When your car is starting on its own without even its key in the ignition, it may scare you to death. But it's a pretty common thing, especially with some Ram 1500 and 2500 trucks with different engines.
When reading forums, the most popular answer you can find is that your vehicle is possessed and you need to get a priest or an exorcist to it. OK, well, I'm a pretty practical guy, so I won't give that piece of advice to you.
If your truck starts on its own, it can happen because of the faulty ignition switch, a low battery that is being changed, and also some glitches in control units. In modern vehicles, it may also be the glitch in the fob that has the remote start feature. In some cars with modified safety systems, you may have delayed or scheduled start that can also glitch and start your truck in the middle of the night scaring the soul out of you.
So, what should you do when this happens?
Analyzing the situation and the possible circumstances
First of all, you need to analyze the situation when your truck started on its own. In the majority of cases, this will be the situation when you are jumping or replacing the old battery. The low voltage made some modules in your car go crazy and now, when they finally get proper voltage, they are still mad but can work.
If your car starts in the middle of the night in the garage without you even touching the key fob, this may mean some software glitch or wrongly set scheduled engine start. You need to check the settings.
If the vehicle starts on its own when you are around it with the key fob in your pocket, you need to check the fob. It probably has the function of remote start and there is something wrong with it.
What are the common reasons for this problem?
I know several most common reasons that are worth checking when this mysterious thing is happening to your truck.
Here are some of them:
1) The battery is very low and is being replaced
Low battery can affect the work of many electronic modules including the ignition cylinder or ignition switch. When you hook up the new battery, the faulty switch will turn on the ignition and may even crank the starter. Sometimes, you don't even need to insert the key into the ignition cylinder - the car will start.
This is a common issue for 2001-2007 Ram trucks.
2) The key fob battery is low
When the battery voltage drops in your key fob, the fob may start developing different glitches. One of them is activating the remote start. You may try a spare key or just change the battery to make sure this is not the case.
3) Remote start feature issue
The remote start may also glitch in the car itself. If there is some short circuit in the electrical system of your vehicle, it may start on its own using the remote start feature glitch. Actually, this problem is not as uncommon as you may think of it.
4) Extra safety equipment glitch
A lot of car owners used to install extra alarm systems that could also have additional functions like remote engine start and scheduled engine start. These systems may be of pretty poor quality, so their control modules may easily develop different kinds of problems. So, if you have such a thing in your car, it's the first one to get inspected.
5) Damaged key fob
Again, if your key has the function of remote start, it may initiate the engine starting even without you touching the fob. For example, it may have fallen onto the hard floor, and the remote start button got jammed. Now, your key fob will start your car once you approach the vehicle in the key fob signal range.
What should you immediately do?
If your truck starts on its own, it's pretty obvious that you shouldn't just ignore the problem. It's important to find the reason for this. Of course, you can still drive the car and take it to a mechanic as soon as possible.
Also, you can try solving the problem on your own just using the tips that I gave you in this article. Fortunately, diagnosing the issue is not that hard if you just pay attention to the circumstances under which this happens to the vehicle.
Remember that if you ignore the issue, your car may also shut off on its own. This will lead to unexpected risks on the road and even to accidents that threaten your health and life. So dealing with this problem is extremely important!
About the authors
The CarAraC research team is composed of seasoned auto mechanics and automotive industry professionals, including individuals with advanced degrees and certifications in their field. Our team members boast prestigious credentials, reflecting their extensive knowledge and skills. These qualifications include: IMI: Institute of the Motor Industry, ASE-Certified Master Automobile Technicians; Coventry University, Graduate of MA in Automotive Journalism; Politecnico di Torino, Italy, MS Automotive Engineering; Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Mechanical University in Skopje; TOC Automotive College; DHA Suffa University, Department of Mechanical Engineering
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