M998 Was Alive, But Now Is Dead

[TOBASH]

When you are turning off your rig, the suggestion is to turn off the rig and only then turn off the lights and accessories. I’m just wondering what you are doing to fry so many boxes as something is going on in your vehicle.

 

[Action]

You mentioned returning a bought box because it was fried. But you dont know that your truck didnt fry it....

 

[springer1981]

You mentioned returning a bought box because it was fried. But you dont know that your truck didnt fry it....

The way I read it, it was one sitting on the self and yet to be used in the truck.

 

[Action]

The way I read it, it was one sitting on the self and yet to be used in the truck.

Yes. I see it now. Im just getting old.

 

[Mogman]

The way I read it, it was one sitting on the self and yet to be used in the truck.

Me too

 

[Action]

Yes. I see it now. Im just getting old.

I reread post #1. He had 3 boxes in the truck. Later he mentioned 3 fried boxes, one of which he wants to return. Too many things bring changed.

 

[hawk-aggie]

The way I read it, it was one sitting on the self and yet to be used in the truck.

correct

 

[hawk-aggie]

I reread post #1. He had 3 boxes in the truck. Later he mentioned 3 fried boxes, one of which he wants to return. Too many things bring changed.

Let me try to recap.
Green sticker KDS was box #1 (yellow band GPC) - it was working fine for about two weeks after I did quite a bit of work (mostly on the fuel system) to get it running. Don't know why it fried, but the starter was acted funny when it did. (As I indicated in a previous post, the starter on another unit was the suspected culprit for cooking the control module on that unit's installed deep fording winch.)

Yellow sticker KDS was box #2 ( yellow band GPC) - it didn't do anything, period. So, it may have already been fried before I installed it on our unit. I didn't open it up beforehand. This one was also a surplus purchase. (Now that I know what to look for, I'll open up the boxes before we purchase them.)

Nartron was box #3 - This was a surplus purchase that was never installed on our unit. I opened it up beforehand to discover it was fried. This is the one I may return to the surplus vendor.

In one of my previous careers, I dealt with a lot of electronic gear. I know the best way to narrow down a problem is to try to change only one thing at a time. Contrary to what any one may have read into my story, I have not changed anything but one item - the box.

 

[hawk-aggie]

When you are turning off your rig, the suggestion is to turn off the rig and only then turn off the lights and accessories. I’m just wondering what you are doing to fry so many boxes as something is going on in your vehicle.

Thanks for the tip. Most of the time our guys forget to turn off everything after they shut down the unit, causing them to have to go back and turn things off. I'm the only one who has been working with/on this unit. The lights and accessories on this unit have only been turned on for testing purposes. It's only been out of the building once for a 2-mile drive, so no real need so far to use lights or accessories. I, too, am wondering what is going on. That's why I'm hopeful someone on this site will send me that gem tip that cures everything. In the meantime, all I can do is trace wiring and check/clean grounding points.

 

[tgejesse]

Time for a CAMO box!

 

[dhaumann69166]

When you are turning off your rig, the suggestion is to turn off the rig and only then turn off the lights and accessories. I’m just wondering what you are doing to fry so many boxes as something is going on in your vehicle.

Does it somehow damage stuff to shut the lights/accessories off first? I usually always pull up to the house and shut off my lights and heater fan and let the Humvee run while I gather up my stuff and shut it off as I get out. Is that hard on my S3 box? I just assumed it was letting my battery charge up for a few minutes before hitting the kill switch.

 

[Mogman]

Does it somehow damage stuff to shut the lights/accessories off first? I usually always pull up to the house and shut off my lights and heater fan and let the Humvee run while I gather up my stuff and shut it off as I get out. Is that hard on my S3 box? I just assumed it was letting my battery charge up for a few minutes before hitting the kill switch.

That sounds like an old wives tail to me, I can not see how it makes any difference.
In fact the EESS box does not control the light circuit

 

[Coug]

Does it somehow damage stuff to shut the lights/accessories off first? I usually always pull up to the house and shut off my lights and heater fan and let the Humvee run while I gather up my stuff and shut it off as I get out. Is that hard on my S3 box? I just assumed it was letting my battery charge up for a few minutes before hitting the kill switch.

I don't see how shutting off accessories will do anything bad to the box.

The practice of allowing a diesel truck to run several minutes at the end of a trip goes back to early turbo engines and conventional oil.
Turbos get hot. That's how they work, convert heat into motion. Oil flows through to keep the bearing lubricated.
If you shut down a diesel engine that's got a very hot turbo, the oil stops flowing, and the oil in the turbo burns from the heat (turbos can be over 1000F). Do this a couple times and the turbo will be so carboned up that the oil no longer lubricates the bearing, and you have catastrophic failure. Idling the truck for a while before shutting down gave time for the turbo to cool off, preventing this failure. Not as important with modern oils, especially full synthetic oils, and most turbo diesel trucks have electronic overrides that will prevent the engine from turning off before the turbo has cooled enough.

