is applied to the actuator which moves a “door” that blocks outside air from entering the cabin. The mode knob in all other positions blocks vacuum to the recirculation actuator keeping the door open and allowing fresh air into the cabin. The vacuum controller when de-energized will allow the factory settings. When the controller is energized there is constant vacuum to the actuator keeping the air recirculating door closed in all mode settings. What you will need · Vacuum controller (reversing valve) Hella 722240130 · Toggle switch (12V) · 6’ red 18-16 AWG · 3’ black 18-16 AGW · Connector SMP HP3860 or SMP S · Vacuum hose fittings (T and 90°) · Glue, solder, heat shrink, or butt connectors · 5 amp fuse I went to a Pic Your Part wrecking yard for some of these parts. The vacuum controller, connector, wire, and fuse, were from a 2001-2006 Volvo S60/V70 Turbo. The vacuum controller and connector can also be found at Rockauto. The vacuum fittings are from various vehicles. The HVAC controller is from a 2001 Dodge ram1500. What to do Remove the panel below the steering column, this will give you access to all vacuum control hoses. They are located in a bundle left of center under the dash. Find a suitable place to mount the vacuum controller next to the bundle. Cut both the dark green and black hoses and the appropriate hose fittings are installed. If the fitting is a little lose a dab of glue such as Goop for automotive use can be applied to make the connection air tight. Run the red wire from spare fuse location #16 in the junction block at the left side of the dash to the toggle switch and add a 5 amp fuse. The toggle switch can be mounted where you feel comfortable using it. Its style and size is your choice. Install the wire from the toggle switch to the vacuum controller plug and the ground wire from the vacuum controller plug to a metal part of the dash (ohm test for suitability). Push the plug into the controller then secure the controller to either the side of the HVAC housing with double sided tape or zip tie it to something that does not move. There are no warranties implied or expressed. Mockup of controller and hoses Written by: J. Daniel Martin, Martin’s Mobile Maintenance AKA IBMobile 12/17/2020

PCM Ground Splice Repair It's not hard and took very little time to do. NOTE: Do this after the other modifications have been done or you will lose the ECM, VP and grid heater grounds. You need: 2 10-12 gauge butt connectors 2 1/4 heat shrink tube 2" long Rosin core solder 140 watt solder gun (Weller) or small butane torch 1 roll of electrical tape Razer knife Wire cutters Wire striper Remove the air cleaner housing this will open up the whole area to work in. No need to disconnect the batteries, just unplug the gray connector at the ground wires of the right (AUX) battery. The other gray connector may have already been disconnected when the ground wires were relocated to the back of the timing cover if a W-T . Disconnect the 3 plugs at the PCM Cut and strip the 8 gauge wire then cut the connector off the 10 gauge wire and strip it back to fit the butt connector. This is the connection with the cove off. This is splice #S109 that the grounds for the ECM, PCM, VP44, grid heater relay and data link connector. Slide the heat shrink on to the wire were it won't be affected by the heat of soldering. Remove any plastic covering on the butt connector; insert the wires into the connector and solder. Let cool then cove with the heat shrink. At the PCM find the two 14 gauge black with tan stripe wires. They go up into the split wire cover about 10" that's where you'll find splice #S126 There are two 14 gauge black with tan strip wires coming down to the connector. One is the ground for the data link connector and the other is not used. Repeat the cut, strip and solder process as above. When done it should look like this. There are no warranties implied or expressed. Written by: J. Daniel Martin AKA IBMobile 2/29/2020

