Using a DODGE ECU will DEFEAT SKIM on a Jeep Grand Cherokee?

[@LuizLeonel]

The instrument cluster and additional features are malfunctioning due to incompatible communication protocols (Dodge's uses CCD and Jeep's uses PCI). Consider the get onde from Dodge Dakota 2002 4.7, which utilizes the same protocol as Jeep.

[@DEInTheGarage]

Thank you! I will give that a shot

[@LuizLeonel]

@@DEInTheGarage Greetings from Brazil

[@eversleyowl]

Well that answers the obvious "why" question.

[@alain99v6]

Yes ! I remember now having such a problem 20 years ago with 2 Chrysler Town and Country AWD minivan, a climate control panel from a 2000 not working in a 1998 the panels looked the same except the connector of the 2000 had a notch not at the same exact place as the 1998. turned out that year 2000 was the last of that generation of minivan and was also the first year that the new communication bus was used in them making most electronics incompatible

[@440phoenix]

I got another 4.7 HO computer with skim delete ( it just puts the pcm in learn mode and skim in the column must still be disconnected) and it worked great accept the key security light was on in the dash. So i did the right thing and removed the bulb.👍 This was on a 2002 Overland GC.

[@richardhungwell104]

The oil in the ECU is a common problem in the Durango, it actually comes from the wiring harness. I didn't believe it when I first came across it, but sure enough it comes from the oil pressure sensor. It has a poor design that eventually allows it to fail in a manners that allows oil which is under pressure to be leaked into the harness, which eventually makes it's way into the ECU.

[@TobyRebman]

Yes yes yes yes it works 100 % I have a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.7 2001 Dodge Durango 4.7 ECU in and it fired up right away

[@johndoh3353]

I have a 93 grand Cherokee as a mid truck out back lost my key needed to move it used my neighbors Dakota key since they were the same. Worked like a charm. Also have an old storage unit key in my 84 Honda dirt bike had to file it down a bit but works. I never throw a key a way never know what u can make it fit.

[@RobertDotterer]

The ecu got filled with oil because the oil pressure sensor went bad or it is trans fluid and it got pushed through the harness and into the ecu. That ecu probably wont last long. I replace a lot of ecus for that problem. You can call a mobile programmer to change the vin and disable the skim module if you wanted. I do a lot of these old chryslers. You also habe to make sure the calibration matches your vehicle. California emissions vehicles and federal have different calibrations. If you have any queations ask away and ill try to answer anything.

[@ronaldbruzan9646]

You hit the nail on the head. I’ve seen it but not at that amount. More on changing the VIN with good scan tool?

[@dustinandtarynwolfe5540]

Yea that's bad. Good thing oil isn't conductive. Not like that things gonna last long anyway.

[@wes11bravo]

​@@dustinandtarynwolfe5540- Dustin - I was thinking the same thing that oil in certain formulations (transformer or oil filled capacitors, etc) is definitely an insulator. But I'm wondering, would any zinc or other metallic anti-wear additives in some motor oil cause shorts/grounds in the ECU? I can't imagine zinc or molybdenum would help all that much...

[@Generalerectusthethird-p2k]

Capillary action is the terminology for it. Very common

[@tedz74]

I believe for 2002 and later Dodge used the 4-plug NGC combination ECU that also handles the transmission. Also 32 teeth on the crank tone ring, rather than 16. WJ's all used the JTEC 3-plug ECU's.

[@benfischer655]

Seen this exact thing happen on a dodge Durango after my buddy ordered an ECU “configured to his vin” I called bull shit then and you just proved it. Thank you!

