Dead Battery Poll

[mynameisante]

Original OEM Mopar H7 is 750 CCA. I have gone through 4 winters with no issues starting in cold weather. The CCA may be more important in extreme cold weather.

No fast answer to explain AGM:

AGM vs Lead Acid Batteries: 12 Differences + 9 FAQs

Discover how AGM vs lead acid batteries differ, including some battery FAQs.

www.repairsmith.com

AGM from my experience costs more and has a longer warranty. I would take into consideration the discharge rate if you do not use the vehicle frequently and do not use a "battery maintainer". All new vehicles have some draw.

I live in a warm weather climate (Southern California -- fortunately, unfortunately). Would you then recommend an AGM over a CCA?

I'm contemplating between buying an aftermarket "overkill" AGM H8 and going to the dealer and after to reprogram my truck, or going OEM at the dealer and they reprogram after install. What do you think?

 

[mikeru82]

I live in a warm weather climate (Southern California -- fortunately, unfortunately). Would you then recommend an AGM over a CCA?

I'm contemplating between buying an aftermarket "overkill" AGM H8 and going to the dealer and after to reprogram my truck, or going OEM at the dealer and they reprogram after install. What do you think?

I think you meant to say "Would you then recommend an AGM over a flooded lead acid?", as both batteries have a CCA rating.

It's personal choice really. AGM batteries are actually better in higher temps as well as extreme low temps, but for different reasons. Here are the points which would cause me to choose an AGM battery...

1) If I wanted to relocate the battery, especially if mounting it on it's side was necessary.
2) Even if relocation allowed it to be mounted normally, I'd opt for AGM if it was relocated to a place that wasn't easy to access.
3) If I regularly drive in racing, extreme off-road, or extremely rough road conditions regularly. AGM batteries aren't affected as much by vibrations or shock.
4) If I had higher than normal power requirements, such as high power aftermarket amps.
5) If I regularly ran down my battery. AGM are by nature well suited to act as deep cycle batteries.
6) The last one is debatable IMHO. They supposedly last a little longer. I've owned two AGM batteries in the past, and in my experience they actually died sooner than many other lead acid batteries I've owned.

Unless I met one of the conditions I listed above I'd just stick with lead acid batteries. AGM batteries can cost two to three times as much as a comparable lead acid battery and in my opinion aren't worth the extra cost for normal use.

 

[mynameisante]

Roger that. I don't meet ANY of that criteria. Thank you for the well-layed out, straightforward reply. I will be going with the acid battery

 

[Jako]

Yeah ... AGM is $180 with a 4yr warranty. The 94 is $160 with a 3yr warranty.

I only use my truck on the weekends.

I do not use my Ram these days on a daily basis.
Recently replaced my battery with a maintenance, lead acid battery, H7 by Deka.
The H7 fits in my 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 so I can pass it on to my other truck.
Maintenance battery - worked for me previously, better longevity than maintenance free - my experience, no problem checking the solution level
Deka - because it is made in USA (see below)
I have a battery maintainer with desulfation (desulfation worked for me, however not for another member)

I have come to the conclusion based on a few vehicles either drive the vehicle at highway speeds for 20 to 30 minutes once a week or put it on a battery maintainer with desulfation. That is for battery health, for vehicle health (tires, brakes, seals AC) it is still best to run it.

I also purchased a Launch 560 battery tester, between family cars and motorcycles (total 12) the $80 was well worth it to me.
Also carry a battery jumper pack. Insurance for a just in case and also against crossing wires (getting old - CRS, CRAFT and sometimes just an irrational hard *** with rage issues, as an example when your battery craps out after 2 years on your new Ram).

MY WTF moment when I saw "Made in Turkey" on my Deka battery and the reply from Deka.
"Good afternoon, We continue to make most of their batteries in the US which includes here in Pennsylvania and our 2 new facilities in Oelwein IA and Temple TX. However, given the supply chain issues and labor shortages over the last 2 years, a couple of the part numbers were being product by other partnering companies outside the US to help meet the forecasted demand from some of our retailers. This is only designed to be temporary, however we do not know how long the material and labor shortages will continue before returning to normal levels. We are starting to see levels returning to a more normal state recently and have already made changes in production in the US. The batteries that are being produced outside the US were being made to our standards and still carry our warranty."

