$50 REWARD for solution - 97 Laramie 5.9 - DYING

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Dodge 1500 4X4

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Need a update, many on here posted, let us know and what you found, and that $50 reward was well earned.
 
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Prideless

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ramtruckdriver said:

"Air from fan vibrating primary wiring to coil, thus breaking copper internally, while idling tap harness, or tug test each wire, usually breaks near connector".


SORRY, I HAVE LITTLE TIME TO WORK ON THIS!

Anecdotal evidence suggests we may have a BINGO! here. But It may take some time to check the card. Replaced coil primary pigtail all the way into the spiral sheathing. Drove 2 quick trips today, the first time it did not cut off on a trip in 2 years, but I still have issues (clearly ones I created along the way). The first trip, 6 miles, left me with PO132, PO138, and PO121. These have existed since I replaced the Throttle position sensor and the oxygen sensors. When I got back for the first trip I put the old TPS back on, reset, and drove it another 10 miles. The light came on about the same place into the trip, about 2 miles.

When I got back the TPS code was not there, only the oxy sensor codes. I replaced the oxygen sensors once ONLY because I replaced the CAT, but it threw these codes right away. I sent the sensors back complaining they were defective, got a different, more expensive brand to be safe... same thing.

I am considering putting back on the OLD oxy sensors to see what happens, because it was not throwing these codes with the old sensors. BUT I know for a fact one of them is defective. It had two wires clearly broken on it, one so close to the housing that it cannot be repaired, but it wasn't throwing any codes.

I will update when I can. I just had a little time to mess with it today. Lets figure out how to get you that reward too. Thanks!
 

ramtruckdriver

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Glad to hear of possible success, do you have live data on your scanner? the o2 dtc's you mentioned, are L/S sensors shorted to a power source, what dtc will activate if you disconnect a o2 sensor at a time, and compare faults from either o2 sensor while disconnected. Also, is P0132 and P0138 now inactive?
  • Bank 1 refers to the cylinder bank that includes cylinder No. 1.
  • Bank 2 refers to the cylinder bank opposite bank 1.
  • Sensor 1 refers to the sensor that is located before the catalytic converters.
  • Sensor 2 refers to the sensor that is located after the catalytic converters.
1997 ram.png
 
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Prideless

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I do have some live data available and will go check that out and get back to you. I drove it on a couple of trips today. It NEVER cut off. The first was very short, 3.5 mile and it threw 132 and 138. I reset and drove on a 30 mi round trip, about 5 minutes into the trip it threw 4 codes... 132, 138, 135, 141, so now it looks like I got to trace the wiring on this too. But at least ALL the trouble now is with the o2 sensors. Is there a fuse on the o2 sensor heaters?. At the halfway point I reset, and when I got back I only had the 132 and 138 faults. I guess the exhaust system was hot enough that the o2 heater didn't fault this time? I'll try to get back to you today on what live data I can get, now that it will run. Please tell me how to get that reward to you because YOU ARE THE MAN! I now have almost no doubt that coil pigtail was the shutdown problem. THANK YOU!
 

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GREAT to hear of some progress
 

ramtruckdriver

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2 thumbs up!! you aren't the only driver//( customers also) that had that hesitating feeling after the repair of , Christ, the trucks gonna stall but it doesn't. My Wife told me to not take your money, which i agree, but if you want to reward me, it can be done with e-transfer. i would give you my email addy in "conversations". O2 heater, positive supply from auto shutdown relay, all sensors are spliced onto one ecm sensor ground, which i would check, as you have numerous fault codes over the years . in the pictures, the yellow/blue colored wires are highlighted, and not reflect ckt wire color. notice there are numerous splice points, no fuse on O2 heaters, Thanx for the compliment!
 

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Prideless

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Hey ramtruckdriver, since you got me this far.... The first pic is one of the original sensors with one white wire broken completely in two, and the grey one hanging on by a couple of strands.... and it was throwing no codes before I replaced them.

