Did I kill my IPDM?

[dbot]

Didn't see any IPDM posts about this scenario

2010 4x4 S Auto
Unhooked negative battery terminal and after a few minutes unplugged the left harness in the IPDM box so I could insert a wire spade (planned to add heated mirrors). After I inserted the spade, and reconnected the harness. I looked at the battery and saw the negative terminal drifted back up and over and was resting on the negative terminal. I went ahead and reinstalled the battery terminal and the truck won't start. Lots of electrical noises like solenoids and stepper motors inside the vehicle. I hear stuff click under the hood. Some electronics work like wipers, blinkers, radio, horn. Others like power locks and headlights don't work. Gauges twitch on the dash for a bit. IPDM test passes about half the stuff while other stuff doesn't operate. As far as starting goes, it just clicks. No cranking. I've unhooked and reconnected the battery several times without any luck. Any ideas?

 

[TerryD]

Didn't see any IPDM posts about this scenario

2010 4x4 S Auto
Unhooked negative battery terminal and after a few minutes unplugged the left harness in the IPDM box so I could insert a wire spade (planned to add heated mirrors). After I inserted the spade, and reconnected the harness. I looked at the battery and saw the negative terminal drifted back up and over and was resting on the negative terminal. I went ahead and reinstalled the battery terminal and the truck won't start. Lots of electrical noises like solenoids and stepper motors inside the vehicle. I hear stuff click under the hood. Some electronics work like wipers, blinkers, radio, horn. Others like power locks and headlights don't work. Gauges twitch on the dash for a bit. IPDM test passes about half the stuff while other stuff doesn't operate. As far as starting goes, it just clicks. No cranking. I've unhooked and reconnected the battery several times without any luck. Any ideas?

Unhook the battery and remove the wires you added and try that. But the IPDM is petty sensitive on these trucks so it's entirely possible you cooked the backplane.

 

[XterraRising]

Check fusible links and fuses first before condemning the IPDM. You might try pulling the connector back off to see if there are any damaged pins or sockets. But my guess is that when you plugged the connector back in, it overloaded a circuit tied to that connector, which may have cooked a fuse on the IPDM.

 

[TerryD]

Could also be the fusible link at the battery. I forgot about those.

 

[29erClan]

So far I see what looks like how a dying battery acts. What you were doing at the time may be related, may just be coincidence.

If you did cook the IPDM it won't hurt it anymore to try jump starting it from a portable or another running car. If that works... Yay! You just had a battery die at the exact wrong time to be suspicious. (The butler did it, with a tire iron...)

Another possibility with the connection being in/out and the battery terminal flopping around might be somehow giving the IPDM a reset signal. I don't know exactly how a dealer would reprogram any of these computers but they seem to do it over OBD2. That signal wiring could have been in the connector you were pulling.

And if you decide to replace the IPDM don't be afraid of junkyard pulls for cheap. I've swapped a bunch of older white ones with newer black ones for friends/family and they have been fine. I'm pretty sure by 2010 you have a black one from the factory. Mine wasn't, but they switched over at some point in 2009/2010. If you do have a white one, don't feel bad. They just die for no reason on their own without you doing anything to them.

Edit: Last thing, the ECM and BCM need the VIN programmed in by a dealer for the anti-theft system to let you start the car. The IPDM does not need the VIN. (But some steering angle sensors do, for reasons...) Anyway, don't let a dealer tell you that you need to pay them to program an IPDM.

 

[dbot]

Thanks for the pointers guys! I checked the fusible links inside the IPDM and on the battery terminal. Also checked the fuses in the IPDM. They all looked good. I checked the battery and it puts out 12.9v without anything connected to it. Initially I had checked off the battery terminal connection from my list because I cleaned it once as soon as I disconnected the battery terminal since it had a bit of dried acid on it. I also gave it a good wipe down when I first reconnected it. I visited this a third time after reading here and really hit it hard with some sandpaper and a rag. After reconnecting, it fired right up. Totally wasn't expecting that! So thanks for getting me to the right path!

Also, I noticed the "VDC" off light is illuminated now. Pressing the button does nothing. It's almost 11pm here and work starts before the sun comes up so that will have to wait until tomorrow I guess.

 

[Zack.]

Drive straight for 20-50 feet at ~20mph and the VDC light should go off. Happens anytime the battery is disconnected.