ARE YOU SERIOUS RAM? Failed Factory Powersteps Running Boards

[BWL]

That’s not really that “options” fault, tho. If you’re still running stock-brightness bulbs and having that problem then something is wrong with your system or your sensor.

At least with mine, it’s operation didn’t get really bad until I upgraded to my LED highbeams. Back when I was still running those Sylvania ZxE’s- their brightness is like, between the regular Sylvainia Silverstars and the Silverstar Ultras, shortly after buying my truck brand new, the auto operation of the highbeams was still normal.


As I said- this, I can get behind because yes, I think they went a little crazy designing the function of these damn things. Maybe they started designing them better in the new fifth-gens.

But I’m curious- if you only need to go into the menu system ONE TIME to fully disable it then why is having to go that deep in the menu system a problem enough to complain about? I’m just curious. But then again, for the other people reading who may not know- you really don’t even need to go all the way that deep in the Uconnect settings to fully disable it if you don’t want the auto-wipers to work because when that setting is enabled, the wipers are only in auto mode when the wiper switch is turned towards the front of the truck, one click from OFF.

We get a lot of mist here in Oklahoma, winter or summer so that right there alone, is why I don’t really care for my auto wipers but even if I didn’t have that function fully disabled, and if there might be times I’d still use it, I can still only work my wipers when I want to, rather than only being limited to when the truck thinks it needs to by leaving the switch fully off and turning the switch on to the first click and then back off when all I need is a single quick wipe.


This one here, I really have nothing to say against them because yes, when these things get ice on them, they don’t work. But you know, maybe that’s why they ever so conveniently used up the right-two spots on that bottom switch panel so that you can turn the front, rear or both systems off so that they for one, don’t bug the **** out of you if they have ice accumulation on them or if you have a trailer hooked up, you can turn the back ones off.


What options?



You say vs the the old Alpine so, how is a satellite radio subscription involved or associated with how the 8.4 Uconnect works, to it’s predecessor?

But on to the heater; if your Auto function doesn’t seem to be doing it’s job, there’s a defrost button right there to the right of the main dial.

As far as accessing the screen that controls your HVAC, it’s one button to get to. Lol.



Bein’ that since almost all models from the most expensive end of the lineup to the cheaper end have electric door locks and a rear backup camera, you would think that they would’ve accounted for people who use their truck for work and put in an option to keep the tailgate lock separate from the cab. I hear ya, on this one.

But hey, as long as you don’t mind using your emergency key to lock and unlock your tailgate, getting rid of that headache is only a matter of like 8 bolts or so away to remove the access panel and then unplugging the harness to your electric actuator. Problem solved.


Reasonable. Maybe that’s why they finally got smart the very next year and put that neat little weatherized switch in right below one of the lights so you don’t have to go to the cab to take advantage of those lights. But hey, if you’re pretty knowledgeable at least to be able to still use your fold-out floor with your under-seat sub box you put in, I wouldn’t think adding your own switch to that light to make it like the 18’s, would be all that difficult...[emoji41]



I don’t use mine either...lol. But still no reason to opt against the finer other options of a Limited just for that.


Since I can get a much better music-listening experience by using my phone as my iPod, I quit using my old
iPod years ago but, I’m curious as to why your USB ports under your console lid aren’t charging your iPod.... do they charge your phone? And also, which iPod are you using? I’m gonna go out on a limb and assume it’s an older one that doesn’t have Bluetooth? But still, older iPod or not, even if it was the older iPod Classic like mine, it still should charge when plugged into the USB port.


Completely understandable but what gets me is when people complain when all that **** quits working from the harder use and abuse from using that kind of truck as a work truck. But yeah, I get ya... no sense in not having a work truck and a luxury truck not in the same vehicle.


Yeah, they could’ve let that threshold be a little higher than 15 miles an hour. I get it.

But all in all, sounds like you need a specific truck that’s outside what most people would need. Maybe ordering one specifically is probably your best option. Or, look into that kit that that guy on here sells that basically takes the “auto” out of your other two modes of 4WD. Then at least that way maybe you won’t have to run chains, just some decent tires and probably won’t even have to hit certain roads so hard and fast because your system will be “tricked” into thinking your back end is slipping nonstop thus resulting in your transfer case clutch being always locked in.

