ECU troubles in Africa - Can I replace without reprogramming??

Hey gang, I've got a unique problem and a few questions.

I'm currently in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, thousands of miles away from any Dodge dealership. My friend has a 2000 Dodge Ram 3500 van from Canada, built in March of 2000, that was not getting spark. He took it to the local shop who's probably never seen an American V8 before, and they cut a lot of wires and spliced in new plugs to plug in an ignition coil, an alternator from something else, a distributor form something else, and a few other wires that probably didn't need to be messed with. That didn't work, so then they opened up the ECU and soldered around a bit trying to "fix" the problem. As you can imagine, opening up the ECU and fudging with the wires was not the answer. I can fix the other things that were messed with, but I'm afraid the ECU is useless now...but I'm not sure because all the electronics still seem to work, except we're not getting spark which is probably due to a bad ignition coil. The engine cranks, the headlights work, etc etc, but still no spark. Is there a way to test my ECU before I go ahead and order the proper other electrical bits that were messed with?? I'm afraid I'll order the proper parts, wait a month for them to get here, plug them all in only to find out that they ruined the ECU.

If I just assume the ECU is fried, and order a new one, can I just plug it in or will there be an immobilizer that needs to be reprogrammed? I called a Dodge dealership in the states and they said the new ECU would need to be programmed in the vehicle with a Chrysler computer....which Burkina Faso does not have. If anyone knows away around this, it's you wonderful people. So, is there a way around this?? Do used ECU's need to be reprogrammed too??

cheers and thanks in advance for any brain storming or info you can throw at me

No way around programming the ECU. It has to be done. However, any Dodge dealer can do the work before the unit is shipped if you provide them with the VIN.

Really? That's good news. The one dealership I called said that it "usually needs to be done in the vehicle," but he seemed like he was in a rush anyway. Maybe I'll call another tomorrow.

I was just reading on a parts website that sells reman ECU's, and they say that they can program on or off the vehicle, but "Additional vehicle specific on-car programming must be performed AFTER installation to prevent drivability and starting issues."

Any idea what the on-car programming entails?

Thanks for the help. Internet here is terrible so I can hardly do any research. And calls to the states are 3 bucks a minute.

lallytrek said:

I was just reading on a parts website that sells reman ECU's, and they say that they can program on or off the vehicle, but "Additional vehicle specific on-car programming must be performed AFTER installation to prevent drivability and starting issues."

Any idea what the on-car programming entails?

Thanks for the help. Internet here is terrible so I can hardly do any research. And calls to the states are 3 bucks a minute.

Click to expand...

Usually they are talking about additional features on premium or highline versions. Such as rolling locks, RKE, etc. One thing that will likely need to be done, is 'learn' the throttle position sensor to the new PCM to prevent weird issues. It may need to 'learn' the CTM but that should be taken care of before its sent if they have your vin. Really the only things that I can think of that would need programing after install would be the TPS, electronic features, and maybe Emissions i'm not sure how they are handled.

When you first put it in, it may crank but refuse to stay running, if it runs when the gas is slightly depressed, jut hold it at a high idle for about 5 minutes. Then it may take up to 10 minutes further to run properly after the gas is let off while the PCM learns the vehicle.

This is sounding pretty doable. Thanks for the info. The van is a base model: roll-up windows and I don't think it even has auto locks. The radio is useless and emissions are far from a concern here. We just need it to start and run. So other than letting the TPS learn the vehicle, it doesn't sound like there is much to do. I'm hoping the PCM will be taken care of since they need my VIN and mileage before mailing the ECU over.

Any other thoughts? Thanks again folks

lallytrek said:

This is sounding pretty doable. Thanks for the info. The van is a base model: roll-up windows and I don't think it even has auto locks. The radio is useless and emissions are far from a concern here. We just need it to start and run. So other than letting the TPS learn the vehicle, it doesn't sound like there is much to do. I'm hoping the PCM will be taken care of since they need my VIN and mileage before mailing the ECU over.

Any other thoughts? Thanks again folks

Click to expand...

In that case, you have the base model PCM. All it will need to do is learn the TPS.

This should be the procedure for APPS reset

1. Set parking brake or chock the wheels
2. Disconnect negative battery cables on both batteries
3. Turn ignition key to run(to drain any remaining capacitors)
4. Let truck sit for 30 minutes( this is the recommended minimum)
5. Return ignition to OFF position
6. Reconnect both batteries and secure, not a timed event
7. Turn key to run position(not start) and depress accelerator pedal slowly all the way to the floor
8. Allow pedal to return to top position slowly
9. Turn ignition switch OFF
10.Release parking brake or unchock the wheels

Thank you, Dudeman! That's extremely helpful. I'm going to order that ECU today and hopefully get it in less than a month haha