RAM Gremlins - Anyone Else Have Them?

[Noneck]

I'm just wondering if anyone has any gremlins come and go as mine does?

This summer, I towed my camper about 100 miles from home.

Upon returning home, my GPS would not register my new location and seemed to think I was still 100 miles from home.

Then I got an error message saying, "service vehicle phone, see dealer" or something like that.

Then one day, it went away, and the GPS worked fine.

I believe I got the same error message a few times after that, but they all went away after a couple of days.

Then recently, I kept getting left tail light out the message, and sure enough, half of the LEDs in my left taillight were out.

I began looking for a new tail light, and lo and behold, it started working again and has been fine since.

Most recently, my radio would blip and change stations when I hit a bump.

I did this for a week or two, and now it is fine again.

I'm considering that maybe one of my batteries has a bad cell or is a short or something.

They are both about year-old interstates that were replaced at about a year old under warranty because one went bad.

At that time, I had experienced weird shifting that resolved when the batteries were replaced, which has me considering that again.

Does anyone else have similar issues?

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[watersupply189]

I would check the batteries first.

What year truck do you have?


2016 Ram Laramie 3500, G56, 6.7, CC, 4x4

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[17_G56]

I have not experienced the issues you speak of, but after spending a lot of time on various RAM forums, the first thing to try is batteries because the CANBUS systems on these newer FCA's are picky as hell.

I expect Fiat to install some of their lovely Italian Gremlins in them once they get involved and add the CANBUS crap.

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[Noneck]

Sorry thought my rig info was in my sig.

It's a 13 Laramie CC 2500.

I'm at about 98k miles.

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[timshooter40]

Check connections.

Voltage is everything with these trucks.

Clean battery terminals are a must to keep gremlins away.

I have had my bout with them.

Good batteries and clean connections cured all.

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[Opie011]

I've had a few issues, but the one that happens often is that when I start the truck cold, I don't have a grid heater, and I don't plug in my block heater; by the way, the defrost button flashes about 10sec, and then I can choose what air settings I want.

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[toyota_mdt_tech]

I've had a few issues, but the one that happens often is that when I start the truck cold, I don't have a grid heater, and I don't plug in my block heater; by the way, the defrost button flashes about 10sec, and then I can choose what air settings I want.

Do you have a good scan tool that can scan all parts of the truck, not just engine/trans?

A good Autel where you can scan body, gateway, ABS, SRS etc is a must have.

I had all kinds of gremlins popping up, ended up being a poor ground in my IHS CAN, you have multiple CAN BUS networks and sound like your IHS (internal high speed)one based on problem areas.

Mine was poor grounds in left and right kickpanel at the bottom.

They were both tight, I just cleaned them and make them even tighter.

I ended up buying a hand held scope to monitor my CAN network.

The good scan tool will tell you which CAN networks has the trouble.

The good news on newer RAMS is you can unplug each component one at a time from the "STAR" connector to isolate the troubled part of the network.

If one leg is shorted, it kills it all, so unplugging each leg one at a time and watching when it comes back online, you know which leg or if one is open, you can isolate by the code.

A defrost button flashing can mean a bad or stuck servo controlling a blend door.

It trys for about 10 seconds and them stops and ignore it then powers up rest of system.

With all the DIYers in here, you need a good scan tool and now a good scope, looks like a DVOM in size.

A better scan tool can be one that can not just read, but talk back such as doing active test, setting turbo actuator up, writing VINS etc. (bi directional as its commonly refereed to.

If you want my advice, just post up, and I will give you my opinion.

I am a dealer tech, not RAM, but been one for 40+ years, same place the last 34 years.

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[Noneck]

Good points.

Thank you.

The only thing I have is AlphaOBD which does run tests etc.

My buddy's shop has a good scammer, I'm sure, though.

I may check those grounds, though.

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[nuckle]

I have not seen those gremlins, but whenever the temps are freezing, I get ' Battery Saver Mode,' and that stops the radio, heated seats, and wheel.

I will disconnect the grid heater next to see if it helps; the batteries were replaced last year with OEM AGM.

Low voltage seems to play a part; I noticed unplugging the tuner also helps, and the truck is on trickle charge when it's cold also helps.

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[toyota_mdt_tech]

Good points.

Thank you.

The only thing I have is AlphaOBD which does run tests etc.

My buddy's shop has a good scammer, I'm sure, though.

I may check those grounds, though.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Get all body codes, in my case, all items that would quit or do crazy things were on one shared network; it was the IHS or internal high speed.

You have CAN, CAN2 IHS, and probably more, at minimum.

You will find if the codes are a communication error, check what network its on and what systems are giving you trouble, then look at the wiring diagram for that network and it will also tell you close where the problem may lie.

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