But I’m curious; if you’re talking this thing up places where you need that OR2 mode, why not lift the one you got through it’s suspension?


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I agree the lights are a problem with the system, but try to get that to fault while at a dealer only open in the daytime. I like the auto wipers during light rain or mist as I fiddle with it less, but overall I prefer to leave it off so the option is pointless for me. I like to use replay on the sat radio especially when travelling through the mountains when I lose signal I can still listen to what I've already heard again when I lose signal from loss of line of sight to the satellite . Old one had a list so I could go back to want I wanted to hear easy and skip forward/back was on the steering wheel. Now no list and skip is only on the screen so it frustrated me and I cancelled. So again a pointless option for me. Why the ipod doesn't charge on the 1 USB tied to the stereo, but does on the USB charge point beside it is beyond me, but I was told it was because it's out of date and the system doesn't recognize it. However, once I turn it on after charging I can play the music off it so wtf. I never plug my phone in there because I use the phone holder and I bought an adapter for USB charging. That meant I couldn't plug in my UHF radio so I installed a new cig lighter plug for that in the lower centre console.I don't want to lift my truck because it eats fuel and I do a lot of highway driving. Also smallest lift for these is 4". I lifted my last one 1.5" front and 1" back and I stopped scraping. so with the off road mode I figured I'd be good and get better fuel economy the rest of the time. I was wrong. Yes I could get the switch and that may help, but why doesn't 4 lock lock and 4 auto do the kick in and out thing. Nonetheless I was aware ahead of time and made peace with it. Can't add the switch as far as I know for bed lights due to canbus function, but I could install aftermarket ones. Once again looked like a great option, but the execution left something to be desired and has been corrected so on a new one I'd like it. I've tried streaming off my phone, but there is a lot of lag time through Bluetooth vs a wired connection at least with my Galaxy s8. The auto temp works fine as does all the heat function, but when on defrost the footwells are cold so I switch between defrost only and combo defrost/floor when it's really cold. Defrost is 1 button I can press without looking down, but the other requires going into climate on the touch screen to select it and then back to what I want it on so I just wear another pair of socks and don't bother. Old truck was defrost knob all the way right and combo was 2 clicks left no looking required. Touch screens annoy me at the best of times and on bumpy roads my dislike is elevated substantially as I find myself veering while I try to steady my hand enough to hit the spot on the screen I want. Not just off road, but potholes and bumps on highways from frost heave, but touchscreen are the way now and I'm in the minority there so I just have to come around or buy an older truck or tradesman at this point. I fight it though. Heck I just replaced my Galaxy with a blackberry because I prefer a keyboard. Thought after 3 years I'd go back and not like it anymore, but I was wrong. I love it and I think if I go to a base model truck and add leather seats and a steering wheel heater I'd be happier.

 

[chrisbh17]

Fwiw auto high beams work perfectly on my truck even with my alpha rex headlights using katana and hikari LEDs.

Heck they even go on and off at the exact same locations the auto high beams in our lexus does, and that car has stock lighting.



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[BWL]

Fwiw auto high beams work perfectly on my truck even with my alpha rex headlights using katana and hikari LEDs.

Heck they even go on and off at the exact same locations the auto high beams in our lexus does, and that car has stock lighting.



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That's good to know. I'm starting to wonder if there's a problem with the ecu and it's tied to all the little issues like my power locks not working properly and the intermittent reluctance to change gears.

 

[chrisbh17]

That's good to know. I'm starting to wonder if there's a problem with the ecu and it's tied to all the little issues like my power locks not working properly and the intermittent reluctance to change gears.

Have you checked the headlights aiming?

There is actually a calibration procedure for the auto high beam camera but it involves special tools like an aiming board, etc. Not sure if there is a diy to make one or not.

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[corneileous]

Have you checked the headlights aiming?

There is actually a calibration procedure for the auto high beam camera but it involves special tools like an aiming board, etc. Not sure if there is a diy to make one or not.

