IBS Sensor / Battery Saver Mode

[boom3198]

So the dealer has replaced the IBS Sensor on my truck a handful of times but every winter when it starts getting cold out side, for the first start of the day, I get about 3-5 mins of driving out of the truck before the battery saver mode comes on. Pull over, shut off the truck, open and close the door, turn it back on, no further issues. This again only happens in the winter when temps get below about 40F and only once when the truck is dead cold. Its annoying as hell but I cant find a solution for it. Specs for the trucks charging system:

2019 Ram 3500 SRW 6.4L Hemi
400A Ohio Generator High output Alternator
2 - XS Power D3400 series AGM Batteries wired in parallel correctly(Alt + to passenger side batt, Ground to factory location batt)
Western 9ft Pro Plow
3000w Sub amp
1000w Full range Amp
Whelen LED Light bar

This charging system and battery setup should be more that sufficient for my electrical loads, but even without the plow on the truck or the audio system even turned on it does it. I put a voltage meter directly to the batter pre startup and read 12.54v, started the truck and it never dipped below 14.3V. This battery saver crap is really getting at my last nerve but I love the truck.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

So the dealer has replaced the IBS Sensor on my truck a handful of times but every winter when it starts getting cold out side, for the first start of the day, I get about 3-5 mins of driving out of the truck before the battery saver mode comes on. Pull over, shut off the truck, open and close the door, turn it back on, no further issues. This again only happens in the winter when temps get below about 40F and only once when the truck is dead cold. Its annoying as hell but I cant find a solution for it. Specs for the trucks charging system:

2019 Ram 3500 SRW 6.4L Hemi
400A Ohio Generator High output Alternator
2 - XS Power D3400 series AGM Batteries wired in parallel correctly(Alt + to passenger side batt, Ground to factory location batt)
Western 9ft Pro Plow
3000w Sub amp
1000w Full range Amp
Whelen LED Light bar

This charging system and battery setup should be more that sufficient for my electrical loads, but even without the plow on the truck or the audio system even turned on it does it. I put a voltage meter directly to the batter pre startup and read 12.54v, started the truck and it never dipped below 14.3V. This battery saver crap is really getting at my last nerve but I love the truck.

Can it be bypassed or removed I wonder? There has got to ba. A way to turn it off in the BCM I would imagine. That system is more of a hinderance than a help it seems.

 

[boom3198]

Can it be bypassed or removed I wonder? There has got to ba. A way to turn it off in the BCM I would imagine. That system is more of a hinderance than a help it seems.

I know right... I mean if it was me, I would monitor output current from the alternator if you wanted to design a system to make sure the charging system is working. You could do this even by software alone in the ECM/BCM. That is, from my point of view, the only reason this system exists. I mean they were doing this in the 90s by monitoring the rectifier on the alternator.

 

[oppizzippo]

Where is your second battery ground hooked up? You say, "Ground to factory location batt." Is this the chassis? If it's to the chassis, I think that is your problem. The truck monitors the battery by watching the flow of electricity from the negative terminal on the battery. If you're hooked up to the chassis, you're bypassing that for the second battery, allowing some use of power not being monitored by the BCM.

 

[boom3198]

Where is your second battery ground hooked up? You say, "Ground to factory location batt." Is this the chassis? If it's to the chassis, I think that is your problem. The truck monitors the battery by watching the flow of electricity from the negative terminal on the battery. If you're hooked up to the chassis, you're bypassing that for the second battery, allowing some use of power not being monitored by the BCM.

No, its grounded through the factory battery location. So the secondary battery (installed the second battery tray from a diesel) has the alternator 12v + ran to it then + and - from that battery to the factory location and then factory battery location to ground. All wiring between batteries, ground and alt upgraded to 2/0 ga. On the IBS, I replaced the factory 4 ga to ground, but all grounds run through the IBS as from factory.

The thing that gets me is from March to November in NE Ohio every year I dont have a single issue. its only when it gets cold outside where daytime temps barely reach over 40. Its happened every winter since I've owned the truck and in the past (just hit my 60K mi so no warranty now) I took it to the dealer, they swap the IBS and no issues for a while then it comes back. It just seems like a stupid design.

