Re-fueling issues on 2021 RAM 1500 limited

[prabhuram]

Bought my first RAM truck at the end of December and since then I have gone to the pump 4 times. The first tank was filled by the dealer. Next time i went to Costco and filled premium. After fueling the truck won't start in one go. Second time, it cranked for about 15 seconds and then started. After that it was all fine until next fueling, when i filled premium gas and same issue. Called the dealership and they said don't fill premium. So next time when the gas tank was empty i filled regular at Kwik trip and same issue after fueling. Last time around it was fueling in -7F at a BP gas station and regular gas but the cranking continues ONLY for the first time the truck starts. After that it is always fine.

Since the gas tank is capless, this is a weird issue. I moved from NJ to WI where i was used to an attendant pumping gas for me. Now when i fuel on my own, it is weird to find that there can be issues at re-fueling. Also is it normal to have an average of 13 to 14 on a new truck. I am nowhere close to the 17 on city mileage as advertised by the truck company.

P.S: I don't see any check engine or any other warning lights.

 

[jimchi]

Which engine does your truck have? The V6 requires 87 octane, the V8 requires 89. Putting in premium may affect the starting, especially with the cold weather we're having in the midwest. I don't know how accurate this is though:

AUTO DOC / Why Higher Octane Causes Hard Starting

DEAR DOCTOR: In a recent column, a reader complained about a gas ping when he used 87-octane gasoline. You advised him to try 89 octane and not the 92 or higher octane. The reason you gave was that th

www.newsday.com

 

[prabhuram]

Which engine does your truck have? The V6 requires 87 octane, the V8 requires 89. Putting in premium may affect the starting, especially with the cold weather we're having in the midwest. I don't know how accurate this is though:

AUTO DOC / Why Higher Octane Causes Hard Starting

DEAR DOCTOR: In a recent column, a reader complained about a gas ping when he used 87-octane gasoline. You advised him to try 89 octane and not the 92 or higher octane. The reason you gave was that th

www.newsday.com

I have the V8 5.7L HEMI. Yes the RAM recommends 89. So i stopped putting 93 and have gone to 87 instead as the dealer said 87 should be fine.

 

[Cudapower]

Thats a really odd issue. I have had several rams and never heard of that. I don't believe that has anything to do with the gas octane. To start the truck it would use the gas still in the lines that it has already been running off of. So that is BS.

 

[Fatherof3]

Welcome to the forum . I’m at a loss as to what would be causing that . When you fill up do you stop after the first click ? Or do you top it off ?

 

[prabhuram]

Welcome to the forum . I’m at a loss as to what would be causing that . When you fill up do you stop after the first click ? Or do you top it off ?

thanks. I do not top it off. now i have read on these forms that it matters the way you put the nozzle in the gas tank. some suggest putting all the inside and pulling out slightly and filling it. to me it feels like the vacuum is lost when nozzle is put inside the CAPLESS tank and it takes the first start (long cranking) to build that vacuum up again. After the first start it is all fine on subsequent starts. maybe mileage might not be good on 93 as the engine might be tuned for 89 but start up issues cannot be right.

Lastly the dealer told me on phone this is normal which i find hard to believe.

 

[Fatherof3]

thanks. I do not top it off. now i have read on these forms that it matters the way you put the nozzle in the gas tank. some suggest putting all the inside and pulling out slightly and filling it. to me it feels like the vacuum is lost when nozzle is put inside the CAPLESS tank and it takes the first start (long cranking) to build that vacuum up again. After the first start it is all fine on subsequent starts. maybe mileage might not be good on 93 as the engine might be tuned for 89 but start up issues cannot be right.

Lastly the dealer told me on phone this is normal which i find hard to believe.

It’s not normal . I was asking about topping off the tank because I’ve read where people have had problems with the charcoal canister when they top off the tank too much . I’ve also read about a few people having a problem with the roll over valve but either one should do it all the time not just on the first start up after refuelling .
Maybe try a different dealer if you can .

 

[PM-Performance]

Which engine does your truck have? The V6 requires 87 octane, the V8 requires 89. Putting in premium may affect the starting, especially with the cold weather we're having in the midwest. I don't know how accurate this is though:

AUTO DOC / Why Higher Octane Causes Hard Starting

DEAR DOCTOR: In a recent column, a reader complained about a gas ping when he used 87-octane gasoline. You advised him to try 89 octane and not the 92 or higher octane. The reason you gave was that th

www.newsday.com

Both false. Does not require 89, nor will a vehicle not start over an octane requirement

 

[prabhuram]

It’s not normal . I was asking about topping off the tank because I’ve read where people have had problems with the charcoal canister when they top off the tank too much . I’ve also read about a few people having a problem with the roll over valve but either one should do it all the time not just on the first start up after refuelling .
Maybe try a different dealer if you can .

Since the gas was just filled up over the weekend, i will wait for it to be empty half and then try this at a new dealership. I have driven a Mercedes GLS truck always so was habituated to the 93 octane. But that aside the startup is not normal after fueling. Thanks for your thought.

 

[RSConsulting]

Certainly weird.

I don't see why using higher octane would cause issues. And you should actually get slightly better gas mileage with it. I don't run it - because it's not worth the extra $$. Not even sure running 89 (recommended) is worth the extra $$ either.

