Adding Passive Entry: How-to

[Ram fan]

If you've seen the original thread on adding passive entry, HERE, you are likely well aware of the issues with getting it to work on the newer trucks that didn’t come with it from the factory. This thread will walk you through getting it to work on the 5th gen DT’s (and the HD trucks) just as it does in a factory-equipped truck, without requiring a visit to the dealer or the addition of the sales code to your VIN.

The success of this has been a collective effort with contributions from many individuals and they all deserve thanks since a lot of time and effort went in to laying the groundwork for this, both on the 4th gens and the new 5th gens, as well as helping test and troubleshoot to make sure all aspects of the system functioned correctly before pushing this out.

Standard disclaimer…If you are going to do this yourself, you are assuming all responsibility in the event something breaks or goes wrong. Also, any parts you add related to this are likely not going to be covered under warranty in the event there is a problem down the road. That being said, the whole process is fairly straightforward if you have basic mechanical abilities and a little patience for dealing with the door panels and wiring. Just be careful and take your time.

Clicking links below will take you directly to the specific posts indicated:

Post #1: Basic list of parts/tools required
Post #2: Door panel and handle removal
Post #3: Carrier plate removal
Post #4: Making the BCM changes in AlfaOBD
Post #5: 2019 & 2020 Rear Antenna
Post #6: 2021 Rear Antenna
Post #7: Part numbers for handles, caps, clips, terminals & connector housings
Post #8: DIY Harnesses
Post #9: How-to for the HD trucks
Post #10: HD install continued

The following lists out what you will need to get this accomplished on a 1500. The HD trucks utilize a one piece handle and already have the wiring in place for the rear antenna. Specific part numbers are listed in post #7, and I will update the list with additional items as needed.

Factory PE Parts
- Door handles for proximity entry x2 (handles are the same on both sides on the 1500)
- Door Handle Cap, Right (specific to each side and passive entry as there is a magnet inside)
- Door Handle Cap, Left (specific to each side and passive entry as there is a magnet inside)
- Front Door Wiring, Right (must support passive entry, or you can just add the 2 wires needed utilizing info in this thread)
- Front Door Wiring, Left (must support passive entry, or you can just add the 2 wires needed utilizing info in this thread)
- Rear bumper passive entry antenna (The cheaper $8 antenna has been proven to work)
- Rear Bumper wiring harness (must support passive entry, or you can just add the 2 wires needed utilizing info in this thread)

AlfaOBD
- Android tablet or Windows PC
- AlfaOBD software for your tablet or PC
- OBD interface (MX/MX+ is used by many, but there are cheaper options that work)
- Security Gateway (SGW) bypass

Tools:
- Trim tools (not 100% necessary, but well worth it to not damage panels and/or clips. Plenty of options online or at most local parts stores)
- The elusive 10mm socket and your choice of ratchet/driver (a short extension will be handy also)
- 6mm socket for speakers (5mm for the HD)
- T20 torx for the HD panels
- T25 torx for the 1500 door handle cap (needs to be long enough to reach inside the hole in the door, about 4". May also be able to use a small flathead for this)
- T27 torx for the door latch
- Small flathead screwdriver (1/8)
- Needle nose pliers
- Tape (for holding up the window once it’s unbolted. Decide what you feel comfortable using)

Important note: Passive entry will function with the addition of just the driver’s side handle (only activating from that handle obviously) and the settings configured in the BCM. However, if you choose to not add all pieces, fobik safe will not function as intended and it will trigger fault codes in the RF Hub. This means that there is a slight chance you could induce a condition that would allow the fob to be locked in the vehicle and will not be alerted. If you install both handles, and the 5th antenna, everything functions as intended and you will get an alert should you accidentally leave a fob inside the cab and attempt to lock the doors.

So new door handles and covers are a requirement to add passive feature? Also how much for the Home made wire harness

 

[MayhemMOORE]

So new door handles and covers are a requirement to add passive feature? Also how much for the Home made wire harness

Yes, the front handles contain the parts needed for PE to function. Send Jimmy07 a message about the harnesses if you’re interested in going that route.


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[hulk181]

Configuring the BCM for passive entry with AlfaOBD.

