I have an urgent issue, and along with that, am finding other strange things. I don't know for sure what might be related, so thought I'd list it all out in case there are clues others might see.

Urgent issue - I'm getting a code 34/35 from the key dance. I say both because there is a tiny delay between the fourth flash and the fifth. I'm trying to locate the relays in question. As I'm reading about how it works, I'm wondering if this might have been a symptom: with the A/C, it often would not blow much, but if I messed with the lever, or, hit a bump, it would blow stronger. I never related it to my speed, and thought it was just one of those things.

The battery drained under 12 and is now fully charged, still have the code and a short somewhere. Question: Can I drive 3 or 4 miles to get parts, etc. and if so, anything I can do to not blow anything up?

Prior to this, my speedo was initially wonky, then not working at all, but there were no codes. It still appears to be dead.

While nosing around in the engine, I noticed what looks like a lone and broken off ground wire in the cavity behind the passenger side headlight, but I can't see where it might have led to.

Next, I noticed that there were two relays lower and in between the PCM/starter relay and the battery. One was mounted to the firewall and hooked up, the other was just a receptacle sort of hanging. I tried to put a new relay in and heard a loud click, and when I tried to start the engine it sputtered. When I took the relay out it was very hot after just a few minutes. It started fine after that, still had the same code.

All of the fuses check out, except I have never had a fuse in the slot for ABS, and cannot insert one. I don't know whether the van had ABS initially or not, but it was a higher-end conversion, so I would think it did.

This is a conversion van, and the past few months I have done a lot of messing around on the interior. I've still been driving it here and there, so I don't think any of the fixtures I removed, etc. caused this, but the final state of things currently is that the front cabin lights aren't working. But I just realized it may have to do with the headlight switch, so will check that.

I have an old Haynes manual as well as a newer one, but I'm not super mechanically inclined.

Any ideas or resources, or answers, would be appreciated!

 

I am thinkin' that's a code 34, as your van doesn't have an electric cooling fan, and never did...... So, speed control circuits... which is the cruise control. If the speedo don't work though, I bet the cruise won't either. If there isn't a code for vehicle speed, the PCM is likely getting its signal, just the speedo is not. I don't know if you can do the cluster test on yours..... Your trip odo is mechanical, isn't it?

If you don't have the motor/controller for ABS under the hood, then you just have rear wheel ABS.

 

Thanks. Yes, the odometer is mechanical.

I've been making use of the info at https://www.kolhosniki.ru/ which is amazing. It says the 93-95 Ram Van and Wagon have viscous cooling fans. One curious thing is that I have a broken ground behind the passenger headlight, so I'm trying to look into where that was attached without taking everything apart. The fan issue seems a little cumbersome right now so I'm hoping it is the cruise.

Question about codes: some sources talk about clearing them through driving or with a reader, and some say that leaving the codes remain can actually cause issues. Any tips? Also, I do have the physical adapter for my DLC to OBD2 - shouldn't the AutoZone readers be able to read my OBD1 codes?

I'm hoping that the battery issues are due to this short (whatever it is) not allowing the alternator to charge, and I didn't know that even though I had a charger on it and topped up the volts, the amps weren't there yet. So if I keep the accessories off on short trips and keep a charger on it in between trips maybe I can make it to the parts store.

Any and all advice welcome!

 

On the trucks...... There is a major ground point right behind the drivers side headlight, WAY down in there, on the 'shelf' at the bottom of the inner fender. All sorts of stuff grounds there...... On mine, there were more than a dozen wires going to it, most of which were broken. Which would explain why a whole host of stuff simply stopped working one day.

The parts store code readers aren't real high zoot..... So, I doubt any of them will understand an adapter.

 

Yes, I have a "way down there bar" on the driver's side with a bunch of grounds for probably old CBs, radar detectors, amplifiers, and aftermarket fog lights, etc. On on hand I feel I should have just paid someone "who knows what they are doing" to sort me out. On the other, not sure those people exist anywhere I can find them.

 

Right there with ya on that one. I am not as capable as I used to be, so, I am paying folks to fix my truck these days. After spending 700 bucks over two visits to get my a/c working, it still doesn't work. It lasts about two days. (gotta be a leak) The shop I took it to keeps telling me it 'works perfectly'.... Erm. No. On max a/c, it should be blowing cold air, not ambient temp air. Not sure what they are smoking.... Of course, that shop got bought out by another one...... Wow. Big surprise there.

 

Well, that's one reason I'm pulling my hair out trying to figure it out myself

Thought I'd give an update on what I've found out:

- the "way down there bar" under the battery and wiper fluid is my inverter for the conversion van. Black wire goes back to the house battery, and two smaller red wires go to the alternator and the fuse/relay for the conversion van.
- the EMCC/TCC is still a mystery as to why it does not have a relay in it, but I'm saving that issue for after I get the code sorted out
- under the steering column on the buzzer/chime connector, I have a visible break in one of the ground wires (off to repair that next)
- also under the steering column, there are two cut wires, one red/light green and the other black, and surprise - the red/green is probably the cause of the Code 34 I'm getting - but not sure where it's supposed to go, so have to figure that out

What is weird is that I'd have her for over four years and driven her weekly. Never had a CEL before. I'm not getting amps to the battery for some reason, which I suspect has been the reason I've been told to replace the starter, alternator, and am on my third battery. I'm hoping the short/ground I've had all this time might fix it for good.