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99 ECM troubles... I think?

929 Views 6 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  Yankneck696, 
M
Hello fellow motorheads. I am the proud but not so happy owner of a 1999 Ram 3500 with an auto trans. a little over a year ago, I went to leave the driveway and upon start up, it was idling on what seemed to be 3 cylinders.:banghead: WTF??? I called a couple local guys and even had a dodge mechanic come to me and they all said the same, ECM is wasted:doh:. after getting over the initial sticker shock of rebuilds and dealer replacements, I opted to select an outfit in florida who claimed they could repair/rebuild my factory unit. however, upon receiving and installing it, my problem was not quite fixed.:banghead::banghead: this time, I had to bump the starter 3-4 times to get the lift pump going, then the motor would fire and run. success you say?? not exactly. the end result of this "fix" yielded only 2 working gauges in the cluster, (speedo and fuel) and the annoying start up procedure of bump starter and listen for lift pump. has anyone out there experienced any of these same issues? is there any hope I can get my old girl back to life? any input would be greatly appreciated.
again it's a 1999 Ram 3500 auto trans with about 341,000 on the odometer. please help!!!
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pmccue
have the truck scanned for codes. Sounds also like you may have an air leak in fuel lines causing you to need to prime the system by bumping the lift pump.
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B
Check with dealer and ask if you need them to do a re-flash of computers.
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M
Update: replacement ECM and replacement of fuel lines helped to remedy my problems. Now, some real work must begin. debating on where to start? airdog is definately on the list for sure but my exhaust manifold is cracked. which is more critical? also hoping to de-bug some of the wretched electronic controls, (O/D on off switch, blower motor speed control, etc.) At any rate, very happy to have my old girl goin again
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mikeyg164
mrchensley said:
Update: replacement ECM and replacement of fuel lines helped to remedy my problems. Now, some real work must begin. debating on where to start? airdog is definately on the list for sure but my exhaust manifold is cracked. which is more critical? also hoping to de-bug some of the wretched electronic controls, (O/D on off switch, blower motor speed control, etc.) At any rate, very happy to have my old girl goin again
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Depending on your future horse power goals may be, i would suggest going with the FASS fuel pump, not the air dog. If it were me, I would look on this site for the pro's and con's to both fuel systems. I personally run a FASS on both of my 2nd gen rams. A cracked manifold can affect you boost not to mention its just annoying, however, the first thing on my list is always a FASS pump along with gauges (fuel, bost pyro). Once you have those installed, then add 50 to 100hp injectors, wire tap boxes (programmers) etc. I see you have a auto, so if you add larger injectors, you need to plan on updating your transmission as well. I am no expert, but have learned a lot from the dedicated members and experts on this site!

oh and welcome to Cummins Forum!
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M
I really dont have any wild HP goals to achieve. primary objective is to have a solid running, reliable daily driver. I have reasearched both FASS and airdog systems and for me, the airdog seems to be the better choice because of a couple factors. both share about the same cost, just like the looks of the install kit, all hoses, connectors filters etc. Plus a buddy of mine has an 01 model with a FASS system, says if he had it to do over again he would have went with the airdog. It's a work in progress to say the least. little by little i'll get it where it needs to be....
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Y
I do not mean to sound like an @$$, but you have NOT done your research well. Get a Fass. Many of them come with the lines & connectors, too. I try to not downplay a vendor, but I am on my warranty Airdog pump that cannot keep a steady pressure. I now have a Fass in the box to be installed.

Ed
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