A Dead RAM, a dishonest dealer, and a disheartened owner

[UnloosedChewtoy]

That Project Farm channel is really valuable, as opposed to the TRX jumping idiot. I’ve gotten a lot of really good info from Project Farm.

Agreed. Project Farm doesn't always do the most appropriate tests for judging things, but taken with a grain of salt, they seem to always give you at least a general idea of whose good, whose bad, or if it doesn't really matter.

 

[Jako]

East Penn - USA

East Penn Manufacturing | Automotive batteries

Learn more about East Penn automotive batteries - with virtually any size for any application, it’s one of the most complete battery lines on the market today.

www.eastpennmanufacturing.com

 

[silver64]

For what it’s worth - I have a Duralast Gold in my commuter that is going on 3-4 yrs as well. That being said a YouTube channel called “Project Farm” tested a similar battery from several different brands and found that a lot of them are actually made by the same manufacturer. If I remember correctly the Duralast Gold and the Walmart equivalent were made by the same manufacturer, tested similarly, and the Walmart battery was $30 cheaper or so.


Looks like Autozone has a Duralast Platinum AGM Battery for $199 compared to the Gold at $169. I’d probably just get that at this point. An Odyssey or Optima AGM runs like $250-$300.

Most aftermarket car batteries sold in the U.S. are made by three companies that build them for retailers: Johnson Controls, which supplies more than half of the market; Exide; and East Penn

 

[securityguy]

Most aftermarket car batteries sold in the U.S. are made by three companies that build them for retailers: Johnson Controls, which supplies more than half of the market; Exide; and East Penn

Yep...exactly right! And you will find that with Optima, DuraLast and DieHard too.

 

[UnloosedChewtoy]

Most aftermarket car batteries sold in the U.S. are made by three companies that build them for retailers: Johnson Controls, which supplies more than half of the market; Exide; and East Penn

Completely forgot about Exide, thanks. Just found out Johnson Controls was bought/merged/something and is now Clarios.

If you want to get really into it...

Lead-Acid Battery Manufacturers and Brand Names List 2022

Car & Deep Cycle battery hyperlinks to manufacturer's Web sites, brand names & private labeling, and replacement selectors & fitment guides.

jgdarden.com

 

[Buz]

East Penn was formerly know as DEKA battery. Just an FYI.

 

[Dusty1948]

That Project Farm channel is really valuable, as opposed to the TRX jumping idiot. I’ve gotten a lot of really good info from Project Farm.

I have to agree. The Project Farm person conducts test as close to a professional lab process as any I've ever seen. Much better than the people who just look at a part and say, "cheap parts," or "this is bigger so it must be better."

Curious to know who the TRX person is that you referred to.
Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 045229 miles.

 

[Willwork4truck]

I have to agree. The Project Farm person conducts test as close to a professional lab process as any I've ever seen. Much better than the people who just look at a part and say, "cheap parts," or "this is bigger so it must be better."

Curious to know who the TRX person is that you referred to.
Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 045229 miles.

This thread:

TRX Jump that makes you cringe!​

 

[ldoh]

Ram has the Worst service depts I’ve ever experienced to the point Im thinking ram gives them money not to fix vehicles under warranty

You are probably correct. They act like an insurance company gatekeeper so there is likely an incentive.

Just another reason why I wouldn't buy an FCA LLC extended warranty at any discounted price and I suspect the new merger will only make it worse. There's a reason there's so many extended vehicle warranty spam emails and phone calls and probably why there's at least one very motivated forum member on this site pushing them.

 

[securityguy]

Just another reason why I wouldn't buy an FCA LLC extended warranty at any discounted price and I suspect the new merger will only make it worse. There's a reason there's so many extended vehicle warranty spam emails and phone calls and probably why there's at least one very motivated forum member on this site pushing them.

Poor analogy and I disagree. The merger should have ZERO impact in this case related to local dealer service. One repair, regardless of whether you "trust" your dealer or not, can be greater than the cost of the warranty. It's all about how long you plan to keep the truck and if the risk is worth the money. I am not that "one very motivated member" so no idea who you are referencing. However, there are many excellent dealers and many crappy ones. In the end, it will get fixed

 

[thedream829]

What does ACE mean?

