What Voltage Should Etorque Be at?

[gallobg]

Hard to say it’s an individual decision, your automotive maintenance skill level and how and where you use your Ram. Knowing what I know now I probably will consider replacing at 2 years or start of a 3rd summer. If you plan to travel much or your wife drove it a lot that could make right away justifiable??? Mine lasted 18 months in Las Vegas which is considered a severe duty area. It was under warranty still but the dealership wanted me to have it towed in to them before Mopar would decide to replace it or not. At that point my inclination was to do it myself. So far so good about 15 months later. In my 43 years of driving/owning vehicles Ive only once replaced a battery that had zero apparent issues and that was for my sons Silverado that he took to college 900 miles away. If you do replace it yourself there are 2 things that you will hear you need to do. Apply a battery tender or other power source to the truck while the battery is disconnected to maintain electronics. Second with a scanner / programmer register (tell the truck it has a new battery). The first one wasn’t an option for me as the OEM was completely dead shorted already so I lost radio settings etc. anyway. I planned to purchase or borrow an OBD tool to complete the registration but never did. This truck can frustrate me for sure and Vroom offered me 49k for it last month but I keep it because I don’t want to deal with getting something else and I really do like it.

Thanks for the advice, I’m going to replace the battery with a high quality AGM.

If I’m installing the battery myself or at an auto parts store, I can have backup power applied to maintain settings but how do I handle your second point about using a scanner to tell the vehicle there’s a new battery? Does it affect anything if I don’t do this? Seems like a lot to require a dealer visit just to change out a battery.

 

[Phairse]

The health of the main battery does affect the availability of the start/stop system if the IBS (attached to the main battery negative cable) senses it’s down on power or failing. Battery life is tough to predict – it depends on the age of the battery, the climate and how often you drive the vehicle. These trucks tax the batteries while sitting maintaining computers, settings, security etc. My 2019 Rebels (purchased 10/2018) OEM battery failed at 18 months and the first indication was start/stop unavailable light. Not an ET expert I’m just passing on what I’ve learned about my FCA vehicles out of necessity because as Pharise stated dealership techs are not up to speed and my purchasing dealer is flat out unhelpful in the service area and I’ve bought two Rams and one Jeep from them.

But on your rebel is the start stop system use the starter battery to start the vehicle during driving or does your have the Etorque. I believe they differ in where the computer decides on if the system is healthy enough for that system to work or not and etorque IBS is used more to tell the 48V battery when to give it power and when to cut the power off. but i very well could be wrong and my battery was replaced less then a month ago.

 

[Ramgoose]

Thanks for the advice, I’m going to replace the battery with a high quality AGM.

If I’m installing the battery myself or at an auto parts store, I can have backup power applied to maintain settings but how do I handle your second point about using a scanner to tell the vehicle there’s a new battery? Does it affect anything if I don’t do this? Seems like a lot to require a dealer visit just to change out a battery.

The parts house might very well have the scanner tool to accomplish it most of them do to help with deciphering codes thrown. I never did it on my Rebel or Jeep. The thinking is that you need to tell the truck the battery is new because the computer on memory may keep charging the battery as if it was still the old one and over charge it. I have heard good things about some of the scanners that Harbor Freight sells I just have never pulled the trigger on one.

 

[Ramgoose]

But on your rebel is the start stop system use the starter battery to start the vehicle during driving or does your have the Etorque. I believe they differ in where the computer decides on if the system is healthy enough for that system to work or not and etorque IBS is used more to tell the 48V battery when to give it power and when to cut the power off. but i very well could be wrong and my battery was replaced less then a month ago.

The Rebel is ET. My Jeep is not ET but has stop / start and only one battery. Both have the same intelligent battery sensor same part number even. When the Jeep battery went bad same thing start/stop not available and finally went into limp mode. I’m not 100% sure of much on these vehicles but neither are the Mopar ASE guys here locally. One other thing, on the Jeep I went ahead and replaced the IBS along with the battery. From researching the electrical issues on the Jeep that it was experiencing. The issues were power tail gate doesn’t want to shut and hard trans up shifts. That’s crazy huh? It fixed it though. I wish they were more simple like my 79. Cheers!

 

[Phairse]

The Rebel is ET. My Jeep is not ET but has stop / start and only one battery. Both have the same intelligent battery sensor same part number even. When the Jeep battery went bad same thing start/stop not available and finally went into limp mode. I’m not 100% sure of much on these vehicles but neither are the Mopar ASE guys here locally. One other thing, on the Jeep I went ahead and replaced the IBS along with the battery. From researching the electrical issues on the Jeep that it was experiencing. The issues were power tail gate doesn’t want to shut and hard trans up shifts. That’s crazy huh? It fixed it though. I wish they were more simple like my 79. Cheers!

