Etorque generator noise

[txramguy910]

Has anyone gotten any root cause resolution on this issue with either your local dealership or with @RamCares? I have a 2019 1500 Limited with eTorque and 51,500 miles. In the last ~2,000 miles, I've started to have a very definitive whine on startup and at idle. With the hood open, it seems to be coming from the eTorque module (alternator?) that's connected to the belt. When my truck starts, it's around 1,500-1,700 RPM, then drop down to about 700 RPM after a minute or so. It's very noticeable on startup and for the first 5 minutes of driving, then I stop noticing it until I get to my destination and park and have it in idle again, and the noise it then once again quite noticeable. I called into my local dealer this morning, but haven't gotten a response yet.

 

[RamCares]

Hey @txramguy910 ,

Once you have an appointment in place with your dealership, we can connect you with a specialist who can assist you while your vehicle is being diagnosed and repaired. Please send us a DM when you hear back!

Callie
Ram Cares

 

[mikeru82]

The OP hasn't been back since January of 2021, but it seems some people missed this post where someone actually figured out what was causing his noise. Some of the other people with this issue might want to at least take a look at it...

Found out it was the Hydraulic belt tensioner. Took a week to get the part and fix my truck. Just got itm back yesterday.

 

[Havok]

Owner 2021 ram 1500 limited night edition with 8300 miles. Since purchase I started hearing whining noise between 500-700 rpms. Took to dealership of purchase and they said it was normal after having me sit in another Etorque. They said it’s related to generator charging hybrid battery while idle. I somewhat reluctantly agreed but annoying sound continues. I am still in process of investigating into this. Does anyone else with Etorque 5.7 L hemi have this problem? I’m planning on driving this truck for many miles but concerned this noise is associated with problem that may come up later after warranty expires $$$$.
Also for truck at price point of 72K it seems not right to have such an annoying noise to be normal.

Same issue with my 2020 Laramie, but just started at 69,000 miles. Never heard a sound prior. Owned since new.

 

[art1C6Limited]

Owner 2021 ram 1500 limited night edition with 8300 miles. Since purchase I started hearing whining noise between 500-700 rpms. Took to dealership of purchase and they said it was normal after having me sit in another Etorque. They said it’s related to generator charging hybrid battery while idle. I somewhat reluctantly agreed but annoying sound continues. I am still in process of investigating into this. Does anyone else with Etorque 5.7 L hemi have this problem? I’m planning on driving this truck for many miles but concerned this noise is associated with problem that may come up later after warranty expires $$$$.
Also for truck at price point of 72K it seems not right to have such an annoying noise to be normal.

I know this thread is 11 months old but mine has just started doing the same thing. I have a Limited Longhorn eTorque with just over 8000 miles. Thank you for posting.

 

[JF19Longhorn]

This weekend I was on a semi long downhill grade (rolling in 4th @ 3700rpms) for what seemed like 5 miles out by the in-laws. Started hearing a whining that sounded like a power steering pump with low fluid. Was still present after we hit the bottom for acouple miles and then went away. The sound came back here and there on that trip, and I was waiting for a CEL to pop, but the charge gauge never moved far from the norm the whole trip. Never made a sound the entire trip back home Sunday.

Should probably printout the warranty coverage for the Etrq so I can just hand it to them when it finally dies.

 

[art1C6Limited]

I know this thread is 11 months old but mine has just started doing the same thing. I have a Limited Longhorn eTorque with just over 8000 miles. Thank you for posting.

I'm on the road and took my truck in to a local dealer in Bellefontaine, OH. Tech looked at my truck without an appointment - how awesome is THAT?! He definitely heard the noise and with a stethoscope said it sounded like the front bearing was going bad and the entire unit would need to be replaced. Since I'm traveling, he said the part wouldn't come in soon enough. So I'm just gonna take it to my local dealer in FL when I get home. If it makes it.

 

[Luke22]

How did it go in Florida? I took mine to a private mechanic in Erie who said it was noise from the etorque and he called the Ram dealer to make an appointment for me since it is covered under the powertrain warranty.

Two weeks later when seen the service manager said it was a normal noise and played me a recorded video from Chrysler with a noise they claimed was normal and a orivate mechanic would not know since it was an inhouse bulliren video ( mine was louder, from a whine to a grinding noise and previously was a quiet truck to drive). He said it was fine to drive to Florida. The noise was still bad so I went to the Georgetown KY Ram dealer to have them look at the truck. The mechanic put a stethascope with screwdriver to kisten to the etorque and confirmed that was the problem but it would be fine to drive to Florida and have it looked at there if I was still concerned.

Yes, extremely concerned so I called Arrigo and had the phone to the etorque while pulled over on the road it was scaring me at this point. He said bring it in right away, that is not a normal noise!

They have had the truck two days without a definitive diagnosis-could be etorque or a pulley bearing noise. Hiw long should I expect this to take? The etorque is under warranty.

Another weird thing is that the etorque "silver box" was silver shiny in Erie. When I popped to demonstrate the noise to the service tech over the phone it had brown/black areas on it that looked like flames licked the surface ( similar to taking a torch to metal when metalsmithing). Any thoughts?

 

[EdgarR]

Thank you for offering to assist.

