DODGE DART ELECTRICAL GREMLINS FIXED?! - 2014 Dart Alternator Replacement and $15 Ground upgrade!

[@kennethcarver9687]

At around 130,000kms I had a no start on my 2013 dart,found a main broken ground wire, fixed it and added a 2nd ground wire from the battery to the Transmission, I now have 487,000kms on the dart trouble free,going for 500,000kms then aiming for 600,000kms,this has been a great car for us,it had only 21,000kms on it when we bought it in 2013

[@JustFixinGarage]

Glad to hear it’s been a solid car these seem to be pretty reliable after a few mods like the ground wire

[@deadeyedabs]

If you pull the filter housing and tube it's alot easier. Can change mine in about 25 mins lol. Save alot of time.

[@rickyg4800]

I've added more grounds and it's helped my 2014 dart alot

[@JustFixinGarage]

Glad to hear it. Since this work on the dart it’s been over a month with no further issues.

[@d1drummerboy76]

Next time it could be the oil pressure. Mine does the same when the oil gets low. Engine shuts off but radio and all other electrical works.

[@JustFixinGarage]

@@d1drummerboy76 yeah I mention on the description to check oil as well as these motors can’t run low or they shut off. But it’s something we all need to be sure we check :) thanks for the comment !

[@hemanthkumark9283]

@@d1drummerboy76 hey my darts oil pressure sensor goes off after one or two days of replacement so what would be the issue and how to fix it

[@jeramygrajiola1544]

Instead of taking of the tire maybe the air intake would be a faster and better method on this

[@Not_Sure_]

Great job man. @25:26 If you disconnect the negative battery terminal that will max out a good alternator. Can that cause any kind of a problem ? You know . . . since the voltage will peak and max out the voltage. If the alternator is not charging, then the engine will stop running. I know this trick works with 90's and before without much of a worry.

[@JustFixinGarage]

So to start I do not know for sure if it will cause an issue. Technically an alternator when spinning can generate as much as it wants and its usually controlled how much it sends to the battery or discharges. I think it depends on if the alternator is computer controlled or not. Some have a sticker on them that says if its PCM controlled or not. I have only done the "unhook battery" on a few cars in the past few years and none of them were very new. I caution doing anything too risky on newer cars with all the electronics as anything can happen and PCM's are pricey!

[@triciarhoden2860]

Thanks for the video! Will introduce a new ground now!

[@mlb1818]

I'm have the same darn issue with my 2.0 1st it was the the ground. It was completely corroded and flapping around. Fixed that worked a bit now I'm having same issues. Writing this as I'm watching this video. Hopefully it's alternator.

[@JustFixinGarage]

as crazy as it seems dont forget to check the oil level too. Ever since adding a new ground, a fresh oil change, and replacing the alternator this dart has been solid. Its actually due for an oil change this weekend after it did a trip from Maryland to Florida and back.

[@prenticegoff8821]

Was it?

[@chrisg1043]

Just did my alternator today on my 2015. You should just take the air box off. Makes it easier.

[@shanestrains2849]

Excellent video man. My girl always ask me - Why do we never take my car on road trips? All of the videos on no starts can explain that. 2013 Dodge Dart Rally 🤣 Edit : That harbor freight push pin puller is AWESOME for the price. Use it every day at my shop.

[@JustFixinGarage]

I’ll have to check out the push pin puller ! A new harbor freight is opening down the road in the next month . It’ll be my new generic candy store :)

[@Cuevasshorts]

Thank you again brother

[@JustFixinGarage]

Anytime hope it helps !

[@cjumilla1]

Going to do this on Saturday been through like 5 batteries in under 100k miles . yesterday on a 5 month old battery it died on me and no crank got it jumped disconnected the positive and the car died . Gonna remove it and test it and I really appreciate this video. Would love to know what that tool is called

[@JustFixinGarage]

Hey there! sorry I dont know how I missed this comment. Usually youtube tells me. What tool did you have questions about?

[@JustFixinGarage]

If you look up Trim removal tool kit you'll find a set of plastic tools that include the metal fork I used to separate the plastic clips. BEST 20 BUCKS I EVER SPENT! if its a different tool you are looking for let me know.

[@verenaabigail2230]

I have a 2013 dodge dart that was running fine till other day I went out to start it and all lights came on my dash (check engine battery light overheating, etc basically every one) and gauges weren’t working (didn’t move the car) and wipers were going off by themselves could this be why ?

