Hey Jake, I'm studying to become a Technician like you. I been studying when I was 9 years old, now I'm 13 years old now and I got inspired by you, Ivan, Eric O, Dan and many others. One day I'll remember you guys that you helped me achieve my goal. God bless you and your family❤
Look into a mechatronics degree from local community college. You can apply everything you learn there to equipment repair, but it will open doors down the road if you want to do something different.
From the title, I thought this was a mystery novel :-) Then I thought "somebody replaced the PCM and didn't program it properly". Clearly, you thought of it too, but you went further in. Somebody messed with a perfectly good PCM, creating a problem that shouldn't exist and almost impossible to fix. Fantastic ingenuity to overcome the obstacles and solve this problem, Jake! Great job!
This has become a new level of diagnostic work. Makes it much harder on us because of the available aftermarket tuners and not knowing what someone else changed in software. I had a customer with a 09 C6 Corvette that someone messed with the fuel tables and would throw a misfire code at idle. The J BOX and GM software would refuse to undo what ever was done after attempts to update the controller. After lengthy time spent it was quicker to replace PCM. Great find!
As a tech without knowing programming was altered how would you diagnose and figure that out? You would see the misfire, but how would you know the fuel tables were changed?
@@Discretesignals Good luck with that. I know of the BMW Scantool (ista+) can do it on some vehicles. It has a test that runs multiple checks on the pcm data to figure out if it was altered (for warranty reasons, you can up the boost on the current V6 like crazy and make double the hp). But even that isn't foolproof, because in theory the software on the pcm could return the expected values when asked by the scantool and still run a different map while driving. This is a cat and mouse game of tuners vs manufacturer.
@@Discretesignals I made an attempt to just reprogram the PCM through GMs program and that did not work. After looking at the fuel trims remaining at zero correction at idle and having no O2 sensor activity, I placed a wideband in one of the locations to see exactly what the reading was. At cruising the it would lean out and got about 24mpg for a corvette! Pretty good. All other injectors, intake, crank sensor, valve springs, fuel pressure, MAF sensor, long list of stuff checked out good. New pcm with new program and ran without issues. Knowing that most GM Corvette PCMs usually get some sort of tune it was a last attempt.
I thought like others that the PCM was replaced. You're more knowledgeable in these things and knowing how to open "The Gate" enabled the repair. Good one Jake!
Jake, I really enjoy watching your videos. Quite often you are over my head, but I can still follow along. There's a handful of you guys out there, that are amazing diagnosticians , actually, maybe a little more than a handful, but still, you are one of the tops. Thanks for taking the time to bring us along.
Nice video and detective work. That Alfa OBD software saved the day. This truck reminds me of an oilfield truck with all that dirt in every nook and cranny. My thought is they went in the ECM to mess with the mileage since a lot of these trucks see 100,000 + miles a year.
For anyone who might be troubleshooting this, there is one easy way to tell if it has a second alternator. On the drivers side the trucks are prewired for it. The plug for the second alternator from the factory has a dummy plug on the connector for the generator 2 control connector. It is taped to the wiring harness. If you see the plug with the dummy plug taped to the harness, you have a factory built single charging system. Edit: Witech can do it with witech 2.0 and a pod that is updated. I work at a dealer as a ram technician/ heavy duty and was able to do it without replacing anything.
I found this very interesting. I bought AlphaOBD a few years ago to do something on a Chrysler and haven’t needed to use on it a newer Chrysler SGW vehicle yet. Nice to know you can use a Y cable and unlock the SGW with a scan tool so you can use AlphaOBD. Guess I need to get a cable just in case
Had the samething with the same codes this last week. Someone had turned on dual charging in the pcm settings and didnt realize it. I put it back to single mode and no more codes. This was on a factory stock Ram 5500 tow truck.
AlfaOBD can be a powerful tool with FCA vehicles. I'm curious how the PCM got changed to begin with cause I'm sure the DTC would have popped up pretty quick if the PCM wasn't seeing the second alternator. Also pretty sure the field control wiring is there in the harness regardless, and there's just a cap over the plug. The Perform Service is the CCV filter. It comes up when the filter needs changed. It's usually around every 60k to 70k miles.
