Dodge Nitro Intermittent No Crank TIPM Trip Up

This 2007 Dodge Nitro won't crank. But only sometimes. I tried to "take a look" and got nowhere. Let's dig a little deeper and see if we can find the real problem. Also, there's a dead squirrel in the engine bay. Enjoy!

[@WatchWesWork]

You guys always ask... Lisle 56810 Relay Test Jumper Kit - amzn.to/30JC7SJ OTC 3634 Heavy-Duty Straight Cord Circuit Tester - amzn.to/2ZW0OMw

[@bentfork]

That's great and all but where do I get the dead squirrels?

[@waynep343]

i had a test light.. used those stupid red bulbs.. what i did not realize is that the bulb was partially blown... if the test light was aiming down the bulb filament contacted inside the bulb.. if you held it horizontal... it would randomly flicker as the filament bounced.. i spent a few hours working in the passenger side footwell of a car trying to UN whack a mole the electrical system. since no exact wiring diagram existed for this car... and any thing that could be had was tiny and mind boggling and for production car 56.. this version was almost 800.. it was completely frustrating.. i think i spent 3 weeks unsnarling the electrical system on that car.. the fuse box was just beyond the reach of my fingers.. so i was using needle nose pliers to pull off wires.. hold them and then try to identify them .. the colors did not match the wiring diagram. i actually had the one page wiring diagram printed.. it was 9 1/2 feet long.. i hung it on the shop wall. one of the 2 main power relays would melt randomly.. again and again.. even when i figured out the major issue.. that the high beam power was hooked to the ground on one side it still burned the relay.. have a look i.imgur.com/xcYAZWB.jpg the upper 2 relays on the right.. the lower one would burn... the issue is quite visible.. notice to the right of the rigid clamp.. the highest loop of red wire.. and the black shrink wrap on it.. look at the shape of the shrink wrap carefully. its a yellow .250 female QC.. with bare wire pushed in... so when the loads go up.. only one relay gets the loads and it melts.. ever gone fork lift fishing for an engine.. i.imgur.com/gQLEUCI.jpg i thought you might need a laugh.. first attempt at a start after reassembly. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJuqhJaZlLurrpY

[@WatchWesWork]

@@waynep343 You have all the fun! One time I had one of those red bulbs throw me. It had corroded on one end and wouldn't make a good connection. It's pretty bad when you have to diagnose your test equipment...

[@jimmypopp2695]

@@bentfork We have tons of squirrels here in PA but the dead ones are hard to find. Dead squirrels that can work with on vehicles and bring their own tools are tough to find. I always like them because they work for peanuts...lol

[@waynep343]

@Moto-Resto, LLC you wont likely buy one of those. There are so few for sale. If you sneezed I might reply. Countach. But that was a one off chance of me working on it. I dropped a shim washer from the control arm shaft. It bounced off my hammer handle and out the garage door. Accelerating down the middle of the street and around the corner. I chased after it. It made a left at the bottom of the hill and rolled two blocks into an 6 lane wide street with heavy traffic. I shrugged and went back to the car. Even countach suspension shim washers are fast..

[@ash7700]

Short, sweet, and plenty of those special Watch Wes moments: "Our guest," "Posturepedic Mattress," "Completely different Chinese factory," "Pit Crew"! Thanks!

[@dan_6915]

The're another mechanic - he names them - the afternoon crew

[@mikus4242]

Obviously, the good Chinese factory?

[@KristaMae]

@@mikus4242 from my experience, they're all the same. Payless get less. $1/part more gets the best you can buy anywhere. 🤷 I still do 100% testing & inspection on stuff we buy.

[@edwardhalpin7503]

"Well when he's old enough to get a job and buy one, he'll be all set" the wisdom in that statement alone! I do enjoy these vids

[@riprock23]

Sounded like my Dad 50+ years ago, I guess that's why I go to work every day.

[@mr.c6383]

More parents these days need to adopt this thinking & apply it... make the "entitled" kids work for their "wants"

[@gtfkt]

Yep. That was the correct answer.

[@vacayooper4728]

Absolutely

[@bigchungus-oj8zz]

Right?