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Is sure like to know about that but thing is, I’ve never changed my light’s factory aiming.

But I don’t know, it’s probably a stretch but I guess I could try it some night with the aero mode on my suspension turned on to see if that makes a difference with the front of the truck being a little lower.


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[chrisbh17]

I actually added the auto high beam setup to my truck, so maybe I just got lucky on a properly calibrated camera?

This is the procedure for a Grand Cherokee.....I dont have the exact RAM procedure but Im guessing its very similar:

http://www.wkjeeps.com/wk_smartbeam.htm

 

[corneileous]

I agree the lights are a problem with the system, but try to get that to fault while at a dealer only open in the daytime.

I hear ya and just despite the good news Chris gave us, I don’t need my auto highbeams that much. My lowbeams are fine as they are with those Vanquish Auto HID’s in the projectors and since I got pretty much the same LED’s in my fog lights as I do my highbeams, I can see pretty good at night with just my lowbeams and the good thing, only ever so rarely do I get highbeamed from some joker who’s just too overly sensitive to lights at night so I don’t worry about it.

I like the auto wipers during light rain or mist as I fiddle with it less, but overall I prefer to leave it off so the option is pointless for me.

Egh, it’s a feature I just simply don’t need. Even if I didn’t keep my truck as clean as waxed as I do, I still think they went overboard with the frequency to when they come on.

I like to use replay on the sat radio especially when travelling through the mountains when I lose signal I can still listen to what I've already heard again when I lose signal from loss of line of sight to the satellite . Old one had a list so I could go back to want I wanted to hear easy and skip forward/back was on the steering wheel. Now no list and skip is only on the screen so it frustrated me and I cancelled. So again a pointless option for me.

Isn’t that replay a subscription thing? I thought it was. But apparently, it only works on certain channels.

But anyway again, that replay feature isn’t something I even use anyway so it’s pointless to me.... but I still like my satellite radio.

If anything, the only thing I might do someday is set my service up to where I can broadcast it from my phone and remove my Uconnect’s radio ID so that I can set up a subscription with Sirius, rather than XM. That was one of the coolest things about putting in an aftermarket radio in my old truck was the ability to be able to choose between Sirius and XM; with the factory stuff, it would only work with XM.

Why the ipod doesn't charge on the 1 USB tied to the stereo, but does on the USB charge point beside it is beyond me, but I was told it was because it's out of date and the system doesn't recognize it. However, once I turn it on after charging I can play the music off it so wtf. I never plug my phone in there because I use the phone holder and I bought an adapter for USB charging. That meant I couldn't plug in my UHF radio so I installed a new cig lighter plug for that in the lower centre console.

I wonder if your lack of car play/android auto is why only one of your USB ports does that because in mine, both ports under the console lid will charge and stream music. However, I haven’t tied this with my ancient iPod because I don’t use it. My iPhone takes the place of my iPod.

I don't want to lift my truck because it eats fuel and I do a lot of highway driving. Also smallest lift for these is 4". I lifted my last one 1.5" front and 1" back and I stopped scraping. so with the off road mode I figured I'd be good and get better fuel economy the rest of the time. I was wrong.

One thing you could do is whenever you need your suspension to stay up is just pull the fuse once you inflate it to OF2 mode. You’ll get that “service air suspension soon” warning but according to what a guy said on the Facebook forums who deleted his air ride, he said he only gets that message every time he starts his truck and then it goes away.

Yes I could get the switch and that may help, but why doesn't 4 lock lock and 4 auto do the kick in and out thing. Nonetheless I was aware ahead of time and made peace with it.

I don’t know why the transfer case is still essentially in auto in Lock and Low but it’s supposed to kick in and out on auto. That’s the whole point, to only give you four wheel drive when you need it.

I've tried streaming off my phone, but there is a lot of lag time through Bluetooth vs a wired connection at least with my Galaxy s8.

I dunno, I haven’t used an android phone in years but I’ve never had a problem with lag from my iPhones. It actually plays well enough that I really don’t even need to use Car Play. Matter of fact, the only time I even use CarPlay is on long trips when I’m using my maps from my phone projected to the big screen.


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