Squirrels Got Me Good

[Auto Computer Specialist]

@LorenS Yes we have the covers if you need, contact us 954-513-8359

[LorenS]

7 hours ago, Auto Computer Specialist said:

@LorenS Yes we have the covers if you need, contact us 954-513-8359

Fantastic, I'll try to remember to call you before 5PM Eastern Time.

 

So for an update on this situation, I bought some Kevlar sleeves to slide over the wires. Pretty cheap on Jeff Bezos's website. Here are some photos. The lump of yellow is HUGE because of all the Weather Pack connectors I had to retrofit.

[LorenS]

Further update.

Yesterday drove the truck 46 miles roundtrip, no issues. Today the alternator didn't want to work. I checked the alternator connections and wiggled the wiring harness at the PCM - I didn't have anyone to watch the gauge so no idea if it helped.  I have BatteryMINDer on it so I can go to work tomorrow. Alternator new, few hundred miles at most, old one may have been the original. I didn't think to check voltage with the Adrenaline, if that would've done any good.

 

How should I approach this diagnosis, considering the varmint damage?

Edited April 21, 2022 by LorenS
Correct the autocorrect error.

[Tractorman]

12 minutes ago, LorenS said:

How should I approach this diagnosis, considering the varmint damage?

 

Kind of like you started to do.  I would use a multimeter on the voltage setting and hook it to one of the batteries in a hands-free manner.  Then I would perform the "wiggle test" at the wiring locations you suspect varmints have visited.  Do the wiggle tests slowly so you have time to a see a response with the multimeter. 

 

- John

[Tractorman]

@LorenS, I would suggest disconnecting the grid heaters while performing the test if the engine is cold.  If the grid heaters are cycling, it would be hard to determine if the alternator began charging for a moment or so.

 

- John

[LorenS]

25 minutes ago, Tractorman said:

@LorenS, I would suggest disconnecting the grid heaters while performing the test if the engine is cold.  If the grid heaters are cycling, it would be hard to determine if the alternator began charging for a moment or so.

 

- John

Good idea!

[wil440]

This may be a stupid question.....

 

Have you done the WT mod and if so did you fit a breaker on the main charge lead ? and a small fuse at the PCM

 

Only asking as I went to jump start a van a few months ago, disconnected the quad and got on with it, next day noticed no charge ( Yes I look at the gauges a lot ... NOT) breaker tripped but I had totally forgot about it and actually did start to diagnose the problem  DUH  It tripped as soon as the van started, I know this as once it started I left my truck running and still connected, couldn't understand why it didn't put anything into van battery, towed the van home and I still didn't realise or remember until the next day.

 

 

[Mopar1973Man]

One of the down sides to the circuit breaker because of the high current flow during jump starting its possible to trip the 150A breaker. Normal operation of the truck typically it will not trip.

[LorenS]

4 hours ago, wil440 said:

Have you done the WT mod and if so did you fit a breaker on the main charge lead ? and a small fuse at the PCM

Yes to all three. Breaker hadn't tripped but I manually "tripped" it and reset. Checked fuse, it's good - or at least appears to be. Will check later.

 

At this point my money is on me not making a great connection with one of the butt-splice connectors. While I don't need any more failures on my "mechanic-ing" resume, I hope that's all it is.

[Mopar1973Man]

Just another thought is contacting a pest control company and maybe they have something that will work better. Possibly relocate you problem animal.

[LorenS]

7 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

contacting a pest control company

Marlin bolt action and some subsonic projectiles are on the invite list for my upcoming Saturday.

Just pulled the alternator green and blue wires with engine running - neither had power. I read the older article last night, will follow that tonight to diagnose further.

[JAG1]

3 hours ago, LorenS said:

Marlin bolt action and some subsonic projectiles are on the invite list for my upcoming Saturday.

Just pulled the alternator green and blue wires with engine running - neither had power. I read the older article last night, will follow that tonight to diagnose further.

Buddy of mine had a squirrel chewing the weatherstrip off the bottom of his garage door. Didn't like the fact that same squirrel would be getting into his two collector cars so he laid an electric cord along the bottom of the overhead door and plugged it in. Next morning fried squirrel was ready for breakfast.

[LorenS]

Just now, JAG1 said:

Buddy of mine had a squirrel chewing the weatherstrip off the bottom of his garage door. Didn't like the fact that same squirrel would be getting into his two collector cars so he laid an electric cord along the bottom of the overhead door and plugged it in. Next morning fried squirrel was ready for breakfast.

Some rodent actually chewed through a 120V cord for my more expensive batteryMINDer, so now I only use the cheaper one outdoors.  It apparently lived to tell the tale.

 

Because - of course - the rodent chewed RIGHT BY the charger, my attempt at repairing the expensive one has since failed.  I need to desolder from the board, and I'm terrible at that.  Hopefully I can get my buddy Jeff to fix it, he's a whiz at that stuff.

[Mopar1973Man]

I cancdo that cord with a screwdriver and propane torch. Do e it more that once.

[LorenS]

Following the article on diagnosing alternator no-charge issues, I have traced the problem to the blue wire. I have power at my PCM-protecting fuse, and no power at the alternator connector. Hopefully a quick repair here in the next couple days.

[Tractorman]

Good job!

[LorenS]

On 4/21/2022 at 10:13 PM, LorenS said:

, I have traced the problem to the blue wire. I have power at my PCM-protecting fuse, and no power at the alternator connector. Hopefully a quick repair here in the next couple days.

I tracked down my issue, and it's in the C159 (or whatever the number) connector on the firewall, where the first go-around with the squirrels occurred. The connector is ever so slightly loose enough that that one (hopefully just one...) pin doesn't make good contact. I'm now going to put ANOTHER Weather-Pack connector in there. To be honest, it's very tempting to just run the blue and green wire from the alternator straight to the PCM instead of looping clear around the engine bay just to make the assembly line move faster in Saltillo, MX.

[LorenS]

Again with the squirrel. Apparently Dodge decided to have fun with White/Black and Violet/Brown wires. So when the squirrel eats through two VT/BR wires, it's a real joy to turn to page 8W-136 of the FSM and those are the only two types of wire shown.

Edited February 5, 2023 by LorenS

[jlwelding]

Oh man I'd be pissed. You gone hunting yet?

[Max Tune]

Squirrels sure like your truck....