Installed Rain Sensor now get weird warning light on Dashboard

[Hez]

Hey Everyone,
I installed the Mopar auto rain sensor last weekend and enabled the 2 configurations with AlfaOBD (listed below). The installation seemed to go perfectly fine; nothing odd happened, and nothing broke. The 1 connector was unplugged without issue - plugged back in easily, no reasons for concern.

I updated the 2 configs with Alfa, and the setting in the menu appeared the next day after the truck set overnight.

I never tested it with a water hose; I just decided to wait until it rained.

Well, yesterday it rained for the first time - and the windshield wipers didn't automatically work, and I got a weird Parking brake error on my dash. See the photo below:

Once I go into the settings, turn off the auto rain sensors, and restart the truck, the warning light disappears. The light appears as soon as I turn the rain sensors back on.

Any ideas?

My windshield wiper switch on the steering column is set to 3rd on the intermittent settings.

AlfaOBD Settings I updated:
VehConfig 2-Rain Sensor Present
CustSetMenu 1-Rain sensitive wipers CSM

 

[vincentw56]

Maybe you have a bad rain sensor. It could be causing a canbus issue. Disconnect it and see.

 

[Hez]

Well, I went back to the merchant I bought this part from and they are being very uncooperative and don't want to exchange or refund the part.

BAM Wholesale is who I purchased this from, and I DO NOT RECOMMEND ANYONE PURCHASE FROM BAM WHOLESALE.

They are not taking ownership over the part being faulty, and are essentially blaming me.

Some of the correspondence:
"After speaking with our Technicians the Rain sensor system and the Parking brake indicator to not integrate with each other, My Technician asked why a vehicle purchased in September of 2022 would not go to the Dealership under Warranty if there was a problem with any of the systems? He also continued that there must be care taken when replacing the Rain sensor to ensure no dust, contaminates, smudges or air bubbles are between the sensor and Gel Pack or Gel Pack and windshield.

The Rain Sensor is covered under the Mopar 24 Month warranty at any Dealership in the U.S. for part only exchange, you will however need documentation from a Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, or Ram Dealership stating the part is defective, at that point with a Repair order copy to us we can exchange the sensor or the Dealer diagnosing can perform a Mopar claim Warranty on the part."

My response:
This is a new feature add-on that I was adding myself - it is not a warranty item. My truck did not come with auto rain-sensor, and this is an upgrade.


Their response:
Ok, so the vin# provided is not your vehicle?
I do not know if that is a feature that can be added at all. I do know that it takes a lot more than just a Rain Sensor on the windshield for that system to work.
At this point we cannot legally advise how to modify a vehicle from how it was built at the factory, especially when dealing with safety features such as windshield wipers. I would refer you to your Local Ram Dealership to put the vehicle back to its originally built specifications. Unfortunately the moment you installed an item in a vehicle not configured for it the Warranty became Null & Void.


Terrible customer service, to say the least.

 

[Darksteel165]

I could of told you how much of a sham Bam is.
I ordered stuff from them and they canceled my order after not shipping it for 3 weeks with no notice or anything.
Lots of people on the forums have problems with them also.

Lots of these companies online you are order Mopar parts from are just regular dealerships so obviously they will not take anything back and tell you to go screw.
It's no differnet if I took a faulty part off my truck into the dealership and said "replace this it's busted". I have done it before and it's a massive struggle as they want to take your truck for days so they can bill you (via warranty) up the wazaoo. even if it's a faulty part that doesn't even need to be on the truck to troubleshoot.

If you are 100% positive and can prove it is a faulty part, do a credit card charge back.
That means removing the part and putting your settings back and confirming there are no problems (also assuming you installed and set it up correctly).
If you can't do that I wouldn't expect Bam to do anything for you as you are trying to install OEM parts that were never installed onto your truck before and I can partly understand why they don't want to help you as you don't even know if the part that you bought is faulty just making the assumption.

 

[Hez]

I mean, the install was a piece of cake - I don't feel there was much I could screw up except maybe break a clip. I went back and verified the 2 settings in AlfaOBD, but everything checks out. You unplug one connector and plug it back into the same place, so no worries there.

That warning light only comes on when the rain sensor is activated in the vehicle settings in uConnect. Once you turn it off there and restart the vehicle, the warning goes away.

The only issue with returning to the original stock part, which I still have, is that I would have to replace the original gel.

The $60 doesn't bother me, I can leave the sensors off - whatever, but the way this company treats customers that have any issue is just mind-blowing.

 

[Darksteel165]

Yeah it is really crappy.

I did some digging and found out what dealership operates this.

