New to me 2018 Power Wagon, and new to me issues I could use some help sorting out

[671M5]

Hey guys,

I just picked up a new to me 2018 RAM Power Wagon in pretty good condition. The interior is in great shape, and it has everything I was looking for except the sunroof (but I can deal without one). The cooled seats are perfect for the climate here in Guam, so they will get used daily. The truck only has 38k miles on it, and the previous owner never took it off-road, or used any of the features like lockers, winch, ect, which is a huge plus for me! I am literally cleaning the dust off of the 4x4 systems!

On that note, the lockers and sway bar disconnects don't engage/disengage, so that and the ABS fault will be my 1st non-cosmetic fixes. Cosmetically the exterior paint shows some dulling, and the clearcoat is fading/chipping away on the top edges of the bed, ramboxes, and roof. I am hoping I can sand these areas and re-clear them before the basecoat gets too damaged from exposure. Looks like I may have caught it in time, so hopefully that works out, and I don't have to repaint the truck for a few years.

So far I am loving this truck, and having owned GM's previously (both 4x4 with off-road setups, and 2wd lowered sport trucks), I can't wait to test it's capabilities. Looking forward to getting all of the kinks out, and getting it up to standard so I can have a real opinion to share. It seems some of these issues I am experiencing are common, and I have had a hard time finding solutions. 1. The dreaded ABS fault that keeps pinging intermittently 2. The non-working diff lockers and sway bar, and 3. The Steering can get jerky on long sweeping turns.

I am hoping the community can help me figure these issues out eventually, and I can share more.

Thanks!

 

[Westwind1124a]

Nice truck! I loved my '18. I'm sure you will love yours too. The lockers and sway bars were finicky on mine right from the time that I picked it up. If I remember correctly there is an after market locker bypass that is supposed to be a good fix.

found it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Riey2cQ3Uow

 

[56PW17]

Have you tried engaging the lockers off-road or we’re just on pavement? That will make a difference. Both of my Paws didn’t lock on pavement and I needed to be on softer ground. Also I would recommend servicing the guilds in both axels. One of my trucks had water intrusion in the front diff that looked like glue when I pulled the cover off.

As for the ABS sensor… my Cummins is doing that now and I haven’t addressed it lol. About 15k miles of surprise chirping from the dash. Figured I would have taken care of it by now but…

 

[62Blazer]

For the ABS fault, you need have the code pulled and see exactly which one it is. There are dozens of different codes that will cause the ABS light on the dash to come on.

 

[62Blazer]

And I'm not sure, but having an ABS fault may prevent the lockers and swaybar from working. Again, not 100% sure but sometimes if the ECM shows an active fault of a certain category it will prevent certain components from working. Point is, I would resolve the ABS fault issue first and then see what happens with the lockers and swaybar system.

 

[olyelr]

And I'm not sure, but having an ABS fault may prevent the lockers and swaybar from working. Again, not 100% sure but sometimes if the ECM shows an active fault of a certain category it will prevent certain components from working. Point is, I would resolve the ABS fault issue first and then see what happens with the lockers and swaybar system.

I do know for a fact, if the abs sensor on the front wheels bearings gets damaged/wire torn off, the 4wd will no longer operate on the twist dial 4wd knob trucks (so dumb)!

 

[671M5]

Power Wagon locker bypass kit from Able components

Install of Able components locker bypass kit

www.youtube.com

Thanks, I'll be sure to check that out!

 

[671M5]

Have you tried engaging the lockers off-road or we’re just on pavement? That will make a difference. Both of my Paws didn’t lock on pavement and I needed to be on softer ground. Also I would recommend servicing the guilds in both axels. One of my trucks had water intrusion in the front diff that looked like glue when I pulled the cover off.

As for the ABS sensor… my Cummins is doing that now and I haven’t addressed it lol. About 15k miles of surprise chirping from the dash. Figured I would have taken care of it by now but…

Yes, I tried all kinds of things. Stopped, moving, forward, reverse, pavement, off-road, and still the same. They were never used by the PO, so he had no idea they were not working. With the weight of this rig, I will definitely need them working. The ABS pings about 20 times a minute on some occasions, and at other times the light jsut stays on with no pinging.

 

[671M5]

My

I do know for a fact, if the abs sensor on the front wheels bearings gets damaged/wire torn off, the 4wd will no longer operate on the twist dial 4wd knob trucks (so dumb)!

4WD works fine, its just the lockers and sway disconnect so far, but I am for sure going to check the sensors while trying to figure this out.

 

[671M5]

And I'm not sure, but having an ABS fault may prevent the lockers and swaybar from working. Again, not 100% sure but sometimes if the ECM shows an active fault of a certain category it will prevent certain components from working. Point is, I would resolve the ABS fault issue first and then see what happens with the lockers and swaybar system.

I'm going to have all the codes read, but I have to pay for the 3-Day access to RAM ABS on my Autel. Just waiting to be sure its not something simple before sinking any cash in.