2020 Ram 1500 wont start key fob wont work E-torque

[Drooke]

Hey guys, So I have been through the ringer over the last few days with my truck. Little background information, its a 2020 1500 with 68k miles. Truck has been driving perfectly fine with 0 issues. Well this passed Thursday I went out to get into my truck. Noticed the key fob wouldn't lock or unlock my truck / auto start wouldn't work. Got into the truck and my dash said push break push to start. Absolutely nothing happened. Thought that's weird maybe the battery is dead (replaced the battery in Feb. of this year so it brand-new) So used my other car to try and jumped the truck. Hooked up the jumper cables and absolutely nothing happened. Was just showing press break push to start but nothing. Used the key up against the push to start button as well but nothing.

After about 30min on the jump still nothing would work. I took the jumper cables off and pulled the negative on the battery. I also opened and closed all my doors thinking maybe one of my doors was cracked and it drained the battery. After 5min i put the battery negative back on got in the truck and still nothing. I was sitting in my truck on google looking for answers the keys were in the cup holder. All of a sudden the truck activated and the dash lit up I stepped on the break and pushed start the truck fired up. Ran just fine, then the TPMS sensor light came on along with the check engine light. I went to AutoZone and they said the check engine was for low voltage. I let my truck run for an hour thinking it just needed to charge. Anyways after the truck ran for an hour i turned it off and turned it back on no issues. Drove the truck for the rest of Thursday 0 issues running errands. The TPMS light went off and eventually the check engine light went off.

Drove it all day Friday 0 issues truck ran great. Well Friday night was heading out to a Christmas party. Auto started the truck got in it pushed the start button and immediately the truck threw on every light on the dash I mean every light said to service every system. Truck was sitting for a few hours so it was cold the fans were blowing louder then I have ever heard along with the dash just going crazy. I turned the truck off then it wouldn't turn back on was giving me the same issue as Thursday morning. My first thought was ok maybe the battery is bad. So I took the battery over to O'rilleys they warrantied the battery gave me a brand-new one. Went home put it in and still nothing. Replaced the key fob battery's nothing. Tried both my key fobs nothing. Now the truck wont do anything cant even get it into accessories mode nothing. It just says press break push to start but nothing. The push to start button just flickers. Haven't got the truck to start now since Friday night. Even when the key fob isn't in the truck the message on the dash still said push break push to start. I've tried everything. Wondering if anyone has had this issue? My only other option is to tow it to the dealer tomorrow.

Any advice would be great. I checked all the fuses and relays all were good. No damage from rats or squirrels looked through everything.

 

[RamCares]

Thanks for reaching out, Drooke. If concerns are still present, we'd recommend reaching out to a certified dealership near you. Please visit https://www.ramtrucks.com/find-dealer. If you require assistance in finding a dealership. Reach back via private message once an appointment is made, and we will further assist.

Chris,
Ram Cares

 

[Loudram]

Sounds like you got all the obvious stuff taken care of. I have heard of the rear sliding window leaking into a couple of control modules behind the rear seat and causing weird problems.

Maybe someone can give more details on that. I forgot where I read it and any specifics.

 

[Mister Luck]

If you have a Uconnect subscription with an ASSIST button on the inside rearview mirror they can usually help with remote vehicle start and door lock activation.

 

[Marshall]

I made a post last week on a problem on my 14 with push button start.
The fob would not communicate with the truck, I could not open the doors, had to use the little key in the fob, Then when you get in use the fob to push the start button, and it would start, but it would not if you just tried it with your finger as usual.

This happened 2 times since new, last time was a year ago or 2? seems to always work after the fact.
I changed battery in fob, made no difference. I have never done anything else.
It is a computer glitch, I guess.
Last time I was up town and had wife bring other fob up, made no difference, so it's not the fob that is the problem, I think there is a pickup for the signal, Other will know that have worked on this stuff.

You may have other problems , but this is what I run into. Just like you have no fob with you.
I also have auto unlock on the doors , that did not work. So always key the key in the fob. with you.

 

[fritotec]

last summer while at a campground my truck was parked next to my 5th wheel, I was listening to music on siriusxm app on my phone bluetoothing to my radio in the trailer. I needed to go to the store and tried to start my truck nothing would work. long story short the bluetooth from the phone interfered with the keyfob signal. only took me about an hour to figure it out.

 

[DutchRamRepair]

If you suspect, that water has reached the frhub.
Pull i out, open it.

Often, the connectors, get rusty.
And chalk, from the damped water, and minor rust, will still be present, between the legs, of the rfhub mcu.

Clean it. Dry it.
Use brake cleaner, and a paint brush.
Dont drown it, aply the cleaner only these, were needed, and you active bruch.

Dont spray it, with wd40.
And contact cleaner spray, only on the connectors, not on the pcb.

Do a hard reset, remove car battery.
And it might just be ok.


I have repaired a few rfhubs, and if needed, even tranfered the hole processor to a donor rfhub.
Flooded cars, dispite the damage of rhhub components, the data was always ok.

