Aux. Battery: When did yours die (or how old is it now if it hasn't)?

[bluemoon110]

Thanks for the info. I would be interested in the trailer plug connection. I have a trickle charger (don't remember the name). I hate to have you repeat something that has previously been posted. Any idea what I can search for the info?

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[Lost1wing]

6+ years Still on both originals.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Thanks for the info. I would be interested in the trailer plug connection. I have a trickle charger (don't remember the name). I hate to have you repeat something that has previously been posted. Any idea what I can search for the info?

I'm restricted to just sitting around after surgery, and oxycodone has me in a good mood (if not a bit sillier than usual) so here goes -

You can get adapters that turn a trailer plug into a 12v outlet. That's what I used for convenience.
Then I made a connector with a 12v plug to put on my battery charger cables.
Two reasons - my mother called me the absent-minded professor as i was growing up as I'd take off out the door for school without my shoes and socks on............ forgetful.
I figured if I forgot to unplug things, the plug would pull out of the 12v outlet adapter plugged into the trailer plug as I drove out of the garage. You can do whatever works.. and if you need more info, we can do that, too.

This method means it will charge both batteries, and goes through nothing but fuses to get to the batteries. No need to open the hood

This is the view looking into the connector in the rear of your Jeep. It's standard stuff - so if you flip up the cover and look in, this is where things are -

And this is the adapter that plugs into the trailer connector and turns it into a 12 volt outlet sort of like a cigarette lighter would be -

 

[bluemoon110]

ShadowsPapa, thanks for the details. I went out to a Christmas party and am just reading your post around midnight. I think I will give this a go.

 

[Geoarch]

Just curious what the typical expected lifespan of an aux battery is. There are lots of variables that this simple poll can't address - such as climate vehicle is in, average miles driven daily, whether or not the auto stop-start is typically used or turned off, etc. ... but this should give us a very rough idea of what to expect generally.

Please do not respond if you have removed or bypassed your aux. battery and disabled auto stop-start.

On my 22 JTR it died in 6 mos then I bought a 24 JTR and it died the second week. I replace both batteries every 1.5 years.

Same here.

Me too, but still lost two of them, one when brand new.

 

[Casique]

I still have both of my original batteries, will have 5 years this May 2026. Maintained with Battery Tender plugged in weekly, about every 5 days.

 

[RedRaptorJT]

Original batteries and maintained with NOCO 2D battery trickle charger which is plugged in 24/7.

 

[SaiintNick]

I've been getting lots of odd things happening like service transmission warning. Then remote started Jeep and it died. Then push button start after remote start and it died. Called Dealership and they suggested maybe aux battery. I was to just do the bypass and stay away from dealership. Then upgrade my main battery. I have 17K miles just under a year of ownership.

 

[Lost1wing]

@SaiintNick

I would start with a VOM and an AGM charger. Isolate and charge both batteries to see what your voltage levels are. If they both hold a min of 12.6 vdc (higher would be ideal), reconnect and see what happens. Read up on charging, IBS and the fuse array before attempting anything.

Look at your ESS page on the display in the dash. What does it say?

 

[NC_Overland]

Mine both died at 5 yrs old. It was acting really weird and I didn’t have remote start anymore then one day I tried to start it and it didn’t start and it kept trying and I couldn’t stop it or turn it off. I had to disconnect the battery. Also don’t do what I did and only replace the aux battery. The main battery died shortly after. It tested fine and I charged both batteries when I replaced my aux battery, but it wasn’t. It died about a week later. Almost left me stranded.

 

[madesicc88]

2020 with 46k’miles, still on my original batteries but have noticed a couple small things, the parking light on my passenger fender will randomly not work when the truck is turned on. Thought it was a burnt bulb but then would see it on after turning the truck on a different time. Also just found that my driver side lock/unlock button doesn’t work, swapped with the passenger side and it doesn’t follow the switch. Checked the door plug even though I don’t take the doors off. Think this can be an early sign of the electrical gremlins associated with a dying battery?

 

[Rusty PW]

Feb '22, 70,000 miles. Batteries started acting up in cold weather. Each battery at 11.9 volts. Still starts. After I get home from this road trip from Pittsburgh to Bloomfield NM and back. I'm installing an Odyssey 94R and doing a aux delete. The new battery is already at the house.

 

[SaiintNick]

I've been getting lots of odd things happening like service transmission warning. Then remote started Jeep and it died. Then push button start after remote start and it died. Called Dealership and they suggested maybe aux battery. I was to just do the bypass and stay away from dealership. Then upgrade my main battery. I have 17K miles just under a year of ownership.

I went ahead and did the bypass. Bypassing was so easy and surprised I didn't screw something up. Didn't want to wait weeks to get in to the dealership and wait a few days for them to test and replace it. I will keep an eye out on the health of the main battery. I'm just hoping the little hiccups my Jeep was having are done. It was easy to do. No warning lights. Not permanent if I need to go back to stock.

 

[Alpine Warthog]

6+ years Still on both originals.

I lost my Aux this morning. 6 years on the original batteries. No warnings no weird stuff, It just failed to start this morning. Battery shows 11.4 volts. I think I'm going to delete the Aux and replace the main tonight after work.

 

[Lost1wing]

I lost my Aux this morning. 6 years on the original batteries. No warnings no weird stuff, It just failed to start this morning. Battery shows 11.4 volts. I think I'm going to delete the Aux and replace the main tonight after work.

After getting the Gladiator back from the corrosion warranty work (30+ days), I put the trickle charger on it for a couple of days. ESS has shown "ready" immediately after warmup for the last 3 days. I will procrastinate just a little longer before I replace the batteries.

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