Weird Electrical issue
Calling all shade tree and professional mechanics or anyone with this experience.
My trucked died on me last night...here's the story.
A week and half ago, I remote started the truck. Came out and it was off I could have sworn I started it and didn't hit the cancel button. Remote start didn't work again as the dash stated I had to manually stat. OK, no problem, maybe someone tried to jimmy the door while it was running, that's been happening a lot in my area.
A few days later, truck starts, all is well. Put it into gear and the light for parksense comes on. Dash screen tells me it's off too. I try to turn it back on. Nothing. Stays off. Hmm, just a glitch I thought.
Take my daughter to curling last night, truck all good. Parked it. Came out an hour later. Totally dead. No power, batteries totally drained. Two nice strangers helped me boost it to start it as it takes a lot of of juice to turn over a diesel.
Truck runs, on way home, pull into a strip mall so eldest daughter can get some food. I leave the truck running.
All of a sudden, while parked and idling, radio dies, park sense sensor goes on and off, backup camera flips out, dash lights going off and on, trailer brake controller going nuts. Truck sputters and dies. Not enough juice to turn it over.
Wife comes with other two kids and boosts me again. Truck runs...all the way home fine, no problems.
This morning, truck has power, probably could start. I didn't try as we all had to get to our morning destinations.
Obviously there's a short somewhere. I'm thinking either along a data line in the chassis OR one or both batteries is starting to internally short out, disrupting the entire circuit.
If it's the batteries, is there a good way to test them using a multi-meter while they're in the truck since they're both connected or should i take each one out and test them?
If it's a cable or connector that's shorting, I'm thinking water is getting in somewhere as it's been warm and wet up here this winter so far. Is there any common spots on these trucks that could be a culprit that I could start looking at?
My truck is a 2011 RAM 3500 Cummins diesel Megacab SRW.
My trucked died on me last night...here's the story.
A week and half ago, I remote started the truck. Came out and it was off I could have sworn I started it and didn't hit the cancel button. Remote start didn't work again as the dash stated I had to manually stat. OK, no problem, maybe someone tried to jimmy the door while it was running, that's been happening a lot in my area.
A few days later, truck starts, all is well. Put it into gear and the light for parksense comes on. Dash screen tells me it's off too. I try to turn it back on. Nothing. Stays off. Hmm, just a glitch I thought.
Take my daughter to curling last night, truck all good. Parked it. Came out an hour later. Totally dead. No power, batteries totally drained. Two nice strangers helped me boost it to start it as it takes a lot of of juice to turn over a diesel.
Truck runs, on way home, pull into a strip mall so eldest daughter can get some food. I leave the truck running.
All of a sudden, while parked and idling, radio dies, park sense sensor goes on and off, backup camera flips out, dash lights going off and on, trailer brake controller going nuts. Truck sputters and dies. Not enough juice to turn it over.
Wife comes with other two kids and boosts me again. Truck runs...all the way home fine, no problems.
This morning, truck has power, probably could start. I didn't try as we all had to get to our morning destinations.
Obviously there's a short somewhere. I'm thinking either along a data line in the chassis OR one or both batteries is starting to internally short out, disrupting the entire circuit.
If it's the batteries, is there a good way to test them using a multi-meter while they're in the truck since they're both connected or should i take each one out and test them?
If it's a cable or connector that's shorting, I'm thinking water is getting in somewhere as it's been warm and wet up here this winter so far. Is there any common spots on these trucks that could be a culprit that I could start looking at?
My truck is a 2011 RAM 3500 Cummins diesel Megacab SRW.
