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How to Scan Radio Stations

RadDad

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Hello. I have a 2020 Ram 1500 and cannot, for the life of me, find how to scan radio stations. Seeking is easy, but is there no option to scan, or am I just missing it? TIA!
 
Hello. I have a 2020 Ram 1500 and cannot, for the life of me, find how to scan radio stations. Seeking is easy, but is there no option to scan, or am I just missing it? TIA!
Have you tried reading the owners manual?
 
Not sure of how you define "scan". The manual makes reference to presets.
The manual does reference SEEK with a search on the 2019 manual but does not show up "scan" or "radio scan".


From the 2019 Owner's Manual
"Radio Operation Pushing the top of the switch will SEEK up for the next listenable station and pushing the bottom of the switch will SEEK down for the next listenable station.

The button located in the center of the left-hand control will tune to the next preset station that you have programmed in the radio preset button."
 
Not sure of how you define "scan". The manual makes reference to presets.
The manual does reference SEEK with a search on the 2019 manual but does not show up "scan" or "radio scan".


From the 2019 Owner's Manual
"Radio Operation Pushing the top of the switch will SEEK up for the next listenable station and pushing the bottom of the switch will SEEK down for the next listenable station.

The button located in the center of the left-hand control will tune to the next preset station that you have programmed in the radio preset button."
That's for steering wheel controls. You can't scan using steering wheel controls
 
From owners manual, and this is common on many radios

Screenshot_20250204-112620~2.png
 
From owners manual, and this is common on many radios

View attachment 195952
Unless I'm missing something, that's good for "Seek". What about "Scan" as per initial post? My 2019 owner's manual has "00" for a search of the word "scan".

"Hello. I have a 2020 Ram 1500 and cannot, for the life of me, find how to scan radio stations. Seeking is easy, but is there no option to scan, or am I just missing it? TIA!"
 
Hello. I have a 2020 Ram 1500 and cannot, for the life of me, find how to scan radio stations. Seeking is easy, but is there no option to scan, or am I just missing it? TIA!
Based on Hondas that I have there is seek and scan. The scan is nice as you hit scan, it plays on a station for 10 seconds and if you like it hit the button and if you don't it will move to the next playable station, nice. Seek on the other hand moves along the numbers without necessarily having a station play and you have to keep hitting the button for the next station.

I do not believe my 2019 Ram has the scan function as per the Hondas. The Ram seems to have combined the two BUT it only goes to the next station if you hit the seek button, no AUTOMATIC next station like scan. Works off the back of the steering wheel or on the display. I have the 8" nav, can't speak for the 12 or newer.
 
Unless I'm missing something, that's good for "Seek". What about "Scan" as per initial post? My 2019 owner's manual has "00" for a search of the word "scan".

"Hello. I have a 2020 Ram 1500 and cannot, for the life of me, find how to scan radio stations. Seeking is easy, but is there no option to scan, or am I just missing it? TIA!"
Did you even read the highlighted portion? Push and HOLD the seek button and it will scan.
 
Did you even read the highlighted portion? Push and HOLD the seek button and it will scan.
As per my post "Unless I'm missing something", so I missed something. LOL, I'm an analog guy caught up in the digital world! My goal was to help the poster, took around about way but had you do it, LOL.

Now, where in the owner's manual is this? Seriously, I can not find "scan", "Fast Seek Up", "Fast Seek Down" or "Direct Tune" in my Ram's 2019 Owner's Manual.

And a big THANK YOU for giving the correct information (haven't tried it yet) and helping the original poster on his first day and first post to the 5th Generation Forum.

Me - I'm an AM talk show guy most of the time with an occasional country western station when I can tune them in. Also been using the steering wheel controls and wouldn't use that scan feature on the screen while driving, reflexes and reaction time have seen better days.

Have a nice evening and thanks again for the posts.
 
As per my post "Unless I'm missing something", so I missed something. LOL, I'm an analog guy caught up in the digital world! My goal was to help the poster, took around about way but had you do it, LOL.

Now, where in the owner's manual is this? Seriously, I can not find "scan", "Fast Seek Up", "Fast Seek Down" or "Direct Tune" in my Ram's 2019 Owner's Manual.

