Help with battery drain / alternator / TIPM

[orerockon]

Ram 2500 2012 Cummins 6.7L
There are some posts about this but none that I can find that can hook all 3 issues I have together.

Hello all, I have an issue that I can't diagnose. It could be more than one fault but I kinda doubt it. So, I've had some random issues for around 2 years. Things kept getting worse over about a year now. These are in no particular order.

Aftermarket stereo died. This is the first thing and was around a year before everything else.
Instrument panel flickering. but it has more or less resolved itself.
Cruise control doesn't work at random, sometimes I can get it to work by hitting the cruise button 2 to many times.
Door locks fob doesn't work. This is relatively new. I can lock them from the passenger side and unlock them from the driver side.

I blame all of this on the TIPM, it was just annoying for a couple years and a new TIPM is outrageous, way out of my budget. I've had it out to clean all the connector and check all the fuses a couple times (blow them out, remove everything, contact cleaner on everything). No fuses were ever blown and I don't see any corrosion at all, it looks brand new. I tried the clamp the battery cables together overnight trick and nothing. I found a place online MAKs that diagnoses the TIPM and either returns it fixed up or take it as a core and charge for a rebuilt one. This is all I can afford at this time. I have $500 budget to work with to solve all of this.

It didn't start after a month or so of not being driven at least 5 years ago, that happened once. Then, it stopped starting after sitting for weeks or months (I don't drive it unless I really need it). The battery was drained. I could start it on engine start charger setting and it ran just fine as long as I was using it often. Then on a trip towing the 27 ft. trailer I stopped for gas and it didn't want to start but after a few tries it was good. This happened a few times, then I noticed the battery voltage gauge was dipping to around 11 when it didn't start. But it started anyway every morning, and a number of times all day after a couple hours on another trip. Then after I got it home it sat for a few weeks and once again it wouldn't start, even with the battery charger on starting setting. I got it started after oevrcharging the battery, went to an appt., tried to start it up and dead again. I got a boost from a starting service and it started, I let it run and everything looked good. About 5 mins. driving it completely died. As in no power to anything. Got it towed home and put it back on the charger, this time both batteries to 100%. I could start it but the next morning dead again. Put it on the charger and it said the battery was sulfonated, so I left it on desulf overnight, in the morning it said can't desulfate. Charged it up again and nothing. Switched batteries and the other one also went down to 11 volts and wouldn't start again. Took the battery to Les Schwab and they did a 10 second test and said 98% and 14 volts. But they've done that before so I took them to get load tested and was told to get new ones. I had already done that and drove maybe 1000 miles on them.

So after more digging I see that the alternator may not be charging during driving, there may be a parasitic drain (I changed the IOD fuse twice and it wasn't fried). So it's down to the alternator or the TIPM. Now I suspect both are failing, and/or there's a parasitic drain. Whatever else I do I'm sending in the TIPM this week because the various electrical problems all point to it being screwed up. But I don't know if I need an alternator, and I would apparently need an actual tester which does stuff that my little handheld doesn't. Which is also out of the budget after what I think the TIPM will cost. Obviously I can't take it to an auto parts store for them to test it, and from what I'm reading it would be a minor miracle if they knew WTF they were doing. My wife took her squealing car which was "perfect" according to OReillys, the shop guy turned it on and off and said dead turbocharger (which was correct).
So what are my next steps? Wait until they diagnose the TIPM? I don't have any way to remove the alternator and obviously can't take it to anyone who could.

 

[orerockon]

New info.
I may not have said this but the truck can sit for months at a time, I drive the car when I don't need it. However it did just fine for 13 years. Yesterday I decided to take the TIPM out to send it to MAKs for a rebuild. Then I figured might as well rip it apart. t blew everything out, pulled all the fuses and modules, looked for corrosion (there was some very minor residue on a couple fuses), contact cleaner on everything, I saw the big 60 amp fuse and found it on the cover, IOD fuse which is supposed to detect a parasitic drain? It looked weird (like there were 2 tiny dots of solder on the wires) so I got a replacement, put that in, charged both batts to 98%, gauge was at 14, waited 4 hours, it started right up. Note that it didn't start at all under any of these conditions before the new fuse & TIPM teardown. Drove it a few miles like an idiot, put it in neutral and slammed down the pedal, hard stops and starts, gauge still sat at 14. Let it sit for 6 hours, gauge was at 14, started up.

