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TSB #24-001-20 A/C Fix. Has anyone had it done yet? Plus are you happy with the results?

Hello All,
New to the forum and the new owner of a Nused 2020 1500.
29K rounded on the miles, By the service date my truck is out of warranty for 3/36k time was Feb/Mar. I did buy an extended warranty as an insurance policy so to speak (non dodge.)
I have read all the posts on this topic.
I have a question that was asked by others that are out of the 3/36 warranty:
I understand that this is not a recall, with that being understood, what is the experience of getting the TSB work done in "good faith?"

I would like to hear about your experience(s). FYI I live in the Richmond VA, area the summers here can be HOT like those found further south. So functional AC is a must here.

BlueHemi1500
 
Hello All,
New to the forum and the new owner of a Nused 2020 1500.
29K rounded on the miles, By the service date my truck is out of warranty for 3/36k time was Feb/Mar. I did buy an extended warranty as an insurance policy so to speak (non dodge.)
I have read all the posts on this topic.
I have a question that was asked by others that are out of the 3/36 warranty:
I understand that this is not a recall, with that being understood, what is the experience of getting the TSB work done in "good faith?"

I would like to hear about your experience(s). FYI I live in the Richmond VA, area the summers here can be HOT like those found further south. So functional AC is a must here.

BlueHemi1500

Mine was done at 61K miles, it was covered by my extended warranty
 
Hello All,
New to the forum and the new owner of a Nused 2020 1500.
29K rounded on the miles, By the service date my truck is out of warranty for 3/36k time was Feb/Mar. I did buy an extended warranty as an insurance policy so to speak (non dodge.)
I have read all the posts on this topic.
I have a question that was asked by others that are out of the 3/36 warranty:
I understand that this is not a recall, with that being understood, what is the experience of getting the TSB work done in "good faith?"

I would like to hear about your experience(s). FYI I live in the Richmond VA, area the summers here can be HOT like those found further south. So functional AC is a must here.

BlueHemi1500
Welcome. To find out if you need the AC TSB try the hack first. Get a good automotive thermometer and compare the vent temps. With the hack opened and closed.

Once this is figured out, you will know if it’s an issue like low Freon, compressor, etc. of the hack doesn’t help you need the TSB
 
Update on my TSB fix last year. This is the first opportunity to really test the AC since it was late October 2022 when I had the work done and not very hot. Hit 105 here yesterday. My AC is ice cold and cools immediately. Dramatic difference. I used to have to remote start and wait at least 15 minutes and It still would take around 25 to 30 minutes to even get cool. Forget about using the vented seats as well. The fan speed is also increased with the fix. Definitely try to get it fixed if the dealer will attempt. It wasn't all that much work. They just take the top part of the dash out and replace the havac box. It looks like they also replace the heater core as well and possibly a hose. It was only a few hours. No squeaks or rattles as well. 3 Dealers also ignored me until I showed them the TSB. I have had many fixes done on this truck and previous vehicles which actually required me showing them the TSB. Most dealers don't want to bother with warranty work and get annoyed if you show them TSB's found on the internet. Really up to if the tech wants to do it which is unfortunate.
 
I also have this problem and opened a case with RAM Cares. I’m hoping they will be able to help since I’m outside of my warranty.

Everyone who is suggesting the “hack” there is an easier and less invasive way to test.
1. Turn the temperature down to its lowest on manual fan control.
2. Turn the fan on the lowest or second lowest setting.
3. Take a temperature reading.
4. Increase the fan speed to maximum.
5. After a few minutes take a reading.

My reading after Step 2 was ~60F.
My reading after Step 5 was ~76F.

This supports the TSB in that the truck is likely mixing the heated air, so the higher the volume of heated air, the less effect the AC would have.

Hope this helps!
-Kevin

P.S., I don’t know about anyone else, but between this issue, the leaking rear window, and the transmission falling out of drive, I’m a little overwhelmed.
 
I also have this problem and opened a case with RAM Cares. I’m hoping they will be able to help since I’m outside of my warranty.