[@dlange89]

So a fair assessment of the car would have been that it had been acting squirrelly? :D

[@jerryglen986]

You know how much your son enjoys spending time with you working on cars. I remember those days back in the 70's like it was yesterday. My dad has been gone for 15 years. My memories of him letting me get him a wrench. Some of us enjoy your channel because you include your family. In the whole picture family is the most important factor in a happy life.😊👍thanks Wes.

[@WatchWesWork]

Thanks 👍

[@wilbertbirdner1303]

Invoice reads; Labour charge - diagnose and repair wiring issues to starter circuit Parts - one spade crimp terminal, heatshrink Labour charge - petrified animal carcase removal

[@nedasher116]

I wouldn't even charge them

[@ronicard]

I love the fact that you actually diagnose the problems on a car and don't just throw replacement parts at it. That's rare these days. Even better that you take the time to share the videos on KZbin with us. Keep up the good work.

[@analazcano6475]

I agree, I'm in tears for I can't find a good honest mechanic in Houston, they lie telling you, you need parts yet they just clean up the fuse and charge you as if they replaced a part

[@alanharney5278]

"I wanna ride the forklift!". Words that make every father proud. 😊

[@WatchWesWork]

Truth!

[@MC-ft8zv]

Wow, $80 is a nice surprise, good on you Wes for being an honest man. The Car Wizard would have charged 247 book hours for that and given the customer a $15,000 bill. Really enjoy your channel, keep it up!

[@warrantyvoid100]

Were the fresh squirrels on backorder? Couldn't help noticing you didn't install a new one.

[@WatchWesWork]

I missed the order cutoff...

[@Lnmwr]

The warranty was void and he couldn't afford a new one! LOL 😉

[@Sean-John]

" O yea the squirrel we just left it in our engine bay... It was too hard to get" LMAO If I ever get that lazy I hope my wife just puts me down like a old dog jesus. Who just leaves a dead squirrel in there motor

[@feron450]

17 years working on cars... the amount of laziness I run into. Doesn’t surprise me anymore.

[@richardcranium5839]

its just like hanging a thief in your front yard it keeps the other ones away!!!

[@Tinker001]

My Grand Caravan has half a rabbit behind the bumper cover. It's a Dodge... Not worth the effort.

[@tonyshepherd406]

Had the same problem on a 3 year old Jeep version, went on line found a recommendation to loosen the wiring tape at the starter and surprise to me it fixed it: 10 years later still working!

[@Trydntru]

Never lose the patience you have with your son and the "interruptions" you experience. Strong work young man!

[@cal6747]

I do enjoy your videos Wes, thanks for taking the time to record and upload, many thanks 👍

[@zipzoozag]

this was extremely helpful!!!! thank you sooooo much for taking the time to make this video!!! i have the exact Nitro 2008 SLT .....id have to try to start 2,3 times then it would turn over...i got under looked at the starter and wires were corroded ....did this fix with shrink tube etc followed your fix ....all good now....thank god for people like you who take the time to help out us dingbats!! cheers!!!

[@analazcano6475]

I could not see where exactly under it was, I wish I could see exact area this is in

[@Andrew-yw8vz]

Yo... I love your channel. Exactly what I'm looking for. I'm a junior mechanic, and I like watching and learning.🤙

[@Lapeerphoto]

You're a good mechanic, Wes! All this experience is making you an excellent mechanic. Thanks for sharing your challenges. They are, after all, the most educational. 😁

[@aftbit]

I really appreciate that you are actually willing to mention prices. Too many similar channels are far too coy about that.

[@ianburit3705]

As Always Wes, I sat, I watched and I learned something new - still at 72.. Thanks yet again. IAN - UK

[@WatchWesWork]

It's never too late!

[@dashlikeanog3825]

Just good old fashioned ag ingenuity right there. Farm wisdom. Not enough to go around anymore if you ask me, BUT, they don't ever ask me. Killer video man! Thanks.

[@canvids1]

Great video Wes! You are a great teacher as well and very easy to follow.

[@tekvax01]

I am really enjoying your troubleshooting mindset! You are like me, you want to figure out why, and not just keep changing parts until the darn thing works!