[@sebastianharrison6118]

You could always get a flipper zero to tell the key fob detector that it's getting the correct code and you can use that for any vehicle you wanted to also if you ever ran across the problem again

[@deltasixgaming]

if it uses Rolling Codes you'd want some better then a Flipper I was playing around with mine and Ended up unsyncing my Key from my Car and the Flipper didn't anymore because the Code Changed but it required a Full Reprogramming of the ECU and the Key to get everything working Properly again

[@davelouisellable]

I have swapped around ECMs from other Jeeps in those and after 01 has some things that are wired different than the earlier ones. Could be the case with the Durango computer too. The A/C and the cooling fan are the 2 main things I've run into. The check engine light might be on because the ECM is looking for an electric fan and yours is hydraulic. I have also noticed that the performance seemed to be better with an 01 computer vs an 04. These were both in a 2000 limited. It was also looking for 4 02 sensors and the 2000 only has 2. I just bypassed my skim with parts from a remote start antitheft bypass, a zip tie and a lug nut, so any key cut for it will work. It would make total sense if you saw it.

[@makaveli087]

That may be due to Vehicles, by nearly all manufacturers, after 01 or 02 had made the VIN "readable" via OBD2 Port. Toyota certainly did. That's why you allegedly (not me) couldn't hook up a 2003 to get your 1999 with a CEL lit inspected. Inspection Computer would rat you out.

[@MichaelZarklai]

it is the same oil they use in high voltage cables :)

[@Blazilla81]

couple weeks ago i swapped ecus on my 03 4.0L RWD WJ from a donor 02 4.0L 4x4 that i had stripped a couple years ago and she fired right up w no issues. skim light popped up but she kept running. I won't go into the gory details of that journey, but in the end, i realized i had a short that was causing all types of fuckery, especially with the shifting. After two months, 3 valve body rebuilds, fresh noids and fluids... the weather finally gave out, and i ended up buying a used honda to get me through the winter. Which came with its own list of parts to change, of course. Come spring ill chase down that short and get her going again though. Thanks for the vids bud.

[@shaftermike]

Oil cooled ECU? Amazing this sort of worked...

[@Crappycarguy]

Oil is an insulator, so no harm no foul for electronics assuming the contaminants and additives in that oil aren't reactive with electronic components. Lots of electronics out there in the world are oil bath, but typically not with engine oil 😆😆

[@NoWr2Run]

That's those ( VERY RARE ) Oil Cooled ECU'S. UNREAL that Oil Soaked bunch of electrical parts didn't let the smoke out. GOOD TO KNOW, T.Y.

[@KC9UDX]

Oil is an excellent insulator

[@doccafs]

I did this on a durango to help diag. A computer problem and it did the same as your test and it limited my rpm to around 2500 and kept the speed of the vehicle to under 40. Kinda like limp mode. But it help prove the original ecm was bad. I ended up getting the test ecm reprogrammed for the durango and it's vin. Great video

[@angrysmileyface78]

As others have said before, 98 to 00 Durangos typically run a CCI bus vs the 2001-mid 2002 durangos/dakotas running a PCI bus. In mid to late 2002 Chrysler changed to a 32 tooth 4.7l and chose a 4 connector ECU (Includes the trans computer) compared to the jeeps 3 connector ECU with external Trans ECU.

[@alain99v6]

My experiences with with late 90's early 2000's Chrysler products is that the whole gauge system is controlled by the BCM and your ECU doesn't talk properly to it, probably some wiring signal missmatched between the Jeep and Durango

[@iFixJunk]

Side note: About six years ago I was chasing down an overheating problem with my 2000 XJ Limited 4.0L 4x4 that appeared to be electrical (turned out to be a bad plug wayyyy down the harness); at some point I opened the ECU to see if anything in there was burnt up. That plug Doug popped off the back of the Dodge ECU? IN THE CENTER OF THAT IS A FIBERGLASS VENT! I believe it allows moisture a way out--it lets the unit breathe!!! And it was unavailable!!! Why would I have tried to replace it? Because mine crumbled to DUST on disassembly. I made the mistake of trying to remove it for a look inside (or maybe just otherwise disturbed it; I can't recall). Anyway, at the time I was still a smoker. So I gutted the thing and replaced its working parts with the innards of the filter from an unsmoked Marlboro Menthol. (Just in case anyone finds themselves in such a pickle.)