Did you ever get this resolved? I have a 2019 RAM Laramie longhorn with 35,000 miles and it just started making the noise. I opened the hood and it is definitely coming from the e-torque motor.

 

[jw73]

Good afternoon - this is the same problem I had a week ago. the truck will start to lose voltage and then die. making it undriveable. Get it to the dealer and get the e-torque motor/set up ordered ASAP!!! this will go out at anytime and truck will stall out while driving. my part is one order now and I was told 6-8 weeks. Good News, they will/should provide a loaner car/truck.

 

[txramguy910]

I took my truck in about 2 months ago, and they confirmed it was the eTorque generator module. Parts got in and finally got it slotted into the service schedule yesterday, and they're working on it now. They said that fixed about 90% of the noise, but they also have to replace one of the tensioner pulleys that isn't working right. I'm supposed to get it back on Friday, so we'll see how it goes.

 

[txramguy910]

Update: Picked up truck this afternoon. The primary culprit was the Motor Generator Unit (MGU), but they also replaced both tensioners, the serpentine belt, and the A/C Compressor. Big thank you to @RamCares for helping to work through this with the dealer, get the parts, and get it all fixed.

 

[RamCares]

Hey! We're so happy to hear that you got this taken care of!

Callie
Ram Cares

 

[ExFordGuy]

Oh great. I just ordered a 2023 Laramie 1500 with a Hemi etorque. Hope I get a good one.

 

[Seadoorxpguy]

Mine is making the same noise. Its at the dealership now. I'm at 56k miles on the standard warranty so hopefully they can find the issue and it be covered.

 

[Superbri]

My 2022 Laramie just started to whine badly at 18K miles! I have an appointment at the local RAM dealer this Thursday. Sounds like it's the MGU as well. When it started the truck stalled out once already. Dealer indicated they didn't have a loaner but I can't be without a car for 6 weeks!

 

[jermanoid]

Hey! We're so happy to hear that you got this taken care of!

Callie
Ram Cares

I think I'm having a similar issue here in Palm Coast Florida. I have an appointment in Daytona CJD with Paul in the Service Department tomorrow at 11am. I've got a 22' 1500 Rebel with 7000 miles. I was experiencing a whine when decelerating for a while. I was thinking it was normal at the time since I'd never had E-Torque before. (It sounded like the Delorean from Back to the Future.. but only when braking). Early on, I had a CEL about an auto start/stop malfunction that went away after a truck restart. At the time I dismissed it, although brought it up when getting my oil changed. The real symptom now is I have a low voltage warning. Battery tests good, and I trickle charge it fine up to 12.6 volts. truck reads 12.6 volts when off which matches my battery tester readout ( so I think the IBS/BMS is reporting properly. ), but it drops to 12.0v after cranking and slowly drops over time until I hook it back up to the trickle charger. It must be the Generator, or the 48v battery pack... possibly PCM firmware. But thinking back to the whining sounds I was hearing, and the Auto Start/Stop CEL. I think the generator possibly blew a bearing. Although I no longer hear the whining sound, autostart/stop is disabled due to the low voltage. that's currently the only other symptom I have, besides ****ting my pants hoping my battery doesn't die on the way to Daytona tomorrow.

 

[Superbri]

The trucks at the dealership as we speak, it's been there for a week and they finally got around to replacing the idler pulley...didn't fix the problem, big shock. They don't sound like they have any plans on what to try next and i've been without the truck for a week without a loaner. If they can't do something by tomorrow evening I need to pick the truck up as I'm going out of town and can't leave the family without a car. I'll probably try another dealership and see if they listen to me instead of guessing and trying to replace the most inexpensive parts first.

 

[Luv2fly3]

The trucks at the dealership as we speak, it's been there for a week and they finally got around to replacing the idler pulley...didn't fix the problem, big shock. They don't sound like they have any plans on what to try next and i've been without the truck for a week without a loaner. If they can't do something by tomorrow evening I need to pick the truck up as I'm going out of town and can't leave the family without a car. I'll probably try another dealership and see if they listen to me instead of guessing and trying to replace the most inexpensive parts first.

Does the whine you hear change pitch with the downshifting when you're decelerating and coming to a stop? My 2022 Laramie has a faint whine that does that when I'm coming to a stop. I haven't seen any issues beyond simply hearing the whine. So I haven't really been overly concerned. But I have thought about letting my dealer take a listen and see if they might find something not quite right. Hope they figure yours out. Post back any updates!

 

[Superbri]

Mine is pretty bad on initial start up and then quiets down a little bit at idle however when you accelerate it's an extremely loud whining, grating sound. I initially thought it may have been a pulley as well until I got under the hood and listened to it while someone pressed on the accelerator and could swear it was coming from the etorque system. This was before I did any research on the subject however once I did and listened to the noise other people had with the MCU it was pretty much identical. The service advisor said she'd seen MCU's going bad and indicated I wouldn't even be able to drive it if that's what it was? I can live with a little subtle whine but there's nothing subtle about this, it's ridiculously loud to the point where my daughter refused to let me pick her up from school with it because it was embarrassingly loud. It sucks when you buy a 60K$ truck that has significant issues while I traded in old Toyota Tundra with over 100k miles that never had an issue. I'll let you know what they find, i'm hoping it's not the etorque MCU but right now they're indicating they don't know what it is...great.