[@simmonsrenos9111]

Your videos are awesome, thanks for having the time and patience to bring the camera along..... you're very informative... And it's great you involve the family too! 2 thumbs up from Niagara Falls, Canada....make that 4, wife agrees.

[@WatchWesWork]

Glad you like them!

[@nvlvdave]

Even with some curve balls, you zeroed in on the problem pretty damn quick, I'd say - always impressed with your troubleshooting. "Completely different chinese factory" was definitely my favorite haha

[@longrider8265]

Another good fix Wes. When I saw the squirrel and rodent damage, my though was that something hard to find / difficult + expensive to replace had been chewed. You looked past the obvious and tracked down the real problem 👍

[@mutakasata6752]

Wow!!! Massive diagnosis you did just to find out it was a little connector that didn't allow such huge suv to function. You're amazing. Thank you.

[@frankmuschetto3385]

Great video. Interesting and educational. Really appreciate your explanation of what you're assessing and how it all works. Very valuable and makes the video more than just watching a repair. Regarding the "cows coming home" - hate to be the bearer of bad tidings but they do come home; twice a day. It's natural - they come in to be milked. Little tidbit of info for future reference. That's probably why the Dodge started twice and then didn't. You just needed to wait until it was time. 😁

[@macgvrs]

Man, these modern cars are a pain! I understand making it harder to steal. Definitely better than having the steal me box under the hood. But it makes it so the owner can't work on it themselves. I am also puzzled by their choice of connector. Given the location of that connector, it should have been sealed and more corrosion resistant. Great job figuring out what was really going on.

[@watermanone7567]

NIce fix. Also many Chrysler products have green corrosion on the ground wires behind the driver side headlight attached to the frame. Saw it many times as I am in winter salt country. The TIPM is grounded at that point. Thanks for great video's.

[@SaltyPO]

The more new stuff i see worked on, the more i love my 72 Jeep Commando. Dead simple, no electronics, starts everytime. And i would charge $20 extra for critter removal.

[@WatchWesWork]

$20? What if they let you keep the squirrel?

[@dmscheidtify]

@@WatchWesWork $50.

[@gregorycross612]

@@WatchWesWork Now why would you want to keep that squirrel? If the dog drags it in the house....bad day with Ms. WWW. I'm pretty sure that it is beyond taxidermy best if used by date. Not enough salt on the road, pepper and teriyaki to consider jerky, although the dehydration part won't take long. 🤔 Re-hydration and re-animation project, now that would be something to Watch W.W.! Good day!

[@kevdupuis]

It's why I sold my 05 Magnum and bought two OM 617 powered Mercedes, simple mechanical injection on a pair of extremely reliable turbo diesels.

[@gasperajdnik5627]

I'm a heavy equipment mechanic, I like watching your videos 👍😺

[@davewhittington1368]

Only the best quality repairs at your shop !! Dog , birds , squirrel and insects what's next ?? Thanks for sharing. Stay safe and healthy 🇬🇧

[@walterbright1396]

Really love you going through the diagnostics using the wiring schematics. Forcing me to relearn that stuff. I can’t believe the corrosion level on your cars there in Illinois, though this one wasn’t that bad. I live In NJ and they brine the roads frequently but my 19 year old Grand Marquis is rather clean underneath and still has some build tags/bar code stickers here and there. They must use some acid like HCl on your roads. I can’t get over how corroded the vehicles you work on are.

[@Robalo-2660]

Nice job Wes, being able to trouble shoot is key to being a great mechanic. I once had a bad knock under acceleration on a 454 Chevy . I convinced myself it was the toque converter . Wrong ! Then, it had to be faulty knock sensors . No , not that . Nothing left but to drop the pan and check the rod bearings . Huh , perfect . And I was laying under the motor I happened to look up at the starter drive and thought that seemed a little close to the flywheel . Put a screwdriver on it and it moved back and forth . Yeah, just a broken Bendix spring allowing the drive gear to ping off the ring gear. My point here is a good mechanic is worth a butt load of money. Love you my brother from a former Illinoisan ( Chicago ) now in So Flo.

[@musicstewart9744]

What a lovely thing to see first thing on a Saturday morning

[@kumatown]

Wish we had someone like you in Southern California....90247. Great job!!! Very hard down here to find an honest mechanic like yourself. SUBSCRIBED!!! Michael M.

