beats the heck out of me, maybe hotdawg23 can explain it to us.

 

The guy i got it from works for Dodge and he tells me it resets the computer. If you are pulling a heavy load and it takes a long time to shift, the computer "remembers" this and next time it shifts it goes into a "protection" mode and will stay in the "limp home " mode, ie 4th gear. It will stay there until you "flash" the computer. That is what the dealer does when they "flash" the computer and charge you a couple hundred for it.

 

I think your friend is mistaken, have you ever used this trick yourself?

Flash is a type of memory, like your SD card for your devices. Writing to flash requires one to overwrite the image that was there before. When the dealer flashes a module, they write over the old image with a new one. The new images have the "latest and greatest" changes incorporated by Chrysler. The only way "flash" is to hook up a device (laptop) to the bus that talks to the particular module (PCM, TIPM, etc etc).

What you are talking about regarding the computer learning your driving parameters and other hardware status (trans temp, coolant temp, etc) as you drive, is handled by imbedded algorithms in the image itself. That stuff is written into other types of memory that the different modules access during driving. These parameters can be reset by different methods as they are normally stored in volatile memory.

Perhaps performing the cluster self test resets that particular node.

 

He could be wrong about some of the details, but it works for me everytime. I drive a 2007 Dodge Dually 6.7 ltr and was hauling a heavy load and i kept it in 4th for a long time and then when i was ready to go up... it wasn't and didn't. Solenoid body fron Dodge costs $400 plus tax and had transmission shop put it in. Wasn't long maybe six months and it did it again and that is when i made friends with the mechanic.
Long story short, it has happened 2 more times (in about 3 years) and i just pull over, do the button thingy and it works like a charm.
Don't know why it works but i would bet you that Dodge dealers do the same thing and charge you big bucks.
Anyway

 

That didn't work.

 

Sorry to hear that cause it did work for me. Not only does it work on my 2007 Dodge 1 ton, it also worked on my 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
The Jeep had long ago quit shifting into second gear and went straight to third. Since it is my wife's car i just let it go for years and then one day i just decided to try that button trick and i couldn't believe it!! it actually worked and second was back again.
I think you should just keep trying and maybe it will work. Also, i would drive it around some before trying to re set it.
Good luck

 

I know this is an old thread but it seems to be alive still. My 09 ram 1500 4x4 has been nothing but issues.
My truck only has 54k miles on it and I have had the dealer do all scheduled maintenance at the required time. Last June my motor went out. Thank gosh for the life time power warranty. Chrysler actually paid for my truck you have a new motor. Before the first motor went out I kept getting a misfire on cylinder 4. Took it to the Dodge dealership at least three times they kept saying they could not get it to misfire do not know why it was throwing the code. after becoming angry with them and explaining to them that if they just started my truck and drove it they could fell the misfire but I guess that requires them to actually do something besides hooking a computer up to the truck. I don't think they ever fixed the misfire which may have had something to do with my motor going out.

after my truck was down for 2 months I finally had my motor installed and low and behold the misfire happened again. I took it to another Dodge dealership and they figure out what was wrong with it so they say.

since then I've had to have my transmission resealed twice because it was leaking at the pump and the rear yoke and my truck is currently down down because my ECU has completely went out. I'm hoping that my extended warranty will cover that cost. If my truck wasn't so close to being paid for I would get rid of it.sorry for the rant and rave

 

OK. I need to follow up on this cause new information has come to light. I took a trip in my big Dodge to pick up a tractor and on the way back i made a sharp right hand turn and it stuck in 4th gear again. No problem cause i knew this button trick and i pulled over and did that trick. HOWEVER, it did not work! So did it again and failure.
I pulled into a parts store and checked the trans fluid and it appeared to be a little low. Put in a quart and did the button trick and worked fine.
The next turn was a sharp left and locked in 4th again. Drove home in 4th at about 2200 RPM's.
Hooked up scanner and several codes showed up. The one that caught my eye was the one that indicated the trans was starving for fluid. I believe it was p0807?? not sure tho.
So i put it in park and cranked it up and checked fluid and was within tolerance. So i had a feeling i was missing something and went on the net to look up "HOW TO CHECK DODGE TRANS FLUID LEVEL" and guess what...it has to be in NEUTRAL to check that fluid. Did that and it was almost 1 quart low!! Don't know where it went to either.
I used my scanner and cleared ALL the codes and it works fine now.
So here is my final input.
1) If your Dodge trans is low on fluid and you make sharp left or right turns, it may lock it up in 4th gear.
2) Put your trans in Neutral to check fluid level and if low, fill to exact level.
3) Try the button trick and if does not work use a scanner and clear all the codes. It should be fine now.

 

if they are still like the old dodge transmissions then the pump doesnt engage in park, thats why it needs to be in neutral.

if not i dont know why it would make a difference.