2017 Tradesmen Remote Start?

I'm looking into this, and can't quite find the solution. So far there are no supported aftermarket kits, and no Mopar kit.

From what I can tell, if you get a truck with RKE, you will have RF hub 68319677AA. FCA only lists two other RF hubs, one is with manual trans, and the other is for Keyless enter n go. The only other thing you need that I can find is a hood switch, or a 1k ohm jumper between pins 1 and 2 on the grey connector under the PDC. It's the front end module side of the I120 connector that needs to be populated. The harness on the body side goes to the BCM and should be fully populated, same part number is used on all truck configurations.

After that the hood switch diagnostic has to be enabled and the sales code has to be added, or you should be able to configure the bits manually with a developer tool. So far I get the RF hub to recognize the remote, the IPC lights up, BCM appears to be receiving the signal and should be sending a start command, but there is no start. I think something is still missing in the BCM, as there is no headlight flash with the remote start button. There are no messages for Remote Start abort/inhibit, so it's probably a BCM setting that's missed.

So, has anyone tried this so far and been able to get it to work with the dealer setting the XBM sales code? I hate going to the dealer, but I just might have to.

There is no mopar kit? Wow, when I bought my 2014 in 2014 they had a kit, I had dealer install prior to delivery. I wonder why the 17 trucks are different?


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cptwing said:

There is no mopar kit? Wow, when I bought my 2014 in 2014 they had a kit, I had dealer install prior to delivery. I wonder why the 17 trucks are different?


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I know sometimes it takes some time for "extra" oem parts to come available for there to be parts available. I wouldn't think anything would be different from even 15+. Depending on the dealer they might not see it for a 17 tradesman. All they would have to do is find the p/n for that year and compare it to a 16 and if it's the same order one. I ordered a oem remote start for my 15 a few months after buying it in January of 2015 and I believe the 2014 kit was the same

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The 2017s are different from even the 2016s. In the 2016 kit you get a new RF hub, the hood switch, harness extension, and an antenna that plugs into the ignition switch. On the 2017s, there is no additional antenna for RKE. If you have keyless enter and go, there is an antenna that adds range. Otherwise the only difference is the existence of the hood switch and the sales code. Even the remotes are the same, the touch pad just doesn't have a contact to trigger the start button. If you change your button inlays, that button will work.

I may just go to the dealer this Friday if I can't get it solved before then. When they write the sales code with WiTech, it automatically switches everything it needs. The tool that I have is micro level and I have to do everything manually so it's easy to miss things. Often times the names aren't very descriptive either, so that doesn't help.

The 2017 use a completely different bus topology and canbus system, hence why the 2016 kits wont work for it at all.

The CAN bus hasn't changed. It's still CAN-C powernet. The modules have changed though in what is standard, and they've done away with additional antennas. There are probably some additional changes to the CAN messaging, but that's only to the level of signals in messages, and additional/removed messages. Architecture is still the same. The hood latch and keys from a 2016 kit would still be useful, but the other modules would not.

I've found a replacement part number for the plug that goes to the latch, and the good news is they give you terminals to populate the body connector going to the BCM. The next step after that should be to have the dealer add the XBM sales code to your particular VIN. I will keep updating here with relevant information as I have it. Eventually I'll do a short write up with the part numbers you need.

It looks like Ram has decided to help us out a little with this model year for this particular feature compared to years past.

I've installed quite a few mopar kits on 14 15 and 16 rams all the tradesmen express trucks I've see the hood switch wiring was only populated until the connector in front of the pdc. I usually just run the supplied bcm wire to there and pin it in and pin the ground in too . The higher trim trucks it runs all the way or it has had the opposite issue it is missing the hood switch connector and is populated to the bcm

Yeah, there are about a dozen part numbers for the front module harness. At a certain point of options, I think it just becomes a "standard" part of the build for the wires to be there. For 2017, the harness that goes to from the BCM to under the PDC is fully populated regardless of trim level, there's only one part number. I haven't checked for other years, but I assume it's the same going back to at least 2013.

I did finally get remote start working, I put a write up in DIY. On a 2017 truck it's a bit easier than previous years. There's no need to change RF hubs, you just need the switch installed, and then turn it on at the dealer in the sales codes. If you have a development tool it might be possible to turn it on yourself, but you need the PIN for your vehicle so that the RF hub will learn Remote Start Present.

If you use an aftermarket remote start, there is an up-fitter pin on the RF hub. Not sure what else that entails.