As of 10 mins ago, 18 hours later, the gauge was hovering around 11, click click click no start. I immediately tried again, it had gone up a bit (maybe 11.5), it started immediately. Tried a couple more times, still started. The gauge now says 12.5 engine off which I have read is normal? I'm going to wait until tonight and try again. I'm 99% sure it has nothing to do with the batteries, I had switched them 2 days ago when the charger on the left battery said sulfated and then said couldn't desulfate it. So I'm starting off the old secondary batt which was just fine. It's a little odd how the fuse wasn't mentioned anywhere that I can find. But, driver's seatbelt lock didn't work so I get seatbelt unlocked on the panel and it won't go away. So I might have screwed something else up on the tipm. I had pulled the fuses one at a time, so I got them back in the right slot. There's some kind of door lock module somewhere? I can't find where that would be. I see vague references to this like locking and unlocking 3 times in 10 seconds, didn't try that. Also, key fob lock/unlock does nothing (with a new battery), using the buttons in the door gets drivers side unlock, and passenger side lock. Getting the TIPM cables plugged in was a huge PITA so there's a chance I bent something. I also se suggestions involving a PCM, ECM(?) I don't even know where that would be.

ANYWAY I'm thinking that the IOD fuse was causing one issue or another, or ripping apart the TIPM fixed something. BTW the charger has said alt low for ages, well before all this started. All I have is the stupid little LCD voltmeter which someone had said was a throwaway and won't give good readings. So next step is to try and get a good read on the alternator with it running, I don't have the tools or skills to pull the alternator and bench test it. I won't take it to Oreillys etc. to get codes, l already have them:

P2509 intermittent problem with the power input signal to the Electronic Control Module (ECM)

P14C the oxygen sensor (O2 sensor) on Bank 2, Sensor 1 is responding slowly or not at all. This means the engine control module (PCM) isn't receiving a normal signal from the O2 sensor, which can lead to incorrect fuel mixture adjustments

P0562 "System Voltage Low" issue, meaning the engine control module detects the vehicle's voltage is below the acceptable range. This could be caused by a faulty alternator, voltage regulator, or issues with wiring, battery cables, or fuses. This looks plausible.

So they have something to do with but there are 10 interpretations on all of them online so I don't know what to believe. Need to get a read again tonight to see if they changed. I read give them 24 hours to reset? I feel I'm closer now but I fear the alternator needs to be replaced. Naturally I want to confirm that if I can without paying $200 for a diagnosis. I'm scared to death that I'll rip my hand off shoving it down there with a probe lol.

 

[orerockon]

Is this place alive?

 

[1Mean16]

You have 2 separate issues going on here, I believe. First, going off of your list of issues and known CEL codes, your cruise control issue is most likely its own issue and separate from the other 3 or 4 you listed in your first post, Your cruise control failure is due to a failed cruise control module, a blown fuse, or a wire pulled out of the connector for the cruise control circuit in the back of the TIPM, where you had mentioned you were having a bit of a fit with. (If your TIPM is laid out like most, then that circuit's wire should be towards the middle section of the green connector plug in the back of the TIPM and would be in line with fuse 82, so check that wire and fuse, and if they both check out, then check 87. And as far as your other issues, in short, your TIPM needs replaced or rebuilt or, if you are very lucky, you can try a hard reset by disconnecting both battery terminals and touching them together and let sit for a few minutes. Next, unplug all of your TIPM plugs and after a few minutes, replug up your TIPM plugs and then reconnect battery and check to see if that worked. If not, then Maks is your best option so you are on the right track there. It runs about $400-450 and swaps quite easily without programming so its worth it in the end. And it seems like you were able to get quite a few years out of your original TIPM and this should be a one time repair, so try to keep that in mind.. And I think that your pcm isnt getting consistent voltage because of your TIPM, which likely gets warm after the key is on for a minute or once youve started the truck for the first time each day, and once warm it exposes a short or two within the TIPM that will gradually become more severe and problematic as it sees more heat cycles. Your PCM power may consequently suffer because of the TIPM internal shorts , hence why you are seeing the P2509 code for sure, and possibly even the P0562 code as well. I think its very likely that all of your other issues will be resolved after the TIPM swap. But it is possible that your P0562 code comes from a failed alternator so I would defintely check your charging voltage from the alternator like you were planning too first. And if for some reason your radio is not fixed after the TIPM swap, then look for a single 20 amp fuse sitting in the main wiring harness coming from the front of your driver side fender area and the first foot or two as it enters the engine bay. This should be the radio fuse unless yours is different and possibly mounted in the TIPM with all of the other fuses.. Im assuming you have already checked this but thought Id mention it just incase. Good luck!