New to forum, thanks for having me.


I picked up a 2008 Pacifica Touring AWD w/ 4.0L about a year and a half ago. About 6 months after I bought it, the rubber coupler in the drive shaft went out, sheared the flange at the rear pumpkin. So I just ripped out the drive shaft and it's been a FWD ever since. Last Friday, the immobilizer message lit up and the car died. Was hoping it just needed the key reprogrammed or a new key. Dealer called this morning saying it was PCM.


If I buy the PCM, how hard is it to replace myself? Is it plug an d play or would I still need to have dealer program it?


Side note, could the car have been confused by the missing drive shaft and caused the PCM to fry? I don't want to shell out $1K for a new PCM just to fry it again.


Thanks in advance for any and all help.


Rob

 

Welcome to the forum. This part of the forum is for people having issues with the forum itself. When you have an issue with your car, post it in the appropriate car forum further down the front page, in your case, the Pacifica section.

That said, there are services on the web that rebuild PCM's on an exchange basis. You buy the service for something like $200 or so, give them your VIN and mileage, they send you a re-manufactured and properly programmed PCM which you install in your vehicle, and you return your old PCM to them in the shipping box they supply. It's very easy to do and will cost about a thousand dollars less than the dealer will charge.

Here's a typical example: Car Computer Exchange: Auto ECM, TCM, PCM Modules There are others.

As for your other question, if removing the driveshaft would have had an effect on the computer it would have shown up right away.

 

Wow, my bad. Seems like the forum is working great, no issues other than newbies posting things in the wrong place lol. I truly appreciate the info and the quick response.