system low voltage

[mommajenn33]

hey yall i have a 2011 ram laramie 1500 crew cab 5.7 hemi . it wont hold a charge. alternator has been changed and now my fuel gauge is not working and neither is backup cam the scanner said system low voltage help please and thank you

 

[kdoublep]

Welcome to the forum!

You didn't mention anything about the battery so thought I would ask that first.

 

[mommajenn33]

the battery is 3 days old alternator has been changed 4 times and each time the charge never goes where its supposed to

 

[kdoublep]

Sounds like you have a parasitic drain. Hopefully someone familiar with your generation can chime in.

Sorry I'm not much help. Good luck!

 

[mommajenn33]

thank you it was my dads truck he left it to me when he passed in 2017 and its my only transportation it has been down 5 months

 

[Bigskyroadglide]

Ok. So you put a scanner on the truck and it said low voltage, what was the code if any.? If you have a code, then Google is your friend. You can Google the code for dodge ram and it will usually list all the potential things to check to help resolve the problem.

If you have done this and it's still unresolved. Will the truck start or run?, if no then you have to look further at specific components in the electronic pathway.

Your model year is bad to have issues with the tipm. Have you checked this? Have you seated and unseated this unit? Have you looked for evidence of corrosion in this unit? Looking at your location by your zip code, rust and moisture could have taken a hold to some of the electronics.

Don't just fire the parts cannon, think, the battery is new, the alternator is new, those components should be good what's next. Has the truck been wet under the hood?

If you can't do further diagnostic work yourself, where is the closest dealer?

 

[mommajenn33]

there is no code truck will start and run but i can only drive like 5 miles total and my now 4 day old battery will be almost dead . nothing has been wet under the hood. i am lost here . the truck being down this long has cost me my job and i cant afford to take to shop i have used all savings

 

[Curmudgeon]

Google is showing me 2 AutoZone stores and 1 O'Reilly just north of Oak Grove. Call ahead to check but most will do a free check on your charging system.

You may have a battle between battery and alternator. A failed alternator can ruin an otherwise good battery, and a failed battery can sometimes take out an otherwise good alternator.
If this is the case with your truck, each time you replace only one of the two components the one you just replaced will be damaged by the other.

It sounds like your truck is running on just the battery and your truck "dies" as soon as the battery is discharged. It seems as though charging current is getting to the battery from the alternator. Hopefully you can get to one of these places and they can shed some light on your issue.

 

[mommajenn33]

AT FIRST IT DID THROW CODES PO882 AND PO562 PO305 PO128

 

[RamDiver]

hey yall i have a 2011 ram laramie 1500 crew cab 5.7 hemi . it wont hold a charge. alternator has been changed and now my fuel gauge is not working and neither is backup cam the scanner said system low voltage help please and thank you

It sounds like a bad battery or battery charging fault and possibly a parasitic current issue.

Do you own or have access to a digital multimeter (DMM)?

We need to first examine the battery's state of charge (SOC) and then see that the alternator is providing sufficient voltage to recharge the battery.

Just because something is new, does not remove the requirement to prove or verify the condition, you only get burnt on that adventure once before you smarten up, hopefully.

New batteries are known to occasionally have a bad cell which will be horrendous in our rolling microcomputer vehicles.

Most auto parts stores will load test the battery for no charge if you can get that far. Otherwise, if you can't spare the $22 to buy a toaster-style battery load tester, I wonder if you might borrow one or have someone drive you and your battery to a location that will test it for you.

.

 

[RamDiver]

AT FIRST IT DID THROW CODES PO882 AND PO562 PO305 PO128

Several of those codes are related to low system voltage.

I would say, sort out the power before chasing codes. Without power, almost every electronic module is going to be upset and send a notification.

With most electronic devices, our trucks included, we have to start with clean 12-volt power or we're toast.

.

 

[Bigskyroadglide]

AT FIRST IT DID THROW CODES PO882 AND PO562 PO305 PO128

The P0882 code indicates that there's a problem with the voltage between the transmission control module (TCM) and the engine control unit (ECU).

One of the most common causes of the P0562 code is a faulty or broken alternator or voltage regulator. If the alternator isn't functioning correctly, this will cause an excessive drain of the battery and voltage levels. Another possible cause of the code is loose or corroded alternator wiring.

The P0305 code stands for “Cylinder 5 Misfire Detected,” which means the powertrain control module (PCM) has counted enough misfire events on cylinder 5 to store the misfire code. Possible causes for the P0305 code include issues with the ignition system, fuel system, or engine mechanical problems.

Error code P0128 indicates that your engine coolant temperature is below the thermostat regulating temperature. This means that your Engine Control Module (ECM) or Powertrain Control Module (PCM) has recognized that your engine is running cooler than it's supported

 

[Bigskyroadglide]

I would retest both the alternator and battery as was previously recommended and the wire between the alternator and battery and the wire between the battery and tipm