Adding a Transmission Drain Plug When you have the pan off you may want to install a drain plug in it. Parts needed: 1 M12 x 1.25 x 30mm drain plug 1 M12 x 1.25 nut 1 12mm ID plastic washer Paint (your choice type and color) Tools needed: Hammer Center punch Drill motor ½” drill bit Torque wrench 0-75 FT-LB or 0-300 IN-LB Socket to fit drain plug An automotive supply store like NAPA will have the M12 x 1.25 x 30mm drain plug, nut, and plastic washer. Using a strong (rare earth) magnet on the outside of the pan to hold the nut in place, you can find the area where the drain plug will clear the valve body and a large surface area for flat contact with the sealing washer. The left front corner of the pan has the most clearance. Center punch the spot you want to drill. Drill a 1/2" hole then place the bolt through the hole and thread the nut to it from inside the pan. This will center the nut over the hole. Tack weld the nut to the inside of the pan over the hole in three spots. The three weld spots are done so not to warp the pan and to allow fluid to be able to drain under the nut. After the pan cools clean the outside of the pan and paint to stop rusting. Install the drain plug with plastic washer and tighten no more than 20 FT-LB (240 IN-LB). You may want to have a dedicated 12 quart oil drain container for the ATF. If you have to make adjustments inside the transmission (e.g., replacing solenoids, adjusting line pressure) you can drain the ATF into the container and reuse the fluid if it is still good. Left front corner inside of pan Left front corner outside of pan There are no warranties implied or expressed Written by: J. Daniel Martin AKA IBMobile 2/29/2020

Disabling Factory Alarm Horn Are you tired of the factory alarm horn going off with 3 honks (tamper alert) when unlocking the door or at other inconvenient times? The horn sounds when the central timer module grounds pin 85 of the horn relay. Here is a simple inexpensive remedy to stop the module from sounding the horn. You cut the wire to the module; the horn will still work at the steering wheel horn button but not with the door locks or key fob. You will need a phillips screwdriver, small wire cutters, and a roll of electrical tape. Remove the three phillips screws at the bottom of the panel under the steering column and pull the panel off, this will allow you to see the central timer module under the dash and to the right side. by joeld79 Find the C2 connector; this will be the white one. You can remove it from the module by pushing the small tab, located in the center of the connector, in and pulling down. Now find the black wire with red tracer that terminates at pin 18 of the C2 connector and cut it leaving about 2-3”; this will allow enough wire if you need to rejoin it at a later time. Finish by wrapping the ends of the wire with the electrical tape; push the connector back into the module, and install the panel. There are no guaranties implied or expressed. Written by: J. Daniel Martin AKA IBMobile 12/10/2019

Review Monitor Cab Monitor and Rear Trailer Camera Parts list: 50’ roll outdoor Cat-5/Cat-6 cable (Home Depot) 10’ red 18awg 1’ black 18awg 10 ‘split wire loam tubing ¼ diam. 5” color monitor (5” E-KLIN 12-24V car monitor, Amazon) Color camera (E SKY EC170-11, Amazon) 4 pin round trailer wire connector ON/OFF switch, SPST, push or toggle 2 amp fuse Fuse holder Rosin core solder Electrical tape Heat shrink tubing Coaxial cable staples Zip ties 2”x4”x ½”- ¾” plywood or board Flat black spray paint Double sided tape or 3M auto molding tape Clear silicone adhesive 3 #6x ½” screw 1 #8 ring terminal 22-18awg Tools: Wire cutter Wire stripper Pliers Solder gun Small blade screwdriver Phillips screwdriver Drill motor Drill bits ⅛ - ⅜” Hole saw 1⅜” Hammer This system was put together in the spring of 2017 and has been used for over 20,000 miles with no problems. It cost about $80 for the cable, monitor, switch, round 4 pin trailer connector, and camera. The rest of the parts and materials I had on hand. I put in the ON/OFF switch so the monitor can be turned off for night driving. Note: Cameras with inferred night vision may not work well at night if the camera is placed inside the trailer and viewing through glass without outside lighting. Installing Camera and Trailer Wiring First, locate a suitable mounting position for the camera. A rear facing window is ideal and if there is a cabinet next to it the wire connections can be hidden in it. If a rear window is not available a hole drilled through the rear wall next to where the camera will be mounted or the cable run under the trailer and up the outside of the rear wall is an option. Camera mounted in rear trailer window. Run the Cat-5 cable through the trailer from next to the trailer’s seven pin connector, in front, to where the camera’s mounting position will be, leaving 6”-12” of extra cable at the ends, If you have 20’ of cable left you can use it for the truck installation otherwise you will need to buy more. You can drill holes, just big enough, in the walls and floor to pass the cable through. When drilling through the floor be careful not to drill into a holding tank, waterline, or anything else; drilling into an