[@graflohner839]

Seems like an appropriate time to bring up Daniel Lazlo's project to rebuild the DRBIII cheaper so that we can all have cheap access to oem-level tools and real tuning for our pre NGC Chrysler heeps. Will make diagnosing issues without a $2000 scan tool so much quicker. Look up Chrysler Scanner.

[@CCerwin]

I am amazed at the oil filled cooling feature of that ecu 🤣

[@PEdward225]

'You MUST Change your ECU oil Every 3000 miles...'

[@BentonL]

Another method for you to try the next time you get stuck on dodges. Get HP tuners, pull your stock file. Unplug your skim module from the steering wheel. Reflash... Never reconnect the skim. Of course there a ton more you can do with HP tuners. .

[@ArionEquus]

You should always change your ecu oil every 20,000-30,000 miles so it doesn't look like that. :)

[@W1ldM4nW3ld3r]

I did use the key cylinder, skim and pcm out of an 01 Grand Cherokee in my 03. It worked until the pcm/tcm combo figured out the bcm had a different vin somehow. Now, it's theft locked and haven't had time to mess with it. At least, that's my theory

[@TheMainLead]

Im curious if an obd reader would still display rpm/ read sensors

[@v12alpine]

Yes it should.

[@WJdriver000]

I love these vids! Im kinda surprised cause I thought the dodge crank had half of the sensor triggers that the jeep has.

[@d.l.horton2093]

Program the VIN in the ECU and see if the rest of the computers fall in line? Maybe the gauges will work if the ECU is set up right.

[@johndoh3353]

I have a 93 grand Cherokee as a mid truck out back lost my key needed to move it used my neighbors Dakota key since they were the same. Was worn enough to work like a charm. Also have an old storage unit key in my 84 Honda dirt bike had to file it down a bit but works. I never throw a key a way never know what u can make it f

[@CCerwin]

I guess once the vin matches the cluster or a few adaptations with the autel things would work. That skim is a hassle when the rust starts getting into door pins and grounds. Be interested in knowing if there is a scan-tool to reset skim so you can unplug it vs having to send the ecu out to be reset or verginized

[@mikescruggs6076]

Awesome information, thanks for sharing

[@bugzie-a1769]

You are great buddy, keep it up, 😀

[@DEInTheGarage]

Thank you!

[@keithmorgan266]

Love the video, I've been swapping/buying Durango parts for my 99 WJ 4.0 and no issues. Last was a 242D (with 2wd and same as 242HD for WJ) out of a 99 or 2000 with 46re, forget which year, and was direct swap. Next I might find a 46re and see if I can replace the 42re that's on its way out. Oh and you ever gonna make a non 4.0HO sweatshirt for us old fashioned 4.0 men???

[@danhambrick6331]

Hope you had a good Thanksgiving Douglas and Eric.....

[@DEInTheGarage]

You too Dan!

[@someguy4476]

Probably power steering fluid, they had bad pressure switches that would allow high pressure power steering fluid to migrate through the wiring into the computer. GM had a similar problem years ago with the coolant temp sensor filling the eco with coolant…

[@jeremycable51]

Ecu is just that engine control unit they have independent transmission control and body control modules atleast on this particular model dodge changed in 02.5+ to have both ecu and tcm in one unit

[@chevy6794]

Apparently on the chevys you can fire it up on a vehicle with working PATS. (That’s their security system) and then unplug it while it’s running. Then shut it off with it unplugged. Now that computer will work without being plugged into PATS and can be used in anything. Personally haven’t tried it though. I wonder if the same will work on Chrysler?

[@Minitrucker231]

Seems like that ECU..... (puts on sunglasses...) Was well lubricated..... (The Who's Won't Get Fooled Again starts playing..) 😂

[@wes11bravo]

I was thinking Motörhead Ace of Spades, haha

[@user-rx7dc7qn9v]

It's the same company of course it's definitely going to work and that's a fact 💯 I have been doing it for years now

[@joeblow123]

sounds like a good idea to put it under your back seat. out of the way but a good life boat to get home if needed.

