My name is Dezera and I own a 1998 Dodge Ram 2500 Turbo diesel 24valve. I will start by telling you what the first thing was that i noticed happening and each new paragraph is a new symptom.

First i noticed one morning when i started it that it took alot of power to start it, it turned over just fine but the radio light and sound went out and the inside light went out for few seconds even after it was running. So I took it in to have it looked at, he tested batteries and said there is to much power running through them and he would recomend new batteries, they are 12volt and they each have 17volts going through them. The batteries are brand new so it is not the batteries.

Secondly, I was fueling up one evening and as i was pulling away from the pump, mind you the pickup had been running for few minutes, suddenly the check gauges light came on, headlights went out, oil temp went down all the way, and the radio light and sound went out, few seconds later it all came back on. Day later we popped the hood and cleaned all cables to batteries, the positive pole on passenger side had some corrosion, cleaned it really good and cleaned other too although they had none.

Third, it may not mean anything but the fuel gauge has been sticking and the pickup is acting funny. I am unsure how exactly to explain that but I am used to how my pickup runs and lately it is not sounding the same, its like somebody that is congested, they have a nasely voice... my pickup sounds different like someone with a cold. The ABS light also flashes once in awhile.

When I looked these things up in the manual it reccomended getting the electrical system checked out by a professional, but there are no diesel professionals around my area and i dont want a gas professional looking at my diesel and diagnosing it wrong, then making it worse. my coolant is low i think too, i dont know how to fill that though because in the manual it said to have it done by a professional, i am also unsure what to use, dont know if a diesel needs special coolant.

I love my truck, it is everything to me, please help me figure out this problem!!

Dezera
dtuma_93@live.com

 

Sounds like the ECM....

Search that and read about it.

17 Volts thru 12 volt batteries is way too much, either your alternator is screwed up or that is a mistake. 17 volts could damage the ECM.

You put the coolant in through the radiator cap, just like a gasser. Make sure the engine is cold before you do this.

Use diesel rated ethylene glycol coolant only, preferably of the same brand/color that is in there. In a 50/50 mix, unless you are in a very cold area.

Thirdly, find a good diesel mechanic in your area, wherever that is...

 

Agreed, 17 volts will damage a lot of electronics. Verify that reading and if it is correct stop driving it until repaired. The ECM controls the charging if I remember correctly. Disconnect both ground cables and then unplug the ECM and check to make sure there is no corrosion in the plugs. I usually plug them in and out several times to get the contacts clean. Hook the ground cables back up and see if that helped.

 

Ok, thank you to both of you... I am going to check the ecm today if it stops raining or tomorrow. and will water suffice for coolant for awhile? and I live in Jacksonville, Florida.. there is really practically nobody here that knows anything about diesels. I just recently moved here, had i known there was no one here for my truck i would not have come here. I care about my truck.

 

Water in an emergency will be ok in a warm climate, but I would opt for the correct anti-freeze to keep cavitation under control.

We have some Floridian members, post up in the New Guy section to find some....

 

You need to make sure you dont have any codes in the OBDII system which can point to the problem. Your '98 doesn't allow for the codes to be read from the odometer like newer models so you'll need a code reader.

It sounds like the alternator regulator is potentially allowing to much voltage to pass through the electrical system. As previously mentioned, this can damage electrical components and/or the batteries so you need to know whats happening. The Cummins ISB (what you have) is an all electrically controlled engine. For that reason, if there is ANY abnormal voltage/amperage then the system can start creating phantom problems which aren't really related to anything but just the incorrect voltage/amperage.

Also, because of what I just described, you have to make sure that ALL major electrical connections and grounds are secure, tight, and not corroded. Especially if you live where road salt or calcium chloride is used on the roads. As you've found out already, battery cables can corrode easily and the can corrode on the inside too.

 

Like was already mentioned, if your charging system is actually supplying 17 volts to the batteries, that's a big issue and can cause lots of malfunctions as well as permanent damage. Get that dealt with and all the little issues should disappear.

On a 98, it's actually the PCM behind your air cleaner that houses the voltage regulator. It could be damaged internally, or there could be a wiring problem between the PCM and the alternator. Your field control wire may be shorted to ground, or the PCM may be getting a voltage sample that's lower than actual, and overcompensating.

Your truck was built with standard green ethylene glycol antifreeze, good for two years, mixed roughly 50/50 with water. Some people like to "upgrade" to long life coolants, or the "compatible with everything" variety, but I'm a big believer in sticking with the green stuff if that's what the vehicle came with.


With the engine cold, remove the radiator cap and make sure it's full to the top with 50/50 coolant mix, then install the cap and make sure the overflow reservoir is topped up to the "full cold" line.

 

They didn't set them up to give a flash code on the check engine light? I had a 96 Plymouth that would.

 

No. '98.5/'99/'00 won't do the key trick. Have to use a scanner......

 

OK. The 01 I had would do the key trick. Dad had a 99 Cirrus that wouldn't, must have been a company-wide deal.

 

if you have 17volts...kiss your light bulbs good by..any and all that might have been on..

so its not likely you have 17volts..possible but not likely..

so remove the alternator from the equation..disconnect the red wire at the alternator..
now you running on batteries only...

its normal the volts to drop to 8-10(dash gauge) when it cold and grids are on..

yes you can use plain water..but adding antifreeze helps with the cavitation problem..(so X2 SIXSLUG)

have you check the voltage drop on the cables from the battery to the starter? you might have a bad connection at the starter..making it run slow..

just some thoughts.

-dkenny

 

I checked the reading many times, there is 17 volts going through

 

Is the 17 volts with the truck running or not? if its with the truck off, then the batteries are certainly the issue. If its with the truck running, heed the advice above.

Travis

 

ok, here is a lay out of what I did tonight...

- Cleaned all corrosion off of posts and connections.
- Replaced positive terminal on driver side because it had a crack in it
- replaced ground wire connectors on driver side because they had corrosion between tape and wire
- disconnected the alternator to reset the computer

so far it seems to be running a little better, I do not have a battery tester to check and see if the voltage is down, but I am thinking it is because of how much better it is sounding and running. Tomorrow will be the ultamite test when it is driven to work instead of just around the parking lot of my apartment complex. Thank you all of you for all of the great advice. If any of you know of a good diesel mechanic around the Jacksonville, Fl area please let me know as I am still looking for one and have posted another thread asking if anybody knows of one.

Thank you again, I greatly appreciated the advice and the knowledge I gained.

Dezera

 

what's the voltage when the truck is off?
12.5 - 13.5 volts? anything else is not good..

17v while running points to the alternator and or the PCM that controls the alternator..you might consider looking into an external regualtor for the alternator.

-dkenny