My new toy and Push Button Start

So I had a 2016 Bighorn on a lease that was close to termination. I returned it today and closed on a 2017 Bighorn. I really wanted the rebel but it was just too much. My company was just acquired by GPC a little over a year ago so I think I will take that new NAPA discount out for a spin. The Rancho Quicklift is at the top of the list along with N-Fab side steps and push to start. Which brings me to my question. Is push to start just the ignition module, key fobs, RF hub and door handles? And does it have to be programmed to the truck? I looked at this for my 2016 but didn't get very far mainly because it was a lease and the first glance prices I got was $2000. I am really curious to know if anyone has done this.

Thanks

Hunter

OEM push button start kits
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sh...orum.com/showthread.php?t=110658&share_type=t

Here's a link to a thread that has some information on the push to starts. They are pricy systems.




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Thanks for the reply! I am more asking if anyone had just ordered the oem parts or gotten them from a salvage yard. From what I can tell from auto tech, I think it’s called, is they are just repackaging to oem parts. In other words, I don’t think they are doing any additional engineering.

hunterco said:

Thanks for the reply! I am more asking if anyone had just ordered the oem parts or gotten them from a salvage yard. From what I can tell from auto tech, I think it’s called, is they are just repackaging to oem parts. In other words, I don’t think they are doing any additional engineering.

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I've read a lot of posts over the years, and on different forums, regarding this. Even came across a couple of folks that bought the OEM parts and installed. The last I read from both was the dealer was having trouble getting it to work and never heard more.

Common sense tells us it is just an option, and when the parts are added, and the sales codes are programmed, it should work. My opinion is your success depends on your ability to find a dealership that has a person on staff that knows how to add a sales code to your trucks configuration, save it in the Chrysler database, and then reconfigure your truck. Going by the success rate reported for those that wanted the daytime running lights sales code added, good luck.

The process for this is published by Chrysler in the up-fitters guide yet dealerships seem to be challenged by the simple process. Here is the configuration process to add a sales code;

"The dealer should add the DRL option to the vehicle using the VEHICLE OPTION UPDATES page in DEALERCONNECT. A link to the page can be found in the WARRANTY ADMINISTRATION pane under the SERVICE tab. Once the appropriate sales code has been added, the vehicle should be reconfigured using the RESTORE VEHICLE CONFIGURATION routine in WiTech. This routine can be found under the DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES tab. After the vehicle has been reconfigured, a hard reset of the BCM should be performed and all fault codes that may have been set during the process should be cleared"

When I picked up my 2015 RAM, the dealer turned on the DRL per the above procedure. A year later, another dealer reflashed several modules and the sales code for the DRL was removed. Either the procedure isn't correct or the selling dealership didn't do it right. Do you want to invest your money in parts and time installing just to discover you can't get the sales codes added?

Thank you so much! This is the exact information I was looking for. Likely this is a deal breaker for me since I won't even let the dealership service department fix me a sandwich. let alone actually work on my truck. I installed a trailer brake in my truck and of course that has to be added by the procedure you described. It took them three times to get that figured out. I ended up dragging my trailer to the dealership and dropping them both off for about a week. So I think I'm out for having anything programmed to the VIN. Thats too bad. It seems Ram is cutting out a lot of aftermarket business with this. I guess I don't really know that much about it.

It really is simple, I have a long work history in automotive but never worked at Chrysler, relatives and my son do but I was at GM, Ford, and then a couple of suppliers before I retired earlier this year.

The vehicles configuration is stored by the BCM and a backup copy is kept in the instrument cluster. In a CAN-based network, messages are repetitively sent on the bus, each message carries signals that indicate states, for example, a sales code value. The vehicles configuration is sent over the CAN bus by the BCM in small groups every so many milliseconds until the entire configuration is sent, this process is continuously repeated. Modules on the CAN bus will pick up signals of interest and store the signal. This is how the configuration is propagated in the vehicles electronic architecture.

I've never seen how Chrysler does the vehicle configuration, Ford's method is complex but is automated by the service bay tools (IDS), much like the description Chrysler describes using the WiTech. Chrysler was always the odd-ball in Detroit, where Ford and GM did parallel, Chrysler had to do it differently.

It seems every time I take one of my vehicles in for service, the Chrysler servers are down or intermittent at best. It is possible the dealers are doing the reconfiguration correctly but are being hampered by the server. Who knows.

Congratulations on your retirement!

That's the reason I was so attracted to VW/Audi. I have a cable I could plug into the OBD port and program what I wanted with my laptop. I really wish something like that was available for the Ram. I seems like iDatalink has figured some of that stuff out since the radio conversion tool are accessing at least some information from the CAN-Bus. Honestly, I don't think a programming environment is a huge reach beyond that. We'll see what happens.