New Recall Announced Today

[BStoecker]

I am so ready to beat the service writer into the pavement. I have never had a "safety" recall installed without my consent before this. I have had Jeeps since the '93 model year. All of them have had this as a recall. Instead of fixing it over the past 15 or so model years, they issue these band-aid fixes. In the Grands, at least they could install a modified shift detent spring since it was a floor style shifter. It was basically a stronger spring. I guess they don't have room to do this in the steering column on the Ram, so they came up with this bull**** programming change. I guess I need to figure out how to rewire my damn truck now to make it think the door is closed all the time. I HATE DCX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[betterthanstock]

I'm glad I got a stick shift, but for you guys,



a relay wired to kill the horn when the dome light is on should do the trick. Again, do this at your own risk. If you see someone backing into you in a parking lot and your door or a passenger's is open, you won't be able to blow your horn. (Or if you drive with the dome light on, you won't be able to honk, so use your map light) Other than that I don't see a problem.

 

[ACerf]

Fist off, they WILL NOT get the opportunity to reflash my truck with this crap "fix". Afterall isn't this their "fix" for some auto-trannys slipping from park to reverse? Why not fix the problem instead of warning us that the problem just occured. I didn't realize they had the damn horn go berzerk!! IMO, as stated above, an unexpected blaring horn while backing up is more dangerous than the original problem. Simply foolish and a cheap way for D. C. to avoid their responsibility.

I had it done to my truck, and I thought personaly that it is a good idea. However, there really is no problem with the truck/transmission. It is mostly operator error! I have caught myself not putting the stick all the way into park. People get in a hurry and don't pay attention to what they are doing. This is just to safe guard you from doing it.

I don't see why people are getting all flustered about having this done?

It was my understanding that DC really did not want to do this fix in the first place, because most of the cases reported were operator error.

 

[VZotz]

To let everyone know. Had mine done to see what it would do. No problems before or after. They say it is supposed to take about an hour for three programs. Got it back a week later! During the programming process the horn stopped working and one of the computer modules failed.

 

[AndersonJ]

My '06 Did The Horn / Lights Thing In Reverse, After I Figured Out What Was What I Went To The Wrecking Yard, Rooted Around Until I Found A Compatible Seat Belt Buckle. If I Back-up With The Door Open I Always Unbuckle Anyway, So I Plug In My Spare Anti-horn/light Buckle And Do All The Backing Around I Like. Works Great. Sad State Of Affairs I Know, But A Few Boneheads Will Ruin Things For Everyone. Enjoy.

 

[RMalone]

I had it done to my truck, and I thought personaly that it is a good idea. However, there really is no problem with the truck/transmission. It is mostly operator error! I have caught myself not putting the stick all the way into park. People get in a hurry and don't pay attention to what they are doing. This is just to safe guard you from doing it.

I don't see why people are getting all flustered about having this done?

It was my understanding that DC really did not want to do this fix in the first place, because most of the cases reported were operator error.

Im not buying this argument at all, there have been auto trannies for the last 50+years and now we are all too dumb to put the damn thing in park? I don't see a reason to have alarms because society has protected people from Darwins theory on evolution.

 

[FDrake]

reverse alarm recall

I had my truck serviced two weeks ago and they informed me there ws a recall for the truck. I told them to do it. Since then, I have not had a problem and I don't expect I will. If I place the vehicle in PARK and set my brake, it will not sound off. It will sound off is someone makes a mistake and leaves the truck THINKING it is in PARK and it isn't. What is so bad about that?

Frank

 

[JeepRig]

On my 2003, it stills blows even if the seatbelt is buckled. So that fix with the seat belt won't work. I already tried that.

Someone on another thread said to locate 2 wires going into the door and to snip one of them. I can not find that thread and don't remeber the color of the wires.

Anyone know?

 

[ACerf]

Im not buying this argument at all, there have been auto trannies for the last 50+years and now we are all too dumb to put the damn thing in park? I don't see a reason to have alarms because society has protected people from Darwins theory on evolution.

I guess some of us are no smarter than monkeys! But I am on necessarily including myself in that evaluation! :-laf

 

[JLEONARD]

My son had his done and it's driving him and his neighbors nuts.

Plus he does a lot of maneovering with trailers with the door open.

Can someone explain how to fake this thing out?

Thanks.

 

[Howard]

My son had his done and it's driving him and his neighbors nuts.

Plus he does a lot of maneovering with trailers with the door open.

Can someone explain how to fake this thing out?

Thanks.