[@HODGEPODGEDODGEGARAGE]

Be careful! 😲....Mr.Squirrel was their *first* mechanic..you can see how they treated him 😂😂🐿🐿

[@oldcroneysgarage9739]

Shirley wasn't that good of a mechanic lol

[@SHcinema]

@@oldcroneysgarage9739 How did you know its name was Shirley? I must've missed the nametag.

[@oldcroneysgarage9739]

@@SHcinema he used to live in my roof and he just went missing one day

[@SHcinema]

@@oldcroneysgarage9739 ah, well he will Shirley be missed then... or maybe not.

[@oldcroneysgarage9739]

@@SHcinema he will be missed in ways

[@billbly1691]

Love your channel look forward to seeing your videos thanks for sharing brightens my day

[@markbowen3638]

Great watching the diagnosis process. Eventually came down to a corroded connector. You would think that a design team that can come up with such electronic excesses could make a better weather proofed connection to such an important item as a starter. I guess ease of manufacture outweighs durability. As to your honesty with just charging your customer for the work done including "varmit" removal I applaud you. So refreshing in an age where unscrupulous garages rip people off time and time again! Over here in the UK its a real problem for unsuspecting owners. The more complicated the cars become the more difficult it is to know what your getting charged for. Great watching an honest guy, hope your customers appreciate what they got!

[@FishFind3000]

It’s good enough to last the warranty and that’s all they are designing for.

[@vincebrown5158]

LOL about the Harbor Freight/Chinese Factory comment...nice work and you are a good man to remove Rocket J Squirrel from the vehicle.

[@paulwomack5866]

That is a CLASSIC attractor thumb nail. Kudos!

[@mischef18]

The old rusty connection trick 99, liked the reference to the piece of bubble wrap as a dirt protection. Really enjoyed all this video bro, no squirrels in NZ so never had that problem, I bet it's nuts were dry too. Stay safe ya'l

[@garyfeltus9801]

Interesting problem. When it comes to electronic I'm not very good at it. That at least at your shop you have good looking helper. And a little one for a crew chief. Great video .

[@peteraitken6494]

Good honest repair right there Wes great job unbelievable what you find under the hood of a car lol take care mate 👍👍👌

[@WatchWesWork]

Thanks 👍

[@markleman8649]

my tec. teacher once advised me don't make a mountain out of a molehill check the simple things first eg. in your case, like starting at the starter as you found out. great video.

[@kenuber4766]

Next up, Wes removes an Elephant from your motor compartment!! LOL . Love your Witt Keep up the good work.

[@curtiscox7105]

And put the squirrel carcass on the hitch mount and tell them you increased their aerodynamics. Sometimes it's the little things that creates big issues. Thanks!!

[@BlownL67]

Good honest cheap repair. I'm sure the customer was happy! Most shops would have loaded the parts Howitzer for that puppy right there.

[@WatchWesWork]

I was loading the Howitzer before I took a step back.

[@iamrichrocker]

you are a honest dude..great job Wes..

Nice work getting to the spade terminal problem. I agree push on terminals and salt don't mix.

[@lloydrobinson7081]

That was a very good video, please keep them coming

[@JackdeDuCoeur]

Nice analysis. Good work

[@twotypetwos]

Great video, I have that same Crapsman jack probably from the same Chinese factory, be cautious with it, I also have a 30 year old HF steel jack, the old beat up one still works while the pretty Crapsman collapsed about 4 years ago, and now resides in the corner of shame. I also found a deceased critter under the hood once, the dead rabbit wasn't that bad but it's still living relative hiding behind battery scared the crap outta me!

[@chrisprobert6]

quality as usual wes. hope you are all well.i had to google TIPM. i've not had the hours on recent motors. take care all

[@WatchWesWork]

Consider yourself lucky!

