Ankh
Well-Known Member
I quit using ess after having to replace battery in my 2017 Cherokee after 1.3 years of driving it (about 20k miles). The battery was well over 200 dollars much to my surprise. I've never had to replace a battery before 100k miles in any other vehicle I've owned. The tech told me the ess can decrease battery life (and in my Cherokee there was only 1 battery). Don't know if he was bs ing or if it's true. I believe my Gladiator has 2 batteries so maybe jeep has addressed this, but I'm still gun shy on using it.Directly? OK, I get your meaning, but I've read about people complaining about that for about 2 years and mine just hasn't been an issue - maybe if I was hooking a trailer up at night, but a member has a solution in the forum, too. He applied a film to those lights - problem solved. Still lights the plate but there's no glare in the camera.
So far mine hasn't been an issue and I back down my driveway when I come home - even at night - and use the camera to guide me down the driveway.
There must be some differences? If mine ever did get annoying I'd find the post that guy made and get the film to put on mine.
Do some research - and I don't mean the "I hate ESS dot com" web sites so many individuals - any uninformed person can and does put up with their own "opinion" with no facts.
These starters are NOT those of yesteryear. They are not using bushings, they use bearings, the brushes are totally different, everything about them is different. The whole system has been designed to more than handle it. And - it's a smart system - the PCM knows where each piston is and times the injectors accordingly, thus the starter only needs to make it go about a revolution to get it started. Warm starts aren't the killers - you starting it in the morning is what wears things.
Plenty of factual info out there.
I'm not pro or con, for or against, what I am against is the laughable stuff I see on the web out there about these.
Get used to it - it's here to stay and likely will be on even more vehicles because the rules are getting stricter, the CAFE rules are getting tighter, and some places are passing anti-idling laws. I've a PDF showing the laws around the country as of a couple of years ago - it's coming our way.
On a personal note I don't believe anyone worried about the minimal fuel savings should be buying any truck to begin with. I do understand why the manufacturers are doing it...Cafe.
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