Durangofan -

I sprayed cleaner down the harness from the power steering pressure switch connector. You need to get the cleaner to travel down the inside of the wires, not down inside the wiring harness but outside the wire itself. I just loaded it up from the connector. I ended up driving for a week or ten days with it running like crap and the check engine light on figuring it would take some time. It did. The cleaner just needs time to work its way down the wire.

Keep the faith. Give it another week of "drying out" before you give up.

-K2

 

I sprayed cleaner down the harness from the power steering pressure switch connector. You need to get the cleaner to travel down the inside of the wires, not down inside the wiring harness but outside the wire itself. I just loaded it up from the connector. I ended up driving for a week or ten days with it running like crap and the check engine light on figuring it would take some time. It did. The cleaner just needs time to work its way down the wire.
KTwo

I read your last post a couple of times and it is a bit confusing. Believe me - I appreciate your help, and I am not trying to be a dick - just trying to understand.

I believe you are stating to place the cleaning fluid into the power steering switch connector and couple it back together? This will get the cleaner to run through the inside of the wires. I think you meant to say (underlined above) that the cleaner should run down the inside of the wire itself, not just inside of the wiring harness?

What type of cleaner did you use? I am using brake cleaner which evaporates within a couple of minutes, as I have been spraying a lot on the wires.

If I just fill the power steering switch coupler up with cleaning fluid and put it back together, what is going to force the fluid through the wires itself? When the power steering switch was bad, the high pressure power steering line would keep pumping fluid into the wires..

I really need this fixed. I have to change oil almost every 4 - 5 days due to the excess gas that it being signaled by the confused computer to run rich.

I look forward to your response.

Thanks!

 

One thing you guys should check is a fuse. In the fuse block under the hood there is an oxygen sensor circuit fuse. I chased all kinds of problems and spend hundreds if not more in sensors and whatnot to find that it was a blown fuse (even though I was still getting readings from the O2 sensors) it should be the bottom left fuse.. give it a look.

 

You're right - I meant inside the wires themselves, not just inside the wiring harness - sorry for the confusion. It took me several days to figure out that it needed to go in the wires, not in the harness. My problem was that everytime I disconnected the front O2 sensor and looked inside the connector on the wiring harness there was power steering fluid weeping out of the connector from around the pins. It just hit me finally that the fluid was weeping down the inside of the wires.

I just used a quick drying electronics cleaner from CRC that I got at Advantage Auto Parts. Most of the can went down the wires over the course of about a week. There is no way to "force" the fluid down the wires with anything other than gravity. So I gave it a blast of cleaner about every 30 - 60 minutes over the four day course that I wasn't driving it and just let it work it's way down.

Another thing to consider is the your problem may be different from mine. How long has your D been throwing the codes? Power steering fluid is mildly corrosive I believe. So if this problem had been going on for more than a few days it may be possible that theres actual damage to the wiring harness from the fluid.

I'm also a bit confused about your need to change the oil so often. The fuel and oil systems don't mix - at least they're not supposed to. Your oil should be unaffected from this. Whats making you believe that you need to change your oil so often?

-K2

 

KTwo

My wife (it's her Durango) was still driving it to 'here & there', racking up the miles. As she started it up one morning, I could hear the lifters rattling, so I check the oil level - thinking that it needed a quart. Oil level was OK, but I could smell gas in the oil. When I pulled the oil drain plug - the mixture of oil and gas was pretty thin.

Thanks for stating that the cleaner has to go down into the strands of the wire itself. I can unplug the power steering switch coupler and place the connector straight up and fill it with cleaner. With brake cleaner I will have to cap it off - so it does not evaporate.

Question on this - if fluid goes in the (power steering switch coupler) strands of the wires and runs its course, how does it end up coming out the front o2 sensor wires?

Today, I jotted down the color of the front o2 sensor's 4 wires and attempted to find out where they run to - with no success. One runs up to the 15 amp fuse (which is good), another runs over by passenger's fender wire loom, from there - ???

I am going to start tonight with flushing the inside of the wires.

Look forward to your response on how the power steering fluid ends up at the o2 sensor.

THanks!

 

KTwo,

I found the problem!!!

Please see the following: http://www.lindertech.com/newsletters/nwk12~05.pdf (Page 3 & 4)

The power steering switch and the o2 sensors shared a common ground, allowing the power steering fluid to wick through the wires and end up at the o2 sensor.

I believe the solution is to replace the o2 ground wire.

I need to address this and will update you on my results.

Thanks!