A couple of years ago I had my 2016 Citadel in for some routine service work and the dealer mentioned there was a couple of minor ECM updates that should be done at the same time. Stupidly I said sure, why not.

One of them is an ECM flash that prevents engaging any transmission gear unless the drivers door is completely closed. (I suppose the reason is some idiot drove away with his door open, fell out and hurt himself or something similar.)
The reality is though it is really handy to be able to have the drivers door open when backing up a trailer, especially at a boat ramp. A couple of times I have had friends drive the vehicle and trailer out of the water after launch and they are sitting there with the engine screaming, wondering why it won't move.

Does anyone know a workaround to defeat this idiotic ECM flash? When I bitterly complained about it to the dealer they told me that once its installed there is no way to uninstall it. Not what I wanted to hear.

Thanks,
rstew

 

Personally, if this were an issue for me, I would hook up some kind of toggle switch to bypass the door pin trigger for the drivers door. A simple single pole single throw switch hooked in series to the door switch would do the trick. This way it can still operate as usual for normal conditions so you can still get the dome light and such but then bypass it to disable the door switch when you need to open for backing and such.

 

All you need to do is fasten you seat belt. That the bypass. I did this all the time when performing a alignment.

 

mt; thanks for this info. I tried it out and sure enough that bypasses the lockout.
All I have to do now is try to remember that trick next time I am trailering!

I suppose in Dodge's logic, as long as your seat belt is done up you are not going to fall out the door even if it is open!

rstew

 

They did this to prevent accidents like the one that killed a StarTrek movie star by his 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee. See Washington Post article:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...and-kills-you/

 

Thanks for that link DDC; interesting read.
It looks like what happened in Yelchin's case though is he thought it was in Park, and it wasn't, and it rolled down the hill in neutral and pinned him. Definitely a bad day.
I don't see much similarity to my complaint though, that you can't engage any gear with the drivers door open??
My issue has nothing to do with thinking it's in Park and rolling away in neutral.

rstew