[@williampickett1026]

Does your radio screen light up white before car just shuts off and bluethooth not working or hands free mode

[@verenaabigail2230]

@@williampickett1026 not sure haven’t moved it since to scared to drive it just turned it on and it started doing all that 😫

[@williampickett1026]

@verenaabigail2230 same here it did that while I was driving and locked up my steering wheel while driving I'm in the process when I take a look at it to clean all cables going to battery and terminals with sand paper then ground points on frame also ( oil ) make sure that you are good on it that motor will shut off like that

[@miguelhuizar5849]

I just did this 01/14/2022 to my 2013 Dodge Dart because my car will go through random spurts where it doesn’t want to start and other days it acts perfectly fine. I’ve replaced the alternator and battery, and now I added this ground wire. At first it acted fine, but now it’s acting like as if I’m pressing on the gas and rpm’s go up and it starts to sputter, so is that possibly mean it still doesn’t have a good connection or something else?

[@JustFixinGarage]

If you have a ground straight from the battery to the block I would find it highly unlikely you have a ground issue. It wouldn’t hurt to ensure the factory grounds are cleaned as well I did that in another video . When the car sputters does the check engine light flash? Have you checked the oil level as well to ensure it’s properly filled? If it was only a start issue and the grounds were cleaned I’d point to the starter. But having start issues which I assume is a no crank and spitter I’d rely on an engine code. Is the start issues long crank or no crank and How many miles are on the car ?

[@miguelhuizar5849]

Let me also add that I’ve never had this problem until I added this ground wire😅

[@JustFixinGarage]

Make sure your terminals are tight as well . Just in case when adding the ground the negative terminal isn’t tight

[@JustFixinGarage]

@@miguelhuizar5849 are you sure your negative terminal on the battery isn’t loose ?

[@JustFixinGarage]

@@miguelhuizar5849 got about 1500 miles on mine now and it’s great. Unless your car is having problems after a battery loss . I can’t see any reason a ground can cause a problem . If you ask google it will say you can never have too many grounds lol . Gotta be something else going on that happened while you were in there. Maybe you bumped a coil plug or something ?

[@Trucken82]

Do you think it had a bad alternator from the beginning? Maybe it could have been a bad ground? I'm not a knowledgeable mechanic but getting ready to change this part tomorrow and will throw the ground upgrade on it. Thanks for the video!!!

[@ShaneHolland-d5l]

Ground motor the ground worked on my 2015 dodge dart SXT 2.4 L as of this moment if I were any more problems with the gremlins I will let you guys know this is for electronic ground

[@DP-nb2hd]

Would this be the same on a 1.4L turbo?

[@RadiumX]

Hey man, was working on grounding my dart just today. I was not able to loosen the top bolt of the alternator for the life of me, but I could loosen the bottom bolt that already had a wire to the positive terminal, I believe. Would I be able to ground from that bolt I loosened to the negative terminal while the other cable is still there or would that cause some sort of short circuit? Thanks in advance!

[@JustFixinGarage]

Hey Alan , if you mean can you use the bottom mount bolt that holds the alternator in place yes . You wouldn’t want to hook a ground to the electronics part of the alternator or that may cause a short if it’s 12 volta straight to ground. There are likely other spots of the car that make a good ground point I just chose the top alternator bracket for accessibility . A good ground will be clean metal that is part of the motor and away from any sources that might melt or cut your wire .

[@mariogarzon7199]

Would the ground upgrade possibly cause any long term issues? I want to try this but I’m not sure!

[@JustFixinGarage]

There is no issue with a ground upgrade . The more grounds the better . Electricity needs ground to compete the circuits and will take the path of least resistance . I strongly suggest cleaning the grounds and adding one as well .

[@donnahomewood3557]

I had my transmission replaced. When they started it it ran then died then would not restart. What is problem

[@donnahomewood3557]

Had transmission replaced in dodge 2013 dart. It started then died would not restart. What’s up

[@JamezGrimm]

Having this same issue with the same color Dart. 😂 im going to try these fixes and see how it goes.

[@JustFixinGarage]

Hope you can get to the bottom of it!

[@wild_one.82]

Would I be able to ask a mechanic to check the grounding? I had recently had my car tested and I was told it could be grounding or the alternator but I’d rather find out if it’s the grounding first.

[@triciarhoden2860]

Did you try the negative battery jumper cable test? It worked for me! Connect the negative jumper cables to the front bolt on the alternator then the other on the negative terminal… then start

[@Denys-eo4zr]

Hi, I have a similar problem on my Dodge, one day the battery light came on and the dashboard started flashing, then the power steering went out. The mechanic replaced my alternator and computer. Three thousand kilometers there were no problems. Daily checked the voltages, on the started car, everything was fine 13,7-14. But a couple days ago the battery light came on again and the dashboard started flashing. Brought it to the mechanic, but there everything is normal, the lamp went out and everything is fine. The mechanic says the alternator is fine and the battery is fine too. Could this be the cause of the grounding? Thanks

[@triciarhoden2860]

Did you have an oil change when you took it to the mechanic? These things have a warning for large oil consumption… and upon my research I’d say the oil pressure was low based of low oil. Even though the oil light doesn’t come on

[@zackzittel7683]

My orange dart does this too.