I reset, cranked and got this live data. It has only a few other parameters, let me know if you need something else. It ran about 4-1/2 minutes before the CEL lighted. None of this particular LD seemed to have changed at any time, though other LD like RPM and IAT noticeably changed. I turned off ignition after the light to see if I could catch the order of the codes. At this point it only had 132, and this is where I left it.

Since I have replaced the sensors twice, I am certain you are going to tell me to follow the wiring harness from the connector all the way up... Oh joy! I've got two weeks left to get if fixed and the monitors cleared so it can get inspected before it expires. Thanks again.
 

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Prideless

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we overlapped our last replies sending them at the same time... I will have to review your schematics then get gack
 
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Prideless

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carry me to the finish and the reward is $100 and well worth it. I haven't been able to drive this thing with any confidence in two years.
 

ramtruckdriver

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if possible ,on the pictured O2 sensor thats damaged, for me its easier if you can determine which terminal at connector the wires go to. with ohm meter or remove loom sheathing, i use my wifes seam ripper lol.
 

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Prideless

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I crawled under there and traced the o2 sensor wiring (as best I can determine without going all forensic on it). It (they) begin on the right side and the two harnesses converge on top of the transmission, then converge into a larger bundle coming up the left side of the transmission, converging again into the largest bundle of wiring crossing over the top of the firewall, back to the right side at the PCM. Do you suspect a specific ground cluster, because I went through all the visible grounds I could find in the engine bay with a fine tooth comb.
 

ramtruckdriver

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i would ohms test wires sensor to sensor, then to another sensor then to ECM, in all while no mice have chewed wiring, i wouldn't open the vehicle harness, just perform resistance checks, as for 2 o2 sensors to fail with same failure, IMO they would share a signal , ex. ground. because there are 2 individual signals to ecm. i apologize if im confusing, in my head its clear lol. sent you a IM
forgot to mention, all sensors share the same ground supply from ecm(in previous picture)so one wire gets split at numerous points(inside the harness)
 
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MikeBrew

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If you have no luck with coil packs. I know I’m stretching here but check as many grounds as you can find. Then check your click spring. I had a problem of cutting out for years. Had free extended warranty. They replaced everything. Anyway years later met a electrical engineer from Chevy. Said guys overlook it all the time.
 
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Prideless

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If you have no luck with coil packs. I know I’m stretching here but check as many grounds as you can find. Then check your click spring. I had a problem of cutting out for years. Had free extended warranty. They replaced everything. Anyway years later met a electrical engineer from Chevy. Said guys overlook it all the time.
no coil packs - Only one coil
 
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Prideless

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i would ohms test wires sensor to sensor, then to another sensor then to ECM, in all while no mice have chewed wiring, i wouldn't open the vehicle harness, just perform resistance checks, as for 2 o2 sensors to fail with same failure, IMO they would share a signal , ex. ground. because there are 2 individual signals to ecm. i apologize if im confusing, in my head its clear lol. sent you a IM
forgot to mention, all sensors share the same ground supply from ecm(in previous picture)so one wire gets split at numerous points(inside the harness)
I agree 100%, however my comprehension has gone way down since I turned 63. I have a degree in Electronics Engineering and I am just getting slow. It may even be in the drawings you uploaded, but can you tell me specifically which of the 3 connectors on the PCM has the o2 sensor wiring, and which pins on that connector represent which sensor? Both sensors have 4 wires each, 2 white, 1 gray, and 1 black. Thanks again
 

ramtruckdriver

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the black connector on pcm, the actual sensor pigtail wire colors dont help, but where they are located in connector, that is golden. pcm connector.pngcommon ground_LI.jpg
 
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Prideless

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I have a better understanding of how it works now with this haynes diagram. Do you happen to know the physical location of G-119 I have circled in red? Looks like it could be the culprit, but those wires are impossible to get to above the transmission, and now a winter storm is on top of me so I don't know when I can get back to it. Thanks for the help
 

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MikeBrew

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If you have no luck with coil packs. I know I’m stretching here but check as many grounds as you can find. Then check your clock spring. I had a problem of cutting out for years. Had free extended warranty. They replaced everything. Anyway years later met a electrical engineer from Chevy. Said guys overlook it all the time.
 
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