Gremlins after dead battery, wiring experts or a WIZARD perhaps?

[realityeds]

'99 viper gts, bone stock except for below:

What I did:
1. new spark plug wires courtesy of qualitywires
2. New rotors and pads courtesy of partsrack
3. battery died while doing #1 and #2
3. got new battery, all is well

then what happened to me:
4. Cel code P1494 on the second drive, NOT the first right after new battery. I was way low on gas too (on second drive)... potential cause of code? I've read about the code on the boards and my factory service manual
5. just noticed a crackling through the speakers (radio or cd) during idle ONLY... bad ground I bumped doing spark plug wires that caused all of this?

Ideas appreciated, other than the crackling idle radio/cd and CEL (that I cleared), the car runs perfectly.

 

[speedracervr4]

Did you get gas on the second drive prior to the CEL? Could be a loose gas cap...

 

[realityeds]

Did you get gas on the second drive prior to the CEL? Could be a loose gas cap...

got the code before fillup, thanks.

 

[Jack B]

You could have also dislodged the vacuum lines at the front of the engine. These are close to plugs 1 and 2, they then go forward to the evap can.

Did you get gas on the second drive prior to the CEL? Could be a loose gas cap...

 

[realityeds]

You could have also dislodged the vacuum lines at the front of the engine. These are close to plugs 1 and 2, they then go forward to the evap can.

I'll check again, but I didn't notice anything. Also, I found a great post on the crackling wires, I'm going to try the solution (says wires are crossed somewhere, causing crackle) asap.

 

[Jmch]

The plug wires don't necessarily have to be crossed. If they come into contact or in some cases just close enough to other electrical components or wires the e.m.f (electro-magnetic field or emi interference) from the extremely high voltage through those plug wires can be transferred to the other component kind of like an inductive pick up lead. Electrical engineers call it capacitive coupling. Ignition systems have a e.m.f that is constantly collapsing (on off on off) and with anywhere from 30k-60k or maybe even more voltage that field can really have an adverse effect on audio systems... Especially with remotely mounted amplifiers. So basically just look closely for proximity issues as well as crossed wires or loose grounds.

 

[AZTVR]

I do not know how it could be relevant to your radio issue; but, there is a grounding wire that mounts under one of the screws that you may have taken off if you removed the lower windshield cowl cover to access the coil packs. It would be easy to have forgotten to put that back. I'm sure it must have some function related to shielding.

 

[realityeds]

I do not know how it could be relevant to your radio issue; but, there is a grounding wire that mounts under one of the screws that you may have taken off if you removed the lower windshield cowl cover to access the coil packs. It would be easy to have forgotten to put that back. I'm sure it must have some function related to shielding.

Indeed, I do believe I forgot to replace that ground strap to the passenger cowl arm. Also, as I was under there, I noticed I had some new spark plug wires crossing. Uncrossed, regrounded, and Motley Crue is happy with no crackling.

 

[Jack B]

That is a good call, if that bonding conductor is not connected it will cause interference on the radio.

I do not know how it could be relevant to your radio issue; but, there is a grounding wire that mounts under one of the screws that you may have taken off if you removed the lower windshield cowl cover to access the coil packs. It would be easy to have forgotten to put that back. I'm sure it must have some function related to shielding.

 

[opnwide]

I just had the rear speaker amp on my RT10 go bad. It was draining .25A with the key in the off position.

 

[scottmarston]

I just had the rear speaker amp on my RT10 go bad. It was draining .25A with the key in the off position.

My amps intermittantly go on and off when it is hot outside and I drive around > 1 hour. I'm assumming it is the amp and not the deck. What kind of amp did you replace with?

 

[BruceW]

If you only get the P1494 code when the gas tank is low (and on a cold start) it may be that evap test pump is a little weak or you have a small evap line leak. When the tank is low on fuel it takes longer for the tank to pressurize to the test level and this can throw a code. My `99 has been doing it for years, I never get a code as long as the tank has at least 4 or 5 gals in it.