I have a 2002 Dodge Dakota, love it..... But for awhile now when I stop at a light it almost wants to die, but doesn't. When I turn the key off, then restart it could be fine for awhile. Sometimes it gets real bad and keeps doing it after restart. It was doing this before my engine light came on, so I'm not sure if it's related. CEL code: P0601 Internal Controller Failure Internal control module fault condition ( check sum) detected. What the heck!!! HEEEELLLPPP!! Thanks sooo much...

 

i am having the same problem, i have changed the IAC, TPS, and the ASD relay....i am scratching my head too because i got the same code in the begining but now i do no have a check engine light... we have ht esame problem i even took it to the dodge dealership and they said their best guess wa sthe IAC... what the heck!!!

 

Well the idle problem may or may not be associated with the CEL code you are getting, but.....
There is good news and bad news....
That code in the PCM indicates an internal controller failure. Sometimes these codes give driveability problems and some do not. However, it does mean that the PCM is faulty and will have to be replaced.
The good news is that depending on your mileage, the PCM may be covered under what is called a Extended Federal Emissions Warranty. This warranty is usually good for 8 years or 80k miles. If you give your dealership a call they can pull your VIN information and tell you for sure. But before trying to diagnose the idle problem, I would have that PCM replaced. You might get lucky and kill two birds with one stone.

 

i had the same problem; it ended up being corrosion on my coil, so i wasn't getting good spark.

 

what year is your truck?

 

Unless the cause of the idle problem is something obvious, i.e. plug wire corrosion, loose connections, bad IAC, etc. I would replace the PCM first. I can't guarantee that the PCM would fix your idle situation, but it is possible that a faulty PCM could cause it. Not to mention the fact that even if you can fix the idle problem, the CEL will not go out with that kind of code in it. In Chryslers diagnostic database there aren't even any steps to check that code. Simply replace PCM