2011 Ram 2500 Electrical Problems

Your truck's ignition switch can shake loose while driving, causing the engine to suddenly shut off without warning — this happened to you twice, including once on the highway at high speed. When the key moves in the ignition during bumps or rough road conditions, it cuts power to the engine, leaving you without steering assist or brakes. The dealer confirmed this is a known issue requiring replacement of the ignition switch and keys, a repair costing around $1,000.

Your truck's engine and all electrical accessories are suddenly losing power while driving on various road conditions, forcing you to shift to neutral and restart the engine. This has happened multiple times since you purchased the vehicle in 2015, and you've found that moving the key fob near the wireless ignition node (WIN) module causes the shutdown. The issue appears to be related to a defective WIN module that may need replacement and reprogramming.

Your truck has two separate issues. First, the fuel pump relay inside the fuse box failed, leaving you stranded when the engine wouldn't start. Even after replacing the fuel pump and bypassing the relay, you're still getting error codes for a fuel system leak, and your trailer brake light keeps flashing on and off while driving. Second, a cylinder 1 misfire led to a broken valve stem and spring in the engine head, which caused metal shavings to circulate through the engine and made the truck shake severely at certain speeds. This required a complete engine replacement at significant cost. Fixing these issues will require a full fuel system diagnostic to find the leak source, repairs to the fuse box electrical circuit, and confirmation of whether the new engine has resolved the misfire and metal contamination problems.

You noticed smoke coming from under the hood with a burning electrical smell when you got home. You found the alternator was smoking heavily, and you had to pour water on it and disconnect the batteries to stop it. This same issue has been reported on 2013 model year trucks, suggesting the problem may affect earlier years as well. The alternator likely needs to be replaced to prevent potential fire hazard.

Your Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM), which controls electrical power distribution in your truck, failed about 6 years ago and you had to replace it out of pocket. Now it's failing again. This appears to be a recurring problem with Dodge Ram trucks. The repair will likely involve replacing the TIPM unit entirely.

Your truck experienced a sudden failure where multiple electrical components stopped working, including interior lights, horn, cruise control, and key fob functions. The fuel pump continued running until it drained your battery completely. Your mechanic identified a defective TIPM (Totally Integrated Power Module) as the cause and replaced it—a part that has been subject to recalls for your model year.

Your check engine light came on, and a mechanic found that a faulty wiring harness overlay controlling your diesel emissions needed to be replaced. With only 67,000 miles on your truck, you believe this should be covered under the factory's 100,000-mile warranty, but FCA refused to pay for the repair. The repair typically involves replacing or upgrading the faulty wiring harness that controls emissions system functions.

THE WIN MODULE MAKES THE CAR SHUT OFF, WITHOUT WARNING TO THE DRIVER. THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES GOING DOE THE FREE WAY AT 81 MPHS. IT ALSO HAPPENS IN THE CITY. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT IT GOING TO HAPPEN. THE TRUCK LITERALLY SHUTS OFF BECAUSE WHENEVER. IT ALSO HAS ISSUES STARTING BACK UP.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 RAM 2500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 80 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND RESTARTED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO RON SAYER'S CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE IN IDAHO FALLS, IDAHO 83401 (WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIND MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 153,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 RAM 2500. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND THE HOOD WAS LIFTED, THE CONTACT OBSERVED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AREA. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WIRES TO THE ALTERNATOR WERE BURNED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED AN UNKNOWN DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE REPAIR COST WAS $400. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V435000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ASSOCIATED WITH THE VIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 250,200.

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON SEVERAL TIMES WITH CODES P241A AND P2196. I HAVE REPLACED THE O2 SENSOR 3 TIMES WITHIN ONE YEAR. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT IS THE WRING HARNESS.

I BECAME AWARE THAT THE TIPM MODULE IS DEFECTIVE. I NOTIFIED DODGE ON THIS PROBLEM AND EVEN REQUESTED ASSISTANCE ON REPAIR. ON 11/03/17, WAS TOLD DODGE DENIED CLAIM. IN MY OPINION THIS MAY BE A SAFETY CONCERN, SINCE THE TIPM MODULE CONTROLS FUEL SYSTEM, AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT, WIPER OPERATIONS AND A FEW OTHER SYSTEMS. I'VE NOTICED ON THE INTERNET FROM DOSGE FORUMS THAT ALOT OF DODGE AND CHRYSLER OWNERS ALSO HAD ISSUSES WITH THE TIPM MODULE. I WAS QUOTED FOR REPAIRS AROUND $1200.00 .

