Aux Battery Died, Weird Results When Doing Fuse 42 / Aux Battery Disconnection

[foxwalkhq]

There's really no special process for changing the main battery. As always, the person doing it should ensure the positive clamp doesn't touch anything during the process (I usually wrap it in something like a rag and tie it out of the way), but that's really it. The big thing to remember is to reset the IBS after it's changed out.

As for maintaining the battery during periods of inactivity, I would recommend a battery tender. It will do a better job of keeping the batteries in good shape than random short drives.

What is IBS? I have looked at battery tenders but all the ones I've seen require being plugged into a wall outlet. I don't have a garage or outside power outlets.. Is there a wireless one that is rechargeable?

Also really want to know how often I should drive it just to know.

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[Wolf Island Diver]

• I would never leave the diesel sit for more than a few days off a tender, especially in winter. Mine stays plugged in all winter and on solar the rest of the year. My NOCO happily lives outside.
• If you are experiencing gremlins, like the Aux switches unavailable message, it’s your main battery regardless of the root cause or the condition of the aux battery.
• YMMV but the time between first seeing the aux switches unavailable message every time I started the truck and for the first 10 minutes of driving to a dead truck was 3-5 days.
• I think there’s confusion because so many conversations about batteries are people like me saying the aux system is bad. It is a bad design. A bad aux battery can slowly (maybe quickly) cause problems for the main, but a bad aux doesn’t power the systems of the truck except during ESS events. So gremlin unrelated to ESS are a main battery issue and the OEM main batteries go bad on their own too.
• I=(V1−V2)/(R1+R2) This is the fundamental problem with this design. When there’s a delta in voltage between the aux and the main battery you get a significant current moving between the two which isn’t good for these batteries. Both are cheap OEM batteries and I suspect the aux battery, based simply on it being a much smaller one, is probably even shittier. So a V delta develops and the aux becomes an albatross around the neck of the (also shitty) main battery affecting its chemistry and thus lifespan.
• There’s really no scenario where you need to try and charge your aux separately. If you’re experiencing issues and suspect your aux is bad (ESS is never or almost never available is the main symptom) and for some reason you can’t take it to a dealership, then disconnect or pull it.
• Any dealership that claims ignorance of issues with the OEM batteries or ESS system is lying. It’s the single most common set of warranty issues with these trucks.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

What is IBS? I have looked at battery tenders but all the ones I've seen require being plugged into a wall outlet. I don't have a garage or outside power outlets.. Is there a wireless one that is rechargeable?

Also really want to know how often I should drive it just to know.

It sounds like your crank/main battery is toast. It's not always the aux - that's internet lore, as you have found out. The main can short and kill the aux battery. Shorted batteries aren't as common with these AGM batteries, but it can happen.

The IBS is Intelligent Battery Sensor - see the red arrow in pic below.
When charging both batteries with everything still connected - ALWAYS charge by connecting to the studs on top of the IBS, never to the battery post itself.
If you remove the cables and charge each battery independently, then of course connect to the posts as the IBS won't be there.

When replacing batteries, always charging them fully first and fully disconnect the IBS to reset it so that it learns the new battery/batteries.
I also include disconnecting the small 2 wire connector on the back side of the IBS (network connector in the bottom picture - also powers the IBS)

 

[Wolf Island Diver]

What is IBS? I have looked at battery tenders but all the ones I've seen require being plugged into a wall outlet. I don't have a garage or outside power outlets.. Is there a wireless one that is rechargeable?

Also really want to know how often I should drive it just to know.

The ecodiesel runs a DEF tank heater among other things that slowly drains the battery. But, I wouldn’t drive the truck, especially short distances just to charge shitty OEM batteries. That’s sacrificing the emissions control systems for battery charging

Mine lives outside (old house with a workshop but no garage)

I connect a NOCO 10 to the truck via a magcode magnetic port (pops off if you forget to disconnect it). Other people can’t use it. It’s connected via a 25 foot SAE cable.

You can also use a solar panel to keep the battery topped off.

Adapter:
NOCO GC009 X-Connect SAE Adapter... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005DUMADC?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Cable:
https://a.co/d/ankXzLV

https://www.rosenberger.com/product/magcode/

 

[Mr._Bill]

What is IBS? I have looked at battery tenders but all the ones I've seen require being plugged into a wall outlet. I don't have a garage or outside power outlets.. Is there a wireless one that is rechargeable?

Also really want to know how often I should drive it just to know.

Ideal is 30 minutes per day. Every two to three days is okay. If no power is available, look at one of the Solar Chargers that connects to the OBD port.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Ideal is 30 minutes per day. Every two to three days is okay. If no power is available, look at one of the Solar Chargers that connects to the OBD port.

I recently drove mine 60 minutes from here to my old home town, drove around the old neighborhood a bit, then 60 minutes back home. Later that same day (about 30 minutes later) I drove 30 minutes to church, then 30 minutes back. The voltage while driving was still around 14.3 or so, no real variation.
I put my 1500 mA BatteryMinder on it Sunday AM. By Sunday night it was saying things were charged.
Drove it again today and the voltage stayed at about 12.9 most of the time, went up into the 13s and 14s when coasting or stopping, then back down to 12.9 when I hit the throttle again or took off from a stop.

