Four wheeling in snow and my dashboard lit up....

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nathan_h

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Driving our 2019 3500 4x4 in snow recently, we got a Christmas tree worth of lights on the dash:

Service Electronic Stability Control
Service Anti Lock Brake System
Service Trailer Brake System
4wd System Temporarily Unavailable

and sure enough can't switch from 2wd to 4wd high nor low now.

I'm surprised to see all these things happen at once, so I am curious: Is there a common pathway for all these sensors? Maybe some particular connection was knocked loose?

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RamDiver

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I've seen an open ABS fuse light up all that stuff before.

The next thing I'd check is battery condition and battery posts and clamps. When is the last time they were cleaned and lightly coated with dielectric grease?

Do you still have the original oem battery?
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nathan_h

nathan_h

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I've seen an open ABS fuse light up all that stuff before.

The next thing I'd check is battery condition and battery posts and clamps. When is the last time they were cleaned and lightly coated with dielectric grease?

Do you still have the original oem battery?
.

I am still running the oem batteries. 13.8v if I recall correctly.

I have not cleaned the battery connections, and haven’t yet checked them since this happened — so I will.

Thanks too for the tip to look at the ABS fuse! Seeing so many warnings all at once, especially for the trailer brake which would be totally unrelated to anything I was doing, made me think a cable might have come lose somewhere.

ESC and anti lock brakes, even the 4x4 mode switching, all that could be related to a rough trail. But I wasn’t hauling anything so the trailer brake notification is particularly weird.
 

RamDiver

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I used to pull an ABS fuse on my last truck every winter because the ABS was hypersensitive and wrecked the fun factor of winter driving. And it seriously impaired the minimum stopping distance.

I've owned many vehicles before ABS braking systems were standard, that's no biggy to manually modulate the brakes as required.

When I pulled that fuse there was a light show on the dash that I covered with black electrical tape. It lit everything you listed.

Also, our rolling computer-driven trucks get all squirrelly when the battery slips out of spec. And, it's the #1 common point of all the electronics in the truck and fails more often after 3-5 years than a bad ground.

I'll post a pic tomorrow of the battery post/clamp cleaner tool.

See post #22 on page 3 for pic of battery post/clamp cleaner.
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nathan_h

nathan_h

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I used to pull an ABS fuse on my last truck every winter because the ABS was hypersensitive and wrecked the fun factor of winter driving. And it seriously impaired minimum stop distance.

I've owned many vehicles before ABS braking systems were standard, that's no biggy to manually modulate the brakes as required.

When I pulled that fuse there was a light show on the dash that I covered with black electrical tape. It lit everything you listed.

Also, our rolling computer driven trucks get all squirrelly when the battery slips out of spec. And, it's the #1 common point of all the electronics in the truck and fails more often after 3-5 years than a bad ground.

I'll post a pic tomorrow of the battery post/clamp cleaner tool.
.

Thanks.

I’ll check it all but start with the fuse….

1369C832-7828-4612-867D-AD28D0A2B2E8.jpeg
 
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nathan_h

nathan_h

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And if it is a genuine ABS issue, I guess it is workable until I can troubleshoot more or get it looked at.

8CC40BCD-8220-4F84-929D-8CA0E9340D38.jpeg
 

RamDiver

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The ABS system is no big deal unless you're accustomed to slamming the brake pedal to the floor. :cool:

Without a functional ABS system, the wheels will lockup and cause slipping or loss of control depending on the conditions.

Just press firmly and in a linear fashion and be prepared to ease off if you detect any slipping or lockup.

Troubleshooting ABS systems isn't that difficult but I'd focus on open fuses and the battery first. Also, push all the fuses to make certain they're completely seated. Many of mine were not when I checked.
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nathan_h

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Well, we were bouncing around like popcorn inside the cab, so I wouldn't be surprised if a loose fuse is the issue -- and that would be VERY NICE versus some costly repair.

So that will be what I check when it’s light out.
 
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RamDiver

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LOL, bouncing around like popcorn? :)

I hope you're not offroading without seatbelts.

I learned that lesson very quickly during one of my first outings. In fact, I would have truly appreciated a 4-point harness system for some of my offroad adventures. :cool:

Something like this;
https://www.amazon.com/Point-Harnes...mzn1.fos.f5122f16-c3e8-4386-bf32-63e904010ad0



And as far as reseating the fuses, I found many of mine were far from fully seated after a member here posted about the issue.

I can't be certain but, since seating all my fuses, my heated steering wheel hasn't shut itself off once.
It had periodically shut off about 8 or 10 times previously. My fingers are crossed. :cool:
.
 
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nathan_h

nathan_h

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Yes, we had seatbelts otherwise who knows where we would have ended up! The idea of those harnesses puts it in perspective. It wasn't quite THAT crazy.

In any event, I went through the fuses and pushed on them. Some were definitely not seated fully. I didn't notice the ABS fuse being particularly loose BUT I pulled that one, visually inspected it, and put it back.

Then, I turned the ignition, and.......watched all the same warning lights light up! But I recalled that sometimes you need to actually drive it for a bit for the warnings to reset (even though I used an ODB2 tool to clear them once already).

