2018 Ram 1500 randomly shuts off while driving / dead battery

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Briko03

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VT
Ram Year
2018
Engine
Hemi
I have a 2018 1500 that has been giving me some trouble that the dealer hasn't been able to isolate. The problem essentially results in one of two things:

1. The battery is dead and the vehicle wont start (or on multiple occasions its starts and then wont start again when I try to start it after grabbing a coffee which is a short trip)

2. The truck will just shut off on while driving. I have seen a few varying instances of this:
- the auto park disabled will flash
- the auto park disabled will flash and then low voltage battery icon will show up
- the cruise control will just randomly disable
- the lights in the dash will go out and come back on

Then last but most worrisome----

- the vehicle lights will start to flicker for a bit, lights will go out in the dash, then everything will shut off entirely including lights, power steering etc. In this case, I can "fix" this by hooking it up to a battery pack and jumping the car. This has happened at least 5 times now so I am essentially unable to safely drive the vehicle anymore.


On one occasion, the check engine lights came on and I was able to pull the following codes (this only occurred once and hasn't happened again)

P1DF3
P1B14

The dealer said these codes related to transmission.

Here is a summary of what has been done by the dealer:
1 - Battery test
2 - alternator test
3 - replace alternator

I am tempted to think this is electrical and considering buying a multi-meter to test the fuses (using this method: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DaVy-DPsNY) to see if there is a battery drain occurring but I am very much an novice in this regard and I am not sure if that would cause the shut off issue I described.

Any advice on this issue would be greatly appreciated.
 

gofishn

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2022 Ram 1500 5th Gen, Big Horn, 4X4, Crew Cab, 6'4" Box
Engine
hemi 5.7L, 345 cu in
has the stock Battery been replaced?
3 years is a good run for stock battery
 
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Briko03

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Yes the stock battery was replaced, this was about 1.5 years ago though.
 

LeeD

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Check your negative cable to ground. I had a Neon that would do a lot of that and it turned out to be a bad cable.
 

62Blazer

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Really sounds like a loose main power or ground wire and it is intermittently losing connection. For example, if a main power wire loses connection just for a second it may very well shut the engine down and cause all the lights and stuff to come on even if it regains power right away. I wouldn't expect a single fuse or circuit to cause that type of issue. The simple fact that the truck may be "dead" but it will restart with a jumper pack...attached to the battery cables...also leads me to believe the battery cables aren't tight! However would really hope the dealer could have figured that one out if it was the cause..... Overall sporadic electrical problems can be the hardest to diagnose because the engine can die and such, but by the time you get out to start checking things the problems has "disappeared" and everything is working again. I would go through all the powers and grounds and make sure all the connections are clean. I've seen grounds that even though they are tight, once you pull them off you find rust or green gunk built up underneath them. I would look around the TIPM and especially underneath it for any green gunk (typical electrical corrosion). And just check all the fuses to make sure they are seated and not loose.
 

RamCares

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I have a 2018 1500 that has been giving me some trouble that the dealer hasn't been able to isolate. The problem essentially results in one of two things:

1. The battery is dead and the vehicle wont start (or on multiple occasions its starts and then wont start again when I try to start it after grabbing a coffee which is a short trip)

2. The truck will just shut off on while driving. I have seen a few varying instances of this:
- the auto park disabled will flash
- the auto park disabled will flash and then low voltage battery icon will show up
- the cruise control will just randomly disable
- the lights in the dash will go out and come back on

Then last but most worrisome----

- the vehicle lights will start to flicker for a bit, lights will go out in the dash, then everything will shut off entirely including lights, power steering etc. In this case, I can "fix" this by hooking it up to a battery pack and jumping the car. This has happened at least 5 times now so I am essentially unable to safely drive the vehicle anymore.


On one occasion, the check engine lights came on and I was able to pull the following codes (this only occurred once and hasn't happened again)

P1DF3
P1B14

The dealer said these codes related to transmission.

Here is a summary of what has been done by the dealer:
1 - Battery test
2 - alternator test
3 - replace alternator

I am tempted to think this is electrical and considering buying a multi-meter to test the fuses (using this method: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DaVy-DPsNY) to see if there is a battery drain occurring but I am very much an novice in this regard and I am not sure if that would cause the shut off issue I described.

Any advice on this issue would be greatly appreciated.
Hey,

If you'd like some assistance while working with your dealership, please reach out to us. We'd be happy to provide an additional layer of help and are available via direct messaging.

Callie
Ram Cares
 

RamDiver

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2021
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Hemi 5.7
As others have suggested, this sounds like a typical battery or ground fault issue.

The battery being the highest suspect and easiest to troubleshoot, do yourself a big favour and start there. The battery is either brand new and just installed or used. Four hours, 4 days, or 4 months, still used. :cool:

Unless the battery terminals and clamps have been cleaned & serviced within the last few months, that's step 1.

And unless you did work yourself or watched the work completed, or can easily see they're shiny clean & greased, they require cleaning.

Buy a post/clamp cleaner like the one below, they're very inexpensive and you should be using it at least twice per year. Buy a tiny tube of dielectric grease. The smallest tube will last years unless your friends start using it everywhere.

Step 1
Remove both +/- battery clamps, clean posts, and clamps to remove all oxidation or corrosion.

Step 2
Apply a very thin coating of dielectric grease to all contact surfaces, clamps & posts.