So - a total of 3 hours of driving on Saturday didn't do it. It does sit a lot.

I think I need to do the "charge each battery, reset the IBS" bit again.
That 14.3 volts while driving didn't charge the batteries.

 

[Mr._Bill]

The thirty minutes a day won't fully charge the batteries, but it helps to fight the parasitic draw that wears them down.

I did a 5 hour trip last week. By the time I got home it was showing a system voltage of 12.9 for all three batteries connected together. It was around 13.2 when I hit the mid point and had lunch. It started at 14.4 and held there for quite a while.

 

[foxwalkhq]

It sounds like your crank/main battery is toast. It's not always the aux - that's internet lore, as you have found out. The main can short and kill the aux battery. Shorted batteries aren't as common with these AGM batteries, but it can happen.

The IBS is Intelligent Battery Sensor - see the red arrow in pic below.
When charging both batteries with everything still connected - ALWAYS charge by connecting to the studs on top of the IBS, never to the battery post itself.
If you remove the cables and charge each battery independently, then of course connect to the posts as the IBS won't be there.

When replacing batteries, always charging them fully first and fully disconnect the IBS to reset it so that it learns the new battery/batteries.
I also include disconnecting the small 2 wire connector on the back side of the IBS (network connector in the bottom picture - also powers the IBS)

I called up O'Reilly auto parts and they recommended this battery to me said it's the only one I have.. Would you recommend anything else?

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/platinum/super-start-platinum-battery-group-size-78/ssbq/78plt

They said they won't install the battery because anything beyond a normal battery install like your average car they would want me to take it to someone else or DIY.

The ecodiesel runs a DEF tank heater among other things that slowly drains the battery. But, I wouldn’t drive the truck, especially short distances just to charge shitty OEM batteries. That’s sacrificing the emissions control systems for battery charging

Ok. I have a gas model. Man, they sure love stuff that drains the battery lol.

 

[Mr._Bill]

I called up O'Reilly auto parts and they recommended this battery to me said it's the only one I have.. Would you recommend anything else?

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/platinum/super-start-platinum-battery-group-size-78/ssbq/78plt

They said they won't install the battery because anything beyond a normal battery install like your average car they would want me to take it to someone else or DIY.




Ok. I have a gas model. Man, they sure love stuff that drains the battery lol.

You want a 94R (H7) battery. It is the larger capacity of the two shipped with the JT. If you have the smaller H6 battery, there is a spacer that will need to be removed from the tray.

This is what I prefer:
ACDelco Gold 94RAGM (88864542) 36 Month Warranty AGM BCI Group 94R Battery https://a.co/d/9UPDdDG

ACDelco Gold AUX14-200 36 Month Warranty Auxiliary AGM 200 CCA Battery https://a.co/d/9CIOhMv

 

[Lost1wing]

I would imagine that your IBS would certainly need to be reset due to the dead main and the several jump starts. Don't skip this important step. While you have the main out, toss that charger on the Aux. When it it finished, toss it on the new main. While that battery is charging, pull the connector off of the IBS.

 

[foxwalkhq]

I would imagine that your IBS would certainly need to be reset due to the dead main and the several jump starts. Don't skip this important step. While you have the main out, toss that charger on the Aux. When it it finished, toss it on the new main. While that battery is charging, pull the connector off of the IBS.

While what battery is charging?

 

[foxwalkhq]

You want a 94R (H7) battery. It is the larger capacity of the two shipped with the JT. If you have the smaller H6 battery, there is a spacer that will need to be removed from the tray.

This is what I prefer:
ACDelco Gold 94RAGM (88864542) 36 Month Warranty AGM BCI Group 94R Battery https://a.co/d/9UPDdDG

ACDelco Gold AUX14-200 36 Month Warranty Auxiliary AGM 200 CCA Battery https://a.co/d/9CIOhMv

I ordered the 94R. Great deal! Thanks. Won't be in until next week.

 

[Lost1wing]

Th

While what battery is charging?

While you have the main out for replacement, I assume you will take the old main battery with you for the core, you can charge the aux to it's full potential. Yes, you should do this. If you take it somewhere to get this done, I would almost bet that it won't happen. The brand new battery that you buy will also need to be charged to it's full potential.

 

[sharpsicle]

Th
While you have the main out for replacement, I assume you will take the old main battery with you for the core, you can charge the aux to it's full potential. Yes, you should do this. If you take it somewhere to get this done, I would almost bet that it won't happen. The brand new battery that you buy will also need to be charged to it's full potential.

Yes, this is important. Don't just plop in a new battery, charge it up on the bench first!

 

[Lost1wing]

I have to question the condition of your Aux battery. If your main was zero volts, it was putting a serious drain on your Aux. I feel it may be compromised. That may be a bit more of a challenge for you to replace, but putting the charger on it is simple.

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