Out of park alarm, I told them NO and they did it anyway!!

[DPKetchum]

No I don't think they billed D. C. if they did and DID NOT do the recall could put them in serious trouble. I would be on your receipt if the labor op was used.

 

[OHale]

I'm going to do that mod too, I've had it with this ridiculous recall. Two nights ago when I was backing up at the house I thought one of my backup light bulbs might be burned out. So, I firmly set the parking brake and let off the brake with the truck in reverse, forgetting about the ECM idiocy performed by Dodge. So, I open the door to have a quick look and the horn starts blaring at 930 pm, which is late around here. This is in addition to the numerous times the horn goes off when I am backing to the trailer.



I just waited in line to speak to Chrysler and they say the NHTSA says they can't remove the recall. I wonder if a Smarty programmer can? I'm not interested in boosting horsepower but I sure am interested in having an un-contaminated ECM.

 

[Bob Fennema]

Dealer broke truck doing Park Alarm recall

When I went in for an oil change the dealer offered the park alarm alert. I agreed.

When they were doing it, they fried my ECM and had to order a new dash cluster. I was without the truck for a week.



They gave me a Durango with a Hemi. Terrible mileage!!!



Bob Fennema

 

[JBornert]

You can bypass the out of park alarm if you disconnect the electrical wire that goes to the seat belt and install a jumper wire across the two posts. Takes no more than five minutes to perform. It also solves that irritating seat belt chime too.

Where's the best place to access this wire?

Jim

 

[MathewsR]

Look under the rear of the drivers seat and follow the wiring harness to the seat belt receptacle. Disconnect the connector. The side of the connector with wires going into the seat belt receptacle should be tucked out of the way and left alone. Look into the other half of the connector and you will see the two small posts that the jumper should be attached to.

 

[DGStrate]

I have an 04. 5 and even with the seatbelt plugged IN, the Horn Honking In Reverse Stupid Flash still happens... tested it in a parking lot the other day... sitting it truck, seat belt fastened, opened door and in reverse - let off brake pedal and sure enough, "honk honk honk!"



Any ideas why? Or how to disable? This is the STUPIDEST recall I have ever heard of... As others have mentioned, SUX when backing to hook a trailer...



Please HELP??!!??!!??!!??!!

 

[rodegard]

Out of park alarm

I have a 2005 CTD 4x4 Laramie auto with the same problem. Auto transmissions have been produced around 60 years or longer and this is the first one I have had with this problem. In todays technology how can Dodge **** on its customers in such a manner. A stupid alarm instead of repairing the problem is not customer service. Perhaps firing some engineers and hiring some from Japan or some other country so we can get these transmissions repaired correctly. They can take their alarm and shove it where the sun doesnt shine. I wont have one on mine and as far as I am concerned Dodge is still liable for an inferior product. "So Dodge do a recall to repair transmissions not honk horns!!!!

 

[DZink24]

When I went in for an oil change the dealer offered the park alarm alert. I agreed.

When they were doing it, they fried my ECM and had to order a new dash cluster. I was without the truck for a week.



They gave me a Durango with a Hemi. Terrible mileage!!!



Bob Fennema

They're just keepin' ya honest! Makes you that much more appreciative that you drive a real truck. So what are we talking? 10-11 MPG? LESS?

 

[DPKetchum]

Least they gave you something to drive.

 

[RKerner]

I have a 2005 CTD 4x4 Laramie auto with the same problem. Auto transmissions have been produced around 60 years or longer and this is the first one I have had with this problem. In todays technology how can Dodge **** on its customers in such a manner. A stupid alarm instead of repairing the problem is not customer service. Perhaps firing some engineers and hiring some from Japan or some other country so we can get these transmissions repaired correctly. They can take their alarm and shove it where the sun doesnt shine. I wont have one on mine and as far as I am concerned Dodge is still liable for an inferior product. "So Dodge do a recall to repair transmissions not honk horns!!!!

I know this may come across the wrong way to some but here are my personal experiences with very similar situations.



The only auto I know of that really had problems with not going into park were early to mid 70's fords. I had a Ford pickup go into reverse and leave out the shop door and bang into another customer's car. Some others had similar experiences.



Anyone remember the infamous "unintended acceleration" in Audis of the mid 80's? This is a classis example of operator error. You start the car, put your foot on the brake (or not), and the idle motor raises the idle speed to an uncomfortable level as you are putting it in gear (automatic). Due to the brake pedal proximity to the gas pedal, medium to big footed American people would actually aggravate the problem by pressing on the brake (harder to "make" the idle come down) and the gas at the same time and drive into stuff as the car would not sit still. The 'problem' was twofold - a newer idle motor strategy AND using a teeny brake pedal right next to the gas pedal as one would see in a stick shift car. I worked on hundreds of these Audis over the years and understood how it could happen and figured out how to not react to it. (Maybe some operators couldn't?) This syndrome is THE reason why there is an interlock in the shifter in automatic equipped vehicles - so the brake HAS to be depressed before shifting the transmission.



Sometimes, as hard as it may seem to realize or admit, we don't operate something as it is supposed to be, every time. A 'problem' is then announced and management says look into it and says do what it takes to get rid of the problem (and get the safety org off their back). After all the mechanical bits are tested, abused and every FMEA and DFMEA and forseeable misuse are applied and no reasonable explanation is left except that the customer failed to perform a simple operation, the anti-stupidity alarm is installed as the fix. It's not always engineering's fault but they are easy scapegoats sometimes.



I guess one question is: Since the alarm has been installed, has anyone run themselves over or not been able to place the transmission into park every time? Has there been any adjustments to the linkage to fix the problem at the dealer? For those that don't have the safety alarm, do you have issues with not being able to hit "park" every time you leave the truck?



Hopefully when I get my tire size pinion factor thingy changed for my new tires, the dealer will not install the stupidity alarm against my wishes.

 

[DGStrate]

<<SNIP>>



I guess one question is: Since the alarm has been installed, has anyone run themselves over or not been able to place the transmission into park every time? Has there been any adjustments to the linkage to fix the problem at the dealer? For those that don't have the safety alarm, do you have issues with not being able to hit "park" every time you leave the truck?

When I first got my truck - shifter was a bit stiff, as it was new... Still did not have a problem getting it into park ever... As the time/miles built up, it got easier and easier to shift (broken in I guess). NEVER had a problem getting it into park... That said, I do shift the trans a little firmly into park - always have!



Never required any adjustments to linkage or otherwise...