Grab your SGW bypass and locate the Security Gateway. If you are unfamiliar with its location, it is located up inside the driver’s side footwell, behind where the headlight/parking brake switches are. The below pic shows the module, looking directly up from the floor. It's the black box with 2 connections on it, located right by the green and white star connectors.

*From what I have read, the bypass on the HD's is located behind the instrument panel and is a little more involved to access. Once I can confirm this and possibly get a photo of its location I will update this.

View attachment 62800

Release the connectors from the gateway and plug them into your bypass. That’s all there is to it.

Next, plug your OBD interface into the OBD port, which is located on the bottom edge of panel under the steering column. You should have no issues locating it, as it’s the only exposed connector in that area and will match up with your interface. If you haven’t done so already, set up your OBD interface with your tablet or computer via a Bluetooth or wireless connection.

With your foot off the brake pedal, press the Start/Stop button on the truck 2 times to place the ignition in to “Run”. Do not start the truck, just cycle the ignition to the “Run” position.

Once that is done, we are ready to make the changes in AlfaOBD. I opted not to include photos here since if you follow the steps one at a time you should have no issues. I do have screenshots, so if you need a visual to go along, I can get them added in.

Open up the app on your device and you should see the home screen.

To begin, click on the Bluetooth or Wi-Fi icon and connect to your OBD interface.

Once connected, select the Dodge/Ram icon.

On the first drop down menu choose your vehicle model.

On the 2nd drop down select “Body Computer”.

On the 3rd drop down you will need to select the appropriate BCM for your vehicle. For my 2020 I chose the very last one in the list.

The app should advance to a new screen where you can connect to the body computer. Once connected, it’s time to get in to making the changes needed.

Select the little icon in the bottom right that looks like a car with the hood open.

Select the drop down menu and go all the way to the bottom and select “Car configuration change”.

You should now have 2 additional drop downs below the top one. The top one will still say Car configuration change, and we aren’t going to mess with that one anymore. The next one down, the middle one, is where you are going to begin selecting the items to change.

Take your time and be sure you select the correct one each time as you proceed. To keep things simple, just start at the top and go down the list below, enabling and/or verifying each item as you go.

After selecting a setting to change in the middle drop-down, you will then select the command using the bottom menu. Reference the list below and make your selection based off the setting in bold.

After selecting the command in the bottom menu, hit “start”. The app will first verify the vehicle setting and give you a message indicating its current set state. If its current state is not set to what it shows in bold in the list below, press “start” again and this will make the change. You should get some text at the bottom saying the procedure was completed, however it did not always come up for me. If it doesn’t say it was completed, just hit start again and it will check the current status and tell you what it is. If it’s correct, move on to the next one.

The following list is all the settings you need to change or verify to enable Passive Entry. Each setting name is given, followed by the state it needs to be set to in bold. I made all the changes sequentially without cycling the ignition at all in between and everything worked just fine. Take your time as the full list in the app is long and you can easily scroll past a setting, especially the wireless ones as there are only a few. (The newer version of AlfaOBD allows you to search for a specific setting, so you can begin typing in the search bar and it will start narrowing down the list if you don't want to scroll through everything. Just make sure you keep track of the ones you change as you move down the list)

PASSIVE ENTRY BCM SETTINGS

VehConfig 3 fobik safe enable- YES

VehConfig 3 passive entry present- YES

LIN and Misc fobik safe alert no reply- YES

LIN and Misc fobik safe alert on system fault- YES

LIN and Misc fobik safe alert on search timeout- YES

LIN and Misc fobik safe alert per ignition cycle counter- 2

Wireless AP1 Left front- SMART SWITCH

Wireless AP2 Right front- SMART SWITCH

CustSetMenu 1 passive entry CSM present- YES

Cust.Prog.Features- Passive Entry Unlock All Doors or Approach Door- ENABLED


IMPORTANT NOTE: With the configuration set as above, if you do not have all the hardware installed (such as the 5th antenna) fobiksafe will not operate as designed and there will be fault codes stored in the rfhub. If you utilize the inside lock button to lock the doors as you exit, whether or not the fob is inside, you will get an alert from fobiksafe and the locks will auto-unlock after closing. There is the small chance you could lock your fob in the truck if you ignore the warning since it doesn't actually know whether the fob is inside or not, and on the 3rd attempt the doors will remain locked. Once everything required for PE is installed, the whole system will function as intended from the factory…alerting you only if it senses a fob left inside the truck so you do not lock yourself out.