Based on what I have read so far the battery market is being consolidated. I am keeping my fingers crossed that Deka will stay USA made.

 

[jermanoid]

Just got my 2019 Ram big horn. Etorque. Got it used yesterday with 60k miles. Drove 50 miles, 3 times the 8.4 rebooted after the truck was already running. I thought, well that's weird but maybe I was bumping something I didn't realize in the new to me truck. Woke up this morning. Truck is clear dead, no lights at all. Took forever to get charged back enough to start.

Interesting to me, the usb outlet were not turning off like the ones in the front. Also the screen in the gauge cluster was not turning off. Even with truck off, door closed, key in the house, wait 30 minutes.....screen still on.

When I did get it running all kinds of stuff was messed up. You couldn't even set the temp. On the AC anymore, it would just say HI or LO.

Dealer took it back for repair. They said they out a tech right on it. Hope so.

I had a uconnect update that installed when I was getting gas on the way home to Palm Coast FL from Tampa. Stupid Idea to let it install while I was 100 miles from home, but it was fine at theh time. After that update installed I saw that same AC temp issue a couple days later. And then it went away next time i started the truck. Also i started seeing my voltage issues after that. Probably coincidence and a bad battery. Going to get an H8 tomorrow and if I still experience issues I have an appointment scheduled already next Monday. I love my RAM, but my next truck is going to have a carburetor.

 

[jermanoid]

21 Limited
24k-ish miles
Last week had a weird issue where the adaptive cruise and forward collision sensors quit working in the middle of a drive.
Been watching battery voltage since then as I couldn't find any other reason for the error.
Battery was showing 12v at rest with DMM after sitting overnight.
Had my wife start it and the voltage dipped to 10.5v, so this morning we went to Wallyworld and I bought an H8 AGM.

Man I haven't heard "Wallyworld" in forever. My Dad used to call it that.

 

[jermanoid]

This might make some sense. I have air.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

Plausible. I DON'T have air suspension, and I just have a low OEM **** batt but I'm not experiencing any drain when the truck is parked.

 

[gerstoy]

2023 Ram 1500 5.7 with ETouque. After about 30 days of ownership, I go to work to find my truck dead, as in 2.1V. I put it on charger and drove 2nd car to work. Truck charged up and I drove it 50 miles to see if voltage would hold, which it did. Next day, I go to work voltage at 13.6v. Halfway to work and it took a step change to 12.8v. I called the dealer who said bring it in. On the drive there, same step change. Service writer plugged in the computer and noted many low charge codes. Two days later, service calls and says no problem found. I've driven it 4 days now, and voltage varies between 12.8 and 13.6v. Guess I'll drive it and see if it dies hard again and have them tow it.

Not a good trust builder on a $75K vehicle.

 

[Ellisstrong]

2023 Ram 1500 5.7 with ETouque. After about 30 days of ownership, I go to work to find my truck dead, as in 2.1V. I put it on charger and drove 2nd car to work. Truck charged up and I drove it 50 miles to see if voltage would hold, which it did. Next day, I go to work voltage at 13.6v. Halfway to work and it took a step change to 12.8v. I called the dealer who said bring it in. On the drive there, same step change. Service writer plugged in the computer and noted many low charge codes. Two days later, service calls and says no problem found. I've driven it 4 days now, and voltage varies between 12.8 and 13.6v. Guess I'll drive it and see if it dies hard again and have them tow it.

Not a good trust builder on a $75K vehicle.

I’ve heard the voltage fluctuations are normal for etorque trucks

 

[gerstoy]

I've read the same on other threads and I guess I can live with that. However, dying in the driveway after 30 days of ownership doesn't instill a lot of confidence in reliability.

 

[kapinallinen2]

My truck fluctuates from over 14 to mid 12 volts depending on the state of charge of the battery.