Ya my truck is showing alot of weird electrical problems. the newest one is it seems the pcm has power to body ground which ive never seen before. Also have had RAMs Star engineer tech come out and look at my truck and he cannot figure it out. I mean they had it for a week because when they redownloaded my pcm after they put the new MGU in the truck thought it was a 4wd and could not find the transfer case so it wouldn't move. it does not give me much confidence in RAM fixing there trucks the right way. also RAMCARE is horrible

 

[Snekpete]

These trucks certainly aren't simple. My brand new Rebel shows 13.9 volts while driving for a period of time and then it shows 12.9 to 13 volts for awhile. Then it will show 13.9 again and after some period of time go back to 13. Clearly some charge cycling is taking place.

I believe what is happening is that the generator is very intermittently charging the 48 volt Lion battery and the Lion battery is cycle charging the 12 volt lead acid battery. The lead acid battery can and should stay fully charged, which is around 13 volts ambient, 13.9 when charging. But the Lion battery should not be kept fully charged as that will significantly shorten it's life span. So the truck let's the Lion battery discharge, probably for quite awhile except when generating electricity to slow the engine(eTorque). This keeps the Lion battery at some intermediate and fluctuating level of charge that is not visible to the average user. But the Lion battery is periodically applying 13.9 volts to the lead acid battery to keep it fully charged and this is what is user visible through the gauges.

It would almost take a PhD electrical engineer to solve some of the more difficult electrical problems. I'm keeping an eye on these issues to see if I can glean some insight. Part of it is the challenge, I'm a retired computer engineer, and part of it is to prepare for possible trouble down the road with my Rebel.

 

[Ramgoose]

These trucks certainly aren't simple. My brand new Rebel shows 13.9 volts while driving for a period of time and then it shows 12.9 to 13 volts for awhile. Then it will show 13.9 again and after some period of time go back to 13. Clearly some charge cycling is taking place.

I believe what is happening is that the generator is very intermittently charging the 48 volt Lion battery and the Lion battery is cycle charging the 12 volt lead acid battery. The lead acid battery can and should stay fully charged, which is around 13 volts ambient, 13.9 when charging. But the Lion battery should not be kept fully charged as that will significantly shorten it's life span. So the truck let's the Lion battery discharge, probably for quite awhile except when generating electricity to slow the engine(eTorque). This keeps the Lion battery at some intermediate and fluctuating level of charge that is not visible to the average user. But the Lion battery is periodically applying 13.9 volts to the lead acid battery to keep it fully charged and this is what is user visible through the gauges.

It would almost take a PhD electrical engineer to solve some of the more difficult electrical problems. I'm keeping an eye on these issues to see if I can glean some insight. Part of it is the challenge, I'm a retired computer engineer, and part of it is to prepare for possible trouble down the road with my Rebel.

I wish you trouble free days with your Rebel. They’re great really and I’ve only had the main battery issue and a few recalls which happens to all makes. It’s the factory support that needs improvement. I think the horse is out of the barn on that one. I’m afraid before techs and service managers can get up to speed they’ll phase out E torque for full EV or something else. You have the best and rarest (I believe) color for a Rebel.

 

[Ramgoose]

Ya my truck is showing alot of weird electrical problems. the newest one is it seems the pcm has power to body ground which ive never seen before. Also have had RAMs Star engineer tech come out and look at my truck and he cannot figure it out. I mean they had it for a week because when they redownloaded my pcm after they put the new MGU in the truck thought it was a 4wd and could not find the transfer case so it wouldn't move. it does not give me much confidence in RAM fixing there trucks the right way. also RAMCARE is horrible

Wow, Hope Ram makes it right for you. Never heard of that one either. I can understand your lack of confidence. Peace of mind is one of the big reasons we spend so much on the trucks.

 

[1awesomelaw]

Advice how to use or attach a battery tender unit to the truck when changing the battery which I will do at the start of my third spring.

 

[Ramgoose]

These trucks certainly aren't simple. My brand new Rebel shows 13.9 volts while driving for a period of time and then it shows 12.9 to 13 volts for awhile. Then it will show 13.9 again and after some period of time go back to 13. Clearly some charge cycling is taking place.

I believe what is happening is that the generator is very intermittently charging the 48 volt Lion battery and the Lion battery is cycle charging the 12 volt lead acid battery. The lead acid battery can and should stay fully charged, which is around 13 volts ambient, 13.9 when charging. But the Lion battery should not be kept fully charged as that will significantly shorten it's life span. So the truck let's the Lion battery discharge, probably for quite awhile except when generating electricity to slow the engine(eTorque). This keeps the Lion battery at some intermediate and fluctuating level of charge that is not visible to the average user. But the Lion battery is periodically applying 13.9 volts to the lead acid battery to keep it fully charged and this is what is user visible through the gauges.