 

[Mogman]

I think letting any engine cool down for a couple of minuets is a good idea, I try to do it with all my vehicles/equipment, fortunately for me my house is about a 1/4mi from my gate so all my vehicles get time to cool down as I open and close the gate and cruise down the drive.

 

[Bulldogger]

On your electrical woes, and possible causes of start box issues: grounding is always a good thing to verify, and you did that so next I wonder if you checked the integrity of the positive battery wiring on the backside of the battery box? There is a post that is mounted through the battery box for the +24V line where you connect the batteries on the wall of the battery compartment, that post has a similar side on the outside of the box. If you haven't, crawl under there and make sure that side of the connections is tight and not able to contact the starter casing. The starter is very close to that post, and in my opinion that is a weak point of the design. I had voltage fluctuations I couldn't figure out, but then realized no matter how tight the battery terminal clamp is, there is another connection on the outside of the battery box, and mine was loose...
BDGR

 

[TOBASH]

Does it somehow damage stuff to shut the lights/accessories off first? I usually always pull up to the house and shut off my lights and heater fan and let the Humvee run while I gather up my stuff and shut it off as I get out. Is that hard on my S3 box? I just assumed it was letting my battery charge up for a few minutes before hitting the kill switch.

I only know what I’ve been told. The lights could act as a shunt for reverse current to flow when cutting the engine.

That being said, I’ve been told:

“You know that women never really faint
And that villans always blink their eyes
You know children are the only ones who blush
And that life is just to die”

Maybe Lou Reed was wrong too?

 

[hawk-aggie]

Photos of my "smart box" and diagnostic connectors. No evidence of corrosion. Also did a visual check on the GPC connectors - no corrosion.

Will check connectors at battery box to ensure no corrosion and they are tight.

Will check that 24v is only on the center post of engine bay connector to "smart box". (I assume the process to do that is, once the new starter is installed, to connect batteries, turn on the ignition switch, and check the voltage on the engine bay connector pins. I know NOT to connect the "smart box" connectors for this test. I know to disconnect the batteries before connecting the "smart box".)

Will also clean the crap out of the starter cable lugs AND all the ground connections before installing a grounding harness.

(Waiting on bolt removal kit from Canada to remove broken starter bolt, and have purchased new starter bolts as well.)

 

[hawk-aggie]

On your electrical woes, and possible causes of start box issues: grounding is always a good thing to verify, and you did that so next I wonder if you checked the integrity of the positive battery wiring on the backside of the battery box? There is a post that is mounted through the battery box for the +24V line where you connect the batteries on the wall of the battery compartment, that post has a similar side on the outside of the box. If you haven't, crawl under there and make sure that side of the connections is tight and not able to contact the starter casing. The starter is very close to that post, and in my opinion that is a weak point of the design. I had voltage fluctuations I couldn't figure out, but then realized no matter how tight the battery terminal clamp is, there is another connection on the outside of the battery box, and mine was loose...
BDGR

I looked at all those connections when I removed the starter, but I will recheck and probably put some pooky on the terminals after cleaning and tightening.

 

[Mogman]

Photos of my "smart box" and diagnostic connectors. No evidence of corrosion. Also did a visual check on the GPC connectors - no corrosion.

Will check connectors at battery box to ensure no corrosion and they are tight.

Will check that 24v is only on the center post of engine bay connector to "smart box". (I assume the process to do that is, once the new starter is installed, to connect batteries, turn on the ignition switch, and check the voltage on the engine bay connector pins. I know NOT to connect the "smart box" connectors for this test. I know to disconnect the batteries before connecting the "smart box".)

Will also clean the crap out of the starter cable lugs AND all the ground connections before installing a grounding harness.

(Waiting on bolt removal kit from Canada to remove broken starter bolt, and have purchased new starter bolts as well.)

With the EESS out there will be no power to the run/start switch so it does not matter what position it is in. EESS is a much more appropriate term than "smart box"
If you had reviewed the TM, more specifically the schematic you would be aware of the power flow in the system, I would HIGHLY suggest you spend some time doing this, it will make the electrical operation of you vehicle much more clear to you.
EDIT actually Protective Control Box is the generic term but EESS is easier to type..

 

[Milcommoguy]

With the EESS out there will be no power to the run/start switch so it does not matter what position it is in. EESS is a much more appropriate term than "smart box"
If you had reviewed the TM, more specifically the schematic you would be aware of the power flow in the system, I would HIGHLY suggest you spend some time doing this, it will make the electrical operation of you vehicle much more clear to you.
EDIT actually Protective Control Box is the generic term but EESS is easier to type..

What does the Protective Control Box (PCB) really protect? Seems they like to eat glow plugs.

Nothing smart about that, CAMO