Single Cab radio into Crew Cab

[mr travo]

As the title said, I didn't know this was a thing. I have a 2013 2500 Tradesman and I swapped out the RA1 for the RA2 5.0. Come to find out it was in a 3500 single cab. None of the rear speakers work. I pulled a vin off eBay that was the same year the radio was out of but was a Crew Cab. One update *properly done thank you* and no change in sound (i.e.- fade). The unit shows the new update as being good and is displayed. What did I do wrong or what am I missing? Surly they don't make two types of the same dang radio to cut out the rear speakers. That doesn't pass any common sense test.

Thank you all!!!

-Travo

 

[Mpgrimm2]

May be able to get AlfaOBD and change the cabin EQ configuration on the radio from 2 door to 4 door. Might get you squared away.



** AlfaOBD

(for activating factory features yourself. See docs linked in OP)



M² Mods.

 

[mr travo]

Got it. I don't have the AlphaOBD yet, but will this week or next week.

Would the radio override the BCM or would the BCM hold the previous settings from the last radio? I am learning all of this new stuff on these 4th gen Rams. Seems like all of this switched over once FCA bought us from Mercedes. All my previous trucks have been 5.9's and all the "upgrades" that we are doing were just P&P. We didn't need to carry around a laptop or bluetooth into the BCM and whatnot.

Sorry for the rant, just frustrating sometimes. The service manager where I work said yesterday that FCA's dream is for us to depend on the dealership 100% for anything and everything. I am starting to think he's right.....

Thank you for your help Mpgrimm2, I see your posts all the time around here. I will update as I go through it. If anyone has any experience with this, please post up for the benefit of anyone else going through this rare problem....

Thanks!

 

[JOHRY]

I recall a post from a year or so ago about another user who had the exact same issue. I wonder how they ended up making out.

 

[mr travo]

I recall a post from a year or so ago about another user who had the exact same issue. I wonder how they ended up making out.

I think I found the thread you were talking about

https://www.ramforum.com/threads/ram-radio-3-0-to-5-0-upgrade.87437/

There was no answer to solve the problem, he ended up getting one out of a 4 door truck. I did notice that my RA2's backside is short compared to the RA1. I will post up some pictures later when I get home. I wonder if that has anything to do with cutting software out for that stuff. Crap, I just hope I'm not out $165 on this mistake. Glad I waited to transfer my Sat radio subscription until I got everything 100% working.....

 

[mr travo]

The back of my RA2 looks like this-



Compared to this-


I wonder why these are different....

 

[89grand]

I don't understand why the rear speakers wouldn't work. My single cab has "rear" speakers, behind the front seats, so even a single cab has door, dash and rear speakers.

 

[mr travo]

I wonder if that's not offered in the cab and chassis.

Let me look in my system to see if it says anything about that. It might be Ram's way to shave some money off in our commercial lineup.

 

[mr travo]

No, nothing adds or takes away "rear" speakers in my system for the Cab & Chassis lineup.

I went ahead and walked out to our commercial lot and looked in a 3500, reg cab, cab & chassis and it has fade as well as balance. I am wondering if in 2015 they didn't have rear speakers? I am willing to put a paycheck down that they use the same radios in Regular Cabs as well as Crew Cabs. It would just make zero sense to come out with a total separate unit for 4 speakers.

I emailed uConnect and want to see what they say. They are usually pretty helpful to us. NavRepair told me that I could try to reset the Canbus. He said if that doesn't work than the PN is meant for a C&C. I don't think it is because it lines up with the documented PN for a 2015 model. I don't know.... I really want to get to the bottom of this so it could maybe help someone else out too.

 

[Mpgrimm2]

Different year radios were built differently. I think after 2014 the got thinner. The radios are supposed to read out the cab configuration from your BCM and configure themselves accordingly... But it may have an issue with it that would require a temporary change to another cabin setting and then back to get it working... It it may just need a different radio which is likely what most people end up doing.

Sometimes getting a valid ram/year PN radio to match your truck year helps.

See...
2013-2016 RA2/VP2-NA Radio Notes.

M² Mods.

 

[mr travo]

Sometimes getting a valid ram/year PN radio to match your truck year helps.


M² Mods.

Amen....

I was able to find the 7" Cluster from a '13 so I lucked out on that one. At least I screwed up with the less expensive item If the service manager wasn't so busy today, I would pick his brain and let him experiment on it.....

 

[Mpgrimm2]

Dealers rarely have time to support these types of unofficial upgrades... And usually just say it can't be done.

M² Mods.

 

[mr travo]

Dealers rarely have time to support these types of unofficial upgrades... And usually just say it can't be done.

M² Mods.

You're right Brother, our service advisers and manager are all stand up people. This is the most caring dealership I have ever been to. It's why I enjoy working here. Speaking of work, it's beer thirty now!

Thanks guys!

 

[mr travo]

SO I tried to update to the latest version for the 2013 and 2014. Half way through it took and dump and said it failed and to remove the usb. It now only says uConnect on the splash screen and nothing else. I even tried the usb again and left it in there for almost an hour. Nothing, Nada, Screwed. Awesome.....

 

[Mpgrimm2]

Leave it in for a day or two and if it completes it's reset pull it out then. Has worked for a few folks.

M² Mods.

 

[mr travo]

Leave it in for a day or two and if it completes it's reset pull it out then. Has worked for a few folks.

M² Mods.

You're right. It tried it again on the way to work and failed once more. I will reformat it and try it again after work. Yesterday was a long day and patience was running thin, LOL! Thank you for all your help so far! I went ahead and ordered another one from a crew cab. I will play with this one to see if I can get it figured out.

 

[Christian Garcia]

I have a 2014 tradesman
Regular cab it only came with door speakers.
I put dash speakers in and they work since they run off the doors but the back speakers dont even though the wiring is there.
You find the promaster info on how to turn on the back speaker function but its slightly different.
Radio/media buttons then browse for 5 sec.
Id like to find out how to turn them on.
I even put a ra2 out of of a crew cab and theres no fade option.

 

[Christian Garcia]

Maybe a cabin equalizer code for a 6 speaker regular cab with ra2 if someone has one.
Thanks
Christian