PCM interchange question

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hotkarl

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Ram Year
2002
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4.7 Semi-Hemi
In a final, last ditch effort, I am going to replace PCM. On a crapshoot I am not going spend a bunch of money so I'm going to grab the cheapest one I can get my hands on.

So, for an 02 with 4.7 auto, will any unit from same year/options work?
Like from a Dakota/Durango/Cherokee?
Providing it is programmed to my vehicle of course. Hell, would one from a 3.7 work?
 

MatthewGoff

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Pascagoula, Mississippi
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4.7
if you go 3.7 i dont think it will work, there are coil drivers in your computer that go to each ignition coil I.e. 1-8, then theres ABS hubs and Auto/man trans blah blah blah. i bought a used computer weeks ago with matching numbers, for me it was 737AC. it got my truck to run but the ABS light stays flashing. also with it being a used ECM it has a short in it somewhere. truck runs about 30-45 minutes until it gets good and warm and the power shorts and the ECM shuts down. My best advice is instead of buying a hundred dollar used one like i did and still have a dead truck, go ahead and check ebay for reman/repaired ECM's. Flashmasters is who im going to buy mine from. under 200 bucks and you send them your VIN and its a better insurance rather than to waste money on something that is probably bad or will just cause problems shortly down the road.

Take the truck and get it hooked up to a scanner, if it doesnt even turn the scanner on or the scanner cuts out it is probably losing power and gone bad.

i took my truck yesterday to a shop and paid 35 bucks to basically ******** with the mechanic until it started shutting off on its own, he had his computer plugged in the whole time and when the motor died all the accessories stayed on, did not lose power to anywhere else but the ECM. I've got a wiring diagram of the pin out for all the plugs going into the computer that the Flashmasters guy sent me so i could get voltage readings and possibly track down grounds that could be bad or maybe a hotwire pinched off or something, but i have to decode the wire color codes.
 
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hotkarl

hotkarl

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I've had luck in the past with used flashed units for like a hundred bucks.
Aint no cheapos on ebay right now that match my truck. Just the 200+
This is a total crap shoot last ditch effort. Might work might not so I want to spend as little as possible.
Ugh what a pain in the ass this is.
Can't believe Dodge certified mechanics can't diag the problem.
 

MatthewGoff

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my local dealership wouldnt touch my truck, im still trying to figure mine out. im going to take the fuse box apart and check it out to see what i can find. everything works fine other that it shuts off and keeps shorting power to to ecm. i still have power to the fuse box but the ecm signal just cuts out all together which is leaning me towards the TIPM problem ive read up on a little. but as long as i dont burn it up looking for electrical problems and it helps me move across town in a month i might have a better chance of finding the actual problem once i get in my new garage where i can really bust it to pieces.. hopefully it wont take long, I am just waiting on that moment where i can say "dammit" because its something small that i overlooked.
 
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hotkarl

hotkarl

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I bought a new truck. Just couldn't wait anymore. I'll put this '02 on mothballs for now.

I'm going to figure this out one way or another. They ruled out everything aside from the pcm or opening the motor up. Scantool said timing was ok so I dont know what they would find doing surgery. The motor is new, has under 40k and I religiously maintained it so...?
 
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hotkarl

hotkarl

Senior Member
Joined
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678
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Ram Year
2002
Engine
4.7 Semi-Hemi
Ok anybody know PCM's?
Will a pcm from the same year and engine but from a different vehicle work? Like from a Dakota or Jeep?
 
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