empty storage compartment is best. The Cat-5 cable can be held in place with coaxial cable staples for the walls and zip ties elsewhere. The Cat-5 cable has four sets of 2-24awg: orange, green, blue, and brown. I used the orange set for 12volt feed, the green for the ground, the blue for video signal, and connected the shielding wires from the camera and monitor to the brown. Spray paint the wood black and let dry, attach the camera to the wood with the 2 #6x ½” screws. Solder camera’s: power wire to the Cat-5 orange wires, ground wire to the Cat-5 green wires, video to the Cat-5 blue wires and shielding to the Cat-5 brown pair; sealing each solder joint with heat shrink then wrap cable junction with electrical tape. If the camera is next to a cabinet you can run the wires through a hole drilled in its bottom or side and place connection in the cabinet for concealment. Now, place the two sided tape on the wood and carefully affix it to the window with the camera facing out. Camera view adjustment will be done after the monitor is functional. Installing Monitor and Cab Wiring In the truck cab remove the overhead light counsel and drill two holes in it, see picture; one for the monitor power cable and one for the monitor video cable. Do not remove the cover for the garage door remote pocket, just open it up and remove the square button; you will be passing the cable from the monitor though here. You can install the ON/OFF switch in this area at this time or locate a place that is to your liking. Find the roof bracing and drill a small hole for a short screw that the systems ground wire will be attached to. DO NOT drill through the roof. Find a wire that has switched power to splice into for the systems power. Power draw is about 1amp. Add a 2amp fuse to the red wire and spliced it to the tan wire at the large connector under the left side of the dash between he park brake pedal and the firewall. This tan wire is rated 20amps and is used for the power windows. Picture by Leaky88 You will need to remove the trim cover for the left A-post and drop the left sun visor. The red wire with the Cat-5 cable is run up the left side of the dash, A-post, and between the head liner and roof to the center counsel area. The switch can now be attached to the fused red 18awg wire. On the other side of the switch attach another red wire and solder the free end to the orange Cat-5 wires and the monitor’s power wire. Using the 12” piece of black wire, solder the green Cat-5 wires and monitor’s ground wire to it; attach the other end of the wire to the roof brace with a ring terminal and screw. The video monitor signal cable is solder to the Cat-5 blue pair with the shielding soldered to the Cat-5 brown pair. Heat shrink is used to insulate connections. Install the modified overhead center counsel, sun visor, and A-post cover. Using the suction cup mount attach the monitor to the rear view mirror and run the monitor cables into the center counsel through the square hole that was used for the garage door remote and connect to the system cables. Route the rest of the Cat-5 cable through the left side of the fire wall via the wire grommet, down the left outside fire wall and along the inside of the left frame rail attaching it to the wire harness with zip ties. Find where the round 4 pin plug would work best for your set up. On my truck it was next to the 7 pin trailer connector in the bed side wall. 4 pin round video connector next to 7 pin trailer connector. Drill a hole using a 1⅜” hole saw, that is just a little bigger than the 4 pin round connector, check the size of your connector before drilling; run the Cat-5 cable from under the truck bed through the hole. Attach the cable wires to the male 4 pin round connector but DO NOT screw the male plug to the truck until testing is completed. With the Cat-5 cable running alongside the 7 wire trailer cable attach the female side of the 4 pin round connector to the trailer’s Cat-5 cable leaving the cable a few inches longer than the 7 wire trailer cable. Be sure the wires going to the 4 pins of both ends match up color to color. Rear view monitor with forward view dash cam. Plug the two ends together and turn the power on. The monitor will illuminate and show the view out the back of the trailer but the camera will need to be adjusted horizontal and vertical. Horizontal adjustment is done by loosening the front of the camera by turning its outer cover counterclockwise; this allows the camera to be rotated to get a level view. Vertical adjustment is done by bending the bracket slightly up or down. Two people