Auto Start/Stop Malfunction and Power Loss

[imail369]

I have an ongoing, intermittent issue with my Gladiator either not starting or dying at random times. Today, it finally got to a point where I can’t get it started.

The symptoms started with the Jeep dying when I was at stop lights. The auto start/stop would turn the engine off, but when I let off the brake to go, the jeep would die. I would have to put it into Park and restart.

It progressed to where the Jeep would occasionally completely lose power. No dash lights, no nothing. I would have to open and shut the door, sometimes repeatedly, to bring the electronics back to life and eventually it would start. The radio clock would reset to 12:00 like it was being powered on for the first time and then update to the current time.

This morning, the Jeep won’t start. The electronics are staying on, but when I hit the start button it just flashes all the lights and doesn’t start. This is the first time I’ve seen it behave this way.

I haven’t been able to figure out a pattern other than it seems to get worse when it’s raining or on exceptionally hot days (I live in Florida). I do notice that sometimes when I first get in the brake pedal feels hard when I press it to start to Jeep. I’ve read in the forums that this may be an issue with the brake booster, so not sure if that’s related, but it is something I noticed.

I have a couple of videos of the symptoms. One video is an example of how it loses total power, and the other video is an example of what it is doing this morning. I have a tow truck on the way to take it to the dealer. I’ve had it at the dealer a couple of times, and they haven’t been able to recreate the problem or find anything obviously wrong.

Any feedback for troubleshooting would be most helpful.

2023 Gladiator Sport S w/Freedom Pkg
3.6L, automatic, 4x4
Batteries are same age as the Jeep, about 1.5 yrs

I tried to attach the videos, but they are too big. I put them on youtube here:

PowerLoss:


NoStart:


Thanks,
Tracy

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[Mr._Bill]

Is it gas or diesel? How old are the batteries? Have you added any powered accessories?

Since the dealer has been unable to resolve the issues, and it won't start, let them see what they can find now.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

How much is it driven, how long does it sit between drives, how long are the drives?

The brake pedal issue is likely unrelated - some have an issue not holding vacuum so the pedal is hard to press when engine is off.

I'd check first for battery issues - either the main or aux battery.

 

[imail369]

How much is it driven, how long does it sit between drives, how long are the drives?

The brake pedal issue is likely unrelated - some have an issue not holding vacuum so the pedal is hard to press when engine is off.

I'd check first for battery issues - either the main or aux battery.

It's a daily driver for me. I'm at about 24k miles since I bought it in Mar 2023.

I found some other threads with similar issue. Hopefully its a battery thing. Dealer tested them last time I took it in, but they said they were fine. Ugh! Tow truck just hauled it to the dealer a few minutes ago.

 

[Pakdoc]

Ours is a 2020 and on the second set of batteries and the Aux battery is now dead again so Start/Stop no longer functions....YEA!!! You could take your batteries to an auto store or let your dealer run a full function battery test which takes about 6 hours.... or overnight depending.

 

[Lost1wing]

My recommendation would be to let the dealer handle it.

It is never a good idea to drive off after a no start, waiting to see it happens again. When Ess stopped working, it was time to look at it or have someone look.

 

[imail369]

Dealer replaced both the batteries. Hopefully it will last a little while longer this time. I think I am going to do the Aux Battery delete since the ESS seems to have been the root issue all along.

 

[Mr._Bill]

Dealer replaced both the batteries. Hopefully it will last a little while longer this time. I think I am going to do the Aux Battery delete since the ESS seems to have been the root issue all along.

I would suggest you wait until the 3/36 warranty is expired. ESS is not the problem, it is just bringing to the surface an electrical issue that exists. Hopefully, it was just a set of crap batteries.

 

[Lost1wing]

Dealer replaced both the batteries. Hopefully it will last a little while longer this time. I think I am going to do the Aux Battery delete since the ESS seems to have been the root issue all along.

Look at your ESS page every now and then. If you see the ready message after engine warm up, you know ESS is in good shape. If you see battery charging , not ready or unavailable for longer times, let the dealer know. Don't wait for it to get worse. Since you just had the batteries replace, it will take a day or two for everything to start working normally.

 

[sharpsicle]

Dealer replaced both the batteries. Hopefully it will last a little while longer this time. I think I am going to do the Aux Battery delete since the ESS seems to have been the root issue all along.

I'll echo what @Mr._Bill said. ESS isn't the issue. It's the same system you find across a variety of makes and models. It's usually the crap batteries. Many people who blame ESS find out that their main battery was the problem anyway.

And if you do the "delete", you'll want to make sure it's quickly and easily reversible if you ever need to go back in for an electrical-related situation. If they notice you've modified your electrical system, it could be used as grounds to deny a claim.

 

[Lost1wing]

Dealer replaced both the batteries. Hopefully it will last a little while longer this time. I think I am going to do the Aux Battery delete since the ESS seems to have been the root issue all along.

Fully understand what the Aux battery is for before you delete it. Just because it can be removed and the Jeep function normally, doesn't mean it's a good idea. You will also have to have an ESS disabler of some kind to prevent other issues caused by voltage drops.

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