My cruise control light was always staying on, but the fly-by-wire cruise didn't work.  After much problem solving, I finally took the 2001.5 Ram 2500 6 speed diesel to the dealer.  Trust me, it wasn't my first choice.  Anyway, they told me that the PCM didn't know that I ever had a cruise control equipped truck.  The tech claimed that part of the PCM hard drive was dead.  

The dealership ordered a PCM, but somewhere along the line there was a mistake and they received a PCM for an automatic transmission. They didn't install it.  Instead, I ordered a PCM from NAPA for about $450.   The PCM came in and the dealership agreed to install it, labor free, since they'd screwed up so many times previously.   So, they installed it.   Then I got a call saying they still couldn't get the cruise to respond and had determined it was the instrument cluster.  Cha-ching!  The dealership tells me they can get a new cluster for $790 plus core deposit.   I decided I'd buy from O'Reilly who wanted $330 plus core deposit.  Well, it was supposed to take a month to get the part from O'Reilly.  Nope.  A month later they can't get the part, and they tell me that they might be able to get it if I wait another 4 months.   So, I gave up and told the dealership to order their $790 dollar part.   Three days later (yesterday) they get the part and try to install it.  Tech calls me up, "The part that came in is Canadian, and I can't install a Canadian cluster into your Dodge."   I assume it was due to KMH instead of MPH.   Anyway, I've had it at this point, so I told the guy I just wanted my truck back, and that I will never be back.  Guy ordered (or coincidentally received) the wrong PCM AND the wrong cluster.   He seems entirely incompetent.  After 3 months and almost $1000 nothing has changed on my truck, the cruise light is still on (always) and doesn't work!  In case you're wondering, the cluster does not throw any codes when tested.  

 

I wish I wasn't so dense in this area.  Can the cluster really be the issue?  Can I get one from a junkyard?  Should I keep trying to find a new one somewhere, or can someone just fix the one that I have?     Should I put pressure on the dealership to get back some of the money I squandered with them?    Thanks for all of the advice!

 

 

Probly got water or amoral inside the buttons on the steering wheel

I know my cruise guit for a few years then started working again

15 hours ago, Evan said:

Probly got water or amoral inside the buttons on the steering wheel

I know my cruise guit for a few years then started working again

 

You can remove those switches and replace them. Might be able to spray contact cleaner in them as well.

Rock auto has them. BWD as I remember, same as the OE.

Well, I'll spare you all the details, but the third ECM was the charm.  This one was a remanufactured Cummins ECM, installed and programmed by Cummins in Grand Junction.  I now have a much lighter pocket book, but I have cruise control!  Thanks for 4 years of help!  

Good to hear that all is working again. How much lighter is your wallet? 

Well, those three days were amazing.  Truck died this morning.  Codes 0215 and 1689 joined the party.  

Check your alternator before replacing the VP44. I would hate to see you ruin another VP44 with a bad alternator and possible AC noise issue.

 

Picked up my truck with the new ecm.  It had 5 new codes and the abs and brake light were on.   After having the techs look at it for a while, I ended up taking the truck to Napa, disconnecting the batteries, and installing a new alternator.  The codes all went away.  Drive it 100 miles and the abs and brake light flickered a lot and then stayed on but no more codes.  I asked tech after tech about the alternator output and “ac noise” they acted like they never heard of it and said “it’s putting out good voltage” but it sure looks like you were right to be suspicious of the alternator.  Now on to figuring out the abs light and possibly replacing the battery cables as I don’t like how corroded they are.  Hopefully this ecm will last.  

It would be a good idea to check the new alternator for AC voltage. They can have too much right out of the box. Maybe not enough to show up short term but can still cause harm.

Edited June 15, 20195 yr by JAG1