I did a search and found out that I was a softwere update and I do have that but now how do I get rid of it

 

The only was is SCT or superchip.

 

If it says Dodge on the back, and its been into a dealership pretty much at all, or was built within the past ten years-ish, it has the death flash.

The death flash was what Chrysler did to "cure" the pinging problems related to broken plenum gaskets. The gaskets would break because Chrysler used a steel plenum plate on the bottom of an aluminum intake manifold. Different metals, different rates of expansion/contraction at different temperatures = one majorly wrecked cheap gasket = oil into intake manifold = not good. Rather than recalling all the trucks and putting all that labor and parts cost to replace the plates, they just reprogrammed the truck computers to retard the timing. Reduced MPGs, reduced power, etc. etc., but no more complaints about pinging.

The best way to "cure" the death flash involves two steps:
1. Repair your plenum gasket. I'd go so far as to say 99% of all our trucks have their gasket break. If you do it yourself, you're looking at approximately $100-ish in parts from APS Precision or Hughes and most of a day or two of labor, depending on how handy you are in the engine bay (noob or expert). If you have a shop do it, you will usually pay around $400 for the labor, plus the $100-ish to get the kit still (as the shops will want to get a new gasket and thats it).

The kit you get from Hughes or APS is a new aluminum pan + all the necessary hardware to install it on the bottom of your manifold. Completely eliminates the problems with ever having to replace the gasket again.

2. Purchase a tuner (SCT or Superchips, for examples) and reprogram your truck for performance, mileage, or etc., or send your computer out to be flashed from someone like B&G.

 

A broken plenum gasket results in this:



Those dark shadows at either side of the inside of the manifold are not shadows. Those are pools of oil.

Just got my intake replaced today. "Keggar modded" manifold from a 1999 Dakota 5.9L R/T plus Hughes plenum kit and Felpro gasket. This is my old intake manifold with old plate and blown gasket still attached. I thought I had just a little gasket breakage... I was wrong. Big breakage.

 

Do thay make a sct tuner for a 1995

 

I want to say no but I think 94 was the 1st year.

Jason how did the mod go? you think its worth the time.

 

If get the plenum gasket fixed and I go with a mopar performance computer will this fix the death flash for me

 

Yes it will.

And sorry, they but SCTs won't work before 1996.

 

The verdict is still out on whether it was worth it or not. The computer has to relearn everything, and I am replacing the oxygen sensor with a new Bosch sensor tomorrow or Thursday. I'm assuming it has been somewhat damaged by the oil going through the system.

1994-1995 used the OBD I system. 1996-1997 used a half weird OBD II system. 1998-2001 used a true OBD II system. This is why Superchips programmers only work on 1998+ vehicles. Not sure how SCT works for 1996+, but its cool that it does.

Yes, a performance computer should take care of a "death flash" as that would replace the death flashed computer.

 

[QUOTE=jason.w;1613591]The verdict is still out on whether it was worth it or not. The computer has to relearn everything, and I am replacing the oxygen sensor with a new Bosch sensor tomorrow or Thursday. I'm assuming it has been somewhat damaged by the oil going through the system.

Whats the eta of down time to do the mod and fix the plenum?