Grounding issues

[juniort444e]

I just bought and replaced my blown up pmr motor with a 95 forged van bus motor. I swapped EVERYTHING over and now im having some issues.

First off it takes awhile to start.

While its running the speedo is jumping around when put in gear but not moving.

When i turn lights on the driver side side marker comes on but not passenger side.

The instrument cluster works but the right turn signal stays lit and the turn signals dont work.

Need help with this. I put the grounds back on the motor but will take them back off to and srub them clean to rule that out. And the ground is on the back of the motor as well. Im also hoping some of my starting issues are from the icp?? ( sensor on oil rail) is broken and nit plugged in.

sent from uranus

 

[Derek@Vision Diesel]

How many miles do you have on it?? When i swapped motors i bet it took 100 miles for it to start correctly.

 

[juniort444e]

I have not drivin it but a mile or two. So after i drive it more i will hope it clears up and starts better.

Im still having ground issues though. And i cant figure it out.

sent from uranus

 

[Derek@Vision Diesel]

The starting issues are perfectly normal. It will start better and better each time you drive it. Air in the system really messes with things.

Sorry im no help on the ground issue

 

[juniort444e]

Thanks for the boost in confidence on the starting issue.

Does anyone know why or what is causing this, all i did was swap motors. I wire brushed the two bottom grounds on the block and that didnt do anything.

We tested the side markers and they are all testing good, but whats wierd is the lights are not working on the passenger side even though they are saying that there is power there.

And its showing that the block to the batteries are somewhere in the range of 3.0 to 9.0 ohms. Not sure if thats good or bad. And the right turn signal is still solid lite. But not if i turn the signals on the left one blinks normal and the right one blinks really fast.

Someone please help with any info.

 

[juniort444e]

Bump for the night.

 

[juniort444e]

So, noone can help out on this. Sweet.

 

[SoCalPSD]

Im no electrical guru but it sounds like a wire may have been pinched somewhere. Have you checked the wires at the firewall and made sure they looked good? Also when your checking the light sockets are you using the ground in the plug or are you using the battery or other metal surface?

Fat fingered from the phone-Corey

 

[juniort444e]

I will double check the fire wall again.

When we tested the lights we used both ground and hot from the light.

 

[golfer]

definitely related to grounding..but may have nothing at all to do with the engine swap.

we have a truck that came in for a transmission (towed in, not able to be driven)...

once the trans was replaced and the truck was able to be driven...windows, locks, interior dome lights, speedo, wipers, all were ***ked...press the DS window 'up' button...speedo climbed, LOL...

@ 55hrs of (actual, not billable) labor in so far, and have found:

one broken wire inside drivers door wiring harness (where they pass from chassis to drivers' side door)...this wire turns out to be a common ground for a ton of chit...

one bad GEM (fried from excess current related to mostly broken wire, there were still 3-4 copper strands connected) .

seriously

explaining THAT to a customer is fun...especially when he insists that "all that chit worked" before y'all touched the trans", LOL

I believe him...but no WAY did a trans R&R cause that wire to partially break...(and magically have lots of tarnishing on the broken strands)...

get out your voltmeter and start checking resistance & continuity to ground errrrverywhere.

luckily this trucks' GEM was still available new from Ford, and arrived this morning.

 

[golfer]

keep in mind that in our case...with 90+% of the wire actually broken...we still had VOLTAGE & continuity where we should have...

not until we started checking resistance did we have some clue...and even then...there's lotssssssssss of wire bundles to open up for damage...

didn't help that our customers truck had aftermarket chit...LED tails, aftermarket stereo & speaker, amp, wiring...but none of that was the actual culprit...it was one wire...in an undamaged OEM wire loom that was the issue...

start with the simple stuff...but don't be surprised if it has nothing to do with the engine swap...ie...don't be reluctant to look at chassis/door wiring, etc...

 

[juniort444e]

Wow that is crazy.

This is what i gathered so far, and knock on wood, everything seems fixed now.

First i wire brushed both bolts and everything that touchs the block for driver and passenger side grounds. seemed to help with the speedo hitting 40 while in park.

Then i found my passenger side, side marker plug wasnt in all the way since the side clips are broken, pushed it in and electrical tape to hold for good measure and the lights work and the dash cluster is fine.

Then the windows wouldnt work, found the fuse, replaced and all was good. took it for a quick ride, and my buddy plugged his code reader in, NO power to the obd2 port. Found a fuse replaced that, double checked the rest of them and all is good.