[@evananthony2337]

Bad ground wouldn’t throw a check engine flash though

[@JustFixinGarage]

Sure it can . Provide a weak ground to ignition coils and cause a misfire . You’ll see a blinking light then . Probably less common but it’s definitely possible .

[@slumdogrio]

Hello, I was wondering did this do the job?

[@JustFixinGarage]

Hello there ! Yes and no . The ground upgrade and alternator fixed the existing issues as it was a bad alternator and the ground connection kept getting dirty . We are dealing with a new intermittent no start issue with it which we believe is tracked to the fuse box ( possibly bad ) . For now there’s a bypass button put in . Couldn’t figure it out myself nor could the dealer or another third party shop . The next thought may be to replace the tipm/fuse box .

[@rockerac1]

Question for you, Do I need to worry about cleaning the old ground locations you show in you other video if I do the ground wire upgrade? My Wife's car is having a weird issue where it will not start on the first and second attempt of turning the key to start. However on the 3rd try it starts up fine. No Issues. She does have a small Evap leak code (P0456,P0457) which i believe is the gas cap. However this is a seperate issue and shouldn't play into the starting mystery.

[@JustFixinGarage]

If you clean the ground well it should be good to go. I add a ground because the more grounds the better and the one I added is much thicker and will stay crud free longer. If adding the ground is easier than cleaning the old you can do that first and see

[@rockerac1]

@@JustFixinGarage Thanks for the quick response. Yeah I think adding the ground would be easier than cleaning the old ones. Don't have to lift it. sucks this is the only car we own that won't go up Rhino Ramps... due to being to low.. lol

[@JustFixinGarage]

@@rockerac1 I’ve had a few low cars like that where I jacked the car up and put it on the ramps since the bumper would hit . Or use 2x10 boards in front of ramps to get it over the lip of the bumper . The lift is a huge advantage and having a garage like this was a goal of mine since I was 16 . At just shy of 30 I had it built.

[@triciarhoden2860]

My 2015 has the same code… even after replacing with an original factory gas cap… but I tried the negative jumper cable test and it started… have never felt concerned with the gas cap codes personally

[@jtltet]

If I can't find that exact battery cable, does it have to be a certain type or will any of them work? My car is the 2013 Dodge Dart RallyE if that helps. Thanks

[@JustFixinGarage]

Longer or shorter as long as it reached and the loop is big enough to put the bolt through is fine.

[@JustFixinGarage]

You’ll want to make sure it’s heavy gauge ofcourse . You could make your own from even a car amp wiring kit as long as it is crimped well etc . I do like the ready to go ground cables though from the auto parts store .

[@TheJrojas1997]

Been having the exact same problem. Some mornings when i go to work my dart dies ononce leaving the neighborhood, its clicks the first time after that the dart(45,000) starts strong and drives fine. Also sometimes if i brake too hard my dart dies, then it starts ups like nothing happened. Been doing test on the alternator it tested positive same goes for the battery(Aug2021), could it be that that im having a false positive on the alternator?

[@JustFixinGarage]

Check your oil level first . If the oil is too low car will die while driving . When an alternator goes and the car dies while driving it usually means the battery is dead and wouldn’t restart without a jump . Since it happens when you brake hard makes me think the oil sloshes around and causes it to die . The motor will not run when low on oil .

[@TheJrojas1997]

just did an oil change and added the extra grounded cable, ill let you know how it runs@@JustFixinGarage

[@JustFixinGarage]

@@TheJrojas1997 sounds good hopefully your all set !

[@triciarhoden2860]

Oil pressure is my guess? I’ve had this happen will 60% oil life. What was the fix?

[@leom1094]

I have a Dodge Dart 2014 2.4 rallye and sometimes when I start it it’ll just click no crank or anything just a click. Sometimes I keep trying and it ends up working. It will be good for a couple days then out of no where it clicks. Recently it’s starting to click every time I turn the key to try to start it. Do you think it would be the ground wire also?

[@JustFixinGarage]

I would try the jumper cable from ground on battery to the motor block if it cranks instead of clicks this is your issue. I have another video on my channel diagnosing a bad ground on the Dodge Dart . Search “no crank no start Dodge Dart” and you should find it

[@leom1094]

@@JustFixinGarage yeah I’ll check it out and give it a try I’ll see how it turns out. It seems odd cause eventually it’ll start after a couple of times twisting the key just normally.