I just had a job like this, except the PCM was missing and the connectors were hidden so when I went to look for it where alldata said it was supposed to be I thought that alldata was wrong once I finally found the connectors. I had to break the news to the customer that someone took her PCM when it was at the tow yard.
Top banana! Hats off to that fix! How did you figure out how to get around the gateway module? I work in a Stellatis dealer and for that type of fix we would have to wait for them to remote in with a program which can take weeks to arrange!
In this era when we try to cobble together used modules into vehicles, we shouldn't be surprised there are problems. Sadly, since this happens outside of the dealer landscape under warranty, we can't expect help from the manufacturer.
Did you tried resetting config in guided diagnosis tab on the left? Usually newer fca vehicles need to be reset in that tab instead of bcm. Also aftermarket users without confirmed security auth (different from autoauth) through Stellantis cannot do restore config at least in Europe. I guess something similar in usa also.
It is funny how guys in the dealer world only swear by dealer parts and tooling, yet like you said the dealer would of had to put a pcm in it, but with aftermarket tooling, you were able to reconfigure it. Funny thing is, I have only aftermarket tooling, but have seen and noticed that dealer tooling is going to be needed as OEM puts in fat finger down on the aftermarket world, and probably will keep doing so till enough cry and the RTR act is revisited and revised. I remember when all you had to do was call the part department for a PIN number .
I'm a tech at a dealer. PCM probably wouldn't have to be replaced. We have contacts at Witech and engineering that could probably help. If not, a Tech Advisor would have to come out and reset the config with CDA. They still think techs are idiots and we are not to be trusted with the power to fix something easily.
Do you re-lock Chrysler SGW's when you're done? I would find this very annoying as a diag tech going out in the field. I really would consider all of the equipment that you were using just to arm myself with the right tools for the right job. Thanks again.
I know this one! You were so close. In Witech PCM View/Misc functions you will see the dual alternator enable/disable function (diesel only). The function was added because upfitters sometimes need to remove the optional second alternator and install a clutch pump (on a tow truck for example). So I agree that someone probably enabled this not knowing what they were doing. So I would say your fix was not really a hack fix, but a OEM fix with a non-oem tool. I am guessing that the PCM reconfig did not work because the enable/disable feature flips a bit in the PCM that doesn't change through the reconfig. So the dual Alt enable/disable feature is not in the aftermarket scanners? I'm curious, are PTO data PIDs and functions in the aftermarket tools? PTO is only an option on Ram 3500-5500 chassis cabs.
I wonder if you had cleared the codes then run the reconfigure process if it might have worked?, Maybe you did that. The theory being that because there was a code for the 2nd alternator the reset process was confused on what to do because there should be no code for a thing that doesn't exist.
Did the number of times the PCM was programmed increase? If you took this to the dealer does "pcm program counts" cause problems? Would "erasing" and installing the programming fresh from dodge reset the count to 1? Something seems weird that the only thing changed was an alternator. Could a "Tuner" have caused this "inadvertently"?
i;m thinking someone went in to turn the fuel up and got a file that had the dual alternator option. why they think turning up the fuel will help them i donno. shouldda bought a bigger truck. oh wait that throws them under DOT.
Just wondering would someone have to have used an alpha obd to change the configuration from the start or can a tuner make such change? Or someone cloned a computer from a ram that had 2 alternators and that configuration was somehow left in when used in this nightmare? Great video either way
Hi Jake , good job , If you have not returned the truck please confirm how many times the config has being changed , If PCM read the hack . just curious
Jack, as always AWESOME INFORMATION and knowledge been shared in this video always amaze me with ur approach and thought process and would be appreciated if you share the link for ALPH OBD or where to buy it from and what is the full name i tried GOOGLE AND AMAZON CANADA with out success as always great video. cheeeeers
real interesting. funny (not being cocky ) i did say to myself that config must be wrong . but how . then see that bit of kit you have there . oh so one can mess with tge config . saw the it a lot when i was out on the tools especially with bmw and vw . lot of people had knock off vag com and the bmw one escapes my memory . but a bucket of people royally screwed there configs on a regular basis . always messing with something
Hey Jake, I'm studying to become a Technician like you. I been studying when I was 9 years old, now I'm 13 years old now and I got inspired by you, Ivan, Eric O, Dan and many others. One day I'll remember you guys that you helped me achieve my goal. God bless you and your family❤
Look into a mechatronics degree from local community college.
