8.4 Screen Freezes and won't turn off

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Clark Kent

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May 18, 2020
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Location
Philly
Ram Year
2018
Engine
Hemi 6.4
Since this 8.4 screen spans multiple "generations", figured this was a good spot to ask. My truck is a 2018 and from what I've read, FCA might have used a new screen/infotainment manufacturer for the 2018+ trucks (last year of the 4th gen and into the 5th gen).

Twice in the last two weeks my 8.4 screen has frozen and refused to turn off. It continues to play the station/radio but displays whatever it had when the screen froze. Shutting of the truck the screen shuts off and restarts with a brief display of the RAM logo, but immediately goes back to the frozen image. I can turn the truck off and walk away, then come back an hour later and the screen is still on...

Each time it's happened, my dealership was closed for the day (adjusted Covid hours). I've tried the soft reset, but that does nothing. So nervous of draining the battery overnight, I pulled the battery both times. That frees up the infotainment and I was good for about a week inbetween events. However, I'm not driving often (covid and working from home). I haven't reached out to the dealer because I feel it's useless to bring it in until the screen is locked up for them to troubleshoot. I'm waiting for it to happen again and hopefully when the dealer is open so I can immediately bring it in.

Anyone else have this happen?
 
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co-pilot

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May 21, 2018
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Location
houston,tx
Ram Year
2018
Engine
5.7
Since this 8.4 screen spans multiple "generations", figured this was a good spot to ask. My truck is a 2018 and from what I've read, FCA might have used a new screen/infotainment manufacturer for the 2018+ trucks (last year of the 4th gen and into the 5th gen).

Twice in the last two weeks my 8.4 screen has frozen and refused to turn off. It continues to play the station/radio but displays whatever it had when the screen froze. Shutting of the truck the screen shuts off and restarts with a brief display of the RAM logo, but immediately goes back to the frozen image. I can turn the truck off and walk away, then come back an hour later and the screen is still on...

Each time it's happened, my dealership was closed for the day (adjusted Covid hours). I've tried the soft reset, but that does nothing. So nervous of draining the battery overnight, I pulled the battery both times. That frees up the infotainment and I was good for about a week inbetween events. However, I'm not driving often (covid and working from home). I haven't reached out to the dealer because I feel it's useless to bring it in until the screen is locked up for them to troubleshoot. I'm waiting for it to happen again and hopefully when the dealer is open so I can immediately bring it in.

Anyone else have this happen?


The 8.4 is bad and a known problem......happens to rams,jeeps,chargers & other mopars w/the 8.4

my truck is an 18 also and already had the unit replaced.....
 

stldodge

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Apr 24, 2019
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St. Louis, Mo
Ram Year
2018
Engine
6.7D
Mine has been doing the same thing. 2018 3500 8.4 w/nav. Most of the time it happens is during a phone call. It stays on all night. Next morning, go to start it is on then goes off and works fine till next time. Disconnect batteries but doesn't help. Short out negative cable to positive (after batteries disconnected) and they still have some voltage from some ware. Have taken to dealer, won't do anything, only if they can see it. My software verison is 18.20.2e and the website says that there is no updates.
 

sac2dude

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Location
Orangevale, CA
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2017 1500
Engine
5.7 Hemi
Mine has been doing the same thing. 2018 3500 8.4 w/nav. Most of the time it happens is during a phone call. It stays on all night. Next morning, go to start it is on then goes off and works fine till next time. Disconnect batteries but doesn't help. Short out negative cable to positive (after batteries disconnected) and they still have some voltage from some ware. Have taken to dealer, won't do anything, only if they can see it. My software verison is 18.20.2e and the website says that there is no updates.

My UAQ 8.4 was also version 18.20.2e, and also had strange issues. The audio quality was poor, the Nav would sometimes hang while starting (the loading "dots" would keep marching, forever), etc. But I downloaded and installed update firmware update 22.6, and so far that his fixed the problems I was experiencing. You'll need a FAT32 formatted USB thumb drive, preferably over 16GB in size.
 

sac2dude

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Location
Orangevale, CA
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2017 1500
Engine
5.7 Hemi
My UAQ 8.4 was also version 18.20.2e, and also had strange issues. The audio quality was poor, the Nav would sometimes hang while starting (the loading "dots" would keep marching, forever), etc. But I downloaded and installed update firmware update 22.6, and so far that his fixed the problems I was experiencing. You'll need a FAT32 formatted USB thumb drive, preferably over 16GB in size.

Update: The only issue that apparently was fixed was the poor audio sound. After a while the Nav will still exhibit the "marching dots" problem, and the phone pairing settings will magically disappear. :(

It's a bummer. I'm slowing coming to the realization that I'll have to learn to live with it. However since I picked up the unit for it's Carplay capability, which means I always plug my phone in and it includes nav, it's functionally not an issue.
 

co-pilot

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Location
houston,tx
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2018
Engine
5.7
Man...... sorry to hear that......mine was doing a lot of the same ....... but the screen started melting in the top corners so the dealer replaced the whole unit about 8mo. ago & it has worked flawless since???
 
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