[@JustFixinGarage]

@@leom1094 It certianly can be other issues like ignition going bad, bad spot on starter, etc. But the cheapest (free) and easy thing to check first is the grounds. In the other video I used some house wire but its easier to take only the one side of jump cables (say the black sides) and hook one end to the negative battery terminal and the other to the top of alternater. Make sure that there is no wires hanging in the belts etc. Leave the red side completely off of everything. Itll be best to test this when its just clicking and if it makes the car start or you see a spark when connecting the ground it means you have a bad ground and need to clean it or add in one like I did here. If thats not it I have ANOTHER video where I do the starter . Its accessible if you are patient all from the bottom.

[@JustFixinGarage]

@@leom1094 kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYPYkK2Qdpabe9U

[@estebanvalda9037]

This is exactly my problem, was starting after a few tries and now it only clicks not start even if i try many times or different days, what ended up being your issue? Thanks in Advance

[@mastamind23able]

My dart has a battery light after changing the batter and alternator

[@JustFixinGarage]

make sure your connections are all clean on everything including the grounds to the frame and trans. Check the wire connection pigtail to the alternator make sure no bent pins or corrosion. May have just been unlucky with a bum new alternator especially if its a reman.

[@joemcintyre9691]

Can you send me the video of the 2013. You did please

[@JustFixinGarage]

They should both be in the video description where I cleaned the ground and another where we replaced the starter. Hard to copy and paste from phone :)

[@JustFixinGarage]

Dodge Dart Bad Ground : kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYPYkK2Qdpabe9U Dart Dart Starter replacement : kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6e1q314osRseZI

[@anoushs.afshar2134]

Hi there, Where are you located

[@JustFixinGarage]

Located in maryland , near Newark Delaware .

[@juanrubio1741]

Where u located?

[@JustFixinGarage]

Elkton MD / Newark DE area

[@juanrubio1741]

@@JustFixinGarage hey i have a 2014 dodge charger all the interior lights,dash and headlights flicker radio screen goes black and dash while driving. I replaced the alternator new battery and still doing the same could it b a electrical problem?

[@Denys-eo4zr]

Did you fix it? I have same problem.

[@juanrubio1741]

I fixed mine it was a ground cable that was loose

[@karlotapang]

You could have done everything from the top if you take the airbox off

[@hufman9807]

"Power steering pump" XDDD

[@JustFixinGarage]

I cant even remember this video now lol. Im guessing I saw a pulley and said maybe its power steering. I think looking back this one is all electronic.

[@davidsmith5766]

why in the hell didnt I think about using a new ground I spent 3 hours finding and fixing the bad one lol

[@JustFixinGarage]

Can’t hurt to clean the old and add a new one ! But the thicker new one for sure will outdo that tiny factory one.

[@couricesanders691]

Currently have a dart that won't start...Please respond to this I am doing the upgrade today I will let you know if it fixes things

[@JustFixinGarage]

I have another video where it’s just a bad ground. Where cleaning it works and fixes it z you can test this by hooking a jumper cable lead from the negative on the battery to somewhere on the motor . Simply supply another ground to the motor . Please check that out before doing anything expensive. A no start condition is usually not due to a bad alternator . If you can not jump start the car it’s likely not related to the alternator.

[@couricesanders691]

Still no start

[@Bandit69ply]

My Dart didn't have the belly pan and I'm quite happy about that. What a pain in the arse! I prefer the air passing under the engine for extra cooling. I've never had a vehicle in my 34 years of driving that's ever had a belly pan, so i really don't see the aerodynamic benefits. I understand the benefit, but i don't believe it makes a huge difference.

[@JustFixinGarage]

Yeah I agree probably no real aerodynamic benefit . I also don’t think on this car it helps channel the air better with the belly pan on vs off . I am sure there are some cars where it’s structured for the air flow but the dart for sure doesn’t seem to be one of them . The only thing I can think is any water puddles splashing up on the serpentine belt but even that seems unlikely .

[@Zionikk]

Belly pan is to keep water out. A guy took his off and went through a water puddle and pretty much killed his Dart.

[@bdawg8907]

@@ZionikkI agree, the car is very low to the ground, it help to keep water splashing up in the engine bay.

[@bobbyd6680]

It's not for its aero dynamics as much as its to protect the engine compartment and transmission components from rocks, slush, salt, mud, etc from fouling exposed components and fittings.

[@mattsaxelby8909]

Dude. Get to the fix already. Stop with the useless comments.

[@JustFixinGarage]

If only you could fast forward or scroll. Or with all your wisdom and advice figure it out without having to watch me figure it out for you 😂. I have another video that mainly the issue is bad grounds. I also went over in the description some of the common causes.