If you're having USB issues...

[HeliPilot]

On the day I purchased my Ram a year ago, I noticed that my front USB's would cycle on and off. Of-course, an appointment was made to get the situation looked at. The tech removed my console, inspected the USB's but could not find where the issue was originating from. He reassembled everything, so that he could return the truck to me while he researched the issue, and low and behold...everything worked the way it should. I have not had an issue with the USB's for a year now. Yesterday, I disconnected my battery to install a Pulsar unit. I noticed today that my USB's were not working. Everything else was fine, just the USB's were non-op. That got me thinking. I'm positive that the tech disconnected my battery a year ago to troubleshoot the USB "electrical" issue. Maybe, when he reconnected the battery, the USB module came on line the way it was supposed to, and the issue resolved itself. So, I decided to disconnect the negative cable for 15 minutes today, then reconnect it. I did not do anything else with the truck. I let it sit for 30 minutes to allow the systems to re-initialize all on their own...I didn't even open the doors. After 30 minutes, I went back outside, started the truck, and wouldn't you know it...EVERYTHING including the USB's are working again. Moral of the story, if you happen to have a truck with faulty front USB's, try doing what I did and see if the module resets itself. May save you some dealership hassle.

 

[FastBlackRam]

I have had non working usbs since I bought it in August. I am willing to try this. Just to confirm all you did was disconnect for 15 minutes reconnect and wait 30 minutes. Did you do this outside so your vesicle was exposed to the sky?

 

[Neurobit]

Thanks,
Mine cycle on and off as well, since new [18 months]. i’ll try this next time they decide to **** down.

 

[HeliPilot]

I have had non working usbs since I bought it in August. I am willing to try this. Just to confirm all you did was disconnect for 15 minutes reconnect and wait 30 minutes. Did you do this outside so your vesicle was exposed to the sky?

If you're asking if it was parked outside...yes it was. Disconnected negative cable, closed hood, walked away for 15 min. Reconnected cable, walked away for 30 min, came back, started and verified all systems operational.

 

[FastBlackRam]

If you're asking if it was parked outside...yes it was. Disconnected negative cable, closed hood, walked away for 15 min. Reconnected cable, walked away for 30 min, came back, started and verified all systems operational.

You answered my question exactly. Thanks much.

 

[maddog49]

There were a a bunch of faulty ones on early build trucks that had the same behaviour. Dealer replaces the hub and then they are good.

 

[Neurobit]

There were a a bunch of faulty ones on early build trucks that had the same behaviour. Dealer replaces the hub and then they are good.

I wasn’t aware if this.
Do u know if there’s a star case by any chance?

 

[Ataboyrebel]

One thing similar to this happen to me in my Challenger. I was connect to android auto with a cheap usb cable. The phone connect/disconnect a couple of time then... no usb port. I remove the fuse for the radio and the fuse for the media and everything alright. I was able to reproduce this patern at will. When it was tripped, you can even use your original usb phone cord. I changed my usb cable for a good one... no more problem!

 

[Neurobit]

One thing similar to this happen to me in my Challenger. I was connect to android auto with a cheap usb cable. The phone connect/disconnect a couple of time then... no usb port. I remove the fuse for the radio and the fuse for the media and everything alright. I was able to reproduce this patern at will. When it was tripped, you can even use your original usb phone cord. I changed my usb cable for a good one... no more problem!

Thanks, but i’s not the cord, but the USB (in my case).

I have a dedicated music thumb drive always connected to USB 2 (the one on the right or passenger side) and it stops recognizing the drive at the same time CarPlay shuts down.

This is how I know. If I stop hearing music from my thumb drive playlist, I know my USB hub stopped working, and sure enough, I look up to the screen and CarPlay is no longer active. This could go on for 10 minutes or a couple of days, then they both start working again.

