question about w-t ground mod

[dieseldon]

Sorry if this sounds like a dumb question, I'm doing the w-t ground mod and I'm a little stumped on the alternator charge wire.

 Maybe it was explained somewhere but I'm just not seeing or overlooking?

 So, we unhook the original charge cable from alternator and pdc and then just have a short cable from alternator to passenger side battery with a fuse/breaker inline?

Question; so no cable gets connected back to the pdc? Why go to the trouble of disconnecting it at pdc and completely removing it? Just cut it and leave it?

 Am I missing a step?

 Thanks for any help on clearing this up!

 

[IBMobile]

7 minutes ago, dieseldon said:

So, we unhook the original charge cable from alternator and pdc and then just have a short cable from alternator to passenger side battery with a fuse/breaker inline?

Yes, that's what is done to address the 12-14 volt charge wire running next to the other ⩾ 5 volt wires.

17 minutes ago, dieseldon said:

so no cable gets connected back to the pdc?

  No, not from the alternator.

18 minutes ago, dieseldon said:

Why go to the trouble of disconnecting it at pdc and completely removing it? Just cut it and leave it?

You could just disconnect it form the PDC and alternator and leave it in the wire harness but you can be cheap and reuse the wire to connect the right battery to the alternator.  Also, taking it out cleans things up and if anyone else has to do electrical diagnostics they are not saying" What's this wire for?".  

[JAG1]

It's difficult to sell a truck with confusing things like its hashed or left with loose ends. If everything is 'tight and right' you get a better buyer with the better amount of money. 

Edited August 19, 2020 by JAG1

[dieseldon]

Thanks, that's understandable, but I should have emphasized my main concern is,

 Question: NOTHING gets reconnected to pdc?

[dieseldon]

Anyone?

[JAG1]

Everyone is busy today I guess. I will look at my 02 and have to see what was done. I did this mod to both mine a couple years ago. Give me about 5 mins.

 

Okay, mine has a factory lead coming from the Drivers battery to the PDC. It should be a red cable about 4 gauge cable bolted to the PDC. This is original and so you don't need to add a cable to the PDC If the drivers battery is already hooked up

 

 

Edited August 19, 2020 by JAG1

[dieseldon]

Thanks Jag1, So... Once original cable is removed, ( the one from alternator closest to windshield in in pdc box) nothing goes back on  there, other than maybe the old nut? And leave original cable from drivers side battery on,(the one closest to battery)

 Thanks again!

   Donkey

Something screwy going on here!

Just went on a short test drive, alternator/battery gauge seemed to be lower than normal,11-12, then truck started making a horrible whining noise and check engine light came on, I hightailed back home and whining noise seems to be coming from transmission?

  Restarted and lights out but still whining, alternator has 27+ volts while running, doesn't seem normal?

 Any ideas out there??

 

Edit, read codes 1693, 1682.

I believe one of those is charging too low?

Edited August 19, 2020 by dieseldon
add info

[dieseldon]

I think I figured it out?, breaker was tripped , even though it didn't look like it? Will go for another test and see if it trips again.

 

But still haven't figured out if anything goes back were that alternator cable came off, I'm assuming it doesn't.

So far so good, no more converter lockup hunting,  hooray!! I'll be curious to see what else it cure's, (cold start dying when shifted into gear)

I guess sometimes I just need to talk to myself.

[IBMobile]

14 minutes ago, dieseldon said:

still haven't figured out if anything goes back were that alternator cable came off,

Nothing, not a thing, goes back where the alternator cable came off the PDC.

 

Think of the power flow like this:

• old way... power from alternator,  through cable,  to 140amp fuss in PDC.
• new way...  power from alternator,   through cable and 150amp fuse or circuit breaker to right battery,    then  through cable over top of radiator,   to left battery,  last to PDC through smaller red cable from left battery.

[dieseldon]

IBMobil, thanks!

Not sure why that little tidbit is left out of instructions? Not exactly common sense for us electrical illiterate!??

   Donkey

One more question for anyone out there,

One step l saw mention of that I've skipped up to this point is a cable between negative battery terminals? To balance charging rate?

  Can anyone confirm if this is worthwhile?

   Thanks! Don

[IBMobile]

Some say yes others say no.   For the cost of the cable and the little time it takes to do it, why not do what the man who found the solution did and do it all. 

[hdpwipmonkey]

Glad you got it all figured out @dieseldon.  As far as the extra ground between the batteries, I have not done it (at least not yet) and I have been running like this for about a year without issues.  For your empty terminal in the PDC, you can use it to put your cables that you have running to the battery like aftermarket fuel pump, aftermarket headlights, Tuner, or anything else you have hooked directly to the battery.  That way your battery don't look like a jungle is sprouting out of the positive terminal.  

[Mopar1973Man]

Extra ground between batteries will not change anything. NOT Required. 

 

I did the testing on that and there is ZERO change to any ground function. No change in ground cable voltage. Even checked with jumper cables. Been without the extra battery ground cable for 2 years now. No issues. The stock cable are plenty big enough.

 

Nothing should be tied to the battery cables. The only change I got is the charge lead on the passenger cable and the driver side is the ground for the ECM and VP44. If you need power for other thing used the stud in the PDC and the body for ground. Zero reason for the fuel pump lead on the battery. 

[dieseldon]

Thanks for the suggestions, I think I will move my fuel pump wire to that terminal!

 

As a side note for anyone that remembers the mystery issue with truck dying when put into gear cold, today it didn't, Wow! The weather is pretty warm though so I'll keep my fingers crossed, definitely seemed to help. Trans shifts smoother and NO MORE HUNTING!!

 Should have done this a long time ago.