Everyone who is suggesting the “hack” there is an easier and less invasive way to test.
1. Turn the temperature down to its lowest on manual fan control.
2. Turn the fan on the lowest or second lowest setting.
3. Take a temperature reading.
4. Increase the fan speed to maximum.
5. After a few minutes take a reading.

My reading after Step 2 was ~60F.
My reading after Step 5 was ~76F.

This supports the TSB in that the truck is likely mixing the heated air, so the higher the volume of heated air, the less effect the AC would have.

Hope this helps!
-Kevin

P.S., I don’t know about anyone else, but between this issue, the leaking rear window, and the transmission falling out of drive, I’m a little overwhelmed.
I wanted to follow up on this. I brought my truck into the dealer this morning and this is not necessarily accurate.

- Those of us with Auto Climate Control need to know that our trucks do not automatically engage recirculation.
- The factory spec is not a fixed temperature, but rather a fixed temperature DELTA. That delta is 30℉. This morning when it was ~80℉, my truck measured at 45℉. I indicated that the delta doesn't seem to hold up when it is 95℉ and the best I can manage is 70℉. He referenced the above recirculation point and also mentioned that when the fan is pushing a lot of hot air across the coils because it is 95℉ outside, they aren't going to be quite as effective until the fan speed decreases (which throws a wrench into my previous statement).
- My service rep indicated that they have the ability to control the actuators individually and measure whether they are properly sealing. In short, all of my sealed without issue.

I'm a little annoyed that the Auto Climate Control does not all for recirculation; however, with that in mind I plan on manually activating it on particularly hot days to gauge the improvement. That said, I felt the need to post here about a good experience with a dealer who put up with my probing questions and was able to defend the diagnostic steps. Often times, we probably get a little bit over our skis here in jumping to a diagnosis when, in fact, there are dealerships that employ mechanics that are good at what they do.

On top of all of that, my dealership didn't even charge me a diagnostic fee since they didn't spend much time with the car. That is good, pro-active customer service and I wanted to make sure that I highlighted it as well.
 
I wanted to follow up on this. I brought my truck into the dealer this morning and this is not necessarily accurate.

- Those of us with Auto Climate Control need to know that our trucks do not automatically engage recirculation.
- The factory spec is not a fixed temperature, but rather a fixed temperature DELTA. That delta is 30℉. This morning when it was ~80℉, my truck measured at 45℉. I indicated that the delta doesn't seem to hold up when it is 95℉ and the best I can manage is 70℉. He referenced the above recirculation point and also mentioned that when the fan is pushing a lot of hot air across the coils because it is 95℉ outside, they aren't going to be quite as effective until the fan speed decreases (which throws a wrench into my previous statement).
- My service rep indicated that they have the ability to control the actuators individually and measure whether they are properly sealing. In short, all of my sealed without issue.

I'm a little annoyed that the Auto Climate Control does not all for recirculation; however, with that in mind I plan on manually activating it on particularly hot days to gauge the improvement. That said, I felt the need to post here about a good experience with a dealer who put up with my probing questions and was able to defend the diagnostic steps. Often times, we probably get a little bit over our skis here in jumping to a diagnosis when, in fact, there are dealerships that employ mechanics that are good at what they do.

On top of all of that, my dealership didn't even charge me a diagnostic fee since they didn't spend much time with the car. That is good, pro-active customer service and I wanted to make sure that I highlighted it as well.
For the past couple of days, I have been setting mine to auto with recirculation on. What I have found is that the system seems to perform better than Max AC. I have not yet been able to test the difference in vent temps between the settings. The outside temps have been in the mid to upper 90's.
 
Wonder what the cost is to have this TSB done. It’s looks like a 12hr job according to TSB
 
Funny part of the TSB:
NOTE: Record the radio presets prior to this repair so they can be programmed back in for
the customer after the repair is performed
When do they ever actually do that much effort?
 