[@DEInTheGarage]

That is what I am thinking. Better than walking..

[@jefferyholcombe5189]

If you have a serial connection to the ecm and software to pull the tune out of the ECM you can take software like Tunerpro and edit the file but you need the .xdf file which is a definition file to show the .bin file you pull from the ECM. Basically tells Tunerpro how to view the file as it is in I believe hexadecimal. Remove or disable that part of the ECM tune you will load. Save as a new file every time, do not write over your previous tune or original.bin file if you ever F up and god forbid don't let ECM loose power before you get the tune loaded

[@nastyn8te328]

That must go hand-in-hand with blinker fluid. Maybe somebody was told to change their ECU fluid and could not find actual ECU fluid so they just said "oh well I guess I could use some engine oil"!

[@VSteam81]

my right ear: *almost nothing* my left ear: *hears everything*

[@jdrissel]

So now we need to change the oil in our ECU?!! Then I read that this is not an isolated issue. Apparently any modern engine that uses 0w20 is likely to have this issue as the oil seeps through the seals in engine sensors and uses the stranded wires as a wick to transport engine oil all over the vehicle. I can only think of one foolproof way to fix this - put an induction loop around the engine compartment and make all the sensors wireless. That will also make them so much more reliable and easier to troubleshoot.😂

[@preppinglife624]

Great video bro!

[@GeneElliott-u4u]

You have one of the upgraded oil-filled ECUs

[@ronaldbruzan9646]

If you are interested I’ll get the wiring diagrams off Alldata if you’re interested. Probably different pinout on some items like the gauges. That’s why check engine came on Ron

[@DEInTheGarage]

Very Interesting. Email me if you'd like to discuss further [e-mail]

[@sjhotz]

Just gotta reflash the VIN, not impossible at all.

[@eddiereichel9354]

Normally its the dodgy dodge wiring. The only thing is the PCM can be junk too.

[@mrsfgogo09]

It’s always that 1 guy 😂 funny ass hell

[@dylanlindsay1993]

i know this is unrelated to the video but i have to ask.. Where did you get those giant q tips?

[@DEInTheGarage]

Harbor Freight. Whole bag for like $5

[@ps3dropzone187]

Well good thing is at least it wasn't water in the ECU you don't have to worry about no corrosion

[@timgore5255]

D&E been watching you guys for years. Never seen you cover the problem I have with my 99 WJ grand Cherokee Limited. Listen to this so for a year or so it was randomly shutting off with me driving down the road no pattern whatsoever sometimes would start right back up sometimes would take hours. Then one time sitting on the side of the road trying to get it to start. I had removed the air filter for some reason in it and it fired right up. (New filter, incorrect filter.) since then I have fabricated a much thinner, temporary filter. I’ve been running in it and guess what it hasn’t shut off on me in three months. What do you think this could be related to?

[@DEInTheGarage]

I am relatively stumped. Shooting from the hip.. how are your throttle body sensors? Specifically IAC. Never heard of an air filter choking off a 4.7

[@dustinandtarynwolfe5540]

I think it's a false correlation. I think it's coincidence that the problem went away. More likely you have a shorted wire and messing with your filter got it a better connection. Obviously just a guess though.

[@4WDriver]

I forget whether the WJ uses a MAP or MAF sensor, but if it's MAF (Mass Air Flow), a *really* dirty/failing MAF sensor could potentially exhibit symptoms similar to what was described. If it's a MAP (Manifold Absolute Pressure) sensor, then it's gotta be a false correlation, and moving wires/harness around when opening the filter housing may have caused a better electrical connection which made the problem go away.

[@iFixJunk]

​@4WDriver Almost positive it's a MAP sensor as I recall a supervisor of mine about 15 years ago had the same problem with his Limited, and we discussed it ad nauseum. Ultimately, he gave up.

[@Blandy929]

Go online and look for the canbus and k line adaptors...

[@dustintunis9347]

I wouldn't be surprised if the oil would actually help prevent corrosion and extend the life of electronics.... I wouldn't bet money on it, but it definitely wouldn't surprise me.

