Battery Saver Mode

[sparky480]

Hello, Getting very frustrated. I have a 2016 ram 1500 sport with the 5.7 hemi. This spring I started getting an intermittent battery saver mode active. I would restart the truck and everything was good for the better part of a week then it would happen again. The truck has a new battery at this point. One day I go to restart it and it won't come back on. The starter died. So I put a new starter in it and still get intermittent battery saver mode. I change IBS sensor. Same thing but maybe changes frequency a little. I take alternator off and have it checked. Oreilly says its working but it's only putting out 9 volts. ( I don't really believe that is truck because truck running the battery read 13.9 volts) . Now it reads over 14 when running. I took new battery out and had it tested. They told me that this battery is 100% good. Now the battery saver mode went away for most of the summer. Its back and its back with vengeance. If i shut truck off and restart battery saver mode comes back on within seconds. Gauge shows it's charging, my obd2 scanner shows its charging. I will note that it sat outside and has rained like crazy the last two nights. I've crawled under and over this truck checking all the plugs looking for one filled with water and have found nothing. I also don't completely believe this has anything to do with it because when i go to the car wash nothing happens. I also have the 8.4 radio. IDK if it has some control of this stuff? Has anyone had this battery saver mode and found a smoking gun that may be my issue too? I read a lot of forums about it but most end up being the battery or alternator.....that's not my issue at this point. Thanks

 

[BossHogg]

If you are measuring over 14 volts on the battery terminals while the engine is running, the alternator is working. If you are measuring 12.6 volts +- a couple of tens on the battery terminals (not battery posts), then the battery and the battery connections are good. If the engine cranks and starts, then there isn't a grounding or battery terminal issue.

Given the information, my next step would be to put a monitor on the battery (a DVM with min/max recording) and set it to record voltage minimums overnight. You may have an intermittent voltage drop. These can be caused by a cell in the battery failing periodically (this happened to me).

If I remember correctly, the battery saver mode kicks in when the engine is running and the system detects a battery low voltage. The purpose of the battery save mode is to shun non-critical electrical loads while the alternator works to bring the battery charge back up. Checking the battery voltage when you are done driving and then again before driving after the truck has been sitting for a while may reveal a low battery voltage indicating a substantial parasitic drain on the battery. If that is the case, you can find detailed instructional videos on YouTube that show you how to find parasitic draws.

 

[sparky480]

I've done all this. I've even read the voltage driving down the road on my scanner. It stays around 14 volts engine running. I really feel like there is a harness plug that gets wet and just creates a quick short and it instantly kicks the battery saver mode on. It wont go off until the truck is restarted. Regardless its not draining the battery enough to truly be an issue and its very intermittent. Can the dealership shut it off? I'm not a yuppy I can clearly tell when my charging system isn't working correctly. In my opinion is an unnecessary annoying option I wish this truck didn't have.

 

[RamDiver]

I'm going to guess the battery load test was performed using a digital battery load tester. They're just not reliable enough period.

Get an analogue toaster-style battery load tester from HarbourFreight for $20 and prove the battery before wasting any more time and money with a parts canon.

100 Amp, 6/12V Battery Load Tester

Amazing deals on this 100 Amp 6/12V Battery Load Tester at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

If you have a flakey cell, it could cause havoc with your truck and most likely not show up on a digital battery load tester.

Until this test is performed, the battery is still the prime suspect, persuing anything else at this juncture is wasting time and money. We see a constant flow of users playing this game, over and over again.


Also, make sure that the battery posts & clamps are clean and tight. While you're at HarbourFreight, snag a $3 battery post/clamp cleaner too.

https://www.harborfreight.com/battery-terminal-cleaner-94450.html?_br_psugg_q=battery+post+cleaner

And, to Ram Forum.

.

 

[turkeybird56]

I'm going to guess the battery load test was performed using a digital battery load tester. They're just not reliable enough period.

Get an analogue toaster-style battery load tester from HarbourFreight for $20 and prove the battery before wasting any more time and money with a parts canon.

100 Amp, 6/12V Battery Load Tester

Amazing deals on this 100 Amp 6/12V Battery Load Tester at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

View attachment 546810


If you have a flakey cell, it could cause havoc with your truck and most likely not show up on a digital battery load tester.

Until this test is performed, the battery is still the prime suspect, persuing anything else at this juncture is wasting time and money. We see a constant flow of users playing this game, over and over again.