You can apply everything you learn there to equipment repair, but it will open doors down the road if you want to do something different.
From the title, I thought this was a mystery novel :-) Then I thought "somebody replaced the PCM and didn't program it properly". Clearly, you thought of it too, but you went further in. Somebody messed with a perfectly good PCM, creating a problem that shouldn't exist and almost impossible to fix. Fantastic ingenuity to overcome the obstacles and solve this problem, Jake! Great job!
This has become a new level of diagnostic work. Makes it much harder on us because of the available aftermarket tuners and not knowing what someone else changed in software. I had a customer with a 09 C6 Corvette that someone messed with the fuel tables and would throw a misfire code at idle. The J BOX and GM software would refuse to undo what ever was done after attempts to update the controller. After lengthy time spent it was quicker to replace PCM. Great find!
As a tech without knowing programming was altered how would you diagnose and figure that out? You would see the misfire, but how would you know the fuel tables were changed?
@@Discretesignals Good luck with that. I know of the BMW Scantool (ista+) can do it on some vehicles. It has a test that runs multiple checks on the pcm data to figure out if it was altered (for warranty reasons, you can up the boost on the current V6 like crazy and make double the hp). But even that isn't foolproof, because in theory the software on the pcm could return the expected values when asked by the scantool and still run a different map while driving. This is a cat and mouse game of tuners vs manufacturer.
@@Discretesignals I made an attempt to just reprogram the PCM through GMs program and that did not work. After looking at the fuel trims remaining at zero correction at idle and having no O2 sensor activity, I placed a wideband in one of the locations to see exactly what the reading was. At cruising the it would lean out and got about 24mpg for a corvette! Pretty good. All other injectors, intake, crank sensor, valve springs, fuel pressure, MAF sensor, long list of stuff checked out good. New pcm with new program and ran without issues. Knowing that most GM Corvette PCMs usually get some sort of tune it was a last attempt.
Nice NPR hack, Jake!
You guys teach me something new literally every day.. between the dozen guys that I watch
I thought like others that the PCM was replaced. You're more knowledgeable in these things and knowing how to open "The Gate" enabled the repair.
Good one Jake!
Jake, I really enjoy watching your videos. Quite often you are over my head, but I can still follow along. There's a handful of you guys out there, that are amazing diagnosticians
, actually, maybe a little more than a handful, but still, you are one of the tops. Thanks for taking the time to bring us along.
A regular tech would never have figured that out. Great job.
I'm sure they would have.
@@autodiagyt I'm not so sure. Jake, you are on the next level.
Nice video and detective work. That Alfa OBD software saved the day.
This truck reminds me of an oilfield truck with all that dirt in every nook and cranny. My thought is they went in the ECM to mess with the mileage since a lot of these trucks see 100,000 + miles a year.
That was great detective work, well done 💪💪💪
Thanks for the tip on the splitter cable. Alfaobd can be a lifesaver
For anyone who might be troubleshooting this, there is one easy way to tell if it has a second alternator. On the drivers side the trucks are prewired for it. The plug for the second alternator from the factory has a dummy plug on the connector for the generator 2 control connector. It is taped to the wiring harness. If you see the plug with the dummy plug taped to the harness, you have a factory built single charging system.
Edit: Witech can do it with witech 2.0 and a pod that is updated. I work at a dealer as a ram technician/ heavy duty and was able to do it without replacing anything.
Whatever you were paid for this job, it wasn't enough! Thanks for sharing.
WOW, This is fantastic info! Great job!
I found this very interesting. I bought AlphaOBD a few years ago to do something on a Chrysler and haven’t needed to use on it a newer Chrysler SGW vehicle yet. Nice to know you can use a Y cable and unlock the SGW with a scan tool so you can use AlphaOBD. Guess I need to get a cable just in case
Incredible Jake! Thanks for sharing this.
Well done Jake 👍
nice work awesome diag!!
Fantastic idea with the splitter alpha is a fantastic tool love it.
