Ram now spells Customer Service as ***

[tobyd]

I would dispute that Dealer A says there is no draw on the battery when the truck sits.
There are so many electronics on these trucks they have to keep some sort of power going to the systems.

Yeah, it simply can't have zero draw or you'd have no memory-anything.

 

[Jim113]

Update. Dealer A ( the bad one) just called and said battery tested ok. They are going to leave it overnight and test again in a.m.

Does this make sense to anyone given that the truck was unable to start a few days ago???

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I had a similar problem .. In 2013 I bought a brand new Ram Longhorn and about 2 weeks later I was visiting my son in another province when my truck wouldn't start even with a boost .. Called roadside assistance and they towed my truck to dealer a half hour away ... (this occurred the night before I was leaving to go home) ... They said all they did was put a charge on it and did a load test and it was fine ... While driving home (800 miles away) I started getting a low battery warning ... Fortunately I was able to make it home and the next day I went to my local dealer and told them what occurred ... They did another load test and said the battery was done ... They replaced the battery under warranty since I only had the truck a few weeks ... That new replacement only lasted a few weeks, so I just bought a new Northstar AGM battery and never had a problem after that ... The OEM's obviously were junk, and couldn't handle the electrical systems ...

 

[Klaus756]

if there is no parasitic draw the problem is probably in the battery itself. another possibilty is the batery ground itself. take it off its mounting point and make sure that point is clean and free of paint or corrision. if there is corrosion, consider changing the cable. The corrosion you see, even light. is just the tip of the iceberg. While you're at it clean the positive side too. As for the battery. A load test will tell a lot. If it dips too far the batter is bad having no reserve and just a shallow charge. On non gell batteries you can do an olf fashioned Hydrometer test. One weak cell will drain the rest of the battery.

 

[Klaus756]

Another possibility is the fuseible link. Check it for corrosion and resistence. I had a truck that the light would come and go. When I was checking what was up I leaned against the link. You could hear the alternator come on or go off when you moved the link. I replaced the link and never had another problem.

 

[jagman_xjs]

I HATE to tell you but if you think RAM is BAD . Do NOT buy a Jeep . My 1st 2020 was a lemon took forever to settle and I lost $1800. My second 2020 was not built to specs and Jeep nor the selling dealer Bob Poynter Jeep of Columbus IN would make it right. Not worry I will NEVER buy another Jeep. The second one is a loss of $2500. Also my 1st Jeep is for sale in MI at this time. FIAT and their "Jeep Junk".

 

[JS4024]

eTorque 48v and the 12 volt system are 2 completely different systems. Your 48 volt battery pack has nothing to do with the 12v side of the vehicle. It does provide charge and current to the 12v side and battery but that is it. Your stop start feature is all on 12v. Notice when you stop your lights dim and your fan motor slows down.... The only thing that runs off of 48volts is the motor/generator attached to the drive belt that turns the crank... (a half assed way to get away with calling it a "hybrid") but it keeps Dumbo Joes EPA off their ass. It costs 1300.00 more and saves you a whopping 1 MPG... is it cost effective? NO. Does it get FCA out of the sites of the EPA? YES... It adds some beneficial torque up to about 15 - 1800 RPM then it supposedly helps with smoother shifts but that is about it. There is some dynamic braking effect as the electric motor/generator becomes a load in order to recharge the battery pack when slowing down but... for the added expense, unless it makes you feel better about driving a "gas guzzler" is simply not worth it... LOL

 

[Farmer Fran]

Unless you bought the vehicle through chrysler friends and family promotion they advertise to everyone. They lock you into binding arbitration and you can not use the state lemon law.

Not according to the North Carolina Attorney General

 

[photog0611]

I'm Colorado (Front Range) and I get into the mountains all the time. Who / where should I be careful to avoid?

And who's Dealer B who sounds like they have their act together?

A = Silverthorne. Turns out they probably f'd up the battery test also. B = Castle Rock who just told me there are 2 GR8 battery testers and it looks like A used the small handheld version. B just feels more professional plus the loaner they gave me is 17 Dodge Challenger. Can't do the work with my truck but sure is fun to drive

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[Eclipse Aries]

Sorry for your troubles. These stories are great reminders for me to always buy used. By 60k miles most of these gremlins have been worked out or sent to the scrape heap. Any problems that arise after that I know from the start that I am OMFO.

 

[Sandevino]

Holy crap... what an ordeal. I've had warranty issues with Rams over the years and have NEVER run into any nonsensical issues like this.

 

[turboguard]

This thread makes me so glad I went with a Classic 1500 with no etorque and all that crap.
Also glad my 8 speed valve body went out in the first 5000 miles. I still had to wait a couple of weeks for a back ordered part, which wasn't really the dealerships fault.