Step 3
Reassemble clamps onto posts and tighten them snugly with a wrench.

Step 4
Measure the battery voltage without the truck running. It should be about 12.5 to 12.8 VDC +/-.

Step 5
Measure the voltage again while an assistant sits in the driver's seat and maintains the engine rpm between 1500 & 1800 rpm. The voltage should now be about 14.5 to 14.8 VDC +/-.

These steps will confirm if your battery is functional for short-term use anyway. And we've confirmed that the alternator is supplying a sufficient voltage for the electronics and to charge the battery.

battery post cleaner.jpg

And, welcome.gifto Ram Forum. :cool:
 
Last edited:
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Briko03

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2018
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Really sounds like a loose main power or ground wire and it is intermittently losing connection. For example, if a main power wire loses connection just for a second it may very well shut the engine down and cause all the lights and stuff to come on even if it regains power right away. I wouldn't expect a single fuse or circuit to cause that type of issue. The simple fact that the truck may be "dead" but it will restart with a jumper pack...attached to the battery cables...also leads me to believe the battery cables aren't tight! However would really hope the dealer could have figured that one out if it was the cause..... Overall sporadic electrical problems can be the hardest to diagnose because the engine can die and such, but by the time you get out to start checking things the problems has "disappeared" and everything is working again. I would go through all the powers and grounds and make sure all the connections are clean. I've seen grounds that even though they are tight, once you pull them off you find rust or green gunk built up underneath them. I would look around the TIPM and especially underneath it for any green gunk (typical electrical corrosion). And just check all the fuses to make sure they are seated and not loose.
I did check the battery cables and they seem to be secure. I did check inside the fuse box and everything looks Ok. Ill try to get a look underneath once the snow melts.
 

Reeledge

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Harrisburg
Ram Year
2022
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V6
I have a 2018 1500 that has been giving me some trouble that the dealer hasn't been able to isolate. The problem essentially results in one of two things:

1. The battery is dead and the vehicle wont start (or on multiple occasions its starts and then wont start again when I try to start it after grabbing a coffee which is a short trip)

2. The truck will just shut off on while driving. I have seen a few varying instances of this:
- the auto park disabled will flash
- the auto park disabled will flash and then low voltage battery icon will show up
- the cruise control will just randomly disable
- the lights in the dash will go out and come back on

Then last but most worrisome----

- the vehicle lights will start to flicker for a bit, lights will go out in the dash, then everything will shut off entirely including lights, power steering etc. In this case, I can "fix" this by hooking it up to a battery pack and jumping the car. This has happened at least 5 times now so I am essentially unable to safely drive the vehicle anymore.


On one occasion, the check engine lights came on and I was able to pull the following codes (this only occurred once and hasn't happened again)

P1DF3
P1B14

The dealer said these codes related to transmission.

Here is a summary of what has been done by the dealer:
1 - Battery test
2 - alternator test
3 - replace alternator

I am tempted to think this is electrical and considering buying a multi-meter to test the fuses (using this method: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DaVy-DPsNY) to see if there is a battery drain occurring but I am very much an novice in this regard and I am not sure if that would cause the shut off issue I described.

Any advice on this issue would be greatly appreciated.
I have a 2022 RAM 1500 Tradesman and have the exact same issues since purchasing. It has been towed to three different dealerships at least 6 times. The battery has been replaced twice. It is a company truck and has a GPS unit and between 1-3 am there is a low voltage alert and most mornings around 9 to 10 am, an alert saying the battery is restored. Currently sitting again at a dealership. Any ideas would be appreciated.
 

mdc1990zr1

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Joined
Feb 10, 2019
Posts
212
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389
Location
Conshohocken, PA
Ram Year
2016
Engine
Hemi 5.7
As others have suggested, this sounds like a typical battery or ground fault issue.

The battery being the highest suspect and easiest to troubleshoot, do yourself a big favour and start there. The battery is either brand new and just installed or used. Four hours, 4 days, or 4 months, still used. :cool:

Unless the battery terminals and clamps have been cleaned & serviced within the last few months, that's step 1.

And unless you did work yourself or watched the work completed, or can easily see they're shiny clean & greased, they require cleaning.

Buy a post/clamp cleaner like the one below, they're very inexpensive and you should be using it at least twice per year. Buy a tiny tube of dielectric grease. The smallest tube will last years unless your friends start using it everywhere.

Step 1
Remove both +/- battery clamps, clean posts, and clamps to remove all oxidation or corrosion.

Step 2
Apply a very thin coating of dielectric grease to all contact surfaces, clamps & posts.

Step 3
Reassemble clamps onto posts and tighten them snugly with a wrench.

Step 4
Measure the battery voltage without the truck running. It should be about 12.5 to 12.8 VDC +/-.

Step 5
Measure the voltage again while an assistant sits in the driver's seat and maintains the engine rpm between 1500 & 1800 rpm. The voltage should now be about 14.5 to 14.8 VDC +/-.

These steps will confirm if your battery is functional for short-term use anyway. And we've confirmed that the alternator is supplying a sufficient voltage for the electronics and to charge the battery.

View attachment 516481

And, View attachment 516482to Ram Forum. :cool:
Dielectric grease is not a conductor, but an insulator. You should not put it on the connections and tighten, but rather put the clean connections together and then put the dielectric grease on top to prevent oxidation. There are greases that do conduct electricity, but dielectric grease is NOT one of them.
 
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