ABS, Service 4wd, Traction Control

[smoothee]

Another one of these threads, but having a strange issue lately after the truck has been sitting (overnight or after a day at work, etc.). Doesn't matter if regular start, remote start, or just turning to key to on (not starting engine) I get these lights. But if I cycle the key off and back on or turn the truck off and back on it always clears. And doesn't return until the truck sits for a little while again.

I've pulled the codes and points towards front passenger side (new wheel bearing installed in the summer). I did have an issue previously with one of the rear sensors but that would pop up randomly and not clear for a while sometimes. When the codes were present I monitored all wheel speeds while driving and the one in question would max out (or default) when truck was stopped and remain at that value the whole time. Once power cycled it would read correctly, same as the other three sensors. I just replaced my battery as the old one was shot and I was hoping that would be the cure, but unfortunately not.

Has anyone seen anything like this before? The fact that it always clears (and remains cleared) after a restart is throwing me for a loop.

 

[Jeepwalker]

Ok, you changed your battery -- good. Might not hurt to have a parts store do a load-test on it just to rule that out. A Harbor Freight load tester is a good tool to have too, if you don't have one. Quadruple check your batt connections, and your grounds to the body, frame and engine, if you haven't. Loosen the bolts, wiggle the cables and re-tighten. All the juice on vehicles flows from negative to positive, so grounds are real important or the juice from any of the accessories may not flow properly if main body/frame grounds are flaky. Battery connections and esp Grounds on these Rams are a common source of electrical bugaboos. All new cars it is ..in fact.

I've personally experienced the lights you described about 2x: 1) When my battery died. It checked ok with a multi-meter but utterly failed the load-test. Course it was really old too. 2) When my brake switch failed. The switch is a common failure. It weighs like 10 grams, so there can't be much inside. ABS and traction control go through there. But mine didn't fail outright. It was about 3+ weeks after the first warning lights till the next warning light came on. Then more frequently after that.

Here's where a scanner can come in real handy. Do you have your own? Sounds like you do. Pretty easy to look 'live' and see what's not working. If not, the parts store that does your battery load test can hook up their scanner and check for an intermittent switch ...and re-look at that wheel sensor too. If you tap on the brake a bunch of times you may see an intermittent.

And for the wheel sensor, sounds like you kind of have some info on that already. Check the connector, ...you probably already have. Looks like Ram sensors aren't inside the hubs. So you could remove/inspect ..or replace the sensor. Also while under there pull apart and reconnect the Transfer case and tranny connectors too.

Ram 1500 ABS Sensor Repair ***Cheap FIX*** ||PRODUCT LINK IN DESCRIPTION||

All of our Gear can be found on our Amazon Storefront.https://www.amazon.com/shop/breakfreehomestead?ref=ac_inf_tb_vhThere is no extra cost, we just get a sm...

www.youtube.com

Might not be a bad idea to wiggle the fuses and relays if you haven't already. They're not that well protected from the elements.

Fuse wiggling might fix your cargo light situation too. But it could be a burnt bulb ..or water in the lens (common). I can't say on the radio. Maybe intermittent. Maybe the radio fluid is a touch low and needs to be topped-off, or the wrong type was used before (just kidding, lol!).

Sorry for the long post. Hope you find it. Let us know

 

[Mister Luck]

I had a bent dust shield on a left front that defeated the ABS but never pulled a code.
straightened the shield everything else was OK and was braking normal after that.

 

[Mister Luck]

You have internal wheel speed sensors?

 

[smoothee]

Ok, you changed your battery -- good. Might not hurt to have a parts store do a load-test on it just to rule that out. A Harbor Freight load tester is a good tool to have too, if you don't have one. Quadruple check your batt connections, and your grounds to the body, frame and engine, if you haven't. Loosen the bolts, wiggle the cables and re-tighten. All the juice on vehicles flows from negative to positive, so grounds are real important or the juice from any of the accessories may not flow properly if main body/frame grounds are flaky. Battery connections and esp Grounds on these Rams are a common source of electrical bugaboos. All new cars it is ..in fact.

I've personally experienced the lights you described about 2x: 1) When my battery died. It checked ok with a multi-meter but utterly failed the load-test. Course it was really old too. 2) When my brake switch failed. The switch is a common failure. It weighs like 10 grams, so there can't be much inside. ABS and traction control go through there. But mine didn't fail outright. It was about 3+ weeks after the first warning lights till the next warning light came on. Then more frequently after that.

Here's where a scanner can come in real handy. Do you have your own? Sounds like you do. Pretty easy to look 'live' and see what's not working. If not, the parts store that does your battery load test can hook up their scanner and check for an intermittent switch ...and re-look at that wheel sensor too. If you tap on the brake a bunch of times you may see an intermittent.

And for the wheel sensor, sounds like you kind of have some info on that already. Check the connector, ...you probably already have. Looks like Ram sensors aren't inside the hubs. So you could remove/inspect ..or replace the sensor. Also while under there pull apart and reconnect the Transfer case and tranny connectors too.