It would almost take a PhD electrical engineer to solve some of the more difficult electrical problems. I'm keeping an eye on these issues to see if I can glean some insight. Part of it is the challenge, I'm a retired computer engineer, and part of it is to prepare for possible trouble down the road with my Rebel.

Do you think that disabled stop/start either through the button or otherwise could have an affect on Lion battery life? I used to always turn it off but thinking about the question above I started letting it auto start a few times per trip thinking ET as a system might like it. Thanks

 

[NorthStar]

Do you think that disabled stop/start either through the button or otherwise could have an affect on Lion battery life? I used to always turn it off but thinking about the question above I started letting it auto start a few times per trip thinking ET as a system might like it. Thanks

We have Autostop Elimininator (AE) installed in both of our 2020 Rams and no battery issues in eleven months of ownership. AE was installed a couple weeks after they were purchased and have not been an issue nor have we have any battery issues…even in this Texas heat.

 

[Snekpete]

Do you think that disabled stop/start either through the button or otherwise could have an affect on Lion battery life? I used to always turn it off but thinking about the question above I started letting it auto start a few times per trip thinking ET as a system might like it. Thanks

I thought about that too. It will certainly reduce the load being applied to the Lion. But the main issue is that the Lion battery not remain fully charged for long periods of time. How the system is engineered to accomplish this and if it relies on the auto start to keep the Lion somewhat discharged is unknown, at least to me. While the oil viscosity argument rages on, my issue with auto start is this: I have read from multiple and believable sources that the majority of engine wear occurs at startup when the engine has little oil protection. So usually I start a motor three, maybe four times a day. But with auto start that could go to twenty or more. Now is the startup wear on a ten second restart as bad as on a twenty hour cold start? Probably not but you are still turning over an engine with zero oil pressure. All to save, at best, ten or twelve ounces of gasoline? That seems stupid to me.

 

[NorthStar]

I thought about that too. It will certainly reduce the load being applied to the Lion. But the main issue is that the Lion battery not remain fully charged for long periods of time. How the system is engineered to accomplish this and if it relies on the auto start to keep the Lion somewhat discharged is unknown, at least to me. While the oil viscosity argument rages on, my issue with auto start is this: I have read from multiple and believable sources that the majority of engine wear occurs at startup when the engine has little oil protection. So usually I start a motor three, maybe four times a day. But with auto start that could go to twenty or more. Now is the startup wear on a ten second restart as bad as on a twenty hour cold start? Probably not but you are still turning over an engine with zero oil pressure. All to save, at best, ten or twelve ounces of gasoline? That seems stupid to me.

No, not “stupid” but actually brilliant as it is “planned obsolescence”.

 

[Ramgoose]

I thought about that too. It will certainly reduce the load being applied to the Lion. But the main issue is that the Lion battery not remain fully charged for long periods of time. How the system is engineered to accomplish this and if it relies on the auto start to keep the Lion somewhat discharged is unknown, at least to me. While the oil viscosity argument rages on, my issue with auto start is this: I have read from multiple and believable sources that the majority of engine wear occurs at startup when the engine has little oil protection. So usually I start a motor three, maybe four times a day. But with auto start that could go to twenty or more. Now is the startup wear on a ten second restart as bad as on a twenty hour cold start? Probably not but you are still turning over an engine with zero oil pressure. All to save, at best, ten or twelve ounces of gasoline? That seems stupid to me.

I thought about that too. It will certainly reduce the load being applied to the Lion. But the main issue is that the Lion battery not remain fully charged for long periods of time. How the system is engineered to accomplish this and if it relies on the auto start to keep the Lion somewhat discharged is unknown, at least to me. While the oil viscosity argument rages on, my issue with auto start is this: I have read from multiple and believable sources that the majority of engine wear occurs at startup when the engine has little oil protection. So usually I start a motor three, maybe four times a day. But with auto start that could go to twenty or more. Now is the startup wear on a ten second restart as bad as on a twenty hour cold start? Probably not but you are still turning over an engine with zero oil pressure. All to save, at best, ten or twelve ounces of gasoline? That seems stupid to me.

 

[Phairse]

Wow, Hope Ram makes it right for you. Never heard of that one either. I can understand your lack of confidence. Peace of mind is one of the big reasons we spend so much on the trucks.

