Need expert advice on key fab/tipm !

[dberry1977]

Long story short...I replaced the entire steering column for my 2006 dodge ram 1500 with a part from the exact make/model as my truck. I took to dodge dealership to have the key fab programmed and my appt. was three weeks out. After waiting three weeks for this, they told me they needed an extra few days...ten days later they told me the fab couldn't be programmed and i would need to get a brand new one, which ran me about $1,100 (I have not yet paid for this). THEN after replacing this, they told me the TIPM was bad and I would also need to replace this for another $1,500. The truck was running perfectly before replacing the steering column. There is quite a story behind the replacement of this in the beginning, I realize now...it was really not needed, but we will save that for a few drinks at the bar...haha! Anyway, I need help, i bought the thing for 2,500 and I love the truck, but to spend this kind of money is ridiculous. BTW, the dealership said they could not send back the replacement they had "already installed" and i would have to pay for this at least before having the truck returned to me.
I need my truck; my girlfriend is ready to leave me because I'm using her nice SUV for work!

 

[Fishstickz]

Did you have a working key fob before they took out the old steering column? If so they probably took out the old steering column and didn't care to pull the perfectly-working SKIM module from your old column, tried to replace it with a new one, and are realizing its not that simple.

I don't know your situation, but its very possible that they just don't know/don't have the capability to actually program any electronics on our trucks and just blaming it on the parts. Last time I was in the dealership they told me that my truck was "too old" to use their fancy Dodge scan tool on it, and sure enough they couldn't connect to anything except the PCM. Things may have changed since then, but theres a chance that there may be nothing wrong with your TIPM--just techs that aren't sure of what they're doing. Why do they believe the TIPM is bad?

We can do more electronically on our 2006 trucks with AlfaOBD and a $80 scantool than dealerships seem to be able to do with thousands of dollars of equipment.