Ram 1500 ABS Sensor Repair ***Cheap FIX*** ||PRODUCT LINK IN DESCRIPTION||

All of our Gear can be found on our Amazon Storefront.https://www.amazon.com/shop/breakfreehomestead?ref=ac_inf_tb_vhThere is no extra cost, we just get a sm...

www.youtube.com

Might not be a bad idea to wiggle the fuses and relays if you haven't already. They're not that well protected from the elements.

Fuse wiggling might fix your cargo light situation too. But it could be a burnt bulb ..or water in the lens (common). I can't say on the radio. Maybe intermittent. Maybe the radio fluid is a touch low and needs to be topped-off, or the wrong type was used before (just kidding, lol!).

Sorry for the long post. Hope you find it. Let us know

Yeah, was really hoping it was the battery, since the old battery caused some other strange issues from time to time. Battery load tested good, I have one of those Princess Auto testers (our equivalent to Harbour Freight), tested it again this morning with a little fancier load tester at work. Connections good and I did remove and clean up the two ground connections close to the battery when I replaced it. Will check the other grounds this weekend once I pull her back into the garage. Checked the pass side sensor cabling and TIPM fuses/relays.

I did see the brake switch mentioned a few times and I could see if the issue were random and intermittent. But it's only the first time I turn the key over. This morning same thing, turned key off and back on again and codes cleared. I would much rather if it were an issue that stuck around, as it would be a whole lot easier to diagnose.

I do have a scanner and when the code is present that front pass speed sensor doesn't register. But it always comes back with the power reset. Everytime. And if I keep cycling the key the codes remain cleared. That's the part that's getting me, I don't see why a reset would magically cause it to work properly again.

As for the other codes, the radio one has always been there (have an aftermarket radio with no issues). Radio fluid is good, did a full flush and used full synthetic, lol.
And I'm thinking the cargo light is because it's LED. Last time I checked Alfa I didn't see the option to set it to LED for a pre '13.

Hopefully get a chance to dig into it some more this weekend, I appreciate the reply!

 

[Mister Luck]

Maybe a battery blanket would be in order?
You use a block heater correct ?

 

[smoothee]

You have internal wheel speed sensors?

They are replaceable, should be the same as yours I would imagine

Maybe a battery blanket would be in order?
You use a block heater correct ?

I have a block heater, but I haven't had the need to use it for a long time. It doesn't get crazy cold here. Even after having the truck inside the heated garage for a couple of days same issue

 

[62Blazer]

I'm not sure all 4 codes are related. Note that 2 are stored and 2 are active. When you say they "clear", do you mean the light on the dash goes out or are you manually clearing the codes. Also, exactly what lights are being activated? Check engine light and/or ABS and traction control light?

 

[Jeepwalker]

If you have AlfaOBD, sit there and push the brake pedal a bunch of times. And maybe even the accelerator too. Everytime you push you see if it 'makes' or not (I know you know this ..but for other readers in the future). And turn on/off the 4x4 and traction control (separately) and verify all those switches are working properly. There used to be reports on earlier Rams of the key assembly wearing out (with an actual key, if you have that), but I haven't seen any posts like that in a long time since keys haven't been in much use.

Wheew! glad you got the radio fluids changed

 

[smoothee]

I'm not sure all 4 codes are related. Note that 2 are stored and 2 are active. When you say they "clear", do you mean the light on the dash goes out or are you manually clearing the codes. Also, exactly what lights are being activated? Check engine light and/or ABS and traction control light?

No I don't think they are related, I'm not really concerned about the last two, they just happened to be there.

The first two say stored because I had just cycled the key off and back on again before I took that pic. Before I did that they were both "active." And when I say clear I mean the lights on the dash (ABS, traction control, and Service 4wd) go out and the faults revert back to "stored." I don't actually clear anything myself (I did clear all faults right after I changed the battery though to see if that would do the trick).

I'm going to test to see if 4wd actually works during these codes, but I'm assuming not if it isn't getting proper signal from one of the sensors at the time.

Edit: just left work after truck siting 8 hours. Results after cycling key

 

[smoothee]

If you have AlfaOBD, sit there and push the brake pedal a bunch of times. And maybe even the accelerator too. Everytime you push you see if it 'makes' or not (I know you know this ..but for other readers in the future). And turn on/off the 4x4 and traction control (separately) and verify all those switches are working properly. There used to be reports on earlier Rams of the key assembly wearing out (with an actual key, if you have that), but I haven't seen any posts like that in a long time since keys haven't been in much use.

Wheew! glad you got the radio fluids changed

I've got Alfa and another decent paid app (forget the name off hand) that I'll play with some more. I did verify 4wd and traction control switches operating properly when I was monitoring wheel speeds, but good suggestions! I didn't try brakes though. And I do have an actual key, but I think I may have ruled that out with the remote start?