U Connect 8.4 on the fritz

[Ole bluew]

I have a 2018 Ram 2500 Big Horn with Uconnect 8.4 Radio. Over the last few months I have been having the following issues.

• Radio will freeze up and no controls will work till truck is shut off for 5 mins
• Screen will go Blue then restart
• Radio Stations on XM/ Sirius will change by them selves

I have taken my truck to the dealership where I had to pay 150 towards investigation. They claimed it was an update that was causing the issue. However after 3 days it went back to doing the same thing. I am curious where to go from here. Any assistance would help.

 

[SitKneelBend]

I believe your radio is overheating. Replacing the screen will stop the stations changing but the underlying issue of heat will still remain. You need a replacement radio at the least...

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[Ole bluew]

Is it worth going through the Factory or going with an aftermarket Radio?

I want to keep the following items from my current radio:

• GPS
• Sirius/XM
• WIFI Hotspot
• Navigation
• Integration with Truck systems

 

[SitKneelBend]

Is it worth going through the Factory or going with an aftermarket Radio?

I want to keep the following items from my current radio:

• GPS
• Sirius/XM
• WIFI Hotspot
• Navigation
• Integration with Truck systems

You should be able to have it replaced free under warranty. I'd go that route first.

If they won't replace it under warranty, I'd be interested in buying it from you for spare parts and/or to get it working for myself if you decide to go the aftermarket route.

Edit: to answer the second part of your question, the only thing you'd likely loose is the WiFi hotspot unless there are aftermarket radios that allow for cellular connectivity.

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[Beemer533]

Is it worth going through the Factory or going with an aftermarket Radio?

I want to keep the following items from my current radio:

• GPS
• Sirius/XM
• WIFI Hotspot
• Navigation
• Integration with Truck systems

I think in general, with an aftermarket radio you'll lose wifi Hotspot and some of the EViC integrations (asuuming you have the upgrade EViC) like compass direction, turn by turn and music. There may be more, I'm sure someone who's done it can confirm.
I would guess some also depends on the radio you go with.

In general I think you should be able to maintain the steering wheel controls and vehicle setting stuff, depending on what hardware and adapters you go with.

Nav is dependent on the radio you buy. If you buy a radio with Nav then you will have Nav. Same with Sirius.

Not sure what you mean by GPS, independent of Nav, but whatever radio you buy will have its own GPS antenna, asuuming it needs one.

I don't know of any aftermarket radio that will use the factory GPS antenna, but I could definitely be wrong there.

I'm considering upgrading as well as I am not a fan of uconnect in general and I'd like android auto.. So I'll be working on figuring out this stuff as well.

I'm looking at one of these, but not sure on the actual head unit yet...
https://catalog.pac-audio.com/catalog/radio-replacement-kits/rpk4-ch4101

 

[Beemer533]

The website I linked to above lists the features you'll lose. Probably not the same for every setup, but I'm guessing it's a good place to start.

 

[Ole bluew]

Damn so my truck is outside of the radio warranty so I will have to buy a new radio or keep having them troubleshoot which is likely to lead to same cost. I will look into Wifi hot spot radios. Will keep things posted till I find a solution.

 

[SitKneelBend]

Damn so my truck is outside of the radio warranty so I will have to buy a new radio or keep having them troubleshoot which is likely to lead to same cost. I will look into Wifi hot spot radios. Will keep things posted till I find a solution.

They have often extended the warranty as of late for screen issues. Maybe @RamCares can help you. Many have already had their radios replaced free of charge due to bad screens.

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[Kelly Spongberg]

If you replace with an Idatalink maestro compatible radio, and add the RR module, most of your features will be retained, except hotspot. I find that service is normally cheaper buying directly from a cellular carrier, but I'm in Canada, so YMMV. Most car audio shops should keep these in stock.
The parts are;
CH3 harness
RR module
NAV1 or NAV2 antenna adapter
SAT1 XM antenna adapter
SP1 if you have park sense or blind spot monitoring
Scosche Kit CR1297DDB to fit the dash

 

[RamCares]

Damn so my truck is outside of the radio warranty so I will have to buy a new radio or keep having them troubleshoot which is likely to lead to same cost. I will look into Wifi hot spot radios. Will keep things posted till I find a solution.

We're sorry to hear that you are experiencing this concern. If you would like any additional assistance, our team is always available via private message!

Alison
Ram Cares

 

[Ole bluew]

I was going to call around and get pricing on the radio replacements etc. Will follow up soon.

 

[SitKneelBend]

I was going to call around and get pricing on the radio replacements etc. Will follow up soon.

Alison is a representative of FCA (Ram brands parent company). She is who I was speaking of as someone who can help you get it replaced even though the radio may be slightly out of warranty.

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