First time poster...
I have read and read and read about the Death Flash, and my new (used) 5.2 Ram 1500 suffers from something greatly. No power and crappy mileage (9 mpg in town, 13 hwy). SO I am guessing it is a leaking plenum and the death flash. I know I can buy a SCT or other tuner to flash it to a custom rom, but is there a way for a service shop to reflash it back to stock (re-death flash)? Or any other ways of doing it on the cheap? I just can't float the $400 for the SCT right now, too many medical bills for my family right now, so we are cutting back everywhere (therefore the reason of selling my 2008 hybrid for a 2001 Dodge Ram - though to be fair, my job requires a pickup now).

Thanks for any help.

 

Pretty sure a shop/dealer can't legally go back flashes like that, even if they wanted.

 

Shops will only put the 'latest and greatest' stock programming in. I.E. Death flash..... So, no point in paying someone to re-do what is more than likely already there. Programmer of some sort is your only option.

 

^what hey said.

look for a used superchips, but make sure its "returned to stock" and not vin locked. ask for pictures proving it. a good price is about $200 or less.

avoid hypertech, jet chip, etc. waste of money.

BUT - before you do anything - fix your plenum, or else a tuner with a timing advance will cause your truck to ping horribly. that's the whole reason the superstar engineers at dodge retarded the timing... to cover up their vac leak.

 

Thanks for the help, I'll probably get a tuner in a few months, but for now I think I figured out the problem.

I was reading about resetting the PCM by removing the positive battery cable, touching the negative battery cable while still connected, and resetting the PCM that way (hard reset). Well, unbelievable! The shifts are now correct and the power came out of nowhere! I'm guessing it might have "learned" the old man's driving habits who I bought it from and just didn't know what to do when it hit the freeway or tried to accelerate. Still won't spin the tires like my old '97 Vortec 5.7, but it is way better than it was yesterday!

 

I don't particularly care for touching the battery terminals together.... just leaving it disconnected for a while is more than adequate to the task.

But, if your truck is running better, THAT is what counts.

 

Well, that's good.
Now get your plenum and timing set replaced, plugs, wires, cap/rotor and cat and front O2 sensor. THEN you're really cooking.