Turn key to on, then off three times??

I have a 2005 3500 cummings 4x4.....have several friends with other cummings and Hemis. If you turn Key to on(not start the engine)then off three times quickly the odometer will read "done"... What does this do? Rumors are everything from 50 extra horse power to bypassing California emmission crap to turning off horn when you lock truck. Does anyone know what it does? Thanks

I have a 2005 3500 cummings 4x4.....have several friends with other cummings and Hemis. If you turn Key to on(not start the engine)then off three times quickly the odometer will read "done"... What does this do? Rumors are everything from 50 extra horse power to bypassing California emmission crap to turning off horn when you lock truck. Does anyone know what it does? Thanks

Hi Spendy Hobby:
I just joined today as well...so let me be your first. We also own a marvellous Cummins 5.9 totally surrounded by a piece of...well..er...Dodge.
It does many Dodge things so we have met the 3on-2off thing before. At about the same time that your "Ca emission crap" was born there was begat the on-board diagnostic OBD system which requires that vehicles tell their masters what is going on. This telling is mostly done thru a computer connector, often under the dashboard, and is heard by big computers in dealers shops or by eBay handheld OBD readers. The read-out consists of codes which are meaningful to software or to code manuals.

Another way to hear (or see) your vehicle's confession is to observe the number of times your Check Engine light blinks after you turn the ignition switch on and off about three times in that many seconds. If, for example, your light blinks four times-pauses-and blinks six times more (=46) an alternator undervoltage is/has ocurred. This visual system is called the malfunction indicating light system
or MIL (not to be confused with mil specs which has nothing to do with vision at all).

I hope this is correct, not too pedantic, and that it helps.

Sitka

Thank You, Sitka.........Makes sense, although I did have to read it twice for it to sink in.

Your modern Ram probably has a direct code readout in the odometer instead of a flashing light. I hope you're blessed with many miles before you see the first real trouble code.

btw, the codes can be seen at ... http://www.allpar.com/fix/codes.html

Sitka

thanks again.....I was gunna ask you where I could find the codes.

it won't have a flashing light. that is strictly obd 1. you have obd 2 which means you have a direct code readout and it wont be in the odometer; they have to be read through a scan tool. You cant get codes read at most auto parts stores for free but you will only have thrown a code if the engine light is on (its a little light that looks like an engine) I guarantee you that turning the key a certain number of times isn't going to give you any extra horsepower. only a tuner is going to give you more horsepower that fast. What you are refering to is the keyless entry settings. read your owners manual and this will tell you exactly what the light means.