Once all the settings have been made you can cycle the ignition back to off. You can also remove the SGW bypass and OBD interface now.

Go ahead and disconnect the battery and let it sit for a bit. Anywhere from 15-30 min should be sufficient. The intent is to ensure the RF Hub re-reads and picks up on the new BCM configuration the next ignition cycle. (Although this may not be totally necessary, it isn't going to hurt anything)

This was initially completed on my '20 Bighorn which had the 8.4 non-nav unit. If you have nav, it may take a bit longer to show up in Uconnect, so don’t freak out if it isn't there right away. Give it a few ignition cycles and everything should show up. The actual passive entry will likely function even before the setting shows up in the menu. You will be able to find the passive entry option in settings, under “doors and locks" on your screen.

If you plan on adding the antenna and wiring to the rear of the truck, refer to the post that pertains to your specific model year.

Hi.

I need to take my truck in to the dealer but am having trouble trying to unplug the SGW bypass from the gateway. What do I need to to do to get them to release? Thanks in advance.

 

[vincentw56]

Hi.

I need to take my truck in to the dealer but am having trouble trying to unplug the SGW bypass from the gateway. What do I need to to do to get them to release? Thanks in advance.

You just need to push in on the tabs to remove the connectors from it.

 

[hulk181]

You just need to push in on the tabs to remove the connectors from it.

Where are the tabs located on the plug? Are the tabs in the non wire section of the connection? If so do you push outward or inward?

 

[MayhemMOORE]

Where are the tabs located on the plug? Are the tabs in the non wire section of the connection? If so do you push outward or inward?

The same tabs you pressed to release the connectors from the sgw under the dash are what will release it from the bypass. If you’re using the one from infotainment, and it fits like mine, those little plugs are one hell of a tight fit. I put some dielectric grease on them to help them fit in and put a little easier, but I still just about smash my knuckles whenever they finally pop out of the bypass.


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[rtm03862iq]

Another successful install! Granted, I had some issues after making the changes using AlfaODB and I thought I messed up the truck. Once I was done, I disconnected the battery for 30 minutes and when I reconnected it, the handles worked flawlessly; however, my "Locks and Doors" menu on the Unconnect screen was gone and my climate controls were all messed up (I had (2) temperature settings (LO and HI) and the AC wasn't working). I disconnected the battery again, but the issue persisted, so I did some looking online, which pointed me in the direction of doing a soft reset on the Uconnect system. So I pressed the Volume and Tune buttons simultaneously for about 15 seconds and the screen went blank. A few seconds later, the system came back on and everything was back to normal. The "Locks and Doors" menu was back and now had "Passive Entry" listed. Thank god! I thought I'd be dealer bound in the AM to see if they could fix the issue. Anyway, love the feature and thanks for all of the great info MayhemMOORE!

 

[MayhemMOORE]

Another successful install! Granted, I had some issues after making the changes using AlfaODB and I thought I messed up the truck. Once I was done, I disconnected the battery for 30 minutes and when I reconnected it, the handles worked flawlessly; however, my "Locks and Doors" menu on the Unconnect screen was gone and my climate controls were all messed up (I had (2) temperature settings (LO and HI) and the AC wasn't working). I disconnected the battery again, but the issue persisted, so I did some looking online, which pointed me in the direction of doing a soft reset on the Uconnect system. So I pressed the Volume and Tune buttons simultaneously for about 15 seconds and the screen went blank. A few seconds later, the system came back on and everything was back to normal. The "Locks and Doors" menu was back and now had "Passive Entry" listed. Thank god! I thought I'd be dealer bound in the AM to see if they could fix the issue. Anyway, love the feature and thanks for all of the great info MayhemMOORE!

I replied to your PM, but just to remind everyone else who may read this….don’t freak out if your Uconnect menus and settings seem all messed up for a while after disconnecting the battery or making changes in the bcm, you didn’t break anything. If you have a navigation system in your truck it may take several ignition cycles or overnight for everything to return to normal. The non-nav systems seem to reset much quicker.