Also, make sure that the battery posts & clamps are clean and tight. While you're at HarbourFreight, snag a battery post/clamp cleaner too.

https://www.harborfreight.com/battery-terminal-cleaner-94450.html?_br_psugg_q=battery+post+cleaner

View attachment 546813


And, View attachment 546811 to Ram Forum.

.

I got a digital tester and a multi-meter, and also bought the old Toaster Style analog, and outta the 3, the Toaster is the best. Just beware, when U hit test battery under load, the load comes from a "heating" coil inside the toaster unit, and do not go beyond recommended test of 10 seconds, as the coil get "pretty" warm.

RamDriver is correct. Confirm on battery before firing the proverbial parts cannon, as a bad battery cause those issues, and needs to be tested properly. Alternator putting out 14 Volts OK, usually be more around 14.2/3 after sitting a while and even a bit more till system gets "SOC" back to norms.

 

[sparky480]

I'll grab mine from work today. I'm an instrumentation electrician by trade so I agree with you both. I've got an analog battery tester here on my bench. I love technology until it doesn't work! I'll let ya know tonight or in the morning what I found. Also, yes it was 14+ running. I believe (been a few weeks since I've tested.) 13.7 or something not running but withing minutes of shutting off. Before I put the new alternator on it, I was only getting up to 13.8 running and 12. + not running. Dealership installed new battery before I got the truck (NAPA Gold). I specifically asked them to. I was trading in an old worn-out common rail Cummins and I had just put new batteries in it 6 months prior. I didn't want another battery bill. My only debate on it not being battery with out hard proof is it went away for months and just came back with the rain.

 

[Daw14]

You may need to start pulling connections apart to make sure that no water is intruding. There is a harness on the driver side front , right behind the wheel downlow on the firewall. You willl need to remove the wheel well liner to access that one.

 

[sparky480]

The harness plug behind the drivers side front wheel well almost under the battery box was the culprit. Pulled it apart and it had green nasty pins and one was broken off. I cleaned it all and got the old pin out. Being an Instrumentation guy I had pins for Amphenol plugs that I made work. Drove to work with everything working. Thanks for the help.

 

[El Guapo Phil]

Good advice from a guy, Daw14, who knows how to hunt and search for the solution to the problem.

 

[Sherman Bird]

I got a digital tester and a multi-meter, and also bought the old Toaster Style analog, and outta the 3, the Toaster is the best. Just beware, when U hit test battery under load, the load comes from a "heating" coil inside the toaster unit, and do not go beyond recommended test of 10 seconds, as the coil get "pretty" warm.

RamDriver is correct. Confirm on battery before firing the proverbial parts cannon, as a bad battery cause those issues, and needs to be tested properly. Alternator putting out 14 Volts OK, usually be more around 14.2/3 after sitting a while and even a bit more till system gets "SOC" back to norms.

But my bread doesn't get hot enough to melt butter in only 10 seconds! LOL!

 

[turkeybird56]

But my bread doesn't get hot enough to melt butter in only 10 seconds! LOL!

Yeah but that toaster tester which U know get plenty warm.

 

[Sherman Bird]

Yeah but that toaster tester which U know get plenty warm.

I still have the "old fashioned" direct load tester for batteries. I use it rarely, in that most batteries I test still start the car and are suffering in the capacitance department. This is a different set of standards brought about due to modern needs for computers to need cleaner, more stable current than those old non-computerized cars.

 

[Tominator223]

Could be a bad cell. If the battery was rattling a lil from not being tightened down. It can damage the battery. If its lead , it has thin contacts under each cell. You said dealer installed. If it was tossed in & not easily set in place. I’ve seen how some people install batteries & I’d never let em near my stuff. I mean the bottom of the batteries are thin now , I’m sure the lead is thinner now. So if it’s a lead battery. It’ll probably take 6 months to notice anything. Also check the crimped ends on your cables . See if the cable moves in the crimp while it’s tightend down to battery. The load tester often tells you(Not digital) On the batteries .

 

[Grenadiers]

The harness plug behind the drivers side front wheel well almost under the battery box was the culprit. Pulled it apart and it had green nasty pins and one was broken off. I cleaned it all and got the old pin out. Being an Instrumentation guy I had pins for Amphenol plugs that I made work. Drove to work with everything working. Thanks for the help.

NICE job! I absolutely HATE it when a connector turns our to be the culprit!

I have a flaky one I am dealing with right now attached to my driver's side fog light... any bump in the road it either goes out, or flashes the bulb (LED in this case).

I don't have the tools/parts to replace a single pin, but swapping out a plug, I can do that easy enough...