My '03 just under went a transmission and a s475 over stock install and when I picked it up from the shop I was faced with some electrical troubles and I thought I'd post up my story and see if someone can help us pinpoint what is wrong.
The very first thing that was done, was when I parked it in the shop, I pulled all the interior switches, controls, and cluster out and sent to a guy in Iowa to have the lights swapped to red LEDs. There was work done to the cluster. I don't know exactly was all done, but the person claimed he stuck it in his truck, drove around and claimed everything checked out. When I removed and installed everything, the batteries were disconnected. Once everything was back in, I had my right battery out for the compound install and hooked up only the left battery to test the lights by turning on the marker lights. First thing I noticed is the headlight, dome/foglight, and 4WD switches light up dim. The LEDs weren't nice and bright like they should be. Thought maybe the second battery needed to be hooked up.
For my second battery, I used 2/0 wire to relocate it to my toolbox in the bed. First attempt was to run the cable right up to the starter and tape up my OEM cable out of the way. This didn't work because my lug was too big and touched the solenoid stud. Once at the diesel shop, I picked up a splice and we spliced it into the OEM cable. Heat wrapped and protected.
Once I had the transmission in and half of the turbo install done, the truck was loaded on a trailer and hauled to a local diesel shop where they installed the Y bridge and finished up the install. The turbo kit was built on a Cali emissions motor and the wire harness on top of mine was in the way. They removed the plastic surrounding on the harness and used wire loom in place of it.
Truck wouldn't start and they found a faulty neutral safety switch. Replaced it and it started right up. Everything was great. Truck got tuned with a few miles put on it. The man who tuned it said the starter had a delay in it. Turn the key on, cycle the glow plugs, turn to crank and it takes a second for the starter to kick in. The first time it was fired, this problem wasn't present.
When I picked it up, driving it, I noticed my three dash switches fore-mentioned were still dim. Those obviously aren't getting the proper 12 volts. Driving I noticed I had no oil pressure. Pulled over and proceeded to bring it up on my CTS. That thing went blank. Took a few tries of starting and shutting down to access the oil pressure. CTS did good up once, maybe twice on me. Like the screen was black and grey, and screwed up. Once accessing the oil pressure, it said the selected PID is not supported, shutting down now.
At the last attempt I only had tach and speedo and with air bag, abs, service 4wd lights/messages. Limped it back to the shop. Truck wouldn't shift past second gear. Their scan tool couldn't pick up a reading from the oil pressure. Truck had oil and everything. The oil pressure isn't an issue.
Yesterday I proceeded to fix and correct my grounds for the second battery. I had the ground ran down to a bed bolt. I fixed it by drilling a hole in the bed bracket on the frame. I added two different ground strap/cables from the block to the frame. Since the second battery actually grounded to the block originally.
Started it, my oil pressure comes up just slightly on my cluster. Reached over to turn on the marker lights and the cluster did the same thing as the other night with lights and message on it.
The truck had zero issues when I parked it to start all the install.
To sum up what is wrong....
-Starter has a delay in it. The relay in the fuse box is getting powered and the solenoid is getting the correct power.
-Three dash switches aren't getting their proper 12 volts.
-Gauge cluster isn't reading properly. Namely oil pressure.
-Lastly, the truck started correctly the first time after neutral safety switch. No issues during the test drives and tuning. The cluster did act up weird on one guy only once.
They're thinking it could be something in the BCM. I did have a thought that maybe one of my batteries went bad? If anyone has some input that would be great. Something that we can start looking into first ya know.
The very first thing that was done, was when I parked it in the shop, I pulled all the interior switches, controls, and cluster out and sent to a guy in Iowa to have the lights swapped to red LEDs. There was work done to the cluster. I don't know exactly was all done, but the person claimed he stuck it in his truck, drove around and claimed everything checked out. When I removed and installed everything, the batteries were disconnected. Once everything was back in, I had my right battery out for the compound install and hooked up only the left battery to test the lights by turning on the marker lights. First thing I noticed is the headlight, dome/foglight, and 4WD switches light up dim. The LEDs weren't nice and bright like they should be. Thought maybe the second battery needed to be hooked up.
For my second battery, I used 2/0 wire to relocate it to my toolbox in the bed. First attempt was to run the cable right up to the starter and tape up my OEM cable out of the way. This didn't work because my lug was too big and touched the solenoid stud. Once at the diesel shop, I picked up a splice and we spliced it into the OEM cable. Heat wrapped and protected.
Once I had the transmission in and half of the turbo install done, the truck was loaded on a trailer and hauled to a local diesel shop where they installed the Y bridge and finished up the install. The turbo kit was built on a Cali emissions motor and the wire harness on top of mine was in the way. They removed the plastic surrounding on the harness and used wire loom in place of it.
Truck wouldn't start and they found a faulty neutral safety switch. Replaced it and it started right up. Everything was great. Truck got tuned with a few miles put on it. The man who tuned it said the starter had a delay in it. Turn the key on, cycle the glow plugs, turn to crank and it takes a second for the starter to kick in. The first time it was fired, this problem wasn't present.
When I picked it up, driving it, I noticed my three dash switches fore-mentioned were still dim. Those obviously aren't getting the proper 12 volts. Driving I noticed I had no oil pressure. Pulled over and proceeded to bring it up on my CTS. That thing went blank. Took a few tries of starting and shutting down to access the oil pressure. CTS did good up once, maybe twice on me. Like the screen was black and grey, and screwed up. Once accessing the oil pressure, it said the selected PID is not supported, shutting down now.
At the last attempt I only had tach and speedo and with air bag, abs, service 4wd lights/messages. Limped it back to the shop. Truck wouldn't shift past second gear. Their scan tool couldn't pick up a reading from the oil pressure. Truck had oil and everything. The oil pressure isn't an issue.
Yesterday I proceeded to fix and correct my grounds for the second battery. I had the ground ran down to a bed bolt. I fixed it by drilling a hole in the bed bracket on the frame. I added two different ground strap/cables from the block to the frame. Since the second battery actually grounded to the block originally.
Started it, my oil pressure comes up just slightly on my cluster. Reached over to turn on the marker lights and the cluster did the same thing as the other night with lights and message on it.
The truck had zero issues when I parked it to start all the install.
To sum up what is wrong....
-Starter has a delay in it. The relay in the fuse box is getting powered and the solenoid is getting the correct power.
-Three dash switches aren't getting their proper 12 volts.
-Gauge cluster isn't reading properly. Namely oil pressure.
-Lastly, the truck started correctly the first time after neutral safety switch. No issues during the test drives and tuning. The cluster did act up weird on one guy only once.
They're thinking it could be something in the BCM. I did have a thought that maybe one of my batteries went bad? If anyone has some input that would be great. Something that we can start looking into first ya know.