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[Th8785]

So I'm about ready to do this upgrade to my truck and after I ordered what I think is everything something occured to me. Do I need a different tailgate handle to open it? Or does it not work with the proximity entry as far as unlocking. Thanks for the insight

 

[vincentw56]

So I'm about ready to do this upgrade to my truck and after I ordered what I think is everything something occured to me. Do I need a different tailgate handle to open it? Or does it not work with the proximity entry as far as unlocking. Thanks for the insight

It will work fine with it as long as you install the rear antenna.

 

[aswain511]

Anyone have the exterior handles or latch come loose after doing this? I did mine about two weeks ago, went to close the door today and it wouldnt latch closed, just bounces back open. I kept trying and got it to latch, and it locks fine with the handle but intermittently opens from the outside. Had to have my son crawl over the console to open mine from the inside.

Im hoping I can just pull the cap and try to force the handle back into place. Interested if anyone had a similar issue or can point to a place to start troubleshooting

 

[MayhemMOORE]

Anyone have the exterior handles or latch come loose after doing this? I did mine about two weeks ago, went to close the door today and it wouldnt latch closed, just bounces back open. I kept trying and got it to latch, and it locks fine with the handle but intermittently opens from the outside. Had to have my son crawl over the console to open mine from the inside.

Im hoping I can just pull the cap and try to force the handle back into place. Interested if anyone had a similar issue or can point to a place to start troubleshooting

Make sure the recessed torx screw that holds the cap/handle in is tight. If you loosened or removed the latch itself during the install check those 3 screws as well. It could be misaligned just enough to cause an intermittent issue.


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[Timbow]

Anyone have the exterior handles or latch come loose after doing this? I did mine about two weeks ago, went to close the door today and it wouldnt latch closed, just bounces back open. I kept trying and got it to latch, and it locks fine with the handle but intermittently opens from the outside. Had to have my son crawl over the console to open mine from the inside.

Im hoping I can just pull the cap and try to force the handle back into place. Interested if anyone had a similar issue or can point to a place to start troubleshooting

There is also a little tab on the handle that needs to be over the sheet metal of the door. The easiest way I found to engage it was with the torx screw loosened, grab the screw and push it towards the hinge side of the door all the way, then pull the screw back towards you and slide it back towards the non-hinged side of the door. See photo

 

[aswain511]

There is also a little tab on the handle that needs to be over the sheet metal of the door. The easiest way I found to engage it was with the torx screw loosened, grab the screw and push it towards the hinge side of the door all the way, then pull the screw back towards you and slide it back towards the non-hinged side of the door. See photo

Make sure the recessed torx screw that holds the cap/handle in is tight. If you loosened or removed the latch itself during the install check those 3 screws as well. It could be misaligned just enough to cause an intermittent issue.


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Thanks fellas. Im gonna try to get into it this weekend. I appreciate the feedback

 

[MTGC]

If there is anyone in the DFW area that has done this and would want to do it again for some $$, just let me know!

 

[Timbow]

If there is anyone in the DFW area that has done this and would want to do it again for some $$, just let me know!

If you ever head up to Tulsa I’d be able to do it for you

 

[Nismofreak]

So I'm in a special situation, I would like to order these parts for my truck but I am unable to install it myself due to my left arm being paralyzed. Would anyone near VA be willing to install this in exchange for payment for the labor?

 

[MayhemMOORE]

So I'm in a special situation, I would like to order these parts for my truck but I am unable to install it myself due to my left arm being paralyzed. Would anyone near VA be willing to install this in exchange for payment for the labor?

If I was in that area I would help you out. If you don’t have much luck in this thread, try posting in your regional forum, probably better odds of finding someone that can help out in your area.


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[Th8785]

Kind of off topic but as I was installing my new handles and wiring today I decided to work on my stereo upgrade as well. Seeing as there's no room around the plug inside the boot between the door and cab, does anyone have the full wiring pin diagram so I can try and run wiring though the connecters themselves. Or any ideas otherwise?

 

[MayhemMOORE]

Kind of off topic but as I was installing my new handles and wiring today I decided to work on my stereo upgrade as well. Seeing as there's no room around the plug inside the boot between the door and cab, does anyone have the full wiring pin diagram so I can try and run wiring though the connecters themselves. Or any ideas otherwise?

@Jimmy07 probably does. If he doesn’t chime in eventually I can look back through all the stuff from when I did the write up and see if the full diagrams are there.


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