And a big THANK YOU for giving the correct information (haven't tried it yet) and helping the original poster on his first day and first post to the 5th Generation Forum.

Me - I'm an AM talk show guy most of the time with an occasional country western station when I can tune them in. Also been using the steering wheel controls and wouldn't use that scan feature on the screen while driving, reflexes and reaction time have seen better days.

Have a nice evening and thanks again for the posts.
It's in the supplemental manual specifically for the radio. You should have one.
 
Should have gotten both with the truck, if you bought new.
No, there is an old thread (2018/2019) on getting the owner's manual. And I was a little POd with the Uconnect manual as I believe I couldn't get a hard copy. I still have the info that came with the Ram and it is mostly useless, one dealing with arbitration and another with warranty.
Had to use the onboard manual to find the break in period/requirement. Salesman knew nothing and sales manager told me to drive it like I stole it.


"I just pick up my big horn last Friday, what an amazing truck. But I am surprised that it didn't come with a physical paper manual. All I got is a quick start guide, an "essential" manual. No more paper full manual anymore? I just want to make sure I got everything from the dealer."
 
Last edited:
From owners manual, and this is common on many radios

View attachment 195952
FROM:
file:///C:/Users/fddcd/Documents/Ram Uconnect 4c Nav.pdf
pg 23
Press and hold = "FASTER" vs above,
Press and hold = button will scan the different frequency bands at a SLOWER rate"

"Seek And Direct Tune Functions
The Seek Up and Down functions are activated by pressing the double arrow buttons on the touchscreen to the right and left of the radio station display, or by pressing the left “Steering Wheel Audio Control” (if equipped) up or down.

Seek Up
Press and release the “Seek Up” button on the touch screen to tune the radio to the next listenable station or channel. During a Seek Up function, if the radio reaches the starting station after passing through the entire band two times, the radio will stop at the station where it began.

Fast Seek Up
Press and hold the “Seek Up” button on the touch screen to advance the radio through the available stations or channels at a faster rate, the radio stops at the next available station or channel when the button on the touch screen is released.

Seek Down
Press and release the “Seek Down” button on the touch screen to tune the radio to the next listenable station or channel. During a Seek Down function, if the radio reaches the starting station after passing through the entire band two times, the radio will stop at the station where it began.

Fast Seek Down
Press and hold the “Seek Down” button on the touch screen to advance the radio through the available stations or channel at a faster rate, the radio stops at the next available station or channel when the button on the touch screen is released."
 
As per my post "Unless I'm missing something", so I missed something. LOL, I'm an analog guy caught up in the digital world! My goal was to help the poster, took around about way but had you do it, LOL.

Now, where in the owner's manual is this? Seriously, I can not find "scan", "Fast Seek Up", "Fast Seek Down" or "Direct Tune" in my Ram's 2019 Owner's Manual.

And a big THANK YOU for giving the correct information (haven't tried it yet) and helping the original poster on his first day and first post to the 5th Generation Forum.

Me - I'm an AM talk show guy most of the time with an occasional country western station when I can tune them in. Also been using the steering wheel controls and wouldn't use that scan feature on the screen while driving, reflexes and reaction time have seen better days.

Have a nice evening and thanks again for the posts.
Got the time to try it today. The screen buttons do the same as the steering wheel buttons on my 8.4 nav radio and correlates to the Uconnect Manual.

THERE IS NO SCAN. That is if "SCAN" is defined as stopping on the radio station and playing for a short period and moving on to the next station if the button is not pressed again.
 
Hello. I have a 2020 Ram 1500 and cannot, for the life of me, find how to scan radio stations. Seeking is easy, but is there no option to scan, or am I just missing it? TIA!
My 8.4 nav works as per the Uconnect Manual. The manual makes no reference to a scan function and a search in the Uconnect manual for the word "scan" shows 0/0.

A 2017 Honda Civic's scan function will play a station for 10 seconds.
If the button is not touched it moves to the next station.
If the button is touched it will stop at that station.

My 2019 Ram 1500 with the 8.4 nav does not have this scan function which correlates to the Uconnect manual.

I can not speak for your 2020 Ram 1500 and do not know what radio is installed.
BUT as to your question "is there no option to scan, or am I just missing it?"
I would say there is NO SCAN if it is defined as per the Honda's scan function.
 

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