[Trickasabrick]

I'm new to the forum, and need some help from folks that know. My son has a 2001 Ram 2500 that started giving him problems recently. It would start, but not respond to throttle input, only surge like you were tapping and releasing the throttle, then other times it would start and run normally. He took it to a local diesel performance shop, and they told him the Injector pump and lift pump were bad, and charged him $2500 to replace the pumps. Now after this is done, they are telling him the truck runs, but dies when it gets hot. They are saying that the ECM is bad and needs to be replaced at a cost of an additional $1500 plus labor. The truck never did this before they worked on it, and I personally think that they did something to the ECM while the repairs were being made. Is it likely that this could happen?

 

[Boosted]

$2500.. WOW.. I hope that was not for a stock LP and IP... Dies when it gets hot...that is a very opened ended problem.. Did they check the FP on the truck now? Do you know what it is? Labor should be about nothing on an ECM swap.. They are plug and play....

Good Luck with it...

 

[MaxRam]

I would definately get a second opinion from somebody that can put their hands on it. $2500 sounds very steep for a lift and injection pump.

 

[Trickasabrick]

I am assuming that these are stock pumps. I told him that we could probably change the pumps and save him some money, but he didn't want to take up my time and just told them to do it. Now he's $2500 poorer and still has a non running truck.

 

[Trickasabrick]

Well, I guess we are stuck with the pump replacements, but now we still have to deal with the ECM problem. Has anybody used a company called Auto Computer Exchange? They have a reman ECM for about $500 with a year warranty. It would be nice to know if they are a reputable company.

 

[WorkhorseDiesel]

If you can get to your son's truck, you should try and pull the diagnostic trouble codes from the ECM. If it's a bad ECM, there should still be some signs of it in the DTC's. To pull the engine codes, do the following:

Turn key to on (like turning on the radio, do not turn all the way to start)

Turn key to off
Turn key to on
Turn key to off

Turn key to on (3rd time) and leave there...

Trouble codes should show in the odometer window. Sequence is:

P ECU...
Codes if any (write them down and report back here)
OR -------- (meaning no codes)
P done

P PCU
Codes
P done
and then back to odometer reading

Hope this helps
:thumbsup

 

[Ramtech]

i saw one on ebay $495 lifetime warranty, programmed to fit your vehicle.

 

[Trickasabrick]

Thanks for the info on the codes Workhorse, I'll run through that this evening when I get off work. Ramtech, that may be the same ECM I was looking at from Auto Computer Exchange since they are sellers on Ebay as well. We have the truck at home now, so I'll report back when we get a chance to mess with it some more.

 

[SootKing]

waaaay too much for a stock injection pump and lift pump.

 

[Trickasabrick]

If you can get to your son's truck, you should try and pull the diagnostic trouble codes from the ECM. If it's a bad ECM, there should still be some signs of it in the DTC's. To pull the engine codes, do the following:

Turn key to on (like turning on the radio, do not turn all the way to start)

Turn key to off
Turn key to on
Turn key to off

Turn key to on (3rd time) and leave there...

Trouble codes should show in the odometer window. Sequence is:

P ECU...
Codes if any (write them down and report back here)
OR -------- (meaning no codes)
P done

P PCU
Codes
P done
and then back to odometer reading

Hope this helps
:thumbsup

Workhorse, I tried to retrieve the codes using the method above, but I got nothing, only the odometer reading. Am I doing something wrong, or could it be a problem with the truck? Thanks,

 

[WorkhorseDiesel]

When you turn the key FORWARD to the ON position, you turn it on to the point where the dash lights will come on and the buzzer sounds. Then you turn it back to the off position. You do this all in a matter of roughly 1 to 1.5 seconds, per cycle from OFF to ON and back to OFF again. It's fairly quick. You should take a total of around 3 full seconds by the time you reach the point where you turn it to ON the third time and leave it in the ON position. This will ONLY work with trucks from 2001 and up. Hope this helps.
:thumbsup

 

[rusal]

Thanks Workhorse, I never knew about this method, I tried and it works! By the way, it shows me codes: 1693 PCU and 0216 ECU, but I don't know what it refers to.
Trickasabricks, I have the same problem with my 01 cummins as your initial and I took it to the dealer for diagnostics, and they estimated repair cost- $3500 !!?? I wasn't able to spend that much, and I'm still driving it with this problem, but it doesn't bother much. Everytime it looses power (most when engine is cold) I pull over and restart the engine and it goes. Sometimes when it happens (on the road) I just let the truck roll and then slam the pedal and it goes again. Hope you have a happy ending soon

 

[Trickasabrick]

Problem solved

Well, I ordered the rebuilt ECM from Auto Computer Exchange, and once we installed it, the truck runs great. Now I have to wonder if the shop we used just assumed that the injector pump was bad and my son spent $2600 for nothing. I hope that wasn't the case, but I guess we'll never know for sure. Thanks to everybody that helped with this.

 

[Trickasabrick]

When you turn the key FORWARD to the ON position, you turn it on to the point where the dash lights will come on and the buzzer sounds. Then you turn it back to the off position. You do this all in a matter of roughly 1 to 1.5 seconds, per cycle from OFF to ON and back to OFF again. It's fairly quick. You should take a total of around 3 full seconds by the time you reach the point where you turn it to ON the third time and leave it in the ON position. This will ONLY work with trucks from 2001 and up. Hope this helps.
:thumbsup

Workhorse, I figured out why this didn't work with our truck. Apparentlly, the engine has been swapped, and it is a 98 model, so the 2001 and up code method won't work.