The story below explains why I'm asking this question:

- Can improperly disconnecting the vehicles computer cause the vehicle to have electric issues, as well as disrupt how the computer is determining what transmission the vehicle has?

I dropped my CRD off to get the rear main seal replaced, the transmission filter, and a few other maintenance things taken care of. Before doing so, my check engine light was not on, and I had no electric issues. When I received my jeep, the check engine light was on, the lights on my brush guard were disconnected, and my CD player wouldn't work at all (radio, however, is), and by the time I got home the window switches burned out. After fighting with the mechanic for a time (who claimed they did nothing with the electrical system), I realized that unless I hired a scary guy to be my boyfriend I wasn't going to get anywhere.

Could getting the computer reset at a local dealership solve any of these problems? Or am I going to be stuck with a check engine light?

As always, thank you for any help!

There are probably a few things that the mechanic disturbed....wiring plugs not put back properly or put in wrong places or wire harness crimped between components so you have shorts to ground.

You need to take it to another Dealer to have it checked out and have a list printed out so that you have some legal comeback against the people who screwed things up in the first place.

ECM definitely has a setting stating whether or not the Jeep is Manual or Auto....Dealer has to set that!

I do not trust these Dealers/Backyard Mechanics one bit...would not surprise me if they have not swapped out your ECM with a suspect one!

Before I got to know these CRDs better....found Service Manuals and Circuit Diagrams online....I took my Export 2.5 CRD to the Dealer to have the Charge light investigated...the "Auto electrician" stripped down the harness and was scratching his head and wanted to swap over my ECM with one of the other Jeeps that were in the shop for a service..fortunately those other KJs were the wrong model! I told the idiot to put it all back together and I fixed the problem myself once I had the Circuit Diagrams in my hands.

_________________
2002 Export CRD 2.5 Sport

This is a pretty diverse basket of symptoms.

How do you know what transmission the ECU thinks it has? I would suspect the TCM would go into limp mode if the ECU wasn't talking to it. Have you read the codes and if so what are they? What do you mean by window switches burned out - just not working or literally smoking?

Windows would be controlled by the BCM and transmission type would be an ECU parameter - two different systems. Check wiring harnesses, module connectors etc.

Your issues could be coincidental and unrelated to the work you had done but one thing for sure, your lights obviously didn't disconnect themselves! Can you at least get the mechanic to admit to this? Did he disconnect the battery? Low voltage can cause strange issues on this vehicle. Maybe he drained the battery while working on it?

_________________
Share your ideas freely at https://www.facebook.com/groups/libertydiesels/

The location had called to tell me about the engine light, but wouldn't admit that they had done anything to cause it, telling me that I would have to pay for the computer to be reset. The place I went to was referenced by multiple people, had a 5 star rating, and great reviews, so the whole mess has been very disappointing. I did take the Jeep to a friend of mine in another city who works part time at a shop, they ran the diagnostic test, and sure enough it did come back that the computer was reading the Jeep as a manual, not auto. I plan on taking it to a dealership as soon as I can to get the computer re-set, hopefully that takes care of that issue.

As far as the electrical issues are going, when I got home from picking up the vehicle, I tried to roll up the window, and sure enough smoke actually came out of the control panel, followed by a burning smell. Thankfully, that part was easy enough for me to fix myself. But with my radio, the CD player won't eject CD's, or play anything. It just sounds like something's getting caught, and keeps making that noise every time I turn on the radio. It just seems like a strange coincidence to suddenly have electrical issues when I didn't have any before. Call me paranoid, but I'm pretty sure someone did something wrong in my car, and they just don't want to admit it.

I appreciate the advice about going to a dealership, and getting another eye on the jobs that were done. Will be doing that for sure.

I love my Jeep, but just wish it wasn't so difficult to find places to get quality service. I'm currently in Houston, so if you all know anyone I can trust, please let me know!

That code that makes your ECM think you have a standard can not be cleared ever. I had the same problem and GDE turned it into a new code that was not recognized by the ECM or scanners and it took care of the problem.

_________________
2006 LTD Bright Silver loaded with all the needed mods, CCV intact.
Proudly supporting CRD vendors, and their development of quality parts and accessories.
Equipped with HDS thermostat, plenty of heat, faster warm-ups, increased fuel mileage.

Thank you flman! I'm glad to know that this isn't an unheard of issue. I'm still learning a lot about my CRD, so please forgive any silly questions on my part. Would I take my Jeep into a dealership to have the code changed? Or how should I proceed?