Had the samething with the same codes this last week. Someone had turned on dual charging in the pcm settings and didnt realize it. I put it back to single mode and no more codes. This was on a factory stock Ram 5500 tow truck.
NPR FTW 😂 great job man you really understand how this stuff works i can definitely appreciate that 👍
NIce work around.. I've always wondered if you could use an OBD II splitter for things.. This was a nice hack
AlfaOBD can be a powerful tool with FCA vehicles. I'm curious how the PCM got changed to begin with cause I'm sure the DTC would have popped up pretty quick if the PCM wasn't seeing the second alternator. Also pretty sure the field control wiring is there in the harness regardless, and there's just a cap over the plug.
The Perform Service is the CCV filter. It comes up when the filter needs changed. It's usually around every 60k to 70k miles.
I didn’t see any connectors for it to be pre wired.
Good one Jake! Thanks for posting!
I liked that ! Very interesting & helpful information !!
Thanks !!
Very nice information and explanation, I'm total agree,
Jake, you are F***ing awesome.
Good one Jake! Thanks for sharing
The truck most likely had a tune. Back to stock that was something obviously missed
Either a tune or a emissions delete. I'm thinking the latter.
Nice work ! Thanks for the video .
That was awesome fix.
This was an awesome video! Thanks
Great video as always. Thank you sharing
I just had a job like this, except the PCM was missing and the connectors were hidden so when I went to look for it where alldata said it was supposed to be I thought that alldata was wrong once I finally found the connectors. I had to break the news to the customer that someone took her PCM when it was at the tow yard.
Nice work! Thanks Jake
Gotta wonder how many other settings are wrong for this truck.
Top banana! Hats off to that fix! How did you figure out how to get around the gateway module?
I work in a Stellatis dealer and for that type of fix we would have to wait for them to remote in with a program which can take weeks to arrange!
perform service is usually for CCV filter
nice work !!!
In this era when we try to cobble together used modules into vehicles, we shouldn't be surprised there are problems. Sadly, since this happens outside of the dealer landscape under warranty, we can't expect help from the manufacturer.
I don’t think the module was ever replaced.
Great save
Thank you very much
Did you tried resetting config in guided diagnosis tab on the left? Usually newer fca vehicles need to be reset in that tab instead of bcm.
Also aftermarket users without confirmed security auth (different from autoauth) through Stellantis cannot do restore config at least in Europe. I guess something similar in usa also.
Yes I tried the guided function restore also.
It is funny how guys in the dealer world only swear by dealer parts and tooling, yet like you said the dealer would of had to put a pcm in it, but with aftermarket tooling, you were able to reconfigure it. Funny thing is, I have only aftermarket tooling, but have seen and noticed that dealer tooling is going to be needed as OEM puts in fat finger down on the aftermarket world, and probably will keep doing so till enough cry and the RTR act is revisited and revised. I remember when all you had to do was call the part department for a PIN number .
Awesome jake
Nice work Jake. What path throw are you using to connect RAM to the Alfa eobd? Thanks
I'm a tech at a dealer. PCM probably wouldn't have to be replaced. We have contacts at Witech and engineering that could probably help. If not, a Tech Advisor would have to come out and reset the config with CDA. They still think techs are idiots and we are not to be trusted with the power to fix something easily.
I was honestly surprised witech wouldn’t let it reset the configuration.
@@autodiagyt Me too
I called it. Super proud of myself 😅
where did that nifty cover come from for your MDCI
www.draildiagnostics.com/
King✌️
Do you re-lock Chrysler SGW's when you're done? I would find this very annoying as a diag tech going out in the field. I really would consider all of the equipment that you were using just to arm myself with the right tools for the right job. Thanks again.
No they relock when the module goes to sleep I believe
can you share the link you used to look up the build data for that truck?
It’s part of the tech authority subscription, in witech it’s the Dealer Connect link in the left column menu.
I know this one! You were so close. In Witech PCM View/Misc functions you will see the dual alternator enable/disable function (diesel only). The function was added because upfitters sometimes need to remove the optional second alternator and install a clutch pump (on a tow truck for example). So I agree that someone probably enabled this not knowing what they were doing. So I would say your fix was not really a hack fix, but a OEM fix with a non-oem tool. I am guessing that the PCM reconfig did not work because the enable/disable feature flips a bit in the PCM that doesn't change through the reconfig. So the dual Alt enable/disable feature is not in the aftermarket scanners? I'm curious, are PTO data PIDs and functions in the aftermarket tools? PTO is only an option on Ram 3500-5500 chassis cabs.
