Hello everyone, don’t know if we have some mechanically inclined people here but I need help identifying this part some critter got up in my engine bay and chewed some wires whatever this is is right below my fuel rail 2018 ram 1500 5.7L, it’s to the left of the wire nuts and newer wires, yes I had a critter get up there and chewed what I believe to be part of my ignition system about month maybe month and half ago that I already had to fix. Thanks for the any info. Hope everyone has an amazing day today 

When I get a new truck, the first thing I do is find and join a forum for that make and model.  You'd have better luck on a Ram forum, IMHO.

Looks like a ignition coil. But the coil is not your problem. What it looks like you need is a new pigtail for the harness. Not very easy to see in the pic. but with it mounted to the valve cover and the intake on the left that is what i am assuming it is. 

I'd love to help but the last time I worked on vehicles was the dawn of electronic ignition. Sometimes I dearly miss my 67, 1/2 ton (C10) short bed Chevy pickup with the rebuilt by me 350hp 327.

The last time I tried charging our 2011 Chevy pickup I couldn't figure out the SECRET to hooking up the charger without damaging the stupid computer. The 2015 Dodge Journey is worse, believe it or not the coolant tank is literally inside the engine!

Any idea what's been chewing the wiring? Some critters LOVE the insulation but I can't remember the chief suspects.

Twisted Willow, Billy probably knows it's his business amongst I don't know how many others.

Frosty The Lucky.

Oh, wait. i was looking at the wrong part. That is a fuel injector. 

Billy you are correct it’s my injector connectors and they also chewed up my ignition coil connectors dang lil critters. Frosty not sure I live out in the middle of nowhere so could quite possibly be anything, there is what looks like rabbit poo around where the wires are chewed but there could be lots of critters that poo like that. Right now I’m thinking it’s a bunny, squirrel, or chipmunk all I know is that no lil critter is safe now around the farm I will eliminate them all. Thanks for your responses guys I really and truly do appreciate them all. Have a great rest of your evenings. 

On the old van we had a while back some squirrels decided the wiring harness to the transmission was tasty. Had to have it towed… The only long term fix was to wrap all the exposed wires with “pepper” tape. Apparently the critters don’t like spicy.

Keep it fun,

David

Once you get it fixed you could what I did to keep neighborhood dogs from peeing on the slotted aluminum wheels on my 62 Vette. I put a fence charger in the trunk, connected to the frame and had the ground wire with an alligator clip where I could clip it to the drop drain grate where I parked on the curb. I ran an extension cord out from a house outlet and plugged it in when I came home. 

Mother made me make up some warning signs saying ELECTRIFIED!! to hang on it to prevent issues. I was visited by a couple police officers who were more interested in how I set it up than telling me I was a bad boy. Took less than a week and dogs crossed the road rather than walk by my Vette. 

Most California counties had leash laws in the early 70s I don't think LA county has been free range since the teens but electric stock fences were perfectly okay.

I'm thinking a fence charger would protect your vehicles by fluffing rodent tails sparkingly.

Frosty The Lucky.

I spent the better part of 20 years rebuilding transmissions. The shops i worked at though also did a lot of engine work, mostly AAMCO's. In that time i had to replace dozens of those pig tails. When working on cars they get damaged, broken, sometimes set on fire. That is a long way to say that being a 2018 you can provably get those pig tails from the dealer. Call them up, ask for parts, and tell them you are looking for the pig tails to the ignition coil and fuel injector. Have the VIN ready. 

I have found a lot of walnuts in and around engine compartments. I have opened up air cleaners and found nests and even ran into a couple live mice. Had a mouse come out of a crossmember a coworker was dropping and ran down his arm, that was good laugh. I have even found piles of dog food as well. Want to know how i knew they kept the dog food in the garage? Any kind of rodent loves to get up inside the engine compartments. Be it squirrels, mice, rats, ground squirrel, etc. they get in there, build nests, and they love the coating on wires. 

Not many of us left that know what it is like to start your car with a cat in the engine anymore, or remember the old cat catcher transmissions. 

Oh THANK YOU VERY MUCH for reminding me of that one! One rainy morning I jumped in my old pickup, put it in gear and backed over the neighbor's cat that was sleeping on the front tire out of the rain. I didn't feel it or hear a sound and heard about it when I got home that evening. The only good thing is it probably didn't feel a thing, maybe didn't get a chance to wake up. 

Still. 

Frosty The Lucky.

I've never owned a Ram truck.  I used to be a devoted Tundra man.  In the 200,000 miles I drove that 2000 truck, I replace A LOT of parts, O2 sensors, ignition coils, brake booster pump, starter motor, throttle body motor, rear axle bearings, radiator, etc.  Still, loved that truck.

Then I did the unthinkable.  I bought a 2012 GMC Sierra 1500.  It has been a MUCH MORE RELIABLE truck.  I'm pushing 180,000 miles, and the only thing I have replaced are the front hubs (only one was bad), the battery positive/starter cable, and the starter, preemptively (because it was acting up every once in awhile).  I get the engine oil and transmission fluid teste by Blackstone Labs once a year.  Clean bill of health each time.

So, I guess I'm "professional grade."

I had a 2013 GMC i just traded in for a Tacoma. In my opinion GMC used to make the best truck on the market. But they have become nothing but glorified Chevy's. GMC used to make trucks and it was about the time they started building the crossovers like the Terrain is when it happened. Chevy and GMC built from ~2005-2020 have a problem with the frame and rear suspension rusting out. That is my main reason for getting a new truck. What finally pushed me was the fuel pump getting ready to go. I already put 2 in it and with the frame rotten... I would have got a new GMC but the Tacoma was far cheaper.