I need to locate a new ECU for my truck, so I want to make absolutely certain that if I do, I'm getting the right one that will in fact work with my truck, the dealer didn't give me much information but the service advisor did say that the part number doesn't need to be the same, but I don't know if I trust that.

I would like some advice from someone who's perhaps done it before.

I know the VIN will need to be changed in the ECU, and the dealership has said they can do that.

so what am I looking for to find a compatible ECU? 2005 2500 5.7L Hemi 4x4

 

You haven't had the truck that long?????? And it needs a computer? Will the folks you bought it from do anything for you??

If not, talk to the folks at Solo PCM, they should be able to get you set.

 

The truck is fine, the problem is that the previous owner had a tuner on it of some kind, and the ECU is locked, so I can't get my HPT working with it. I just had it at the dealer today and they couldn't access the ECU to glash it back to stock, so my only option if I want to make use of my tuner is to swap the ECU, then take it back and have them reprogram the VIN and stuff.

Normally I'd be pretty pissed with the previous owner, but this truck was a salvage title so he obviously had no reason to roll it back to stock after it was wrecked and written off.

I think I've found a matching ECU though.

 

The dealer couldn't reflash the PCM??? That seems kinda strange......

 

No they couldn't access it, which is the same problem my tuner has, the controller doesn't report as an NGC because it's locked by whatever tuner was on it.

However on the invoice it says "only able to update to new software, cannot go backwards" so I'm confused about that because I spoke to the guy directly, and it was traight up that they couldn't access it to do anything.

Not much I can do really, but I may call him and ask about that and be like ... ok, wtf.

Regardless, I ordered another PCM from eBay, same part number, came from the same truck, so it should just need a VIN change and hopefully it'll be good to go.
And this is why I wish I had an Autel, so I could just do it myself.

 

Nice to have, but, I simply don't use one often enough to make it worth the money......

 

In the years I've owned these Dodges I could've used one dozens of times, especially for diagnosing my own stuff, I'd like to have the ability to activate modules and follow the procedures in the manual.

 

So I got an ECU from eBay, same part number, from the same truck basically. The guy said it was a stock truck.
Made up a bench harness to see if my HPT would read it correctly, and it has the same problem as the one in my truck, it's not reporting and I'm missing a bunch of PIDs for data logging.

so my next step is to try a 2004 if I have to, but I really need to know if anyone has done it because the dealership is hesitant to help me out with anything in this regard and I don't know who else can.
They say it has to be from the same truck, but I would have to think I can use a 2004 ECU in my 2005.

The biggest question I have about that is what would be the differences in what's "tunable" between the two? I can still access the tune file with the VCM Editor, but because of what's missing for datalogging I can't really effectively make any changes.

I'm wondering what I might lose if I go back a year for a computer.

 

There are slight differences in the trans harness to the PCM (a few pins in different spots) if memory serves.