[@OsrickRomero-b9u]

Would a jeep computer work on my 2002 dodge Dakota it has a ( NO BU5 code )

[@jasnonya3005]

Now thats cool to know!

[@AtimatikArmy]

I wonder if this is the same with WK's?

[@Master_Shredder420]

Failed Oil Sending Unit dumped the oil in that Ecu it travels up the wire.

[@scott01clay74]

At how many miles are you supposed to change the oil on your ECU & what weight?

[@charlesnickell7257]

How the hell is there so much oil in the ecu

[@willitbutter234]

How often are you supposed to change your ECU oil?

[@Bigfella-s1e]

What is a skim? If someone could explain I’d appreciate it,

[@claptrap673]

Bro I'mnew her. 30 years of wrenching. My work around is direct wiring the fuel pump. It works on Ford's PATS. If ignition is cut then you main tain control of that use an msd box. Blend the old school in.

[@matty85992]

If you got the guage set from that vehicle the ecu come out of and corresponding things you will have no problems

[@Hawkglow]

Your video is so great, let’s try to work something out together 🙌🏽😎

[@samcripes3046]

Can't believe that pcm was not potted.

[@RebelTurtleTim]

don't look like the previous owner of that ECU ever changed his ECU oil! I bet his blinker fluid looks bad also!!! 😂

[@sittinghuman]

i have a 2001 JGC Loredo with the 4.7. if i put the ECU from a limited will i get the space age bells and whistles available in the limited.

[@4WDriver]

You shouldn't have to swap ECUs; you just need to get the components the particular bells and whistles you want are made up of. For example, if you want the EVIC overhead display, you just need that display unit with its computer module, and install it in place of your basic compass & temp overhead display. If you want memory seats, you need to make sure you have the seats out of a WJ trim level that had memory seats, possibly might need to replace the wiring harness, but not sure, and the memory seat computer module with the two buttons on the door panel. The main ECUs and body computers should all be capable of running everything, you just need all the additional pieces, including their individual control modules if they have one, and sometimes a specific wiring harness. Unlike modern vehicles, these computer systems were pretty much plug-and-play. You don't need to program the individual modules and main computer to accept one another. You simply connect it up and it works. Some of the bells and whistles are worth it, but others can be more work/cost than they're worth.

[@Elmo_outdoors]

I wanna know how old that heat gun is lol

[@froggerman44]

Wish someone would do this on a v8 zj

[@4WDriver]

ZJs don't have SKIM, so this would be unnecessary for one. Any old key (provided it's the right key blank, and cut properly) will work.

[@GoatOf731]

I came here from Instagram because I needed the answer

[@whydontyouaskme]

I just use brake clean to break up the oil

[@alekseimishavich3679]

previous owner clearly never changed the oil in his ecu...tsk...tsk...

[@JohnDoe-dj5jg]

HP TUNERS can 100% delete SKIM, can leave it plugged in and turn it off.

[@davidgarris5440]

You should be running synthetic in that ecu

[@dkemp1337]

this would not work for emissions state

[@Tomcat71]

You gotta change your ECU oil every 10k

[@repeatman]

6:53 he tests it.

[@rovert97]

Careful with all that oil there bud, we’ve been out of Iraq for a while now and the army has fancy toys they wanna play with.

[@DEInTheGarage]

😂😂😂

[@Brucedanforth3617]

Try to find a new DOA Chevy avalanche but look for the 2007 2013 that is the better model than the 02 to 06

[@penguinatorfps8205]

that would be called a turbo.

[@Sshtb0x_cars]

All i know is I'm hoarding pcm's for the 4.7 ho now 😂.

[@AA-tb4ff]

well at least the ecu shouldn't be corroded inside

[@bryanspanjer3213]

You're never supposed to drain the oil out of your ECU. How else will it be cooled. Haha

[@TheChuckools]

Not ecm it’s pcm

[@tq4153]

Lol ecu coolant