Yeah - if you do not get anywhere NEAR the (cough cough) "advertised MPG" don't be disappointed. Very few do. Lucky I can afford to fuel my beast - my MPG is truly disappointing.

Rick

 

[Fatherof3]

Since the gas was just filled up over the weekend, i will wait for it to be empty half and then try this at a new dealership. I have driven a Mercedes GLS truck always so was habituated to the 93 octane. But that aside the startup is not normal after fueling. Thanks for your thought.

I’ve used 89 , 91 and 93 octane in mine and have never had that problem .

 

[mikeru82]

Definitely not caused by using higher octane, especially on a brand new truck. If a vehicle is hard to start when switching to higher octane there is a problem with the engine (compression issue, weak spark, etc...). And even then it wouldn't happen only when you refuel. I've used 93 octane quite a few times in my 2020 Laramie. Not because I enjoy spending more money, but out of convenience and time constraints. But that's a different story LOL. The dealership is jerking you around prabhuram. Stand your ground. And if they won't back off I'd take it to another dealership.

 

[prabhuram]

Update:
After a long brutal cold spell, the dealership was willing to take the car for inspection since last week when i tried to fill the tank it won't take more than 1 gallon. Twice I tried to fuel it back and the pump would click. Third time i forced filled it as I had to fill enough to reach home.

Today they inspected the truck and voila, the gas tank is bad. So now they special order the gas tank (33-gallon) which takes 5 days and then call me back. So I asked the woman on phone as to what the technician said and all she had to say was that there in something inside the gas tank which cannot be changed and hence it has to be replaced.

Thanks to mikeru82 and others. Hopefully i get the new truck back in the same shape.

 

[prabhuram]

Update 2:
It's been two weeks now and i hear bunch of crap that FCA shipped the part from Rhode Island and it is yet to get delivered by UPS. What on earth is with the supply chain of FCA. I am prejudiced on Detroit car markers always on service and car parts, this only goes ahead to make the experience horrible. At this point of time, I just don't know whether it's just the fuel tank issue which will take 2+ weeks to resolve or more than that. Didn't expect it in my dreams that I would get an issue in a brand new truck out of a parking lot.

 

[Willwork4truck]

Glad that you found the problem, as it never could have been octane.

As another poster mentioned, there are mpg issues with the 5th gens. You have a Limited as do we. I didn't see any description/signature however I'll tell you that our mpg's are as the sticker claimed, and I know they didn't use a heavy 4x CC 3.21 hemi as their test sled.

While I can't fully explain why some are getting 14-15 mpg highway and others 20-21 (like ours), it's certainly disappointing for them.

The picture below is after the trip mileage counter had flipped over from 9999.9, so that's the average mpg's for the mileage on the truck (12,851 miles).

 

[prabhuram]

Major Update:

So the dealership kept my truck for 2 weeks and said that a part was shipped by FCA from Rhode Island and that UPS because of weather conditions couldn't deliver it to them. I was upset and finally gave up and asked my truck back as I didn't buy it to make it stand in dealer's parking lot.

They received the part last Friday and picked my truck again on Monday Mar 15th and the kicker comes from them.

FCA is AWARE OF GAS TANK ISSUES and has issued a RECALL and told the dealers NOT to INSTALL THESE GAS TANKS now. There is a new redesign for the 33-gallon tank and it is in production. I have now been told by dealer they have access to that part from some place in Milwaukee. Don't KNOW WHO TO TRUST NOW. But i am just hoping this should be an END TO THE ISSUE.

ITs has been everything but pleasant now. I don't have words to describe how Detroit motors work.

 

[JJRamTX]

Major Update:

So the dealership kept my truck for 2 weeks and said that a part was shipped by FCA from Rhode Island and that UPS because of weather conditions couldn't deliver it to them. I was upset and finally gave up and asked my truck back as I didn't buy it to make it stand in dealer's parking lot.

They received the part last Friday and picked my truck again on Monday Mar 15th and the kicker comes from them.

FCA is AWARE OF GAS TANK ISSUES and has issued a RECALL and told the dealers NOT to INSTALL THESE GAS TANKS now. There is a new redesign for the 33-gallon tank and it is in production. I have now been told by dealer they have access to that part from some place in Milwaukee. Don't KNOW WHO TO TRUST NOW. But i am just hoping this should be an END TO THE ISSUE.

ITs has been everything but pleasant now. I don't have words to describe how Detroit motors work.

Do you have the recall information to post? Wondering if it is all 33 Gallon tanks or?

 

[doolin64]

To the OP, my truck can do the same thing. It's a nozzle issue not playing nice with our trucks. If the pump does again to you. Insert the nozzle in it's normal position (6 o'clock) and rotate it to about the 2 o'clock position and it will fuel and stop with no problems.

 

[prabhuram]

Do you have the recall information to post? Wondering if it is all 33 Gallon tanks or?

I don't have the RECALL notice but can ask the dealer for it.

 

[prabhuram]

To the OP, my truck can do the same thing. It's a nozzle issue not playing nice with our trucks. If the pump does again to you. Insert the nozzle in it's normal position (6 o'clock) and rotate it to about the 2 o'clock position and it will fuel and stop with no problems.

Wish I could try your solution. I am hoping they change and put the correct gas tank as last week when i got the truck back without the replaced fuel tank the engine light was on all the time while driving. I was informed over phone about EVAP leak. So I don't know what to say at this point.