Auxiliary Battery Replacement - The Hard Way?

[tikijimmy]

So, my aux battery died after about 4 years. Not a bad run. I got the new battery and watched a ton of YouTube videos on replacing it. There are some videos that show the "proper" way the dealer would do it. This seems pretty involved...
- Remove the main battery
- Pop off the main power distro panel (fuse box)
- Unscrew a couple of plastic panels
- Get the aux battery out of a hole under all this mess
- Replace the battery

Then there are some videos claiming to be "the easy way"...
- Remove the front passenger tire, put the truck on a jack stand
- Remove the fender liner that is held in by a bunch of clips that literally everyone breaks
- Unscrew the aux battery box from underneath
- Replace the battery

To me, the "easy" way looked a lot more involved, seemed to take a lot of time, almost certainly required replacement fender liner clips, and also required me to be on the ground under my truck.

So I did it the "hard" way, which was actually super easy. It took 22 minutes start to finish, and I didn't have to get my floor jack out at all. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I can't see how the "easy" way would be any quicker or easier.

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[Rockabillyroy]

No clips broken on the fender liner that I recall.
Maybe if they pulled the fender off.
Either way, glad it worked out for you.

 

[ecidiego]

You definitely don't have to take the wheel off to do the fender liner way

 

[Hootbro]

I have done both methods of top down or through the fender well. In my opinion, if you have decent mechanical abilities and is comfortable with disconnecting harnesses, it is a wash either way. If uncertain of ability level, then I would say go through the fender for less muss, less fuss.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Then there are some videos claiming to be "the easy way"...
- Remove the front passenger tire, put the truck on a jack stand
- Remove the fender liner that is held in by a bunch of clips that literally everyone breaks
- Unscrew the aux battery box from underneath
- Replace the battery

No need to remove tire. No need for jackstand.
No need to remove the whole fender liner.

you were looking at the wrong "easy way" videos.
There's a couple out there that show how easy and fast it is - with tire in place.
That's the trouble with youtube and the internet - too much trash in with the few good clips.

 

[Aj58]

No need to remove tire. No need for jackstand.
No need to remove the whole fender liner.

you were looking at the wrong "easy way" videos.
There's a couple out there that show how easy and fast it is - with tire in place.
That's the trouble with youtube and the internet - too much trash in with the few good clips.

In my opinion your the Jeep electrical guy and knower of all things battery related on the JT. Therefore, it’s only logical you make a video ?

 

[kevman65]

In my opinion your the Jeep electrical guy and knower of all things battery related on the JT. Therefore, it’s only logical you make a video ?

It would be 14 hours long and he would get sidetracked worse than a Golden Retarded around a flock of squirrels....

 

[Aj58]

It would be 14 hours long and he would get sidetracked worse than a Golden Retarded around a flock of squirrels....

??

Sounds like most YouTube videos out there anyway lol

 

[ShadowsPapa]

It would be 14 hours long and he would get sidetracked worse than a Golden Retarded around a flock of squirrels....

Yeah, one of the things near the top of the list for severe ADHD.
Aw, look, a cute kitten video!

 

[Aj58]

Yeah, one of the things near the top of the list for severe ADHD.
Aw, look, a cute kitten video!

?

The other thing near the top of that list is hyper focus on things you like…..just sayin. ?

 

[Lunentucker]

So, my aux battery died after about 4 years. Not a bad run. I got the new battery and watched a ton of YouTube videos on replacing it. There are some videos that show the "proper" way the dealer would do it. This seems pretty involved...
- Remove the main battery
- Pop off the main power distro panel (fuse box)
- Unscrew a couple of plastic panels
- Get the aux battery out of a hole under all this mess
- Replace the battery

Then there are some videos claiming to be "the easy way"...
- Remove the front passenger tire, put the truck on a jack stand
- Remove the fender liner that is held in by a bunch of clips that literally everyone breaks
- Unscrew the aux battery box from underneath
- Replace the battery

To me, the "easy" way looked a lot more involved, seemed to take a lot of time, almost certainly required replacement fender liner clips, and also required me to be on the ground under my truck.

So I did it the "hard" way, which was actually super easy. It took 22 minutes start to finish, and I didn't have to get my floor jack out at all. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I can't see how the "easy" way would be any quicker or easier.

Why are you replacing it at all?
What do you need it to do for you that a better quality main battery can't do?

 

[Hootbro]

It would be 14 hours long and he would get sidetracked worse than a Golden Retarded around a flock of squirrels....

 

[GeneralMaximus]

That's the trouble with youtube and the internet - too much trash in with the few good clips.

Ain’t that the truth. Brings to mind, what I once read about the prevalence of stupid people. Its not that there are more stupid people these days, it’s that every moron now has a public speaking platform(social media/youtube).

 

[tikijimmy]

Why are you replacing it at all?
What do you need it to do for you that a better quality main battery can't do?

I know there are folks that reroute the cables to the main battery, and others that just pull fuse 42 or whatever, but that’s not for me.

I’m not a huge modder, and if the people who designed the Jeep electrical system want one-and-a-half batteries, the truck gets one-and-a-half batteries.

Maybe once I’ve actually owned the truck for a while (just bought out the lease) I’ll get bored and start modifying things, but for now mostly-factory is serving my needs just fine.

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