with radios make this easy. When testing is finished seal the back of the 4 pin connectors with a dab of clear silicon sealer and slide the male connector into the hole and secure with 2 sheet metal screws ¼” x 1”. The exposed Cat-5 cable coming from the trailer can be covered with ¼” split wire loam tubing and secured to the larger trailer cable with zip ties. If you have a bumper pull trailer a bracket can be made out of sheet metal or angle iron and attached to the trailer hitch. When the monitor is not being used it is cover with the bag it came in, placed back in its’ box, and store in the center arm rest. Read through this a few times and have all materials and tools before starting. There are no guaranties implied or expressed. Written by: J. Daniel Martin AKA IBMobile 11/29/2019

Grid Heater Bypass Simplified The method described below is a simplified way of turning the grid heaters on and off when starting the engine and reducing the electrical load on the alternator without setting a P0380/P0382 code. The bypass solenoid is a 300amp rated Ford type starter solenoid. When both grid heaters are on there is about 180amp draw and after start up the draw is reduced to 90 amps so the bypass relay has a 50% plus overload safety factor. Suggested Parts List 1 Standard Motor Parts starter solenoid SS-598 (bypass solenoid) 1 automotive on/off switch DC rated (your choice of style) 1 ATC fuse holder or fuse block (needed if not using fuse in PDC) 1 5amp fuse 13” 6AWG wire cable 5’ 18AWG wire red 5’ 18AWG wire blue 3’ 18AWG wire black 2 6AWG 5/16” copper wire ring terminal 3 22-18 AWG #10 ring terminal 2 #10X32X3/4” screw 2 #10X32 nut 4 #10 washer 4-5” of heat shrink (for the 8AWG cable terminals) 5’ ¼” plastic split wire loom 1 pack of 5-7” plastic ties 1 roll rosin core solder Putting It Together Disconnect both batteries; remove left (driver’s side) battery and battery tray. On the side of the battery tray fit the bypass solenoid and mark holes to be drilled; you may have to grind one side of the bypass solenoid mounting bracket to have it fit flush on the side of the battery tray. Drill 2 holes, 13/64”-7/32”, where marked on battery tray and mount the bypass solenoid with the #10 screws and nuts as shown below. Note: the bypass solenoid is grounded through its body so a black ground wire, with a #10 ring terminal at each end, is attached to one of the mounting screws and the other end grounded to the body. Reinstall the battery tray. Left battery tray with solenoid attached. Find a place in the cab where the switch type you chose will fit and be readily accessible. We used a rocker switch mounted in the kick panel below the steering column. For power you can tap into the fuse box on the left side of the dash. Find a terminal that has power only when the ignition key is in the on position. This is where you can add an ATC fuse holder with a 5amp fuse. Connect one end of the red wire to the fuse holder and the other end to the switch. Connect the blue wire to the other switch terminal and run it through the rubber grommet in the fire wall and with a #10 ring terminal connect it to the bypass solenoid terminal marked S; cover with ¼ “ split wire loom. Make up the 6AWG cable (an 8AWG cable will work also) with the 5/16” copper ring terminals and heat shrink. I solder my cable ends on using a small butane torch but you can use a large cable end crimper. Be sure to index the orientation of the cable ends to the cable before attaching them so the ring terminals fit squarely on to the battery and solenoid. The cables for the grid heat solenoid and battery power can now be attached to the bypass solenoid; the battery power cable to the firewall side of the bypass relay and the cables for the heater solenoid to the other side; reinstall the battery, connect all the terminals and reset the apps. Left battery tray installed with bypass solenoid. Notice position of the cables. Note: I have experienced a P1291” No temperature rise seen from intake heaters” when the temperature is below 35°F and the heaters are turned off right after starting the engine. I suggest leaving them on when first starting in cold weather for a minute or two. Note: It was first suggested to use an SS-581 starter solenoid, this solenoid does not have a protective diode in it and may cause a voltage spike that could damage sensitive electronic components. A SS-598 solenoid should be used in its place. This was installed with the help of JAG1 on his 2001 Ram 2500 diesel utility box work truck. Written by: J. Daniel Martin AKA IBMobile 7/6/2019