 

[RAM Patriot]

It is my understanding that most new vehicles including our trucks are equipped with a smart alternator.
========================================================================
What are 'smart' alternators and how do they help with emissions?

Smart alternators are essentially those that have their output voltage controlled externally via the Engine Control Unit (ECU) rather than by an internal voltage regulator as found on traditional alternators.

When an alternator is running and producing a charging voltage the electromagnetic field generated inside it produces a mechanical load on the engine via the alternator drive belt. This load increases as the output voltage rises, meaning that the engine has to work harder to turn the alternator which consumes more fuel in the process. Traditional alternators maintain their voltage between 13.8-14.4V depending on the state of charge of the battery and various other factors. This means that there is always a significant load on the engine from the alternator which requires fuel to be consumed.

As smart alternators are ECU-controlled it enables manufacturers to vary the voltage output more than can be achieved with an internal regulator. This provides the opportunity to bring the voltage below 13.8V during periods when no further charging is required (e.g. when the battery is nearly full) meaning that engine loads are reduced, fuel consumption is reduced and emissions are lowered, all helping manufacturers to comply with industry environmental regulations.

 

[jermanoid]

Dropped my truck off at RAM today . 24-48 hour just for the diagnostic . To reiterate, I have no battery drain on the parked truck. But a constant low running voltage. after a full night trickle the battery is at 12.6v but bounces between 12.0 and 12.3v when running. although it slowly drops to a lower number with every crank. Battery tested great, although I'm skeptical of the battery anyway from what I've been reading. I think I have more of a charging issue though between the generator and 48v battery. I don't think the IBS is bad as it seems to report a proper voltage when compared to my multimeter. In the meantime I've placed a scale model of the truck I got for free off WISH in the garage. I've had this one for a few months with no electrical issues, but it doesn't have any fancy warranties.

 

[theblet]

Dropped my truck off at RAM today . 24-48 hour just for the diagnostic . To reiterate, I have no battery drain on the parked truck. But a constant low running voltage. after a full night trickle the battery is at 12.6v but bounces between 12.0 and 12.3v when running. although it slowly drops to a lower number with every crank. Battery tested great, although I'm skeptical of the battery anyway from what I've been reading. I think I have more of a charging issue though between the generator and 48v battery. I don't think the IBS is bad as it seems to report a proper voltage when compared to my multimeter. In the meantime I've placed a scale model of the truck I got for free off WISH in the garage. I've had this one for a few months with no electrical issues, but it doesn't have any fancy warranties. View attachment 164789

Running voltage is usually in the low 14s IIRC. I’ve had batteries that tested good before, but they were still bad. Good luck with it

 

[markfrank]

Since some of our forum members are reporting issues with dead batteries.

Let's see if we can narrow down which truck configurations are reporting the most issues:

If you have had a dead battery in your truck since purchasing a 2019-2021 RAM Truck.

2021 Ram 10th Anniversary Laramie Longhorn 1500. Dead battery at 23 months old with 15, 000 miles.

 

[jermanoid]

They called me up today. Said the 48v battery pack is the problem with the part on order no ETA other than an estimated 2 weeks.

 

[llando88]

2021 Ram 1500 Big Horn Crew Cab 5.7l V8. Truck was built Nov '20 but sold March '21. I am the second owner, purchased it Nov '21 with 6k miles, now at 34k. Most of that from towing a small travel trailer around the US. I live in Central FL.

I had left the tail gate down, truck locked, for about 2 hours. Went out to move the truck, no crank, gauges lit up etc. but no start. Got check engine light. I hooked up my NOCO BoostPlus GB40 portable battery pack/booster (man I am glad I bought that thing), and it turned slow, but fired up.

After about an hour, I went to move the truck, same thing. Used my BoostPlus to start, then drove home (about 60 miles) and shut off truck. Battery voltage on the highway was 14.0 - 14.1V. After five minutes, it restarted ok, so I locked it for the night, where it sits now.

