Dead Battery Poll

[StuartV]

Oh, and after a bad battery and a swap, it can take a bit for all the electronics to go back to normal. A day wouldn't surprise me. More than 24 hours and 3 restarts and I would think something else is going on.

 

[llando88]

Thanks guys. Good info. My truck is a regular old V8, no eTorque etc.

So at the moment everything is back to normal; the rotary encoders are working properly. I drove about 120 miles today at freeway speed to deliver a load of moving boxes (we bought a house this week) and I'm sure that gave it a good charge. Voltage was showing around 13.4-13.5 Volts on the readout now.

Startups are brisk, no issues with the truck at this time. It looks like it took 2-3 restarts for the rotary knobs to reset (I guess). Out of an abundance of caution I removed the LED Receiver light (guess I'll put my ball back in) and I haven't figured out where I am going to connect the Garmin Mini2 USB, but it won't be on the dash top 12V outlet, I don't think.

Phew!

Much appreciate the thread and all the helpful comments. It was very useful.

Rich

 

[e55amg2]

I'm now on my 3rd battery in 4 years. All AGM, and I have an E-torque. 2/3 have been covered by warranty, thankfully. I'm going to get rid of the POS FCA battery and go to a Deka (Napa) battery as soon as this one dies.

 

[zieke]

2020 Limited with eTorque totally dead at 9 months and 3k miles. Had to be jumped off the tow truck.

What was the fix?

 

[zieke]

I have a 21 1500 5.7 etorque w/ 15k miles. Drove 125 miles the other day without issue. Arrived at my destination, hung out for a bit then went to dinner...again, no issues. Parked for the night, truck wouldn't start. Jumped the battery, went to Oreilly's, battery tested fine however "alternator" showed "Voltage Regulator Failure". I needed to get home so I didn't shut the truck off and the voltage was consistent at 3/8 on the gauge. When I would come to a stoplight and let the auto stop/start engage it would drop to 1/4...stereo was off, climated control was off, wasn't even charging my phone. Anyone else have this issue?

 

[Scram1500]

Hope it can't hear me, still using oem, date on battery is 7/2019

 

[6of36]

Hope it can't hear me, still using oem, date on battery is 7/2019

You jinxed yourself. At four and a half years, I would just replace it anyways, before getting stranded. They work until they don't on these trucks, without warning.

 

[slatersan]

Dealer replaced one at 2.5 yrs and 38k miles. A year later, I just replaced another with a different brand. Either these batteries just suck *** or something else is going on.

 

[RAM Patriot]

Dealer replaced one at 2.5 yrs and 38k miles. A year later, I just replaced another with a different brand. Either these batteries just suck *** or something else is going on.

Could be a parasitic battery drain.

How to Find a Parasitic Battery Drain: 11 Steps (with Pictures)

If your vehicle is drawing power from the battery and all of the lights and other electrical components are off, you might have a parasitic battery drain (or draw). Luckily, you can usually find the cause of a parasitic draw yourself....

www.wikihow.com

 

[emings]

Mine made it 76k miles on the original battery before replacement

 

[FLiPMaRC]

Mine made it 76k miles on the original battery before replacement

How many years though? My friend averages 50k miles a year, while I average 10k miles a year.

 

[Merlin]

Mine made it to 27000 or so before it went dead in May/June 2023. Got the truck Jan. 2019. regular battery.
The day it died the truck started slow. I was driving and checked the voltage and it was down around 13. Usually 14.2-14.4.
When I got home I went inside and changed and remote started the truck and it barely started, voltage was dropping. I left it idling, called the shop I go to and drove over. They said the battery wouldn't hold a charge anymore, everything else tested fine. New Interstate battery and voltage hangs out around 14.5 to 14.7 when its running. even with a laptop plugged in and phones charging.

 

[FLiPMaRC]

Mine made it to 27000 or so before it went dead in May/June 2023. Got the truck Jan. 2019. regular battery.
The day it died the truck started slow. I was driving and checked the voltage and it was down around 13. Usually 14.2-14.4.
When I got home I went inside and changed and remote started the truck and it barely started, voltage was dropping. I left it idling, called the shop I go to and drove over. They said the battery wouldn't hold a charge anymore, everything else tested fine. New Interstate battery and voltage hangs out around 14.5 to 14.7 when its running. even with a laptop plugged in and phones charging.

Voltage reading when it's running is from the alternator, not the battery. Or am I wrong?

Your battery lasted 3.5 years. Not bad. I'm planning on getting a new battery soon. I'll be at 3yrs this June.

 

[kapinallinen2]

Voltage reading when it's running is from the alternator, not the battery. Or am I wrong?

You are correct.

 

[Merlin]

Voltage reading when it's running is from the alternator, not the battery. Or am I wrong?

Your battery lasted 3.5 years. Not bad. I'm planning on getting a new battery soon. I'll be at 3yrs this June.

The voltage was dropping while it was running. The battery was done, lucky the shop is only a mile and a half or so from my house. If I had worked overtime that day I would have been stuck.

 

[kapinallinen2]

Long gone are simple charging systems.

 

[emings]

How many years though? My friend averages 50k miles a year, while I average 10k miles a year.

I've had mine since September of 2020 I do alot of highway driving

 

[Ryan6900]

I just passed 20k miles on my 2019 and the battery died this week. (I only drive it on weekends) I also have a 5k watt aftermarket stereo in it. I guess I've been lucky for it to last this long. But now I want a heftier battery. I was thinking of the XS Power D3100, but I'm not sure if it will fit. Its 8.9" tall. Not sure if the hood will close.

 

[RAM Patriot]

I just passed 20k miles on my 2019 and the battery died this week. (I only drive it on weekends) I also have a 5k watt aftermarket stereo in it. I guess I've been lucky for it to last this long. But now I want a heftier battery. I was thinking of the XS Power D3100, but I'm not sure if it will fit. Its 8.9" tall. Not sure if the hood will close.

Yeah, that might be a little over kill.

 

[TheWaterman83]

My 2019 Rebel's went at about 30k in miles IIRC. My wife's 2021 JGC-L just went at 30k. Seems like FCA is either a) using crap batteries, b) have sub-par charging systems, c) have way too high of a draw on the battery or d) all of the above.

Both vehicles are daily drivers too. Driven 5-6 days a week.

And it's not just the e-torques because my wife's doesn't have that.