ASD Relay Controlled Lift Pump If the ECM is no longer powering the electric lift pump and you’re using a manual switch wired directly to the fuel pump relay for control there is a danger of the fuel pump feeding a fire in the event of an accident even if the engine stalls. The automatic shutdown relay is an alternative that will turn the fuel lift pump off if the engine stops and still be able to prime the VP44 if needed. The automatic shutdown relay (ASD) in the power distribution center (PDC) is energized by the powertrain control module (PCM) by grounding pin 85 of the relay when the engine is started. This closes the contacts and battery voltage is supplied to terminal 87 of the relay. The terminal 87 of the ASD relay supplies power to the PCM through a 14 gauge dark green/orange (DG/OR) wire. When the engine stalls the PCM opens the grounding circuit within 3 seconds and the voltage is removed from terminal 87. The lift pump relay can be controlled by connecting a wire between terminal 87 of the ASD relay, or splicing into the DG/OR wire) and terminal 86 of the lift pump relay. The power draw of the lift pump relay solenoid is less than 1 amp so an 18 gauge wire can be used. There is an option to run the lift pump without the engine on, a bypass switch and second relay can be installed. The second relay is used to isolate the PCM and not power up systems unless the key is in the on position. Also if the bypass switch was wired directly to pin #86 of the fuel pump relay the amp draw from the PCM would blow the 3 amp fuse. If installed improperly the lift pump could stay on in the event of an accident. Installer/user assumes responsibility for proper installation and use. Written by: J. Daniel Martin, Martin’s Mobile Maintenance AKA: IBMOBILE 3/24/19

Grid Heater Bypass Installing this bypass will allow you to manually control if and for how long you want to run the grid heaters when the ECM is commanding the grid heaters on. This will reduce the load on the alternator/charging system and in turn reduce the harmful AC voltage. This bypass will also keep the fault codes P0380 Intake Air Heater Relay #1 Control Circuit and P0382 Intake Air Heater Relay #2 Control Circuit from being set. Parts needed: 1. 2 micro relays, terminal 87 (5) normally open (NO) with suppressor 2. 2 5 watt / 20 ohm resistor 3. 1 single pole single throw switch (spst) 4. 2 male bullet and 2 female bullet connectors 5. 2 ring terminals 7. Rosin core solder 6. 10 female quick connect terminals 8. Heat shrink 9. ¼” protective wire cover 10. Electrical tape 11. Wire 18 AWG 4 different colors would be nice. 12. Optional 3 ATC fuse holders with 2 amp fuse 13. Something to mount the relays and resistors on. 14. 5 or more 6” zip ties Micro relay Putting it together To mount the relays, resistors and fuses I used part of a used relay mount from a Volvo that I found. It was cut and modified to fit the parts. I didn’t want to cut the wire harness at the fire wall to access the solenoid trigger wires, yellow/black and orange/black, that goes from the Engine Control Module (ECM) to the grid heater control solenoids. I ran two wires to each solenoid connecting to the trigger wires with the male bullet connectors. This sent the trigger signal back to the control relays at terminal 30 (3). Two more wires were run from terminal 87 (5) of the control relay back to terminal 86 of the grid heater solenoids and connected the wires with the female bullet connectors. You can cover the wires from the firewall to the solenoids with the ¼” protective wire cover. I installed the rely/resistor housing under the dash secured with a sheet metal screw and attached the ground wires to the dash sheet metal. For power I tapped into the fuse box on the left side of the dash and installed one of the ATC fuse holders and a 3 amp fuse. The control switch is installed into the left side of the steering column cover; I didn’t want it sticking out of the dash. With the switch in the on position the control relay contacts 30 and 87 close and the grid heaters will operate normally giving heated air to the cylinders. The switch in the off position the control relay contacts 30 and 87a are closed and the ECM signal goes to the resistors mimicking the grid heater solenoids. No check engine light and reduced electrical load on the charging system. The switch can be operated on or off before during or after engine start up. Another added benefit is if your batteries are weak the grid heaters can be turned off saving power for the starter. Written by: J. Daniel Martin, Martin’s Mobile Maintenance AKA IBMobile 12/21/2018