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Steering wheel “grinding” sound and “Vibration”

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I have a 19 Longhorn. I recently returned from a 7000 mile road trip... the worst thing about putting 7k miles on your new car before you make a payment on the thing is the dread that you feel when you uncover issues that you cannot find a fix to and are not sure that you can live with. On my trip I experienced the “tea kettle” but I was in North Dakota going 80+ MPH with a 40 MPH cross wind and I doubt I will experience those conditions too often but if I lived in North Dakota I’d be very upset.
I experienced some weird issues with the Uconnect... like if more than one phone is plugged into the USB station on the dash I get feedback from the streaming audio... that sucks really bad.
Oh... the thing with the every 20 minute whoosh of fresh air from the AC system... yep apparently that is by design... idk but it is a pretty serious distraction when you are in the truck doing 500 mile non stop runs and every 20 minutes you hear that... over the crackle/feedback in the speakers since you had two phones plugged in but only if the tea kettle was not going off from the cross wind.
The biggest annoyance is the shaking/fluttering/vibrating/grinding in the steering wheel and vibration in the floorboard. Sorry I know it took me a while to get to it.
So here is my theory... I believe they are related somehow...
I first experienced the “grinding” noise behind the steering wheel when I was driving on a 17 mile stretch of well groomed dirt road. It started around mile 4 and continued until I parked the truck but went away when I first started down the same road the next morning until it came back again. The only way I can describe it is like a plastic gear that is spinning and not quite catching a metal tooth.
It comes and goes, as others have mentioned on “uneven road surfaces”
Then the vibration at highway speed in the wheel and from floor boards... now I used to run a tire shop so I know all about tire and wheel balance... I have put 25 k a year on new cars for as long as I can remember and have never had to balance a tire that was not new. Not daily balance may not potentially be an issue but it is not an out of balance feel which I can spot from a mile away.
This “vibration” does not start right away... usually after 5 or ten miles at highway speed... then it starts and is persistent between 45 and 80+ mph... it does not get worse at certain speeds or go away at others... it is just there... another reason I believe it not to be balance related.
So what gives... I think there is a sensor or a module that controls the power steering... something that helps it find or maintain center and it get taxed on “uneven road surfaces” or when you are driving on a highway with a crown for a good bit of time and it is not at a true center and something in it loosens up or releases or overheats from the persistent resistance... I don’t know because these damn things are super complicated not but I feel like when that happens... it manifests itself as a rattle or grinding noise on bumpy roads, and as a slight and very consistent vibration on flat surfaces where you have the wheel constantly ****ed off center...
I know one person included a thread about an electric power-steering torque sensor or something... maybe that’s it but I’m not sure.
Oh yeah... got the clicking brake pedal too... thanks to the person who shared how to take that apart and grease the cone dome rod stuff. It worked like a charm. Now if I can bring myself to leave it at the dealer long enough to diagnose the rest.
 

RamCares

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I have a 19 Longhorn. I recently returned from a 7000 mile road trip... the worst thing about putting 7k miles on your new car before you make a payment on the thing is the dread that you feel when you uncover issues that you cannot find a fix to and are not sure that you can live with. On my trip I experienced the “tea kettle” but I was in North Dakota going 80+ MPH with a 40 MPH cross wind and I doubt I will experience those conditions too often but if I lived in North Dakota I’d be very upset.
I experienced some weird issues with the Uconnect... like if more than one phone is plugged into the USB station on the dash I get feedback from the streaming audio... that sucks really bad.
Oh... the thing with the every 20 minute whoosh of fresh air from the AC system... yep apparently that is by design... idk but it is a pretty serious distraction when you are in the truck doing 500 mile non stop runs and every 20 minutes you hear that... over the crackle/feedback in the speakers since you had two phones plugged in but only if the tea kettle was not going off from the cross wind.
The biggest annoyance is the shaking/fluttering/vibrating/grinding in the steering wheel and vibration in the floorboard. Sorry I know it took me a while to get to it.
So here is my theory... I believe they are related somehow...
I first experienced the “grinding” noise behind the steering wheel when I was driving on a 17 mile stretch of well groomed dirt road. It started around mile 4 and continued until I parked the truck but went away when I first started down the same road the next morning until it came back again. The only way I can describe it is like a plastic gear that is spinning and not quite catching a metal tooth.
It comes and goes, as others have mentioned on “uneven road surfaces”
Then the vibration at highway speed in the wheel and from floor boards... now I used to run a tire shop so I know all about tire and wheel balance... I have put 25 k a year on new cars for as long as I can remember and have never had to balance a tire that was not new. Not daily balance may not potentially be an issue but it is not an out of balance feel which I can spot from a mile away.
This “vibration” does not start right away... usually after 5 or ten miles at highway speed... then it starts and is persistent between 45 and 80+ mph... it does not get worse at certain speeds or go away at others... it is just there... another reason I believe it not to be balance related.
So what gives... I think there is a sensor or a module that controls the power steering... something that helps it find or maintain center and it get taxed on “uneven road surfaces” or when you are driving on a highway with a crown for a good bit of time and it is not at a true center and something in it loosens up or releases or overheats from the persistent resistance... I don’t know because these damn things are super complicated not but I feel like when that happens... it manifests itself as a rattle or grinding noise on bumpy roads, and as a slight and very consistent vibration on flat surfaces where you have the wheel constantly ****ed off center...
I know one person included a thread about an electric power-steering torque sensor or something... maybe that’s it but I’m not sure.
Oh yeah... got the clicking brake pedal too... thanks to the person who shared how to take that apart and grease the cone dome rod stuff. It worked like a charm. Now if I can bring myself to leave it at the dealer long enough to diagnose the rest.

Hi RuggedLongHorn,
We're sorry to hear about these concerns you are experiencing with your new Ram. If you would like any assistance while working with your dealer to address these, please feel free to send our team a private message. We would be happy to get you connected with a Case Specialist.
Alex
Ram Social Care Specialist
 

Jhaney

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I experience that grinding noise occasionally when turning to the right at slow speeds. Let me know what you find out if you don’t mind.
 

RamCares

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I experience that grinding noise occasionally when turning to the right at slow speeds. Let me know what you find out if you don’t mind.

Hi Jhaney,

Sorry to hear you are experiencing this as well. If you decide to address it with your dealer, please let us know via PM. We'd be more than happy to have it documented and provide you with an additional layer of assistance for that process.

Mark
Ram Social Care Specialist
 

Ram’dit

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I’ve experienced same grinding noise turning sharp right at slow speed. Occasionally when preparing to back into my driveway.
 

RamCares

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I’ve experienced same grinding noise turning sharp right at slow speed. Occasionally when preparing to back into my driveway.

I'm sorry to hear that you are experiencing this concern, Ram’dit. If you plan to address this with your local Ram dealer, please know that our team would be more than happy to provide you with an additional layer of support for that process. We are just a PM away.

Mark
RamCares
 

trp350

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I’ve experienced same grinding noise turning sharp right at slow speed. Occasionally when preparing to back into my driveway.

Change the rear diff fluid and add the limited slip additive from mopar. Fixed mine


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

trp350

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I experience that grinding noise occasionally when turning to the right at slow speeds. Let me know what you find out if you don’t mind.

Change rear diff fluid and add mopar limited slip additive


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

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