 

[maddog49]

I don't have the star case (although one does exist). I did post a thread on it last year (and included the new part number although I'm sure it's been superceded again). I'm in IT and had to help the dealer figure it out. I watched him swap the hub and have not had any more issues after that (with the same behaviour you have and my truck was a 5/18 build). Heres the thread https://5thgenrams.com/community/threads/front-usb-ports-dead-and-android-auto-not-working.8082/

 

[duke2001]

I had this issue happen to me yesterday. Have had my truck for over a year and the first time it has happened. However, I have only recently stared using the USB ports to try out CarPlay feature, so it may have happened early in the life of my truck if I had been using it. Mine stopped working, I got home, turned off the truck and tried it 2 or 3 hours later and it worked fine. I did not do anything other than turn the vehicle off, wait a period and restart it. I think the USB ports are protected by a circuit breaker, but I am not positive. If anyone has a wiring diagram that depicts this circuit, could you please post it, would be most grateful. The next thing, of course, is that if there is a circuit breaker and it is tripping and resetting, is to determine what is causing the fault to begin with. I plan to use my USB ports everytime I use the vehicle now, in order to determine the fault cause.

 

[maddog49]

Honestly if it's flaking out just have it replaced. If your truck was built before 3/19ish you have older parts that were superceded for a reason.

 

[duke2001]

Honestly if it's flaking out just have it replaced. If your truck was built before 3/19ish you have older parts that were superceded for a reason.

Thanks for the advice. Has so far only happened once. Still interested in the wiring diagram, even though it may be a faulty module.

 

[Cannonball]

I got 99 problems and a USB ain't 1.

 

[duke2001]

I got 99 problems and a USB ain't 1.

And.......

 

[HeliPilot]

I had this issue happen to me yesterday. Have had my truck for over a year and the first time it has happened. However, I have only recently stared using the USB ports to try out CarPlay feature, so it may have happened early in the life of my truck if I had been using it. Mine stopped working, I got home, turned off the truck and tried it 2 or 3 hours later and it worked fine. I did not do anything other than turn the vehicle off, wait a period and restart it. I think the USB ports are protected by a circuit breaker, but I am not positive. If anyone has a wiring diagram that depicts this circuit, could you please post it, would be most grateful. The next thing, of course, is that if there is a circuit breaker and it is tripping and resetting, is to determine what is causing the fault to begin with. I plan to use my USB ports everytime I use the vehicle now, in order to determine the fault cause.

Good it worked for you, mine would not reset until I disconnected the battery. Haven’t had a problem since.

 

[ScottMA64]

This happened to me once. I have my phone and dashcam connected to the front usb's. This 1 time I noticed both of them were cycling like power was turning on and off. I disconnected them and used the usb in the console and rear seat. Went to work and by the time I came out the issue was gone.

 

[FastBlackRam]

UPDATE: I recently brought my truck in for the first oil change at 5000 miles. I also asked them to look at my radio as AA and USB media ports have not worked with my Galaxy S9+ phone since day one back in August 2019. Well they said they connected an iPhone to it and it worked fine. They said they could do nothing else. So I hopped in and just for kicks plugged in my phone and VOILA! It recognized my phone and within a couple minutes I was up and running with AA mirrored to my screen. Now it works every time with one caveat. When I plug it in, it does the connect/disconnect dance until I remove the connector and put it in 180 degrees and it then connects and works fine from then on out. I can even connect and disconnect as often as I like. What a weird experience. Cant explain it but it at least works now.

How can connecting an iPhone and having it work have woken it up to my Android phone? Bizarre indeed.

 

[bigoldthor]

UPDATE: I recently brought my truck in for the first oil change at 5000 miles. I also asked them to look at my radio as AA and USB media ports have not worked with my Galaxy S9+ phone since day one back in August 2019. Well they said they connected an iPhone to it and it worked fine. They said they could do nothing else. So I hopped in and just for kicks plugged in my phone and VOILA! It recognized my phone and within a couple minutes I was up and running with AA mirrored to my screen. Now it works every time with one caveat. When I plug it in, it does the connect/disconnect dance until I remove the connector and put it in 180 degrees and it then connects and works fine from then on out. I can even connect and disconnect as often as I like. What a weird experience. Cant explain it but it at least works now.

How can connecting an iPhone and having it work have woken it up to my Android phone? Bizarre indeed.

Have you been using the same cable all along, or did you try different cables?

 

[Neurobit]

They're idiots.

I had the same issue which I had to contend with for almost a year and a half (connect/disconnect intermittently).

They could never figure it out since every time I took it in, it would start working again. Finally it stopped long enough for them to troubleshoot, and lo and behold, once they removed the USB module, they realized that the connector (that interfaces with the radio I assume) was bent and not making good contact [obviously]. It has been a couple of months and I have not had issues since.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,