Aux battery is still charging

[jebiruph]

I believe this was in relation to the start/stop system and the aux battery that is used for that. My start/stop system was acting the same way saying the battery was not charging. My 2016 has an aux battery for the start/stop system. Reference https://jeepequipment.com/the-ins-and-outs-of-a-dual-battery-system/.

My wife has a 2019 Cherokee. The Cherokee's do not have an aux battery, everything including ESS runs off of a single battery.

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[Tim]

So let’s say the aux battery is dead. Does this have any risk to the main battery? My ESS hasn’t worked in a month or 2 but I don’t have a dash light annoying me about it. I just have a message in the DIC stating it’s disabled and the battery is charging. Is there a risk to just continuing to drive with a dead/low voltage aux battery?

 

[Mr._Bill]

So let’s say the aux battery is dead. Does this have any risk to the main battery? My ESS hasn’t worked in a month or 2 but I don’t have a dash light annoying me about it. I just have a message in the DIC stating it’s disabled and the battery is charging. Is there a risk to just continuing to drive with a dead/low voltage aux battery?

The potential risk is that it may become a large enough drain that the charging system can no longer keep up and it depletes the main battery to the point it can no longer start the truck.

 

[Rainman519]

@JeepCares - this thread is identical to the one I started and engaged you on last week. Seems our members are getting the run-around on this issue with no resolution. This is a critical issue that requires FCA and jeepcares intervention, yet there’s been no concrete solution. C’mon, it’s 2021 and we’re talking batteries!!

 

[Tim]

So I replaced my aux battery yesterday. I went through the fender and I would say I think that's the way to go to avoid having to deal with the fuse box. Definitely get some fender clips as you are likely going to break at a least a couple of them. If you go this route, I would source the clips from a dealer as the ones I bought on Amazon did not fit without slight modifications.

My DIC is still giving me the "Stop/Start not ready - battery charging" message. Hopefully some driving will bring the battery up to a sufficient charge to make the system work again.

It's funny, for a "feature" I generally consider to be an annoyance, it is still bothersome when it doesn't work.

 

[jebiruph]

So I replaced my aux battery yesterday. I went through the fender and I would say I think that's the way to go to avoid having to deal with the fuse box. Definitely get some fender clips as you are likely going to break at a least a couple of them. If you go this route, I would source the clips from a dealer as the ones I bought on Amazon did not fit without slight modifications.

My DIC is still giving me the "Stop/Start not ready - battery charging" message. Hopefully some driving will bring the battery up to a sufficient charge to make the system work again.

It's funny, for a "feature" I generally consider to be an annoyance, it is still bothersome when it doesn't work.

The battery charging message is for the main battery not the aux battery. The message is due to the battery sensor reporting the status of the main battery. The aux battery does not have a battery sensor. The only impact the aux battery would have is if it was constantly draining the main battery. It would be a good idea to get your old aux tested to see if it was good or not.

 

[MR GRANITE]

And to think I just read an article that the Jeep Gladiator was highest rated vehicle for reliability from Consumer reports with a score of 99 out of 100.

 

[jmdwifi]

And to think I just read an article that the Jeep Gladiator was highest rated vehicle for reliability from Consumer reports with a score of 99 out of 100.

I've noticed reviews change every six months.

 

[Tim]

The battery charging message is for the main battery not the aux battery. The message is due to the battery sensor reporting the status of the main battery. The aux battery does not have a battery sensor. The only impact the aux battery would have is if it was constantly draining the main battery. It would be a good idea to get your old aux tested to see if it was good or not.

Hey thanks for the info! I also came across your thread of consolidated information on the JL forums. Excellent work!

Anyway, I load tested the old aux battery and it was well within the "weak" range. I also isolated and tested the new aux battery and it is performing very well, as expected for a new battery. The main battery is right on the border of good and weak so I think that will have to be replaced soon as well. Auto stop/start functioned yesterday on my way home from work (40 minute drive), with air temps in the mid 40s. It did not function on my to work, today, with temps just around freezing. The status remained unavailable - battery charging. That combined with a borderline load test leads me to believe my main battery is starting to go bad and ambient temperature is enough to diminish it's performance to a point that prevents an auto stop/start event.

 

[Tim]

@Tim

Curious, why you have not already replaced the Main battery with say a Northstar or Odyssey.
I would have changed the Main at the same time I changed the Aux.

Have you ever considered installing a quality Main and just running with that... and keeping your newly installed Aux in place and having it there as a backup should you need it... Yes, if you do this you need to not use StopStart or minimize use of StopStart..

Honestly, I have not replaced the main yet just due to the fact that I just learned how this all works in the last week or so. I will replace the main with an Oddessy in the very near future. While it will add some cost, I may eventually end up going with the Genesis dual battery system. It seems like the best way to go to retain full functionality and even be able to properly handle a winch. I don't have a winch yet, but that is on my wish list.

 

[jmdwifi]

The dealer replaced the aux battery last week and it's still charging. 250 miles later. How long does it take?

 

[Delhux]

The dealer replaced the aux battery last week and it's still charging. 250 miles later. How long does it take?

For the battery sensor to calibrate?

Supposedly 200-miles or 4-hours of highway driving.

To charge an otherwise healthy aux battery?

Usually 15-20 minutes of drive time at most.

To resolve the ongoing battery issues with FCA’s Jeep Gladiator?

<VALUE NOT YET DEFINED>

 

[jmdwifi]

For the battery sensor to calibrate?

Supposedly 200-miles or 4-hours of highway driving.

To charge an otherwise healthy aux battery?

Usually 15-20 minutes of drive time at most.

To resolve the ongoing battery issues with FCA’s Jeep Gladiator?

<VALUE NOT YET DEFINED>

I am questioning if it was really replaced. I have driven more than 4 hours and 200 miles, it's the same message as before. It starts fine and I have sat and listened to the radio here and there. Back to the dealer. Thanks

 

[Delhux]

I am questioning if it was really replaced. I have driven more than 4 hours and 200 miles, it's the same message as before. It starts fine and I have sat and listened to the radio here and there. Back to the dealer. Thanks

Personally, with a suspected bad battery in a parallel battery setup, I think replacing both batteries is the only thing that should be done—even if one of the two passes their diagnostics. If one is bogus, the other has been working overtime offsetting the charge levels of the other.

 

[JK4AER]

Prior to the pandemic and subsequent working from home, my ESS operated just fine. Once I stopped daily driving and the Gladiator sat for several days before a short trip, the ESS stopped working. I had the aux battery replaced in December and everything was fine. I'm still working from home but was driving at least once per day to the gym. My Gladiator sat all last week due to the crazy Texas snow storm and now I've noticed ESS hasn't been working. I get the "battery still charging message".

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