Bad PMD extension Cable

[Rodd]

I had a cable in my truck for 60k miles that failed about a month ago. Luckily when I received my FSU from PMD cable he threw in one of his import extension cables. Well that just started acting up. If I unplug at the PMD and at the pump then replug in it starts right up. I decided to pull out my old one and take it apart to see if I could see anything wrong w/ it. I ohmed it first and all was good. After taking it apart on the pump end of the cable I noticed one of the wires was open and the pin was a little loose.

Does anyone know how to get the pins out so I can repair it?

Thanks!

 

[Chief915]

Does anyone know how to get the pins out so I can repair it?

Thanks!

There's a special tool for getting the pins out. Not sure if the chain parts stores would have one of those or not, I kinda doubt it really. Radio shack may be another place that might have the pin removal tool.


The pin has a metal tang on the side that sticks out and locks into the plastic connector to keep the pin from sliding out. The pin tool slides over the pin and compresses the tang to unlock it from the plastic connector.

 

[vail426]

Rodd, make sure the IP side of the connector is OK. That end tends to lose tension over time. I took a pick and tweaked them a bit for a better connection as I was having a situation similar to yours. Worked for me.

 

[Rodd]

There's a special tool for getting the pins out. Not sure if the chain parts stores would have one of those or not, I kinda doubt it really. Radio shack may be another place that might have the pin removal tool.


The pin has a metal tang on the side that sticks out and locks into the plastic connector to keep the pin from sliding out. The pin tool slides over the pin and compresses the tang to unlock it from the plastic connector.

Thanks! I'll check them out.

 

[Rodd]

Rodd, make sure the IP side of the connector is OK. That end tends to lose tension over time. I took a pick and tweaked them a bit for a better connection as I was having a situation similar to yours. Worked for me.

Are you talking about the connector actually connected to the IP or the side of the ext. cable that goes to the IP connector? The problem is the side of the connector that connects to the IP connector. How exactly did you tweak it w/ the pick? The pin with the open wire moves like a tooth starting to come loose. Not a lot but more than the others. Is there any way to tighten it up?

 

[Burning oil]

This is the only pic I have loaded.
You are wanting to depin the connector that plugs into the PMD right?

It is known as a "pull to seat". You need to slide silicone cable seal back then with a thin blade of some type, slide the blade on the side of the pin closest to the plastic snap (the snap/retainer that clips onto PMD) This will flaten the tab on the pin.
Then push the pin out the same direction. Its a PITA job. Do all six to give some slack to work with.
If you want me to crimp new pins on the old ext cable Let me know $12 + shipping back to you.

 

[vail426]

Are you talking about the connector actually connected to the IP or the side of the ext. cable that goes to the IP connector? The problem is the side of the connector that connects to the IP connector. How exactly did you tweak it w/ the pick? The pin with the open wire moves like a tooth starting to come loose. Not a lot but more than the others. Is there any way to tighten it up?

I mean the connection that plugs into your ext harness in the engine compartment. Are we talking about the same thing? I just fiddled with it with a pick by bending each metal contact to make it tighter. Before I did that I replaced the ext harness thinking that was causing my intermittent no starts and shutting off situation. Well it still happened every now and then after that. But, if I plugged in my spare PMD, it would start right up and upon plugging my extended PMD back in, it would run fine for a while. So eventually it dawned on me that I had a poor connection at the extension harness and IP connection. Been OK for several months now.

 

[Burning oil]

Sounds like same thing. Looks like the picture above except yours may be black?

 

[Rodd]

View attachment 29026

This is the only pic I have loaded.
You are wanting to depin the connector that plugs into the PMD right?

It is known as a "pull to seat". You need to slide silicone cable seal back then with a thin blade of some type, slide the blade on the side of the pin closest to the plastic snap (the snap/retainer that clips onto PMD) This will flaten the tab on the pin.
Then push the pin out the same direction. Its a PITA job. Do all six to give some slack to work with.
If you want me to crimp new pins on the old ext cable Let me know $12 + shipping back to you.

Thanks Leroy. It is actually the other end of the cable that is the problem. I would send it back to you but my wife has school on Monday and needs it so I need to fix it myself.

 

[Rodd]

Since I have had 2 cables go bad in the past month it could be the connector on the IP end that is the problem. I don't know how these things could fail in the connector since it is in there tight and never gets disconnected.

 

[Burning oil]

In my mind I still not sure what witch you are refering to. When you say "connector on Ip end" do you mean the terminals that get nutted to the IP? OR the 6 pin connector that the ext cable or stock PMD plugs into?

 

[JMJNet]

I got the feeling is the famous female connector where the original PMD plug goes into?? The one with the pins.

 

[Burning oil]

On reread it seems like that, but I though he was pluging PMD back in to truck harness and still having a problem with the short original harness?

 

[Rodd]

On reread it seems like that, but I though he was pluging PMD back in to truck harness and still having a problem with the short original harness?

Sorry for the confusion. The short OEM harness is good. It was the end of the ext cable that plugs into it.

 

[Rodd]

I got it fixed. I destroyed the male pin getting it out. No parts store around had the replacement pin though. I did find one almost exactly the same size but the male end was 3/16 shorter than the stock ones. I crimped it and seated it into its slot and viola it worked. Luckily the female end has contact on all 4 sides so as long as there is contact there it will work.

The ones I got were Dorman from Pep Boys. They only had 2 sizes 150 & 280. The 280's were too big. If they had something around 200 that would have been the right size. Anyway now I know what to do the next time. Hopefully there won't be a next time.

 

[vail426]

So you had 2 faulty EXT cables?

 

[Burning oil]

Thanks Leroy. It is actually the other end of the cable that is the problem.

OK I get it now, but with your reply above I was confused because in my mind I was going to recrimp all 12 pins for $12. I should have explaned more clearly. Because of that the only thing left was the short IP harness (again in my mind).

The 150's should have fit.

 

[Rodd]

So you had 2 faulty EXT cables?

Yes. The old one w/ 60k miles and the new one. The old one looked like one of the wires burnt and exposed one wire from the connector down about 1 inch. The other wires weren't burnt at all. It wasn't even the end wire it was one in the middle. What I did after I fixed it I pulled the heat protector up as far as I could then wrapped it in electrical tape from the connector down about 4 inches. Hopefully it will keep it from burning up again.

I looked at the newer cable and can't see anything wrong with it. The prob w/ that one is intermittent so the fault may be harder to track down.

 

[Rodd]

OK I get it now, but with your reply above I was confused because in my mind I was going to recrimp all 12 pins for $12. I should have explaned more clearly. Because of that the only thing left was the short IP harness (again in my mind).

The 150's should have fit.

The 150's did fit the male end is 3/16 shorter though.