It's owned and operated by Brunswick Auto Mart - New & Used Car Dealer in Brunswick, OH a chain of dealerships nearby under 2 miles away

Had to use google streets view to see the sign outside the building

The problem is it's a dealership and not a regular retail\online reseller. That's why they can treat you like crap and get away with it.
They are just ordering parts through the dealership and that's why they arent accepting it back and they probably bought the parts from Ram in some fishy way that prevents them from returning it, and they would need to keep it in stock until someone buys it, which likely will nefver happen as it would just be used as a warranty claim part, which they would get from Ram for free anyways still leaving them with 1 in stock.


No phone number only an address (red flag)


Does have a physical address WITH their sign outside (good)

 

[Hez]

Interesting find.

I definitely won't give them anymore of my business.

I posted in one of the 5th Gen Ram groups on Facebook about the experience and got flamed. Really, I was just trying to make other people aware of their crappy customer service.

 

[cskindt]

Did you ever get your rain-sense working? It sounds like you just got a bad sensor from a sh-i-t-ty vendor.

I had the same error you got before I put the right sensor in. I had the one that looks like the proper one, but wasn't the same part number.

 

[Darksteel165]

Facebook groups are the worst.

 

[Hez]

So...no, I haven't gotten the rain sensor to work yet. I actually feel like a dumbass, but the part that I originally took out is the same part number, so I apparently had the auto rain sensor already....just needed to enable the settings.

I put the original part back in today, and got a message saying Rain Sensing Wipers Need Service then the same icon appeared...so it is something with the truck.

I have a small list of items that need to be addressed by the service department, I will ask them about it when I take it in.

 

[Hez]

Facebook groups are the worst.

It's crazy! I left the group - I don't need that kind of negativity in my life. There's value in respect and dignity.

 

[Darksteel165]

So...no, I haven't gotten the rain sensor to work yet. I actually feel like a dumbass, but the part that I originally took out is the same part number, so I apparently had the auto rain sensor already....just needed to enable the settings.

I put the original part back in today, and got a message saying Rain Sensing Wipers Need Service then the same icon appeared...so it is something with the truck.

I have a small list of items that need to be addressed by the service department, I will ask them about it when I take it in.

Jeeze, what an interesting turn of events.

 

[vincentw56]

So...no, I haven't gotten the rain sensor to work yet. I actually feel like a dumbass, but the part that I originally took out is the same part number, so I apparently had the auto rain sensor already....just needed to enable the settings.

I put the original part back in today, and got a message saying Rain Sensing Wipers Need Service then the same icon appeared...so it is something with the truck.

I have a small list of items that need to be addressed by the service department, I will ask them about it when I take it in.

Are you sure you have the correct part number? Check this for the correct one

How to: Add Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane assist, FCW & Auto Hi-beam to Ram 1500

That's normal. Did you enable the rain sensor in AlfaODB? That's why they think it is there. Then the rest your BCM which is Question: is this the correct rain sensor part or auto wipers or is this humidity only? 68298468AA I see some conflicting info on the hdram forum about this - where...

5thgenrams.com

 

[Hez]

Are you sure you have the correct part number? Check this for the correct one

How to: Add Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane assist, FCW & Auto Hi-beam to Ram 1500

That's normal. Did you enable the rain sensor in AlfaODB? That's why they think it is there. Then the rest your BCM which is Question: is this the correct rain sensor part or auto wipers or is this humidity only? 68298468AA I see some conflicting info on the hdram forum about this - where...

5thgenrams.com

Yeah, I think you're right. I think I picked the wrong p/n up from somewhere. Man, now I really feel like a dumb-***. I need to try and find the thread I got the part number from and let people know.

 

[Hez]

Yeah, I think you're right. I think I picked the wrong p/n up from somewhere. Man, now I really feel like a dumb-***. I need to try and find the thread I got the part number from and let people know.

Actually....looking back at my original order...they sent me the wrong one. I did order 68298334AA.

 

[cskindt]

Actually....looking back at my original order...they sent me the wrong one. I did order 68298334AA.

View attachment 150680
View attachment 150681

That's not the first time I heard about BAM's questionable service.

 

[Hez]

This has been a terrible experience with them! lol

 

[Jimmy07]

This has been a terrible experience with them! lol

What did they say when you told them they shipped you the wrong part number (it’ll be on the packaging too)?

 

[Hez]

What did they say when you told them they shipped you the wrong part number (it’ll be on the packaging too)?

They continued to try and defend their actions.

I'm definitely somewhat at fault here for not keying in on the different P/N sooner...but the part looked right...and I never suspected they would change my order...I'm truly amazed at how this whole experience went. It could all have been avoided too...that's what is super frustrating.

 

[moosem]

I had a much different experience with BAM than the OP. I had heard some mixed reviews about them in the past. However, I still bought OEM LED headlights from them for my previous truck (2019 BigHorn) because they had the best lead time and the cheapest shipping.

One of them filled with water the first time it rained and went out. They exchanged it no questions asked and even sent me the new one before I sent back the bad one.