Man I wish I had the screen recording from witech because that option definitely wasn’t in there on this truck.
@@autodiagyt I will try to find a screen shot from Witech that shows it.
In your email.
@@ChrisBorczon thanks for that! But yeah I definitely don’t think I seen that option. Probably just missing from the newer trucks.
I wonder if you had cleared the codes then run the reconfigure process if it might have worked?, Maybe you did that. The theory being that because there was a code for the 2nd alternator the reset process was confused on what to do because there should be no code for a thing that doesn't exist.
No i tried several different ways and WiTech never worked
05 to 21 their F IAT RAM
22 to present are Stellantis RAM
Soon if all goes right itll retro back to DoDge RAM
Open all em Drivers it'll show Manufactured by Company Name
2009
First, but not the last..😃
Did the number of times the PCM was programmed increase? If you took this to the dealer does "pcm program counts" cause problems? Would "erasing" and installing the programming fresh from dodge reset the count to 1? Something seems weird that the only thing changed was an alternator. Could a "Tuner" have caused this "inadvertently"?
I honestly don’t know why they would have changed it. The truck was completely stock. I didn’t think to go back and look at the program counter.
i;m thinking someone went in to turn the fuel up and got a file that had the dual alternator option. why they think turning up the fuel will help them i donno. shouldda bought a bigger truck. oh wait that throws them under DOT.
Just wondering would someone have to have used an alpha obd to change the configuration from the start or can a tuner make such change? Or someone cloned a computer from a ram that had 2 alternators and that configuration was somehow left in when used in this nightmare? Great video either way
I honestly don't know. I very rarely see Cummins trucks
Grasias
Hi Jake , good job , If you have not returned the truck please confirm how many times the config has being changed , If PCM read the hack . just curious
There was someone there picking it up within 20 minutes of me saying it's fixed.
What OBDlink USB cable do you recommend? (to use with, say, AlfaOBD software)
I got the one they recommended. I think it's the MX Bluetooth one.
OK gotcha
Calver ❤❤❤❤
👍👍👍👍
To unlock the gateway does top-don do it without a subscription fee?
You need autoauth and the tool has to be up to date.
@@autodiagyt thank you
Is it an auction vehicle?
Yes
Wow
Alldata update definitely sucks. I use it every day on a tablet and struggle to click on the search bar all the time.
It’s definitely frustrating
Original owner?? he's not coming clean, they screwed with the configuration
Auction vehicle
👍
❤❤ ❤❤❤❤❤❤
Hey Jake are you in Georgia. Got a problem that going on with my 2001 ford expedition Xlt. Is there anyway you could contact me?
I'm in North Alabama close to Lake Guntersvillie
@@autodiagyt do you travel to work on vehicle? My 2001 Ford expedition 5.4 xlt sparkplug blow out the motor and the hole has gotta larger.
@@autodiagyt is there anyway I can't you directly if that's possible?
@@reggiemcnair1030 my email is on my page
Jack, as always AWESOME INFORMATION and knowledge been shared in this video always amaze me with ur approach and thought process and would be appreciated if you share the link for ALPH OBD or where to buy it from and what is the full name i tried GOOGLE AND AMAZON CANADA with out success as always great video. cheeeeers
I don’t remember the link. I bought it a while back. But it’s just call alfaobd
Pls i'm Enock from Ghana Wast- Africa can you help me with hybrid electric
real interesting. funny (not being cocky ) i did say to myself that config must be wrong . but how . then see that bit of kit you have there . oh so one can mess with tge config . saw the it a lot when i was out on the tools especially with bmw and vw . lot of people had knock off vag com and the bmw one escapes my memory . but a bucket of people royally screwed there configs on a regular basis . always messing with something
It's s diesel. I'm thinking DPF delete.
Nothing on the truck was deleted. Had the full factory exhaust.
Alfaobd is very popular. Wouldn’t be surprised if someone was messing with it and changed the wrong setting.