I'm working on a '96 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5 speed swap project. The Jeep came with the V8 and auto trans, and since Jeep never offered the Grand Cherokee with a V8 and manual trans factory, there are no Grand PCMs I can grab out of the junk yard to work with this combo.

I know several other people have used similar year Ram or Dakota 318/5 speed PCMs to make this work, but reading over the Jeep forums, it always seems to be a crapshoot whether or not you get a compatible PCM, along with many reports of PCMs "just going bad on the shelf...seems to be a problem with Chrysler PCMs".

I'm betting the "going bad from sitting" syndrome is people getting PCMs from SKIM equipped vehicles, which obviously won't work when swapped into a different vehicle.

I couldn't find any documention that said when SKIM started, but I got the impression that the '96 trucks didn't have it, so as long as I got a PCM from a '96 Ram or '96 Dakota, SKIM wouldn't be an issue for me.

I do have the factory alarm/immobilizer in the Jeep, but I use normal cheap keys from the hardware store with it, so I don't think the PCM is involved in it. I also have cruise control that I'd like to retain, and I think part of that is in the PCM. I've also heard of issues with various PCMs not running the gauges correctly.

I haven't been able to find any Rams or Daks in the junkyards locally with a 318 and 5 speed to verify the equipment in them, so I'm assuming I'll have to have one shipped in from another yard. Given a particular part number, is there a way to verify whether it will work for me, or will it still be a crapshoot?

 

Other alternative would be to contact hemifever, and get a tuner for your new combo, and retain the existing PCM. So far as I have been able to find, there is zero difference between an auto, or manual PCM, besides the programming.

 

I did...and he said there's no clean way to convert the '96 to a manual trans tune...there will always be a CEL involved, which does me zero good as I need the CEL to be off to pass the emissions check.

The other potential option is to get his DIY package, which is the tuner and the software, which I can handle the tuning part just fine (I have the full tuning setup for my LT1 crawler, as well as a Mega Squirt setup...sadly the Mega Squirts don't provide for a standard OBD style port for the emissions people), but that's $800 after the tuner and software, which I think is way steep.

I'm betting the real answer here is just to find a willing dealer that can push a Ram flash into either my existing computer or a reman computer.

 

Could you order one for a ram with the correct size engine, and manual trans? Would be cheaper than 800 bucks at any rate.

 

What is SKIM ?.

 

Security system. Reads a chip in the key.

 

Sure..I can....but which one? Thus far I've counted 7 unique PCM part numbers for a 1996 Dodge Ram 5.2L Gas engine with manual trans.

They all start with 56040, with a different 3 digit suffix, which I'm assuing denotes a different flash to account for Fed vs CA emissions, or different options. But which one do I use to order a new one with? There has to be a list somewhere to cross reference, other than just keep buying different ones until I find something that works.

 

Might call the dealer, and ask.... They *should* be able to give you a part number.

 

This is the pcm number I came up with 04886913 this is the newest number I could find, supersedes the 56040. If you want post up what numbers you have.

 

All the numbers I have for manual transmissions - these are all supposedly 1996 Ram 1500 or 2500 5.2L trucks.

56040815
56040926
56040120
56040968
56040496
56040030
56040926

I also found a bunch more for auto trans and vans specifically -

56040816 - AT
56040883 - VAN
56040887 - AT
56040924 - AT
56040964 - VAN
56040969 - AT
56040927 - AT
56040970 - AT
This is based on what I've been finding on various eBay and Car-part.com searches, which I'm assuming are the original installed numbers.