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by **BILTIT** » Sun Sep 27, 2015 7:12 am

Trying to determine if my check engine light is working or will work (trying to pass a provincial safety and they say the PCM light does not illuminate). I have never seen a check engine light and so i pulled the gauge cluster apart, checked all bulbs to be good. Figured out i have a ramcharger gauge cluster as it has the "gate open" lettering where the check engine light is supposed to be. I assume it may not be wired the same on the board, hence why i have not ever seen it illuminated??

by **thrashingcows** » Sun Sep 27, 2015 9:27 pm

To my knowledge the CEL only comes on when there is actually an issue, not during the initial start up in the morning...like new cars. So if that is what the inspectors are looking for, then grab you FSM and start reading...sure it says how the CEL works in there. Then show these "not so knowledgeable" individuals.

by **matthewh** » Mon Sep 28, 2015 6:18 am

I know you can make the CEL light illuminate by cycling the key from.off to run 5 times, and leaving it in the run position. If you have no stored codes, it will flash 5 times, pause, and flash 5 times, hence 55, means end of read. Otherwise, it will flash out some codes and you'll have to look and see what they are

by **BILTIT** » Mon Sep 28, 2015 8:37 am

I will try the on/off cycle x5, i thought it was x3 and that did nothing. I will also try pulling the connector on the external voltage reg, i think that should throw a CEL.

thrashingcows-ya these inspectors nowadays are not very knowledgable of older vehicles or they just don't care to find out. It has been very frustrating!!

by **thrashingcows** » Sun Oct 04, 2015 1:20 pm

I actually paid attention to my truck when starting up, sine reading your issue. My "Check engine" light comes on when I first turn on the ignition, and for a second of so once the truck starts, then goes out.

This is a 93 wiring system in my crewcab.

by **BILTIT** » Sun Oct 04, 2015 1:58 pm

Ok, thanks for the info. Not sure why mine wouldnt unless the ramcharger circuit board is different and is powered from a different wire in the connector than the check engine light.

by **thrashingcows** » Sun Oct 04, 2015 8:59 pm

BILTIT wrote:Ok, thanks for the info. Not sure why mine wouldnt unless the ramcharger circuit board is different and is powered from a different wire in the connector than the check engine light.

I would think that is most likely your issue. Maybe you just need to swap the wire on the plug to a different location, since the circuit to that bulb would be the same regardless of "check engine" or "lift gate".

by **BILTIT** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 7:45 am

Ya that is very possible. I am just trying to find a different gauge cluster as "open gate" isnt going to pass for a check engine light with the inspector anyways.

by **Remps** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 9:02 am

I think (not 100% sure) all my 1st gens have that "gate open" in the clusters. Its been a long time since i had them apart though.

by **thrashingcows** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 11:03 pm

Decided to do some reading in the electrical wiring systems in my 93 FSM. Seems that lamp is controlled the same through the circuit board on gas or diesel. They call it a "Malfunction indicator lamp" or MIL. It is controlled by the #4 slot on the long grey plug on the back of the cluster. Should be a black wire with a pink tracer going to it.

Tracing it back through the electrical system it runs directly to the PCM. it goes to the #32 pin on the 50 pin connector that plugs into the PCM. So if it's not getting a signal from the PCM, then the light will not come on.

by **BILTIT** » Sat Oct 10, 2015 6:59 pm

So i finally got my hands on a gauge cluster from a pickup with the "check engine light", tried both the new cluster and just swapped the black insert into my previous cluster but still no light.

I checked the plug for that bulb and i have 12v on pin#5 with key on but there is no ground for the other side of the light (pin#4). I am unsure why that pin is not part of the harness.

by **thrashingcows** » Sat Oct 10, 2015 7:50 pm

So it seems your missing the actual wire going from the ECM to the dash cluster. As I mentioned above....should be a black wire with a pink tracer. Perhaps it just never got installed, and is wrapped up in the wiring harness still?

by **BILTIT** » Sat Oct 10, 2015 7:57 pm

Possibly, i will go investigate.

Just browsing some electrical drawings now.

by **BILTIT** » Sat Oct 10, 2015 8:25 pm

Only black/pink i can find goes to the "message center" in the round connector, H point.

http://dens-site.net/Dodge_CTD/1991.5-W ... Scan11.jpg

93 might be different as the 91.5 was a half year specific setup only (not sure what that all entails but external voltage regulator for alternator is one of them).

by **BILTIT** » Sat Oct 10, 2015 9:04 pm

You can see in this thread, post #1 the 5th and 6th picture his does not show the wire either.

http://www.dieseltruckresource.com/foru ... ds-209884/

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