I don't own the truck anymore, but I had a pre-existing gouge on the panel under the glovebox, and they replaced it free of charge during this rework. They assumed they did it, and I didn't argue with them. Lol
 
Have had this exact issue on my 2020 1500 limited since bought new! I brought it in several times to two different dealers with this tsb and every time they claim my a/c is in the parameters and they cannot perform the tsb! 54,000 miles 20 days after powertrain warranty is up and the heater core just gave out! Time Portland is quoting me $4300 just for the heater core! Ridiculous denied any kind of payment assistance! 75k truck and 5 years later at 54k miles needing at least 6k worth of work is pretty ridiculous! I'm hoping to get some help from @RamCares Ideally some assistance on the new A/C box replacement & heater core at the same time!
 
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Or just buy some of the clamps from Harbor Freight for short term usage.

View attachment 160135

FYI.... This worked on my 2019 Ram 1500 Big Horn 4x4 I bought a few weeks ago. After reading multiple threads in regards to this issue, I thought....what the hell, let's try the $9 clamps. And...it worked. Noticeably cooler temp which is nice since it's the current heatwave in the south with 100 degree temps and 112 heat index. Black truck and black interior are not very conducive to cool temps. lol. Appreciate the recommendation. Not sure if I care to try and get the TSB covered or not or if @RamCares actually cares enough to help. This is my 5th Ram 1500 in the last almost 30 years. Have had a 1995 with the 5.9L, 2003 with the 4.7l (sold it with 240k miles on it), a 2014 Big Horn RWD, 2017 Big Horn 4x4 and now a 2019 Big Horn 4x4. AC was definitely better in the others.

I don't know if there are any long term ill effects on doing this "clamp" thing but guess it's worth some cool air for now. I don't really want to shell out $4300 for a poorly designed AC system that was fixed for many during the warranty period. Why people lived with it...I have no clue. I just sold a 2012 Nissan Titan SV 4x4 I had in the interim after my 2017 Ram 1500 Big Horn 4x4 and had to replace the evaporator behind the dash board which required everything to come out. Major job and a longtime friend of mine did it for me. If there was a way to do this less evasive, that would be awesome.
 
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FYI.... This worked on my 2019 Ram 1500 Big Horn 4x4 I bought a few weeks ago. After reading multiple threads in regards to this issue, I thought....what the hell, let's try the $9 clamps. And...it worked. Noticeably cooler temp which is nice since it's the current heatwave in the south with 100 degree temps and 112 heat index. Black truck and black interior are not very conducive to cool temps. lol. Appreciate the recommendation. Not sure if I care to try and get the TSB covered or not or if @RamCares actually cares enough to help. This is my 5th Ram 1500 in the last almost 30 years. Have had a 1995 with the 5.9L, 2003 with the 4.7l (sold it with 240k miles on it), a 2014 Big Horn RWD, 2017 Big Horn 4x4 and now a 2019 Big Horn 4x4. AC was definitely better in the others.

I don't know if there are any long term ill effects on doing this "clamp" thing but guess it's worth some cool air for now. I don't really want to shell out $4300 for a poorly designed AC system that was fixed for many during the warranty period. Why people lived with it...I have no clue. I just sold a 2012 Nissan Titan SV 4x4 I had in the interim after my 2017 Ram 1500 Big Horn 4x4 and had to replace the evaporator behind the dash board which required everything to come out. Major job and a longtime friend of mine did it for me. If there was a way to do this less evasive, that would be awesome.
Something tells me Ram will give you the middle finger when it comes to coverage. Could be wrong tho.

I wouldn't leave clamps on long term, as is will compress the walls of the hose. You can install one of the "hacks" on the heater nose to block it off. This would be your best and cheapest option if they won't cover it. Here's what I did

1753367913286.jpeg
 
The ball valve setup shown in prior thread is what I did on my 21 BH, in early 2022. Works great and NO issues at all. If it were to cause a problem, "I" would know, because I am the guy first in line when the DMV window closes!
 
The ball valve setup shown in prior thread is what I did on my 21 BH, in early 2022. Works great and NO issues at all. If it were to cause a problem, "I" would know, because I am the guy first in line when the DMV window closes!
Yep. Doesn’t hot anything. Leave the valve closed until winter
 

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