Is my USB port fried ?

[RaftingDave]

Hello - 2017 Ram 1500 BH. 49K miles.

I have the 8 speaker UConnect system with the USB port in the center console. I keep a 256gb flash drive plugged into it for music. Last night, I started playing some music from it and after a few second it cut out and switched over to Sat radio. The vehicle was barely warmed up but it had been in hot sun all day and when I pulled out the stick, the metal end of the stick was hot - like, leave-a-mark hot. Unplugged it and stuck it in the AC vent to cool off. Plugged it back in at my destination, and the system saw it but wouldn't play or search. I had my wife try the stick on her laptop later at home, and it showed up and played just fine. So I'm think it's maybe the USB receiver port that got fried?

Anyone else seen this? I can try another drive (I keep all my music on my PC, so loading up another drive is no big deal), but if it's the port, what kind of tear-apart-replace nightmare am I looking at ?

Along those lines...I'd be happy enough to replace the whole system (the USB search function is REALLY slow), but recently retired and a little tentative about big expenses. (Just re-sided my house, $10 grand... )

Any advice welcome, thanks !!

 

[SitKneelBend]

Hello - 2017 Ram 1500 BH. 49K miles.

I have the 8 speaker UConnect system with the USB port in the center console. I keep a 256gb flash drive plugged into it for music. Last night, I started playing some music from it and after a few second it cut out and switched over to Sat radio. The vehicle was barely warmed up but it had been in hot sun all day and when I pulled out the stick, the metal end of the stick was hot - like, leave-a-mark hot. Unplugged it and stuck it in the AC vent to cool off. Plugged it back in at my destination, and the system saw it but wouldn't play or search. I had my wife try the stick on her laptop later at home, and it showed up and played just fine. So I'm think it's maybe the USB receiver port that got fried?

Anyone else seen this? I can try another drive (I keep all my music on my PC, so loading up another drive is no big deal), but if it's the port, what kind of tear-apart-replace nightmare am I looking at ?

Along those lines...I'd be happy enough to replace the whole system (the USB search function is REALLY slow), but recently retired and a little tentative about big expenses. (Just re-sided my house, $10 grand... )

Any advice welcome, thanks !!

Do you have a center console or a center jumpseat?

 

[RaftingDave]

Do you have a center console or a center jumpseat?

It's actually a jumpseat. The console box flips up. Had to think about that a second, since we've never used it as a seat, the console box itself is always down.

 

[SitKneelBend]

It's actually a jumpseat. The console box flips up. Had to think about that a second, since we've never used it as a seat, the console box itself is always down.

If you can post a picture, I might have a hub I could send you for free (just pay shipping) It's sitting in my shop collecting dust after upgrading my radio. Conversely, if you are interested in upgrading your 8.4 radio to one of the 2018+ radios w/ Android Auto and CarPlay, now would be a good time to upgrade the USB hub to the AA/CP compatible one if you are going to replace it anyway?

 

[RaftingDave]

Thanks ! I've learned a few things in the last hour.

My friendly and only slightly extortionate service guys tell me I can't (via factory) upgrade to the AA/CP head unit. I don't actually have a another flash drive big enough for my music on hand (easy enough to remedy, but since the existing one seems okay, what would be the point?), and plugging the existing stick in this morning, before the vehicle had a chance to cook under the sun, the thing works. So the port appears to be okay, but for some reason when it gets super hot, it fails. Looking forward to some summer road trips out here, so I'm going to have to address this at some point.

Thanks for your offer, may take you up on it. For now, I'll see how it goes.

 

[SitKneelBend]

Thanks ! I've learned a few things in the last hour.

My friendly and only slightly extortionate service guys tell me I can't (via factory) upgrade to the AA/CP head unit. I don't actually have a another flash drive big enough for my music on hand (easy enough to remedy, but since the existing one seems okay, what would be the point?), and plugging the existing stick in this morning, before the vehicle had a chance to cook under the sun, the thing works. So the port appears to be okay, but for some reason when it gets super hot, it fails. Looking forward to some summer road trips out here, so I'm going to have to address this at some point.

Thanks for your offer, may take you up on it. For now, I'll see how it goes.

You can totally upgrade, my 2014 has a 2018 UAQ 8.4" in it. Glad to hear it is working again!

 

[JW2 Innovations]

Thanks ! I've learned a few things in the last hour.

My friendly and only slightly extortionate service guys tell me I can't (via factory) upgrade to the AA/CP head unit. I don't actually have a another flash drive big enough for my music on hand (easy enough to remedy, but since the existing one seems okay, what would be the point?), and plugging the existing stick in this morning, before the vehicle had a chance to cook under the sun, the thing works. So the port appears to be okay, but for some reason when it gets super hot, it fails. Looking forward to some summer road trips out here, so I'm going to have to address this at some point.

Thanks for your offer, may take you up on it. For now, I'll see how it goes.

I've had a couple usb memory sticks get hot from use before. Not saying it doesn't get hot from the sun outside or anything, but what temp is the usb drive when you play music off of it out of the truck? Ok? Just reading files probably won't cause any heat to occur, but reading and moving files on it certainly might. Worth a test

 

[RaftingDave]

A fair experiment and I'll check it out. But...when it went south on me yesterday, I hadn't played anything at all and it was extremely hot. I'm just leaning toward it getting hot from the truck itself (dark blue in color, baking all day in the sun).

Just to satisfy my irresponsible side, I called my local CarToys shop - I can replace the head unit, with a harness and an interface, for, oh, about a grand. Kinda don't think that's an option. Living in fixed-income jail....

 

[RaftingDave]

Bumpdate -- well the USB hub appears to finally died altogether. Hot or cool, the system doesn't recognize the USB stick anymore, at all. Tried the stick on my PC, no problem, so the stick itself is okay. And the USB charging port is working just fine, just the USB data port appears to be dead. Local shop says they can get the part ($225).

SitKneelBend - can I take a quick snap and PM over to you, see if we're talking about the same thing. May take you up on your offer if so....

thx

 

[SitKneelBend]

Bumpdate -- well the USB hub appears to finally died altogether. Hot or cool, the system doesn't recognize the USB stick anymore, at all. Tried the stick on my PC, no problem, so the stick itself is okay. And the USB charging port is working just fine, just the USB data port appears to be dead. Local shop says they can get the part ($225).

SitKneelBend - can I take a quick snap and PM over to you, see if we're talking about the same thing. May take you up on your offer if so....

thx

Sure, I just had it out for another mod I was doing so I know exactly where it is! Happy to save folks money!

 

[Atcer2018]

A fair experiment and I'll check it out. But...when it went south on me yesterday, I hadn't played anything at all and it was extremely hot. I'm just leaning toward it getting hot from the truck itself (dark blue in color, baking all day in the sun).

Just to satisfy my irresponsible side, I called my local CarToys shop - I can replace the head unit, with a harness and an interface, for, oh, about a grand. Kinda don't think that's an option. Living in fixed-income jail....

On a completely different topic, do you have tinted windows? I have a 2018 BH that’s black with the black and charcoal interior. My truck is outside year round and coastal Virginia summers are hot as hell. Window tint and a windshield shade made a huge difference on the interior temps. If you’re not tinted it may be something that would be beneficial.