Then didnt have any heat, filled the coolant again, since its still not topped off, and that seemed to help. Now im just hoping nothing else happens.

Thanks for the information golfer. I hate wiring, makes me flustered really quick.

 

[golfer]

Wow that is crazy.

This is what i gathered so far, and knock on wood, everything seems fixed now.

First i wire brushed both bolts and everything that touchs the block for driver and passenger side grounds. seemed to help with the speedo hitting 40 while in park.

Then i found my passenger side, side marker plug wasnt in all the way since the side clips are broken, pushed it in and electrical tape to hold for good measure and the lights work and the dash cluster is fine.

Then the windows wouldnt work, found the fuse, replaced and all was good. took it for a quick ride, and my buddy plugged his code reader in, NO power to the obd2 port. Found a fuse replaced that, double checked the rest of them and all is good.

Then didnt have any heat, filled the coolant again, since its still not topped off, and that seemed to help. Now im just hoping nothing else happens.

Thanks for the information golfer. I hate wiring, makes me flustered really quick.

good to hear... awesome...

the long cranks (as previously stated) are just from the inj/HPOil sys having a chit ton of air in the heads, reservoir, etc...it should crank&fire like normal after 30-50miles.

driving (30-50m) will also work the air out of the heater core & radiator (no in cab heat issue)...though I would take a gallon of coolant mix during the test run, and check it every 10 miles to make sure you don't run low...

 

[Derek@Vision Diesel]

Wow looks like you just had a lot of single issues that made it seem like one big issue was messing with you...

Generally id rather find one big issue thats causing everything, but seems like you managed to get it all tracked down without much headache!!! Good work man

 

[juniort444e]

good to hear... awesome...

the long cranks (as previously stated) are just from the inj/HPOil sys having a chit ton of air in the heads, reservoir, etc...it should crank&fire like normal after 30-50miles.

driving (30-50m) will also work the air out of the heater core & radiator (no in cab heat issue)...though I would take a gallon of coolant mix during the test run, and check it every 10 miles to make sure you don't run low...

Thank you again. I have to get more coolant, thought these things only took 5 gallons. Im well over 6 and seems to need a good bit more.

Wow looks like you just had a lot of single issues that made it seem like one big issue was messing with you...

Generally id rather find one big issue thats causing everything, but seems like you managed to get it all tracked down without much headache!!! Good work man

Yea, talk about a heart breaker after pulling around 22-23 hours all nighter and 2am run to eat n park to get this thing finished to find out that everything else sh!t the bed. And thank you for the compliment.

One last thing with starting and rough idle, my dad spotted me money for the new and expensive ICP sensor, fixed the rough idle and seems to start without any trouble what so ever. Its been in the teens and 20's here the last couple days, turned key on, let the glow plugs cycle like i would in the summer time, and she fired right up no problems what so ever.

 

[jwlandry]

Glad you got most of the bugs worked out the your truck has a new heart in it.

 

[juniort444e]

Thanks bud. I am happy to be driving it again. Last problem solved today, no windshield washer fluid coming out of nozzles, due to temperatures in the teens, quick touch of heat from a heat gun and its all good.

Its bad when the washer fluid is rated to -20 and its frozen and slushy like at 10-20*.

 

[Derek@Vision Diesel]

Thank you again. I have to get more coolant, thought these things only took 5 gallons. Im well over 6 and seems to need a good bit more.



Yea, talk about a heart breaker after pulling around 22-23 hours all nighter and 2am run to eat n park to get this thing finished to find out that everything else sh!t the bed. And thank you for the compliment.

One last thing with starting and rough idle, my dad spotted me money for the new and expensive ICP sensor, fixed the rough idle and seems to start without any trouble what so ever. Its been in the teens and 20's here the last couple days, turned key on, let the glow plugs cycle like i would in the summer time, and she fired right up no problems what so ever.

Well i guess you just tracked down another issue haha, so the problem wasnt air? It ended up being a bad ICP?

Sounds like youve worked enough bugs out, how is it running now? Had a chance to beat on it much?

 

[juniort444e]

It was actually both air and icp. The icp was broken during motor extraction and it was a few days before a new one was bought and put on. So the rough idling was from icp the longer starts were from air. I cranked it today again only one cycle of gp and it fire up in 4-5seconds.
That is 20° and not plugged in either.
sent from uranus

 

[juniort444e]

Its running just like before. I haven't beaten on it yet because I'm still somewhat scared of something breaking. But got on it some today and I cannot describe how good it feels to drive again in this truck. New tuning very soon and i should be worry free until i need a bts

sent from uranus