Folks,

I just bought a 2011 Ram 1500. Like everyone else on the planet, I thought it had UConnect and when I got it home I got the dreaded "UConnect not available" I ordered the module from Mopar yesterday and today, sitting on my office desk was the part. I got home and after about two hours, it was installed. The worst part of it - overcoming the fear of breaking something on your new truck. Here is the break down:

As always, disconnect the negative battery terminal.

1. Remove the lower glove box. This is done by pushing in a tab on both upper sides of the glove box. You can see a cut in the top and when you push the uppers in about an inch the glove box will fold down the rest of the way. Be careful, it WILL fall to the floor, so guide it down and remove it.

2. Remove the A-pillars on both sides. Do this by slipping a pick in each screw cover and prying. The cover will fall off and hang. Using a 10 mm socket remove each bolt. The A-pillars will remain on even without the bolts. Grab the A-pilar by its handle and twist them slowly inward. They'll pop out.

3. Take the microphone wire and tuck it up into the front of the headliner. If you pull gently down, it'll fall into the headliner and be sufficiently hidden. Run the plug end down into the glove box area on the passenger side being careful where you run it. Reinstall the driver's side A-pillar and tape the microphone to the A-piller. Reinstall your 10mm screws.

4. My truck has the center shift console. If you don't have it, skip this step. Remove the chrome trim ring. In order to do this, you need something to pry with and a towel. Grab the corner of the chrome trim, pull up and insert your pry tool. Gently slide it around the entire piece. It WILL sound like it's breaking. It isn't. There are two tabs on the front and both sides, in the rear of the trim ring there are three tabs. Each tab has multiple ribs. The ribs are what sounds like things breaking. When the trim ring is removed, remove the grey parts of center console. This is done by removing the rubber cup in the front of the console then removing the two phillips head screws under that cap. The rest of the center console will merely pull up.

5. Remove the front trim piece around the radio. Take out the rubber "cup" at the top of the dash. Underneath that remove the two torx-20 screws. Remove the trim piece around the 120v plug by flipping up the socket cover and using your pry tool to pry the bottom part out. Holding the lid up, gently pull the cover off. Remove the torx-20 screw. Remove the cover by gently pushing down on the top of the center (black part) of the radio cover trim panel then sliding your pry tool near the edges. Gently pry and the whole center section of the radio trim piece will come out. Disconnect the plugs and set the trim part aside.

6. Using a 7 mm socket, remove the four screws around the radio. Remove the radio.

7. Disconnect the large plug from the back of the radio and plug your UConnect harness in. Plug the original radio plug back into the new plug. Next to that plug is another plug to install. Run the other lead of the cable through the dash into the glove box area.

8. Reinstall the center section. Don't overtighten anything. Dodge did not use apes to tighten things in this truck.

9. Connect the large plug into the UConnect module. Connect the other (3 prong wire) into the microphone.

10. Attach the tape supplied in the kit to the back of the module and run two zip ties around the back of the metal bracket between the glove box and the passenger side door. Install the box and use the zip ties to ensure that the module is secure. Use your other zip ties to connect those wires to the factory harness.

11. Reinstall glovebox and reconnect the battery.

12. Take the truck to the dealership and have the computer reflashed to add the UConnect feature. Until this is done, nothing will work and when you push the buttons it'll still say Uconnect phone disabled. Attempting to program the device will lead to frustration.

I didn't take any pictures, unfortunately, since my girlfriend (ex-girlfriend) is the one out of the two of us that had a digital camera. If you have any questions though, feel free to ask.

Mike

 

Nice write up! Even though I already have U-Connect nice detailed description you wrote! After they re-flash the computer let us know how it works for you..

 

I have u-connect in my company truck but not in my personal dodge. I will not be buying it either, it drops in and out of calls wayyyyyyyyyy to much for me

 

Excellent write-up for removing those various parts of the interior. I don't need to install the U-Connect module but I'm sure this will come in handy in the future for something I need to do.

Thanks,
Rob

 

if you will add some pics of each step with your original post then i will copy it to the FAQ|How To section

gotta have some pics though

 

My UConnect worked great in my 08. Never dropped a call or had any static.

They only seem to have issues with crappy iPhones usually. It's the phone, not the UConnect.

 

where did you mount your microphone? on the a-piller or on the ceiling in front of the inside rear view mirror?

 

The only time my U-Connect drops a call is when I lose service...the u-connect works fine in my truck.

 

Im agreeing with everyone else. I don't have any issues with my U-Connect either, and I just got the new galaxy S 2. Everything works just fine! I thought my HU might have to be updated after I got the new phone but nope all is good!

I do also have to agree with the Iphone problems, I had a 3gs before my galaxy 1 in my 07 dodge. It would work until I did an iphone update. Dodge (as well as ford GM, even the Parrot system) has trouble keeping up to these updates. I didn't understand why because they are not really updating anything in the bluetooth interface, but it still never worked. (THATS WHY I WENT ANDROID ) If your trying to keep an iphone connected, best be once it works never to an update again!


Write up and pics would be nice on how to remove that center console for sure!!!!

 

I'm not sure if it is known here so I will mention it. Chrysler has a Uconnect update that was released on June 29th 2011. The TSB # is 08-036-11 and it is written as an update for iPhone & iPods. It fixes the choppy streaming audio as well as the "error occurred" message on the ipods. I have found that it also fixes the choppy (fast) audio on several other phones when streaming audio. I have also found that it has been able to help with some of the phones that are experiencing dropped bluetooth connections. The TSB can either be done at the dealership or you can do it yourself by downloading the file to a clean, newly formatted (to FAT 32) flash drive and then putting the flash drive into the USB connector that is in the console (or glove box on some vehicles). If you have a MOPAR installed kit then you may not have the USB connector in these locations. If this is the case then you will need the "optional iPod cable" PN (82212160). This cable will also be needed if anyone has a Nitro or a Liberty (just thought I would add this note about these 2 vehicles). This cable will need to be plugged into the Uconnect module so that the update can be performed. If you decide to leave it installed, you now will have an iPod connection point as well as a USB connector to play audio files.

Here is a link where a friend (mrjeep) has hosted the file for me and you can download it from there.
http://www.wranglerforum.com/f33/201...-88954-13.html
page 13, post 387


On a different note, I will add that not only has Apple caused some issues with their updates but some of the Android updates have also started to add problems. Some have had their systems working fine with an Android version and now have updated their phones to a new version and are experiencing issues.
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