So I drove half a mile (in 2 wheel drive, since at a stand still it still wasn't letting me switch into 4wd)......and the warning lights all went off....and I was able to use 4wd (and, when at a stop in neutral, 4wd low), just like it is supposed to work.

So, I don't know if the fuses were the solution, or if I had just remembered to drive it more than a few feet even without re-seating the fuses I would have solved it. But I suspect the fuses were the issue. All that bouncing around and any loose connection could be an issue.

Thanks again for the advice.
 

Dean2

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Loose fuses cause a ton of Gremlins in Jeep and Ram. No idea what method they use to put the fuses in place but going through and gently seating them all has worked great for a lot of guys.
 

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Yes, we had seatbelts otherwise who knows where we would have ended up! The idea of those harnesses puts it in perspective. It wasn't quite THAT crazy.

In any event, I went through the fuses and pushed on them. Some were definitely not seated fully. I didn't notice the ABS fuse being particularly loose BUT I pulled that one, visually inspected it, and put it back.

Then, I turned the ignition, and.......watched all the same warning lights light up! But I recalled that sometimes you need to actually drive it for a bit for the warnings to reset (even though I used an ODB2 tool to clear them once already).

So I drove half a mile (in 2 wheel drive, since at a stand still it still wasn't letting me switch into 4wd)......and the warning lights all went off....and I was able to use 4wd (and, when at a stop in neutral, 4wd low), just like it is supposed to work.

So, I don't know if the fuses were the solution, or if I had just remembered to drive it more than a few feet even without re-seating the fuses I would have solved it. But I suspect the fuses were the issue. All that bouncing around and any loose connection could be an issue.

Thanks again for the advice.

You're most welcome and thank you for the prompt and detailed update.

This thread will most likely help many others in the future because of the details you've contributed.

Happy offroading! :cool:
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Dusty

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Driving our 2019 3500 4x4 in snow recently, we got a Christmas tree worth of lights on the dash:

Service Electronic Stability Control
Service Anti Lock Brake System
Service Trailer Brake System
4wd System Temporarily Unavailable

and sure enough can't switch from 2wd to 4wd high nor low now.

I'm surprised to see all these things happen at once, so I am curious: Is there a common pathway for all these sensors? Maybe some particular connection was knocked loose?

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An ABS fault usually presents the other faults you decribe. I would bet you have no Cruise Control, either.

As already suggested, look at the ABS fuse. If it's okay I'd start pulling codes with a scanner and using the diagnostic procedures.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 3 June 2018. Now at 85490 miles
 

ctwalton15

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Scan the truck, i'd say its either abs plug on one of the wheel hubs or its a wheel speed sensor went haywire. Ever once in awhile in 09 if I hit something going fast enough and hard enough i'll get all of those lights on minus the trailer thing but thats cause my 09 doesn't have anything for the trailer, neither does my dash. I'm almost betting it one of those.
 

RamDiver

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As already suggested, look at the ABS fuse. If it's okay I'd start pulling codes with a scanner and using the diagnostic procedures.


Scan the truck



So I drove half a mile...... and the warning lights all went off....and I was able to use 4wd (and, when at a stop in neutral, 4wd low), just like it is supposed to work.

So, I don't know if the fuses were the solution, or if I had just remembered to drive it more than a few feet even without re-seating the fuses I would have solved it. But I suspect the fuses were the issue. All that bouncing around and any loose connection could be an issue.

Thanks again for the advice.


Good ideas but maybe you didn't notice, the OP's truck is now working properly again. :cool:
.
 

Choupique

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For now. It's most likely the dreaded ABS HCU failure that is so common. Mine tripped out most recently the same way, pulling a trailer on a snowy mountain.
 
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nathan_h

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Well, fingers crossed, but since re-seating the fuses, and driving a bit, the codes have cleared and no returned, and moving into and out of 4x4 mode is working normally again.

I appreciate the additional trouble shooting steps shared here.

This may happen to me again and not be so easy to fix. And it may happen to someone else that finds this topic via a search and help them.

If it's okay I'd start pulling codes with a scanner and using the diagnostic procedures.

For my own education, can you point to where that process is described? I have a cheap odb2 wifi dongle, and a basic smart phone app that lets me see some stuff.
 

RamDiver

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For my own education, can you point to where that process is described? I have a cheap odb2 wifi dongle, and a basic smart phone app that lets me see some stuff.

Unfortunately for us and others 2018 and newer, we have a Security Gateway to deal with first, before we can access the OBD2.

Mine is buried in the dash behind the radio and I already have a bypass cable to install, still on my list. :cool:

I don't know where your SGM is located but I'm sure you can find it on the forum and the info on a bypass cable.

.
 
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nathan_h

nathan_h

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Thanks for the tip. That would explain why I saw less stuff with my OBD2 kit than I have in other vehicles.

Looks like it is not buried as deep in my MY, but still requires some work (and of course buying the parts).



though this one seems cheapest but I don't see how it could work since it doesn't attach to the same bypass point (eg, https://6d6c157f-f89c-43ae-8a03-8e0...d/6d6c15_2857cd0f14804724b30b761f568e66f0.pdf) that the others do:


and maybe I would need better software than I have:


----

That's a project for another day. I don't know of anything I need to program and luckily I don't see to have any error codes or diagnostics I need to run.
 
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