I have had any batter issues yet. *crosses fingers* I do a lot of long drives however.

 

[dmodem]

A week ago, I had to jump start my truck. I had had the tailgate open for a couple of hours, using it as a work bench for a couple government (Honey-Do) projects. I thought it slightly odd, but I just put it down to the cargo lights and, some of the time, the radio being on for too long. After getting the truck started, I noticed that the electronic E-brake had applied itself. I disengaged the E-brake and got in to run to the hardware store and quickly realized that the truck would not shift out of 1st gear. That was rather surprising, but hey, it is an electronic shifter on an electronic everything truck. I also noticed that the front and rear parking sensors were unavailable, and "Service Electronic Traction Control System" and "Service Air Suspension System" warning messages were on the driver information screen. I really needed to get to ACE to finish my projects, so I limped along back streets at about 15 mph.
I had my jump box with me, so several times I tried stopping and shutting off the truck to see if it would start shifting again.
Nope.
It would start without jumping it, but wouldn't shift. I was in ACE for probably seven or eight minutes, got in and started the truck and still had to limp home without getting it out of 1st gear. I shut it off when I got home. When I finished up my projects, I got in the truck an hour or so later, and tried it and everything seemed normal.

Fast-forward to to this past Sunday. I was in up in North Central Texas, and there was a couple of inches of fresh, wet snow on the ground that morning. I got in my truck, and knew it was probably not going to start because when I opened the door the steps did not extend. Sure enough, nothing but a loud clicking noise. I put the trusty little jump box on it and it started right up.
I had the "Service Electronic Traction Control System" and "Service Air Suspension System" warning messages, but when I drove it, it shifted normally. I also put it in 4WD-Auto. I drove out into a pasture and spent the rest of the morning cutting cedar trees down for fence posts. I left it idling for an hour or so and then shut it off. Got in the truck to come back for lunch at noon, and it started right up. When I went in the house, I remembered that I needed to recharge my jump box, so I brought it in with me.
After lunch, I drove back up to the pasture to continue cutting posts. The snow fell pretty heavily throughout the day, and we had 6 or 8" on the ground, so I decided to call it a day about 4pm.
As you probably already guessed, the truck wouldn't start. AND I had left my jump box at the house to charge.
Because of course.
I kept trying to start the truck, not really looking forward to the long, cold, wet, tired walk in my near future. To my surprise and relief, it started!
Hallelujah!
However, the truck had shifted itself out of 4WD, and the electronic E-brake had applied itself again. Luckily, it wasn't quite so cold that the breaks had frozen to the rotors, but the truck would not let me shift into 4WD, and I was just spinning the rear wheels trying to get started. I got out and shoveled out a path through the snow in front of each tire and took some cedar branches and laid them in front of the back tires. I rocked it back and forth a few times and finally got enough speed built up to get going. Luckily every gate that I had to go through on the way back to the house was on enough of a down-slope that I didn't get stuck again.

The next morning, I (surprisingly) didn't have to jump the truck, and the drive train was completely normal. I drove into Stephenville to Bruner CDJRF service department to see if they could diagnose the problem for me. The guys at the service desk were very friendly, courteous and they helped me right away. They pulled the codes (50!) from my vehicle and said that they were all low voltage related, and likely I had a bad battery, and that it would be covered under warranty as long as they had a battery in stock. They said that it might take as much as two hours to diagnose, as they would have to remove the battery from the truck to put it on their battery tester. They would also test the trucks electrical system while they were testing the battery.
I said that was fine, and that I would wait there.
After a little more than an hour, they told me that surprisingly the battery had passed the test, and they could find no issues with the vehicle. They said that something was causing a battery drain, but they didn't know what it might be. The truck is completely stock, except for ditching the terribly ****ty Goodyear tires. They said that the best option was to drive it some more and see if it put codes that would maybe give me some more information.
I had to go to Houston the next morning, and when I got in to leave the truck wouldn't start. Nothing. Not a click or anything. I put the jump box on it, and still got nothing. I tried a few more times, and then I noticed a tiny little flashing icon on the screen of my jump box that I hadn't seen before. I disconnected the jump box and got in the truck to read the jump box manual to see what the icon meant. While I was sitting there reading the manual, the door ajar chime suddenly started to sound. I crossed my fingers, stepped on the brake and pushed the start button and the truck started. No error messages, no E-brake, and the truck would shift into 4WD. Completely normal.