 

[yoda]

eTorque 48v and the 12 volt system are 2 completely different systems. Your 48 volt battery pack has nothing to do with the 12v side of the vehicle. It does provide charge and current to the 12v side and battery but that is it. Your stop start feature is all on 12v. Notice when you stop your lights dim and your fan motor slows down.... The only thing that runs off of 48volts is the motor/generator attached to the drive belt that turns the crank... (a half assed way to get away with calling it a "hybrid") but it keeps Dumbo Joes EPA off their ass. It costs 1300.00 more and saves you a whopping 1 MPG... is it cost effective? NO. Does it get FCA out of the sites of the EPA? YES... It adds some beneficial torque up to about 15 - 1800 RPM then it supposedly helps with smoother shifts but that is about it. There is some dynamic braking effect as the electric motor/generator becomes a load in order to recharge the battery pack when slowing down but... for the added expense, unless it makes you feel better about driving a "gas guzzler" is simply not worth it... LOL

Normal starting with the pushbutton or FOB uses the starter and 12 volt battery.
Stop start uses the 48 volt battery and the 48 volt generator to start the truck, the Generator turns the Engine over via the serpentine belt

 

[photog0611]

fwiw I have the start/ stop turned off. I live in a small mountain town. There are only 6 stop lights in our half of the county so start/ stop is rarely operating even when turned on. 99% of my mileage is highway and dirt road.

Truck was towed to Dealer B today.. I am already more comfortable after speaking with service manager, just a much more professional group than A. They already think A botched the battery test. Hopefully have the truck back in a couple days.... plus the loaner they gave me is a Dodge Challenger GT. FUN!!!!

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[br427]

I don't think that, after your experience, that I would ever buy another vehicle from them. Also, why don't you contact Chrysler national about your experiences? I'm sure they have a customer service wing.

 

[Smokey613]

First off... If my battery was dead at 10v I would throw a charger on it and see if it would start. 90% of the time you can usually get enough to crank and start and then the alternator will keep the engine running...then I would have driven it to one of the dealers that you chose. Second I would have tested the battery myself and figured out what the problem was before the dealer got their hands on it. Dealer techs are not very bright and have almost no deducing/problem solving skills... if the computer doesn't tell them what to do they don't know how to figure out the problem.

Have you thought about replacing the battery yourself and then figuring out how to get the dealer to reimburse you? It sounds like the only option that doesn't leave you without a truck and not wasting $$$$ on gas and time driving back and forth 1.5hrs. Just saying a new AGM battery costs $200ish and would have saved you ALOT of headache. Even if you don't get reimbursed your only out $200 and you have a superior battery. My factory 2018 battery died in 3 years and that was after me keeping it alive for at least the last year. If your at 10v then you have a drain or the battery is toast and it only costs $30-40 for a battery tester that also tests load drop, voltage and alternator charging.

All these 5th gen issues make me glad I own my 2018 4th gen! Simpler = more better lol.

Our 2018 battery bit the dust and it was just a bit past 1 year old. Dealer checked battery, said it was good. We left 2 days later on a trip back to Texas. Stayed at a cousin’s home for two days. I had to jump the truck to get it started. Luckily, I had gotten a jump pack so it was no big deal. Half way home, on a Sunday in the middle of nowhere the dash started going crazy. We pulled over, left it running and turned off the A/C and anything not essential. I got on cell phone, located an O’Reillys 20 miles away in a town of 1500 population. I called and they had an AGM that fit. I drove to the store, got the battery and replaced it in the parking lot. That was 18 months ago and no issues since replacing the battery.

 

[photog0611]

I don't think that, after your experience, that I would ever buy another vehicle from them. Also, why don't you contact Chrysler national about your experiences? I'm sure they have a customer service wing.

Actually it's Dealer B (the competent service group)where I purchased the truck. I only got involved with A because Chrysler Roadside Assistance will only tow to closest dealer which for me is A. It just takes a lot of phone time to get supervisor approval for a tow to a further dealer. I called FCA national customer service this a.m. - all they did was reiterate the limits for towing and rental car for the warranty program. Thanks!

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[photog0611]

Our 2018 battery bit the dust and it was just a bit past 1 year old. Dealer checked battery, said it was good. We left 2 days later on a trip back to Texas. Stayed at a cousin’s home for two days. I had to jump the truck to get it started. Luckily, I had gotten a jump pack so it was no big deal. Half way home, on a Sunday in the middle of nowhere the dash started going crazy. We pulled over, left it running and turned off the A/C and anything not essential. I got on cell phone, located an O’Reillys 20 miles away in a town of 1500 population. I called and they had an AGM that fit. I drove to the store, got the battery and replaced it in the parking lot. That was 18 months ago and no issues since replacing the battery.

I agree. I already told the service Mgr to put in a high cranking amps battery after they determine if my problem is the OEM battery or something in the truck that keeps draining it. Another thread in this forum some people are reporting they had issues with the control module after they replaced the battery so I figured I'd just get dealer to do it. Thanks!

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[Anthony Kalos]

Have your battery checked out at Autozone for reference !!!

 

[Smokey613]

This is the battery I put in our RAM.

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/...ck-2018-ram-1500?q=battery+-+automotive&pos=0

 

[Duane Smith]

I have a diesel 2500 with a charging issue, the dealer said they ran the GR8 test, but the truck was only in the bay for about 30 minutes...which may be enough time, when I talked to other dealers they say the test it shelf takes longer like a few hours....does anyone know if the correct way to do a GR8 test timeline? The batteries never failed but I bought new batteries a still have the problem...working with RAM now since this happened while in warranty and still not fixed and now I am out of warranty..