[@treborupp]

Well Rocky the squirrel is Toast. Actually some tricky diagnostic. Thanks

[@anthonygiachinta3056]

Thank you ! When I put my starter in I forgot to put the heat shield on the starter when I reach up I short it out . Then 2 days later no start . Well it was the starter relay ,,probably half killed it that day . Then it burned up the next ... happy I made it home happened in the driveway next day ... thanks from taxachussets

[@kd5byb]

Wow Chrysler did make that a real bear to troubleshoot! Loved the "Sealy Posturepedic mattress" and the "totally different Chinese factory" remarks, almost spit out my drink on the latter. :)

[@COLLAR01]

Love the look of the corn fields when all is green.

[@phooesnax]

Nice job. Sometimes pays to rule out the simple first. Great you kept the guys bill down too. Jim

[@NDNNRG8]

great analysis means a great mechanic always....thank U

[@jaimemaisonetfernandez1593]

Good job.i have the same problem exactly the problem. Easy too understand. Thank you

[@kerrygleeson4409]

Great job Wes always interesting thanks for sharing 👍🇦🇺👀

[@kevinisaac9139]

Another on under the belt Wes 👍

[@IHcubcadet]

As always, nicely done.

[@suzuki230]

That was some good diagnostic. Great job.

[@WatchWesWork]

Thanks 👍

[@FrankLassowski]

Sometimes it's just rust ;-) Someone else probably would have replaced the starter on suspicion and might have been successful because of the new clean terminal…

[@chrisfreemesser5707]

If you look closely the copper wire between the starter solenoid and the starter motor is bare...and quite green. It's just a matter of time until it rots out completely and the whole starter will need to be replaced

[@greggc8088]

I like the fact you load tested the signal wire with a light bulb. Too many techs grab up a power probe and check for voltage and continue on under the mistaken idea that they have what is needed. I wouldn't want to do that heater core job either.

[@bostedtap8399]

Great job Team Wes, guess the Squirrel was from the Scotty Killmer training school 😰😰😰😰. Well diagnosed, with minimal side tracking. Thanks for sharing, regards from.

[@WatchWesWork]

Hmm. A Kilmer spy!

[@TheDaf95xf]

Awesome Wes 🤩🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@jakemason9436]

Squirrel was the onboard power boost. Gotta replace it. Lol

[@raggytigger217]

Totally agree about the phone Wes. And I was thinking the squirrel had caused the issue..... was wondering why the heater matrix was disconnected? Did notice the very green earth cable (ground strap) from the starter. Great vid mate.

[@greavous93]

well done Wes! You should charge at least 5 bucks for removing the squirrel seeing they knew it was there but couldn't be bothered.

[@Lnmwr]

5:47 "posturepedic mattress" 🤣! Good one! Love it!

[@SluSharkND]

Not sure how to ask this, so I'll just be blunt: you gonna eat that squirrel? Squirrel jerky is pretty tasty.

[@WatchWesWork]

This one is a little past its prime...

[@brewski118sempire]

@@WatchWesWork naw, just "aged."

[@michaelb.5345]

Nice job Wes. Good info also...

[@WatchWesWork]

Thanks 👍

[@phatcowboy76]

The multiple resistors in the ignition switch make it hard to troubleshoot but it also makes it harder to steal. The PCM will only turn on the start signal if it's getting the correct voltage from the ignition. Hence you need the key to start. If I see this correctly one cannot hotwire a Dodge Nitro easily, if at all. Nice video.

[@AndreBarnett]

Thabks for that explanation, exactly what I was looking for 😊

[@haroldgetchelljr3264]

Good job again wess

[@PaulinesPastimes]

That corroded connection was very suspect. I had a dead Australian Ringtail Possum (very cute) under my house but I wasn't as brave as you :-) I got my neighbours son! Poor little critters. Maybe they crawl somewhere to die. Nice to see a straightforward fix for a change.

[@James-fs4rn]

👍 thanks for sharing. I learned something again.

[@rodneymiddleton9624]

Oh no!!!!! Rocky The Squirrel!!!! I've put a heater core in one of those before. Real pain until you realize to cut the support in behind the glove box where you can slide the core out without removing the dash and then put the support back. Cuts down the job to an hour or two.

[@HamiltonvilleFarm]

You need to have a trademark blue shirt and orange suspenders 😂 good video Wes

[@WatchWesWork]

It works for him. My son would much rather watch Blippie than his own father!

