AUX battery my 2 cents - had to vent

[RidinDirty]

I know this has been discussed ad nauseum but what a piece o'shit technology this has been. By far this has been the most unreliable piece of tech on my 2020. I've driven 80K miles and have had both batteries replaced 3 times so far. I suspect the AZ heat is the killer.

Started having issues again... I finally gave up and disconnected the negative aux line and pulled the F42 fuse. I should have done this sooner. I've been running a Tazer since day one so never ever used this function. Thanks for hearing me vent but should have done this much, much sooner.

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[Maximus Gladius]

From all the reading I’ve done on this my take-a-way is that the system works as it should if the aux battery was any good. I decided to ditch both my batteries but kept the system, not for the start stop feature but for the extra 220 amps my “upgraded” aux provides. It’s there as a just in case measure if I’m needing it for whatever.

I’ve had my JTR since February 2021 and replaced both in August 2023. I noticed I was having to clamp the AGM charger on every 4 days and that told me it was time for them both to go and upgrade to bigger better and more amps.

 

[Mr._Bill]

There's really nothing wrong with the design. It appears to be based on a Mercedes version that has been in use since around 2013. The heat that is trapped in the engine bay shortens the life of the batteries. The Aux battery will last a little longer in the gas models, due to the location. The battery life is reduced if they are not kept charged. That means regular driving or a battery maintainer. Those of us in hot climates can expect to replace them more often than everyone else.

 

[Splenda]

Other than the very expensive Genesis dual battery setup, are there any other options for upgrading the system?

 

[Mr._Bill]

Other than the very expensive Genesis dual battery setup, are there any other options for upgrading the system?

The quickest and easiest is replacing the Main Battery with a 94R (H7) battery, if yours has the smaller H6 size.

A DIY version of the Genesis dual battery setup works well for many. I left the factory electrical system intact, and added a Smart Isolator and Deep Cycle AGM Marine Battery in the back. I used a Warn cable kit to connect it. The battery is in a box mounted to the frame behind the right rear wheel.

 

[Splenda]

The quickest and easiest is replacing the Main Battery with a 94R (H7) battery, if yours has the smaller H6 size.

A DIY version of the Genesis dual battery setup works well for many. I left the factory electrical system intact, and added a Smart Isolator and Deep Cycle AGM Marine Battery in the back. I used a Warn cable kit to connect it. The battery is in a box mounted to the frame behind the right rear wheel.

Thank you. Is there a write-up for a diy second battery? It sounds like everything is in place for charging the second battery. I guess the only thing that has to be done is lengthening all the cables to reach the new auxiliary battery location?

 

[Mr._Bill]

Thank you. Is there a write-up for a diy second battery? It sounds like everything is in place for charging the second battery. I guess the only thing that has to be done is lengthening all the cables to reach the new auxiliary battery location?

I did a write-up on my install, but it was about five years ago. I transferred all of it when I traded in February. Warn sells a cable kit for mounting a winch at the back of the truck that works well for connecting another battery.

This is actually a third battery. The factory Main and Aux batteries stay intact.

 

[Sandman 4x4]

In all the issues folks have had with batteries in these awesome trucks, has anyone used Lithium Ion batteries in their place? Maybe there’s a fix there, or not?

 

[Mr._Bill]

In all the issues folks have had with batteries in these awesome trucks, has anyone used Lithium Ion batteries in their place? Maybe there’s a fix there, or not?

Using anything other than AGM batteries requires a charge controller for the battery. Some Lithium batteries have it built-in to the battery. Temperature is a big issue for Lithium type batteries. If it gets too hot or too cold, they don't function properly or they fail.

 

[Reddog]

I know this has been discussed ad nauseum but what a piece o'shit technology this has been. By far this has been the most unreliable piece of tech on my 2020. I've driven 80K miles and have had both batteries replaced 3 times so far. I suspect the AZ heat is the killer.

Started having issues again... I finally gave up and disconnected the negative aux line and pulled the F42 fuse. I should have done this sooner. I've been running a Tazer since day one so never ever used this function. Thanks for hearing me vent but should have done this much, much sooner.

Ok to vent to the choir here but to get anything to change you need to direct your ire at Stellantis directly. Nothing will change for the better if not.

 

[Wageslave]

In all the issues folks have had with batteries in these awesome trucks, has anyone used Lithium Ion batteries in their place? Maybe there’s a fix there, or not?

I have tried an 8 Ah LiFePO4 motorcycle starting battery in my Jeep. It works well for the most part, and I haven't had any more issues with my Start/Stop not working or charging issues affecting my Aux switches. The issue that I did run into with that battery was that if the Start/Stop activated too many times (like 6 or more times in a 10 minute span) without enough time to recharge there would not be enough voltage available to keep the electronics alive, and it would freak out when it tried to restart.

The concept is good and the batteries internal BMS is already calibrated to simulate an AGM battery, but a Group 14 sized Lithium battery may not be capable of keeping the voltage high enough for long enough in this application. A Group 30 sized battery would probably work, but I have the diesel and room under the hood is at a premium.

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