I HAD MY TRUCK TOWED INTO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A "NO START". PROBLEM DID CONTINUE WITH THE DEALER A FEW TIMES WITH NO CODES. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE TRUCK WOULD START AND THEN WHEN YOU TRY TO RESTART VEHICLE, IT WOULD NOT START. DEALERSHIP CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS A SOFTWARE ISSUE, THAT NEEDED TO BE UPDATED WITH THE SOME MODULE IN THE TRUCK. UNFORTUNATELY, I HAD TI PAY FOR THIS UPDATED, IN WHICH THIS PROBLEM SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED A FACTORY ISSUSE. WHICH IN MY OPINION THAT THE DODGE CORP. SHOULD HAVE COVERED THIS EXPENSE. I SEEN ON THE INTERNET WITH OTHER PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM.

UPON ACTIVATING THE HIGH BEAM HEAD LIGHTS, ENGINE WILL BEGIN MISSING AND EVENTUALLY STALL. HEADLIGHTS WILL BLINK OFF AND ON. ALL DASH LIGHTS AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS WILL ALSO FLUCTUATE POWER (RADIO, WIPERS, TAIL LIGHTS, HAZARDS, FRONT PARKING LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNALS). ALL GAUGES ON THE DASH WILL GO DEAD. WHILE DRIVING ON 7/22/2016 AT APPROXIMATELY 9:15 PM THE HIGH BEAM HEAD LIGHTS WERE ACTIVATED. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO MISS AND ALL ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS BEGAN TO TURN OFF, AND THEN BACK ON. THE ENGINE STALLED AT APPROX 65 MPH LEAVING NO POWER STEERING. TRUCK WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED ONCE IT WAS BROUGHT TO REST ON THE SHOULDER. HIGH BEAMS COULD NOT BE USED OR THE PROBLEM WOULD REPEAT. MAKE: RAM (DODGE) MODEL: 2500 YEAR: 2011 ENGINE/POWERTRAIN: 6.7L CUMMINS TURBO DIESEL W/ 6 SPEED AUTOMATIC.

TRUCK WOULD NOT START DUE TO FAULTY TIMP MODULE. LUCKILY IT WAS PARKED AT HOME, BUT NEEDED TOWED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 RAM 2500. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIPM MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,000.

TODAY I RECEIVED THE SECOND RECALL NOTICE P65/NHTSA 14V-635. THE PREVIOUS ONE I CALLED THE DEALER AND HE SAID ALL PARTS TO REPAIR ON BACKORDER, WILL CALL WHEN HAVE PART. THAT HAS BEEN MONTHS AGO. WHAT DO THEY EXPECT ME TO DO WITH ANOTHER NOTICE?

SERVICE BULLITIN 25-003-13 O2 SENSOR WIRE HARNESS ENDING WITH (AC) O2 SENSOR AND O2 COMPUTER MODULE FAILURE. *TR

THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM ONLY WORKS WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. WHEN THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE IS ABOVE 90 DEGREES AND THE VEHICLE IS STARTED AND WHILE THE AIR CONDITIONING IS ON THE INTERIOR CAB WILL NOT COOL DOWN. IT IS NOT UNTIL YOU START TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE THAT THE AIR CONDITIONING STARTS TO COOL AND WILL KEEP COOL UNLESS YOU STAY STATIONARY FOR A WHILE. I HAVE HAD THE DEALER INSPECT THE A/C UNIT MULTIPLE OCCASIONS AND THEY FIND NO PROBLEM. WHEN A BASIC INTERNET SEARCH IS PERFORMED I FIND MULTIPLE SOURCES INDICATING A DEFECTIVE FAN CLUTCH AND ONCE REPLACED THIS PROBLEM GOES AWAY. NORMALLY I WOULDN'T CARE BUT SINCE HAVING A 9 MONTH OLD WHILE LIVING IN OKLAHOMA ITS BECOME MORE OF A NECESSITY DURING THESE EXTREME SUMMER TEMPERATURES. *JS

TRUCK WAS IDLING, JUST GOT HOME AND THE MASTER WINDOW SWITCH STARTED SMOKING AND AS THAT HAPPENED BOTH BACK WINDOWS ROLLED DOWN AND FIRE CAME OUT FROM WINDOW SWITCH. *TR