After driving four hours to Houston, I shut the truck off and tried to restart it later that evening. Nope.
Tuesday I tried to get the truck in to two different RAM service departments in the Houston area, but one said that they couldn't get me in until the following day, and the other not until Thursday afternoon. They both said that they would need to have the truck a minimum of 24 hours.
Not wanting to wait and have the hassle of being without my truck for who knows how long, I decided that I would the battery out of the truck myself and take it to the local O'Reilly's and have them test it. When I looked at the battery securing bolt I could tell that the service department at Bruner's had lied to me. It was obvious from the dust on the bolt and the securing strip that the battery had never been removed from the vehicle for testing as they had said.
Sure enough, when O'Reilly's tested the battery, it failed. I decided I would rather cough up the $150 of my own money and put a new battery in myself than deal with the ******** dealer service departments and try to convince them to put a new battery in the damn truck.
After I put in the battery, the truck started and shifted fine. I had no back up or surround cameras, no SXM, no passenger side climate control, etc. I figured that this would probably reset itself over time, and sure enough, this morning it all seems back to normal.
I am very disappointed that I was misled about the dealership testing the battery. I am more disappointed that I have a truck that I now have ZERO confidence in.

If something as simple as a low battery can completely disable your vehicle, that is an absurd design flaw that could leave a person in a real jam. Especially if they live, work or play in very remote areas, as many truck owners do.

Yes, I got out of the situation without even a long walk, but it could have ended up very differently than just being a pain in the ***.

• If had been just a little colder it would have been enough for the E-brake to freeze up I would have been stuck right there.
• If I wasn't physically able to shovel a path through the snow, I would have been stuck right there.
• If I were trying to respond to some kind of an emergency, and I did get the truck to start, only to have it not shift out of 1st gear or not shift into 4WD, it could have disastrous consequences when time is of the essence.

Sadly, I recently sold mine for similar issues. The 3rd time it was dead, the dealer told me it could possibly be my microwave activating a module. After I asked if I should get rid of my microwave and they were no further assistance, it was time to move on.

 

[securityguy]

The 3rd time it was dead, the dealer told me it could possibly be my microwave activating a module. After I asked if I should get rid of my microwave and they were no further assistance, it was time to move on.

Microwave???

 

[securityguy]

What does ACE mean?

I have had any batter issues yet. *crosses fingers* I do a lot of long drives however.

ACE Hardware Store

 

[jdmartin]

For the original poster, couple of thoughts:

1. It sucks that your dealership didn't handle this well;

2. I don't know why a bad battery would make you have no confidence in a vehicle - sounds a little melodramatic to me. You replaced the battery and it fixed the problem. It sounds like you killed the battery anyway, and batteries today are pretty bad at being paperweights once they have been discharged. Sucks but that's how it is. Vehicles today are super sensitive to voltage and amperage.

3. My Titan acted the exact same way when the battery went dead. Crazy flashing lights on the dash, switches energized and deenergized, starting and being fine then nothing but clicking an hour later. I replaced half a dozen things convinced the battery must be good until I just said the hell with it and tried the battery. End of problems.

 

[dmodem]

Microwave???

That's what I said. Apparently, before my boys heat a Hot Pocket, I was supposed to start my truck.

 

[Dusty1948]

Sadly, I recently sold mine for similar issues. The 3rd time it was dead, the dealer told me it could possibly be my microwave activating a module. After I asked if I should get rid of my microwave and they were no further assistance, it was time to move on.

So for the price of a battery they lost a customer. Smart.

Best regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 045255 miles.

 

[dmodem]

So for the price of a battery they lost a customer. Smart.

Best regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 045255 miles.

The 2nd time it died and was towed in, the service rep stated the battery tested fine, and they couldn't authorize any battery replacement under warranty. They said I should just start it every day or so. I asked them if someone from the dealership would swing by to start it if I was out of town. Long pause....well, no. Just start it when you can.

 

[Willwork4truck]

Microwave???

Aliens

 

[securityguy]

Aliens

Maybe his house is near Area 52