[@kutamsterdam]

"You can crank this engine 'till the cows come home"???? LOL🤣 ... is that a local expression Wes?, well it's a good one and as always it was a pleasure to watch you work Wes ... only the short duration makes me a little sad but that's alright i guess😉

[@WatchWesWork]

Yeah, that's an American phrase. I don't know why or how it came to be.

[@TgWags69]

@@WatchWesWork dairy cows will "come home" on their own at milking time....they want it out because they are very swollen....anyway milking time is usually very early in the morning after which they are let out to pasture to early evening when they all gather back at the gate ready to be milked. So it's just a way of saying you can do something all day.

[@vezina808]

I had the same problem with my 2011 Jeep Liberty. I changed the ignition switch to a new one couple days ago and it starts up with no problem. Still good so far.

[@tectalabyss]

Hi Wes. Great trouble shooting !. Has always Liked,shared. All my best.

[@joseortiz5965]

Awesome. You are the master.

[@kevincoulombe3608]

Nice easy fix I like those also your electrical diagram you can also call up the location for each of those solenoids and what you're looking and pointing at there it'll tell you exactly where it is that solenoid or coil interlocking fuse link you can pull up another diagram to show you every one of those that you're looking at on your wire diagram

[@larrydorsz4647]

What a over complicated circuit. Just making things break so it's cheaper to throw it out. Thanks for showing how you troubleshoot this stuff.

[@dave1135]

Ford used spade terminals on the ford taurus years ago. When you get a new starter, it comes with a replacement wire harness with a ring terminal to attach to the nut and terminal on the starter.

[@brianmeattey4151]

Great job bud I had a PT that wouldn't start changed starter everything no go everything else worked but turning over .I wonder if it were the same idea lol but wireing I hate .but is what it is lol godbless

[@TgWags69]

I had a Chevy van that was the same way. I thought my battery was getting weak because when it wouldn't start I would use the jumpers and it would start. Until it finally got so bad it wouldn't start at all...finally tracked it down to a crusty starter wire connection. It would seem that the additional battery jump was enough to push through the bad connection. It would've been interesting to see if that would have worked in this situation....probably good you didn't try because it sends you down the rabbit hole of battery diagnostics but it's a good tool to remember.

[@wbforsure2104]

I started thinking that too but then I saw a new battery already in it. Guess the owner thought the same thing lol

[@haroldgetchelljr3264]

Good job again

[@realengineaddict]

Remote start? U mean a lone Wolf 3000? Right Vicegrip garage! ;) Love the channel btw!

[@4020jc]

ah sir in oklahoma its not uncommon to find a critter in your engine bay atleast in the country,buddy of mine has a lincoln 90s model has similar setup first thing checked when i saw that connnection of course being a "bush" mechanic usually the first thing i check basically because it is the only thing i know i could not imagine being a full fledge mechanic on these new vehicles you guys have a lot of info to remember and retain so kudos and nice job of not inflating that job for that guy.

[@WatchWesWork]

I remember a cat getting caught in the fan of my dad's El Camino when I was a kid. He crawled in there to take a nap and never woke up...

[@salsolo2403]

nice fix Wes ,cheers pal :)

[@lloyd4768]

Thanks! My father in law is having the same problem, I'll tell him to have that checked.

[@TheFlyingBusman]

I’m puzzled why you didn’t fire it up with the remote start and drive it in buy hey. RIP Scuzzy the squirrel.

[@christopherrasmussen8718]

Smart is like that. Man the things I’ve learned about SAMs. That must have reeked. I figured it was a ‘loose’ wire. I saw that squirrel and thought wires under that fuse box be chewed. That starter looks to be a huge pain to change?

[@olddavid814]

About 1980, i worked in a garage in Phoenix, Az. A car comes in with the alt light on. When I raised the hood to check things out I found the remains of a cat that had gone through the belts. Nasty.

[@Rosiesgrandad]

“What’s the flat rate for dead squirrel removal?” 🤣 Your dry humour really makes me laugh, I get some strange looks from my better half when I watch your videos.

[@brewski118sempire]

80 bucks?! Dude you are selling yourself short... Though I appreciate that. Selling good work for decent prices. Good on you.