I had this recall done a couple weeks ago & didn't have any problems until hitching to a trailer, which happens frequently. The horn will go off several times before I get hooked up. The problem is this, I leave the door open while getting in & out of the truck to make adjustments lineing up the ball. Leaving the door open with the truck in reverse & your foot off the brake & you get blasted with the damn horn. If I had known the results of the recall they wouldn't have seen me! I asked if the recall could be undone & the answere was NO! Looking now for a way to disconnect it without cutting the wires to the horn. I get furious just thinking about this.



Just replaced all the universal joints. Their is no excuse for not having grease fittings & for designing the wheel bearing assembly to be pressed in. The 99 3500 I traded was twice the truck this 03 is.



THIS IS MY LAST DODGE!!!!!!!!



2003 Dodge Silver/Gray, Laramie, QC, LB, 3500, 48RE, 4:10, 63,000 miles

 

[DGStrate]

I had this recall done a couple weeks ago & didn't have any problems until hitching to a trailer, which happens frequently. The horn will go off several times before I get hooked up. The problem is this, I leave the door open while getting in & out of the truck to make adjustments lineing up the ball. Leaving the door open with the truck in reverse & your foot off the brake & you get blasted with the damn horn. If I had known the results of the recall they wouldn't have seen me! I asked if the recall could be undone & the answere was NO! Looking now for a way to disconnect it without cutting the wires to the horn. I get furious just thinking about this.



<<SNIP>>

I also had it done and I also do a lot of hooking/lining up the ball with the trailer with the door open. It is also driving me nuts!



Anyone out there have any ideas about faking it out?



I was thinking of splitting one wire to the horn and putting a toggle switch inside the cab. That way, if I turned the switch off, the horn would be in-operative during the time I was hooking the trailer. I could then turn the switch "on" again, making the horn operate so I could use it if necessary when on the road.



Whadda ya think? Work? Alternative ideas?

 

[SP Diesel]

One thing you all can try is to unplug the seat belt sense electrical connector. It should be a couple pin connector under the driver's seat. I have not tried this, but it works to kill the seat bell dinger in some vehicles, so it may trick the computer to thinking the seat belt is always plugged in and solve your issues.

 

[SP Diesel]

Actually I just checked the 2004 wiring diagrams and it looks like you just need to take the VT/LG wire under the seat to ground... and the truck will think the seat belt is always plugged in.



Please note that I have not tested this, and I do not know what else would be effected... but it should work... so have fun at your own risk

 

[DGStrate]

One thing you all can try is to unplug the seat belt sense electrical connector. It should be a couple pin connector under the driver's seat. I have not tried this, but it works to kill the seat bell dinger in some vehicles, so it may trick the computer to thinking the seat belt is always plugged in and solve your issues.

I have to test this myself, but I had asked the dealer to check when they did the recall and according to the service manager, having the seatbelt plugged in did not stop the horn from honking while in reverse with the door open.



I will test later today to see if this is true or not, and then may try the wiring "fix" and post results.



Thanks for the ideas!

 

[Matt400]

Alternative ideas?

Scotch lock the drivers seat belt buckle wires together. That completes the circuit and tells the computer the belt is buckled. Added bonus is you won't have to look at the red dash lamp when unbuckled on private back roads.

 

[SP Diesel]

You got it Matt, basically the same thing since the black wire is ground Scotch locking them together may be easier too.

 

[DGStrate]

Scotch lock the drivers seat belt buckle wires together. That completes the circuit and tells the computer the belt is buckled. Added bonus is you won't have to look at the red dash lamp when unbuckled on private back roads.

Has anyone verified that if the seatbelt is buckled, the horn will not sound (with the door open and during shifting between gears and/or no brake backing up?)



I have not gotten back to my rig yet to try it...



If it works, the Scotch lock between wires is a great idea!

Thanks for the input, Matt and SP !!

 

[JamesCohen]

I have to test this myself, but I had asked the dealer to check when they did the recall and according to the service manager, having the seatbelt plugged in did not stop the horn from honking while in reverse with the door open.



I will test later today to see if this is true or not, and then may try the wiring "fix" and post results.



Thanks for the ideas!

Did you try it?





I had my truck into the dealer a couple of weeks ago for some service and they did this recal without me knowing.



The only problem is that it does not appear to be working the way they intended it to. it only works some of the time.



I live in a quiet townhouse development and frequently leave for work at 5:30am. Several times now I've had the horn go off when I start the car becuase of the shifter light flickering even though it IS in park. The first two times it happened I thought I set the alarm off, so I sat there for a couple of seconds hitting the key fob to shut it off. I eventually turned the truck off, then on again to stop it.



What a sh!ty recal.

 

[PGreenleaf]

I got some seatbelt extensions and with this 6 inch extension pluged in on drivers side it deactivates the alarm.

Campers dont care for this feature at 5am while hooking up for early start.