Truck is possessed - Disco Dash Lights - Magic Idle & Drive Hour re-set

[Regularjay]

So I bought this 2013 4X4 Hemi Crewcab a month ago. I've noticed that sometimes the cluster lights and HVAC Control button lights flash on and off continuously when the truck is off . Not continuously on, they are lit for maybe 10 seconds, then go out for a few seconds then back on, the speedo & tach jump up to zero for a few seconds then everything off for a few seconds then the cycle re-starts - day or night. Doesn't do it every time I shut it off but more often than not (it's doing it now as a matter of fact). Searched on the internet yesterday and found others reporting similar things but they were all saying their batteries were dead in the morning, mine always starts (thankfully, so far). So, this morning when I started the truck (after lights flashing all night) I immediately scrolled through the EVIC to battery voltage (it was 14V) and see that my drive hours were zero and idle hours were at 58. I know that the idle & drive hour numbers were "reasonable" when last I scrolled through things.

Days after I bought this truck I swapped in an aftermarket radio from Crutchfield all the proper harnesses and everything no problems. I'm going to put the O.E. radio back in to see if it makes a difference in the flashing light thing. I'm thinking that maybe the power off delay (set at zero right now) is still long enough to somehow backfeed through the radio to confuse the truck about when it should power down and it's getting stuck in a self perpetuating loop of power off then on then off. Plus, the radio is the only thing not "stock" so if I remove it from the equation I'll learn something. But, I have no clue why the hours reset, no idea why drive went to zero while idle went to 58 (it may have been 58 before, I don't recall) I would have to guess that resetting drive hours to zero "should" take dealership level intervention.

I am very afraid that this truck is going to be an expensive pain in the wallet to own. I bought it from a private party so no warranty and I think I'm going to regret it. A lot!

 

[MADDOG]

Check to make sure your battery connections are clean and tight. I'd also load test the battery to make sure that it is providing enough power under load.

Don't forget to check the chassis grounds as well.

 

[WilliamS]

sounds like a bad cell in the battery to me, my 2014 did this exact thing one night and left me stranded. luckily stranded at my church so plenty of help to get me home. The dash was all silly bonkers and the truck wouldnt run great because the new systems rely on the battery more than the old cars that could run without a battery at all.

 

[O.R.T.]

I've seen a system cycle through briefly within the time limit of hitting the keyfob to lock the truck up, sort-of a last "I'm going to sleep now" type of thing. Maybe it's a fault inherent in it not having the factory system ability to adjust the seconds for the courtesy lights off after alarm bit? (*I'm exhausted and can't remember what the options actually say, so go with me here on the logic.)

 

[Regularjay]

Pretty sure it's not a battery issue, no trouble starting in the morning after 12 or more hours of dash lights on.

So, On my way home this afternoon the drive hours magically reappeared in the display - till I stopped at a store, gone again on restart.


I did disassemble and clean the battery terminals and all the underhood grounds but honestly they were all clean and tight to start with.

 

[huntergreen]

If the truck is from Texas, could be a flood vehicle.

 

[BWL]

I'd test the battery and check the terminals first since it's easiest. Could also be moisture in one of the modules. After that maybe find a priest or yell devil be gone at it a few times.

 

[2010 Infantry Vet]

I had similar problems. All of my dash lighs stayed on, no gauges worked, windows wouldnt roll down, wipers stayed on. Ended up being bad body control module. Have the dealer hook it up to their computer. Thats what i did to figure it out. I tried everything. Very common problem in 2010-2013 rams. Mine even had a recall for it.

 

[Ratket]

These Fiat vehicles do extremely strange fckn things when the batteries have even the smallest of issues. Sure it may test out ok and start just fine, but you would be amazed at how many owners have had little grimlins like yours and it was all due to the battery. The body control also sounds like a good thing to test.

 

[Flip-er]

my hour meter does this, says 0 then goes back to where it should be.
Totally reset when I had a flash update done at dealer.
this was a few years back.
Complained to them and they tried to look into it, with help from RamCares
BUT Nothing happened.
BTW
Where has RamCares been?
Maybe they can help out.

 

[GsRAM]

Agree with the others. Years ago my 1997 ram 2500 had a weird electrical issue. It would crank and run no problem. Had bright lights and horn, etc but it ran terrible, had no power, etc but again would crank and start no problem, had good running voltage and static (shut off) voltage.

Issue was a bad battery! I'd have never guessed that. But that's what it ended up being. Today's vehicles are very sensitive to battery amperage and voltage.

 

[McBroom]

I remember having a Ford sport trac 4x4. I had what I described as an electrical ghost. It turned out to be the diode in the alternator. Couldn’t just replace the diode had to buy a new alternator $450.
That being said your problem might be related to your alternator.


I Love My 2018 RAM 2500HD 4x4 6.4L
Mod list: Pedal Commander, AVS Vent shades, Solo Delete kit, molar side step rails

 

[Regularjay]

I did eventually figure out the disco dash thing - My fault, when I installed the aftermarket radio I didn't fully seat the connector on the HVAC switch, enough for the fan to properly work but apparently not enough for the computer to do it's "check everything before shutdown" routine so - dash lights are now fine.

BUT the idle and drive hour magic foolishness remains...