I have a Garmin Mini2 plugged into the top dash 12V outlet (for about 2 months). I also have a LED light plugged into the receiver hitch attached to the 4-way trailer connection. Thinking maybe a combination of three years in the heat plus slight drain from the USB outlet (?) could have been enough to flatten the battery, I dunno. I'm also not clear what effect accidentally leaving the tailgate down might have had.

Three years use seems early for an OEM battery, but reading this thread, maybe not. I plan to remove both the accessories; I don't think there is anything else that's connected to the truck.

Plan is to restart the truck this morning (hopefully) and drive to the parts store to swap it out.

 

[theblet]

2021 Ram 1500 Big Horn Crew Cab 5.7l V8. Truck was built Nov '20 but sold March '21. I am the second owner, purchased it Nov '21 with 6k miles, now at 34k. Most of that from towing a small travel trailer around the US. I live in Central FL.

I had left the tail gate down, truck locked, for about 2 hours. Went out to move the truck, no crank, gauges lit up etc. but no start. Got check engine light. I hooked up my NOCO BoostPlus GB40 portable battery pack/booster (man I am glad I bought that thing), and it turned slow, but fired up.

After about an hour, I went to move the truck, same thing. Used my BoostPlus to start, then drove home (about 60 miles) and shut off truck. Battery voltage on the highway was 14.0 - 14.1V. After five minutes, it restarted ok, so I locked it for the night, where it sits now.

I have a Garmin Mini2 plugged into the top dash 12V outlet (for about 2 months). I also have a LED light plugged into the receiver hitch attached to the 4-way trailer connection. Thinking maybe a combination of three years in the heat plus slight drain from the USB outlet (?) could have been enough to flatten the battery, I dunno. I'm also not clear what effect accidentally leaving the tailgate down might have had.

Three years use seems early for an OEM battery, but reading this thread, maybe not. I plan to remove both the accessories; I don't think there is anything else that's connected to the truck.

Plan is to restart the truck this morning (hopefully) and drive to the parts store to swap it out.

Was the bed/cab light on while the tailgate was down?

 

[llando88]

Was the bed/cab light on while the tailgate was down?

Yeah could be, I'm not sure. But if it was, that's another potential current load I didn't think of. Thanks.

So, update: just got back from swapping in a new battery (ended up with a DieHard Platinum AGM Battery: H7). When I went to start it this morning here at the house, same problem, no start. I used my NOCO again to get it going.

At the store after putting in the new battery, the truck started up ok. Maybe a bit slow to turn over. Voltage read 12.0. It ramped up to 14.3 over maybe 6 seconds, then stayed there. I drove about 15 miles at moderate speed and just parked up here at the house. A quick restart was normal, with good crank speed, battery reading 13.9V on the truck readout. So far so good.

Obviously everything reset with the new battery. On the second start, the CEL was no longer lit, and it remains off (good).

What's weird is the circular temperature rotary encoder wheels aren't working properly. They spin ok, but they result in the climate being set either to HIGH or LO, with no settings in between. I can touch the screen, and set a temperature (say 72), but within 2 seconds, the set temp jumps back to LO. Weird. I am not sure what is going on with that. I drove home with it like that, A/C set to MAX and manually controlling fan speed.

Everything else seems to be working. I'll give the truck a few more start stop cycles, perhaps the rotary encoder module is no longer talking properly to the head unit. Maybe this will clear on its own...hopefully.

 

[StuartV]

I have a Garmin Mini2 plugged into the top dash 12V outlet (for about 2 months). I also have a LED light plugged into the receiver hitch attached to the 4-way trailer connection.

Just an FYI, in case you don't know.

The top dash outlet is on all the time, by default. But, there is a fuse in the fusebox that you can move from one position to another that will change that outlet to shut off when the truck is off.

If I were going to have something plugged in there all the time, I would change that fuse.

The trailer wiring should be off when the truck is off. If it's not, you should see the LED light on.

If the truck is still turning over slow with a new battery, then it seems like you have something else wrong. From what you said, my first thing to check would be if you have eTorque and, if so, is there something wrong with that? I.e. probably a trip to a dealer.