Hello, I'm new to this hole forum thing. I have a 2001 dodge ram 1500 4x4 5.9 and I just had my egine light turn on. I got the code P0601. I took it to Tuffys and they said it will be $1031 to fix! They said they need to replace my ecm. I looked online and found some to buy. My dad has some mecanical experince and he said we can do it ourselves. Is it easy to install a new ecm? I know that you can get it programed by ussing your vin and millage, but I don't want to run the rick of messing up my truck more than it is. The funny thing in runs just fine. I haven't felt any loss or hickups at all. Tuffy said that I was lucky it is still running. Please help a poor man make the right decession. I had to edit this. I was wrong about the code. It shows its a pcm error. Is this easy to fix? Am I getting rip off?

 

Welcome to DF Mic! I am a little unfamiliar with the 01 Rams but I will move this over to the appropriate section for ya so you can get better input. Thanks for joining and good luck!

 

Bud a trained monkey can replace the ecm in our trucks. Disconnect the battery, then unplug the plugs on the ecm, then unbolt it from the firewall. bolt in new one, plug in plugs, reconnect battery. It is located on the passenger side of the firewall. A grand to fix eh. Another instance of gross ignorance on the part of another dishonest repair facility. It should be legal to shoot people who operate like this.

 

Thank you so much! Just to make sure the PCM is located right next to the ECM right? The code shows it as a PCM problem not an ECM. I'm just getting into the fix it yourself thing and I don't know my to much about this stuff. Again thanks for all your help!

 

PCM/ECM is the same thing just two different names that are used for them. Easy fix. feel free to ask questioned is you manage to get stuck changing it. Junk yard part is much cheaper and a in great quantity. A u pull it yard usually sells them for about 25 bucks. Atleast my local place does. Takes just a couple of minutes to take off. Should be 8mm or 5/16 bolts that hold it on. 4 of them by the way.

 

You are the man! Thanks for your help. One last question, if you got the time. If I get one from a junk yard don't I have to reprogram it to work my truck. The reason I ask is that the online web sites require you to give them your vin and miliage so that they can program the ECM before they send it to you.

 

Horse s**t. The only thing you need to watch for is that you get one that has the correct plug setup on it and that it is for either manual or automatic transmission depending on what you have. All the computer does is control engine management and transmission shift patterns. What would knowing your vin and mileage do. Answer:nothing. ask any time man.

 

Wow! From $1000 to 25 bucks! I wish I could of met up with you sooner! I can't thank you enough. I will be sure to write to you in a day or two to let you know if the change out worked. I'm going to the junk yard tommorrow to get one. The fix sounds so easy too. Wow I'm pi$$ off at Tuffy! The are trying to make a living, but man they were about to rip me off! Thanks for the save and you will be hearing from me soon with good news.

 

No problem man. That is why we are all here to help each other out and to prevent places like that from ripping us off. One of the other guys was just asking about his tranny in another thread and the place he went to wants to charge him 3000 to change the pump in the front of his tranny. It is a 200 dollar part and they are trying to get 2800 in labor for a 6 hour job if they take their sweet time.

 

If you ever plan on reselling it, you should take it to a dealer at some point and get your "new" PCM programmed with the correct mileage and VIN of the old PCM. Its obviously a little more expensive, but that way its legal to resell without any claims later about falsifying a VIN and/or mileage.

Like speeddemon said, just make sure its the same engine and transmission as the one you have, and the same (or very close) model year.