Ram customer care is one of the most useless and time wasting business models I have ever had to deal with. They waste your time with calling and demanding that you take your truck in but when i asked if they contacted the corporate engineer like i was told they were going to ram care told me that they have not because ram told them to not bother them. 5 times my truck has been in the shop for the same issues but on the service order they write all the issues as separate issues so i cant lemon law the truck. my MGU got stuck on for a 30 mile drive and i could hear the mgu sounding like a super charger and had no power but the service manager says thats normal. but yet a you tuber blows up his truck on youtube and ram sends out a rep to meet him there. After 12 years being a ram customer i am really ashamed & disappointed on how the company is treating this case. Ive been looking into buying a new 2500 but they are plagued with issues now because Fiat decided to go with a cp4 pump instead of the cp3. Also all the dealers thing they have gold during this vehicle shortage

 

[cervelo15]

I'm on a 1,000-mile round trip vacation now. For the first 10 minutes or so after I started the truck, voltage was 13.9v. After that, it was 12.6v for the remainder of the trip. Stopped for the night and same thing: starts out at 13.9v then back to 12.6v after a few minutes. Sure seems low but I've had no indication of problems. I hope this is normal for eTorque.

This is the exact situation I’m in, as I sit on a deck NC. Yesterday, after staring it floated to 13.8, then running down the highway, it went to 12.6 and stuck. Only thing I could think of was my wife plugged her phone into charge and maybe it dropped after that. Started right up today and was running between 13.5-13.9 all day.

Im getting to the po8nt of being nervous of having anyone plug in phones to charge because I don’t know how the system is going to react.

 

[MurphBigHorn]

For the ones saying there truck is running at 12.6volts. I have noticed an issue myself. If I use push to start the truck will climb up to 13.8 volts. Now if I use the remote start. The truck will never leave 12.6 volts. Now this could be a glitch with the meter reading the voltage. I’m going in temp install a after market meter and see if it actually staying at 12.6 or really up in the high 13s.

On a side note. The reading could be slightly off. I’m an electrician by trade and I can have two identical meters and they will read a volt or two different. Every time. So even though it saying 13.5 or 13.8 it very well could be 14v or 14.2v.

 

[cervelo15]

For the ones saying there truck is running at 12.6volts. I have noticed an issue myself. If I use push to start the truck will climb up to 13.8 volts. Now if I use the remote start. The truck will never leave 12.6 volts. Now this could be a glitch with the meter reading the voltage. I’m going in temp install a after market meter and see if it actually staying at 12.6 or really up in the high 13s.

On a side note. The reading could be slightly off. I’m an electrician by trade and I can have two identical meters and they will read a volt or two different. Every time. So even though it saying 13.5 or 13.8 it very well could be 14v or 14.2v.

Travelled up to TN for the last half of our trip today and in maybe the last half hour of the trip, it dipped down to 12.6. Unplugged the cell phone and limited the AC (even though it registered 101 outside on the temp gauge). Very disconcerting being this far away from home.

It was at 13.5-13.8 for most of the trip. I just want to get through this trip and replacing the battery is priority one when I get home.

Does anyone know if you replace the battery, does the system have to be reset or refla by a dealer? Is it really a 5 min swap out the old with the new?

 

[Ramgoose]

Travelled up to TN for the last half of our trip today and in maybe the last half hour of the trip, it dipped down to 12.6. Unplugged the cell phone and limited the AC (even though it registered 101 outside on the temp gauge). Very disconcerting being this far away from home.

It was at 13.5-13.8 for most of the trip. I just want to get through this trip and replacing the battery is priority one when I get home.

Does anyone know if you replace the battery, does the system have to be reset or refla by a dealer? Is it really a 5 min swap out the old with the new?

I replaced the battery last summer when it failed to start one morning. It should have been replaced under warranty but, local Ram dealer was lacking in basic customer service skills (that’s another story). I replaced it myself with an Autozone AGM and I DID NOT update the system which requires using an OBD scanner / programmer. No issues one year later. Your local parts house may very well offer the scan / update if you ask them to and if they change it in the parking lot they will attach a battery tender to the system to retain radio, seats and other settings. I’m not dismissing it’s necessity but I THINK it really depends on how long it took your battery to fail and if the system recognized it as compromised enough to change recharge requirements.

 

[cervelo15]

I replaced the battery last summer when it failed to start one morning. It should have been replaced under warranty but, local Ram dealer was lacking in basic customer service skills (that’s another story). I replaced it myself with an Autozone AGM and I DID NOT update the system which requires using an OBD scanner / programmer. No issues one year later. Your local parts house may very well offer the scan / update if you ask them to and if they change it in the parking lot they will attach a battery tender to the system to retain radio, seats and other settings. I’m not dismissing it’s necessity but I THINK it really depends on how long it took your battery to fail and if the system recognized it as compromised enough to change recharge requirements.

Thanks for the info! I think Im trying to stay ahead of it before something happens. Like today the lowest it got to was 13.4, but that’s because the cooling fans were running because the AC was running. That seems to happen a lot during ridiculous hotter times. Almost embarassed at how loud and long the cooling fans run while in traffic.

If I have to reset a few things after replacing the battery, I’m ok with that.