(Dont swap rfhub, to test, you could mess up the vin in the bcm)

The wiring, will guide any water, leaking in, toward, and inside the rfhub.

 

[Marshall]

The RF hub for the fob, etc is the one behind the rear seat?
I have never had a water problem yet, truck stays in the garage most of the time, thou I do power wash it quite a bit.

Back in distant past I was a Radio, TV tec, but stuff has change a lot in last 50 yrs.
The basic stuff is still the same.

 

[DutchRamRepair]

Yes, that is the one.
Some have had problems,

Not a 5 minut job, to get to it.
And the vents, on either sides of this rfhub, should closes against water, coming from outside.
Dont think, they let any water in easily.

The sliding rear window, seems to let in some water, sometime.

The washing, maybe,

 

[Marshall]

I have never seen any signs of water,
Not sitting in hot sun may help and low mileage don’t hurt

 

[Drooke]

Well guys it was the module under the rear window. The window was leaking. Good news my dealer is covering everything under a recall warranty. Bad news it’s going to take 2.5 weeks till it’s ready.

 

[turkeybird56]

Well guys it was the module under the rear window. The window was leaking. Good news my dealer is covering everything under a recall warranty. Bad news it’s going to take 2.5 weeks till it’s ready.

Be real Happy they are honoring the Warranty. I have warranty letters extending on MY 19 for both the Rear Window and CHMSL.

 

[RamDiver]

Well guys it was the module under the rear window. The window was leaking. Good news my dealer is covering everything under a recall warranty. Bad news it’s going to take 2.5 weeks till it’s ready.

Thanks for the update, this info could assist others in the future.


And, to Ram Forum.

.

 

[Dodge 1500 4X4]

Welcome to the Ram Forum. Thanks for reporting your failure and fix!!!

 

[Willie Mosher]

ok this is littie out they, maybe it batter in the fob,

 

[DutchRamRepair]

I recieved a rfhub a few days ago, ordered it on ebay from the US.
Opened it up today, and it was damaged. The oxidated tear, tells me it happend while it was installed.

 

[Marshall]

That looks like someone was at it with a soldering iron or something.
I presume its listed as used? Send it back, unless its free. It could be cleaned up , but some one has been messing with it, a plumber maybe.

 

[DutchRamRepair]

Yes it is a secondhand unit. The water came frome above, and flowed down allong the board. Clearly that this happend in the car. Salvaged vehicles, are often with broken windows.

A leaking rear window, does also cause the exact same damage.

I have been refunded. And yesterday, i did cleaned it with some alcohol.

Soon as a car passes the shop with a rfhub issue, i will test it.

Next time i order one, i will ask them to show me the inside, and rear of pcb.

 

[Marshall]

If you are going to try it, make sure to recheck those pins on the IC, looks to me like there could be bent pins or solder smeared across them. any corrosion, use a tooth brush will help, most of that board is has nothing on it , If you have to do any soldering , use electronic solder, resin core, not acid core, and a fine tip iron. If that is solder *** on those pins , you will have to clean it off before you try it, you can use copper wire with the iron to suck off the old solder, then just a small bit of new solder. If you have not done this stuff, take it to a TV, radio shop and see if they have a service teck to clean it up for you.
I am 1/2 a world away, or I could do it for you. IF it's just crud , use a pick and clean it up, no power hooked up till it's done. the green on the board will not usually sort it out, just make for poor connections.
You may already know all this , sorry for the long post, Good luck. If there was no power when wet, it may be fine.

 

[houserco]

I'm glad I read this post but also frustrated.... both at the same time. Lol.

I'm having identical issues with my '18 Lone Star. Only, I was headed down the path of it being more ground related from the battery neg to block. Though... I haven't found any signs of that exactly. Same exact symptoms as Drooke's (almost). I've been doing an audio install with a few amps, subs and cabling with a big Ultracapacitor.

My issues started a few nights ago during one of the few if not only snow evenings we will see in Dallas. I literally finished my last amp install and went to start to test and it went haywire. Flickering dash lights. Random trailer light turn on although mine always does this when battery power is removed and restored. When I'd jump it... it would start but flicker on the dash and engine would choke then die. Really weird. I told my buddy it was like I had been transported to the set of Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Anyways, I figured it had to be my battery despite it being only 6 months old and an AGM supported by a 1100 ccs Ultracap... it is still feasible. I too bought my battery at O'Reilly's so they replaced it with no questions. Went home. Popped it in. Cranked right up. Cool, battery it was. Hooked it all up and drove home from my mothers house. Next evening (today) I went to run to the store and bam... no start. Same weird flashing but not as goofy. This time my fob won't lock/unlock. No jump start. My charger says the battery is good. Other key fob does nothing as well

Everything I've been reading says it's a ground or hardness wire along the footwell. But, I can't get over the fact I put a new battery in it and she cranked right up. Until I read this post. Now I just don't know so I guess it's one step at a time. It's still 12-15 degrees here in DFW so testing is very brief to say the least.