 

[johanh13]

What happens when battery saver mode is on? I know you have the gasser, I have the Cummins, but mine was showing 'battery saver mode' similar to yours, but everything kept on working and the message did not come back till the next cold morning. Turns out, after about a month, my batteries were shot. Replaced my batteries and no further messages. FWIW, my voltage was around 13.9v and after grid heater on for 30 seconds and cranking it up, it was about 11.9v. I read on the forum that the grid heater (which the gasser don't have) uses 210 amps, so that's why my voltage would dip. Also, the grid heater seems to come on a few times before the engine gets warmed up, as indicated by voltage dips...

 

[boom3198]

What happens when battery saver mode is on? I know you have the gasser, I have the Cummins, but mine was showing 'battery saver mode' similar to yours, but everything kept on working and the message did not come back till the next cold morning. Turns out, after about a month, my batteries were shot. Replaced my batteries and no further messages. FWIW, my voltage was around 13.9v and after grid heater on for 30 seconds and cranking it up, it was about 11.9v. I read on the forum that the grid heater (which the gasser don't have) uses 210 amps, so that's why my voltage would dip. Also, the grid heater seems to come on a few times before the engine gets warmed up, as indicated by voltage dips...

The message displays on the dash, It shuts off the radio, heated seats, and heated steering wheel until the truck is restarted and then all is good. Its more of a nuisance than anything. Funny thing is even if I remote start the truck (which works - I've seen some people say when the IBS acts up they cant remote start) and let it run for 10 mins, I get in the truck, hit the start button and start driving.it takes 3-5 mins for the error to pop. So at this point the trucks been running for 10-15 mins and radio is on, heated accessories are working, trucks up to temp, then error hits. Pull off into a parking lot or the side of the road. shut it off, open the door so the computers shut off, close the door and restart the truck and it doesn't come back. Checked both batteries independently with a snap on load tester and both came back over their stamped ratings. Batteries are 2 years old and are the XS Power D4800 AGMs (I put 3400 in the initial post, that's for my other truck)

 

[boom3198]

Side Note: This issue has been constant every winter since I bought the truck new in 19 - even with the stock alternator, batteries, no audio system or plow....bone stock.

 

[johanh13]

The message displays on the dash, It shuts off the radio, heated seats, and heated steering wheel until the truck is restarted and then all is good. Its more of a nuisance than anything. Funny thing is even if I remote start the truck (which works - I've seen some people say when the IBS acts up they cant remote start) and let it run for 10 mins, I get in the truck, hit the start button and start driving.it takes 3-5 mins for the error to pop. So at this point the trucks been running for 10-15 mins and radio is on, heated accessories are working, trucks up to temp, then error hits. Pull off into a parking lot or the side of the road. shut it off, open the door so the computers shut off, close the door and restart the truck and it doesn't come back. Checked both batteries independently with a snap on load tester and both came back over their stamped ratings. Batteries are 2 years old and are the XS Power D4800 AGMs (I put 3400 in the initial post, that's for my other truck)

Ok, mine never shut anything down. I even cranked my 750w HK stereo while the message was on, and noticed no change anywhere... odd?

 

[boom3198]

Lol yeah even the 12 in display just goes over to the climate controls screen and wont let you change out of it until restart.

 

[flan]

Speculation here;
As far back as 2016 that I know of some vehicles need to be programmed to the new battery for the proper charging rate. My wife’s old Explorer as an example. Any chance the rams need this done that we don’t know about?

 

[boom3198]

Speculation here;
As far back as 2016 that I know of some vehicles need to be programmed to the new battery for the proper charging rate. My wife’s old Explorer as an example. Any chance the rams need this done that we don’t know about?

I see your point but this was happening stock as well in the winter so idk. But now that you have me thinking about it - its done it across multiple IBSs and different configs of electrical so I'm wondering if one of my parameters is off in the bcm for the system.

 

[flan]

I see your point but this was happening stock as well in the winter so idk. But now that you have me thinking about it - its done it across multiple IBSs and different configs of electrical so I'm wondering if one of my parameters is off in the bcm for the system.

I remember back when the forum started it was a hot topic every time it got cold. I always attributed it to crap oem batteries. For the last couple years it hasn’t really been talked about much. I wonder if there was an ecm update available to update the parameters that your truck hasn’t received?
FWIW, I’m still on my oem batteries but don’t drive in the winter months too often so it sits on a tender. I’ve never seen that message yet.

 

[boom3198]

The colder it gets- the worse it gets. Like mid to high 30s, its hit or miss whether it will happen or not. Once you get into the 20s or below, I remote start the truck, go out at like 5 mins and 'start' the truck, wait for it to pop, turn it off and back on, then I'm good. its ridiculous.