2006 Caravan OBD code P0480

Obd Code P0480 on Dodge

Engine Cooling Fan Not Coming ON.

Temp gauge jumps high with A/C running

United States 2006 Dodge Caravan Vehicle.

Q: 2006 Caravan with code P0480. Replaced fan relay, thermostat, coolant sensor, and tested fan motors (fans run on direct connect to battery).

Fans will not kick on and temp gauge hits top end if running A/C...otherwise gauge holds at about mid-level.


A: There are few possibilities to cause such problems.
Some wiring and component testing is required.

Make sure you have a test light or voltmeter to do some simple testing at the relay which controls Fan.

Locate the fan relay in engine fuse box.Then unplug the relay and test it's power and ground feed.

HOW TO TEST FAN RELAY:

Ground the black meter lead or the alligator clip end of your test light and probe the orange/red wire in the relay connector and make sure the test light lights up.

Then take the meter lead or alligator clip to battery positive and probe the black/dark green wire and make sure it lights up.

If all checks out ok then use jumper trick.Jumper trick helps to confirm the problem with relay or its faulty fan.


Where To Use jumper wire:
With the relay plugged back in and the fans plugged in, insert a straightened paperclip into the back side of the relay connector on the dark blue/violet wire. If you attach a jumper wire between the paperclip and ground it should cause the fans to run at full speed. Properly inspect Does this allow the fans to run?
If no then it can be faulty relay or fan motor.

If both fans came on when I touched to ground

That means the relay is good,and the wiring from the relay to the fans is good.

Testing PCM:

Next is to test PCM. You need to go to the powertrain control module (PCM), which is located in the front of the left front wheel. You'll have to pull back the wheel well liner to access it. There locate the dark blue/violet wire there which should be in pin 6 of the black/white connector. There is a discrepancy in the wire color so I'd like to pop the back cover off the connector and check the wire color. It will be in the top row and should be dark blue/violet, but may be brown/violet.

Once  located the correct wire  jump it to ground the same way as at the relay and see if the fans come on.
Make sure you do this with ignition OFF.

If fans are not coming ON.
Then next step is Bypassing the PCM module

Bypassing the wiring thru the power module

For this go back a little way from the connector and strip a small section of the wire, plug the connector back in and run a temporary jumper wire between there and the relay. At the relay connect the wire to the dark blue/violet wire.

Then clear the code, start the engine and turn on the a/c to see if the fans work again.

As per schematics the wire is br/vt going into module and then db/vt coming out to relay.Inspect this wire and connect jumper between this wire.
Many a times this wire gets cut or crimped in between causing such problem.

This details will help.
Thanks.

Dodge W250 4x4 Charging System Problem

Vehicle Charging System Problem

PCM Wiring Issue On Dodge 

93 dodge w250 diesel has charging problem.Replaces the alternator and the cps sensor reads good also the relays work fine.The truck wont charge while the wait to start light is on but after awhile it goes off and it starts charging, tried cleaned all ground connections and still it dont charge sometimes it takes a hour before the charging system kicks.Is it a bad pcm?


Troubleshooting Solutions For The Problem:

Yes It Seems Like Its A Faulty PCM:

• It does sound like you have a bad PCM. What would often happen with these SMEC type PCM's is they would partially power up when the key is first turned on but they wouldn't fully come alive and operate. If you're seeing the wait to start light come on for that amount of time and the charging system doesn't work then that tells me the PCM isn't fully coming alive.

Another Possibility Can Be Faulty Crank Sensor:

• How was the crank sensor tested? Internally shorted crank sensors did cause some problems on these, they could take the PCM down. It's suggested to unplug the sensor at the time the wait to start light won't go out, make sure the light doesn't go out. If it goes out as soon as the sensor is unplugged then you know the sensor is the issue.

Inspect Electrical Connectors And Ground Wire Connections:

• I would verify the PCM powers and grounds are good at the time it acts up. The best thing to do would be use a headlamp or fog lamp bulb and a couple jumper wires and if the bulb lights brightly this will ensure the circuits are capable of supporting a load.

PCM Wiring Test Details:

• You should have battery voltage on the dark blue wire in pin 9.

• You should have battery voltage on the red wire in pin 3.

• You should have ground on the black/tan wire in pin 11 and 12.

Why It Seems PCM Is The Possibility?

The flickering of the wait to start light and ASD relays and then the charging system starts working is a sure sign that the problem is internal in the PCM. 

Try load test the powers and grounds when it is acting up to be sure, but what you are having is a common failure mode of a SMEC type PCM and replacing the PCM is going to be necessary.

Installing/ Replacing Voltage Regulator

If you didn't need or don't have an automatic trans, cruise control, speedometer or a/c then you can install an external voltage regulator and not worry about the PCM. A correctly installed and known good voltage regulator will allow it to charge, although if the PCM isn't working you wont be able to use the charging gauge/battery light in the dash to know that it is charging.

This Details Will Help.

Thanks.

Chrysler eclipse Stalls & Stops At Idle Randomly

Stalling At Idle Issues

97 eclipse manual 420A non-turbo motor stalls and stops at idle randomly, it always starts right back up. Sometimes won't start on 1st try then immediately starts on 2nd. Also jerks or bucks while driving but not all the time. If cruise is on it will jerk & cut off. Reminds me of an automatic trying to climb hill & can't decide to gear up or down rpms remain the same while this happens.


Troubleshooting Possibilities For This Problem:

First of all there are many possibilities that can cause this types of problem.But as per the problem described most of the common possibilities are ruled out.To confirm the problem for remaining possibility,its suggested to get vehicle engine control module scanned with scan tool.
You may end up having to monitor data on a scan tool at the time it acts up to be able to see what is happening.


It can be the Sensor Problem:

One thing I see you haven't replaced is the cam sensor. For your vehicle engine model the cam sensor mounts to the left end of the cylinder head and runs off the intake cam. If the cam sensor signal drops out it will cause the problems you are having, but it would usually set a code.


Crank sensor or Cam sensor Shorting:

One thing that isn't uncommon on these engines is an internally shorted cam or crank sensor taking out the opposite sensor. They both share an 8v reference circuit that they need to be able to produce a signal. If one sensor or the other internally shorts the sensor ground to the 8v reference then it will drag the reference down and prevent both the cam and crank sensors from producing a signal.


No Sensor Reference Signal To PCM:
No Error Code Set But Still A Faulty sensor:

A cam or crank sensor code will set if the PCM sees a signal from one sensor but not the other, it knows the engine is turning if it sees one sensor. If one of them shorts internally and takes down both signals then a code can't set even though one sensor is bad. If your cam sensor is shorting internally that explains the symptoms but lack of codes.


Possibilities To Try:
I recommend to get engine module scanned.But if no scan tool is available I would recommend replacing the cam sensor with a factory part (aftermarket sensors are known to cause many issues).


Jerking and Bucking while driving at High Speeds:

The same problem of faulty sensor or no signal for any of sensor  is causing both the jerking and bucking while driving at higher speeds, but since the engine is turning faster at those times it doesn't die like it does at idle or low speed.

Also It can be Faulty PCM:

It's possible that the powertrain control module (PCM) could be causing this or it could be a wiring issue but these possibilities are less likely than a cam sensor failure. Replacing the PCM would be a last resort if all else can be ruled out.


This details will help.
Thanks.