TOM R

ok since my truck is dead in the water again, we scanned it with the snapon scanner and we are only getting binary code and squigly lines and wird stuff with it hooked to my truck i am guessing the ecm is toast and there are no p codes showing on the dash, i have a new ecm coming from dodge and I am looking at the ecm on my block and trying to figure how it unbolts since it is pretty hidden, can someone give me an idea how they got theirs off, what bots you can reach from up top vs crawling under the truck, it is cold here so i would like to try to do it in a timely manner if possible

Rpainter

you can get to the bolts from teh top and I think the plug is held on with a allen head screw.

TOM R

ok thanks, has anyone else had a scanner do this when hooked up?

Fueling around

An ODB scanner connects to the Powertrain Control Module (PCM). The PCM talks to the Engine Control Module (ECM).
Bad grounds or a pushed out pin on a connector is the usual source of bad readings.

TOM R

ok which is the pcm?

patdaly

PCM is on the firewall, behind the Air cleaner box. 3 plugs.

TOM R

so if the scanner won't read it is the pcm not ecm?

TOM R

if someone else has had this problem please let me know so i don't swp out the wrong computer, also which pis do i need to look at to see if they pushed out on the pcm? the ones in the connectors at the pcm?

Fueling around

I was thinking the scanner connector or the ODB port on your truck as the starting points.
Did you turn on the ignition? PCM needs power to talk.

Not familiar with your truck history. Do you have another thread with the problems?

TOM R

last month i broke down 2 times first time the lp was running and no fp so I swapped it out, then the next day i drove it and it died again with fuel pressure showing this time it stumbled like it was running out of fuel before dying, had a code for the buss connector, bled the vp44 and had fuel there so it didn't appear that i killed the vp44 so i fueled up and added antigel incase that was the problem and drove almost a tank of fuel then went to fire it up in the driveway,there was a noise like the abs unit cycling truck started ran for about 10-20 seconds and died and that was the end no restart, so we put on the scanner and just got what looked like binary code (1's and o's) and squigly lines so i figure the ecm on the truck died, when i had it running after the buss connect code i pulled on and moved every connector and wire i could to try and see if there was a connection problem and the truck never shut off so after seeing the scanner not working this is my best guess

TOM R

ok here are the codes i had when it broke down last time p1693,p1698,0230

like I said now i have no p codes truck is dead in the water and i can't get viable data from the scanner just jibberish

here is that old topic https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...d.php?t=226921

funny thing is this all started after i started plugging in the block heater though i am sure it is unrelated

patdaly

Tom, I know the scanner does not talk directly to the ECM, because you have to scan the ECM thru the PCM with the DRB. That is why you have companion codes like P1693, it just tells you that the ECM has another code.

Somewhere I thought I read that a bad VP44 could lock up the bus, but I am not good enough on the 24V to know for sure.

Anyone else?

TOM R

well if thats the case it sucks since i the ecm just came in and it is non returnable

TOM R

well there is a restock fee so the ecm is going back and i am gonna start with the vp44 and go from there, at almost 200k on the truck i am sure it probly needs 1

nickg

read this
http://www.bluechipdiesel.com/vp44diagnostichelp.html

Blue chip says that the VP only needs a positive and a ground to run and idle, it does NOT need an ECM or PCM, I'm going to have to read it again to make sure I did not miss something. you could likely call them to help diagnoise your VP, but I believe the ECM/PCM failure rate is way lower than the VP.