Battery tender

[jeepin48]

For those of you who have not had issues does not mean you will not. Every little cycle of a battery is "wear" and takes a bit off of the life. Lead acid batteries are best stored full so when they are continually draining (parasitic loss) and not used for 10 days it is counted against you. So if you want that battery to last longer and your JT sits more than a few days then you should have a maintainer.

Sponsored

 

[ShadowsPapa]

For those of you who have not had issues does not mean you will not. Every little cycle of a battery is "wear" and takes a bit off of the life. Lead acid batteries are best stored full so when they are continually draining (parasitic loss) and not used for 10 days it is counted against you. So if you want that battery to last longer and your JT sits more than a few days then you should have a maintainer.

My classics sit with a cable sticking out the front and until I bought a second battery minder/tender, I switched the one I had back and forth. Now both have one. It's really hard when they sit 3 months - on the Javelin when it's off, it's OFF, there's no electronics or clock or anything to draw any current but the SX4 has an Alpine system, clock, PCM and other stuff that slowly over time drain the battery. I've had batteries last even in those cars the full warranty time and then some.

 

[auxSwitch]

I wired a dashcam (BlackVue 750 with a second cam) on my 2018 JLU which had a parking mode, so was pulling some electron juice directly from battery even with ignition off. It even had an anti-drain feature (the cam would shut itself down if battery voltage drops below preset level). It could be a coincidence, but after a few months, I started getting "Aux switches not available, battery charging" message on start, and ESS wouldn't be ready due to battery charging. Not that i was heart-broken over ESS not kicking in.
It could be an issue with battery itself - there was some talk about bad batteries. I sold the JLU and got the Gladiator, so I'd never found out what the issue was and whether the dashcam contributed to it. Just my 2c - ask me in a few months - I'm going to wire the same camera into Gladiator.

 

[BEERviper]

I picked up a NOCO GENIUS2D to leave permanently installed inside the engine bay and then a NOCO GCP2 (2 AC female plugs to 1 male) that I plan to install in the bumper to power the NOCO GENIUS and block heater (for winter months).

I've been reading about different locations to attach the battery tender with the dual battery setup of the main and aux battery...

Does anyone know for sure how to hook up a battery tender so that both the main and aux battery will charge?

 

[rr11]

My JT is driven every day so I do not have a battery tender on it. I do run one on my F250 and my TJ. If you hook it up to the main battery it should charge both batteries.

 

[BEERviper]

My JT is driven every day so I do not have a battery tender on it. I do run one on my F250 and my TJ. If you hook it up to the main battery it should charge both batteries.

I thought I read somewhere (just can't find it) that you have to connect the negative to the IBS or something like that to insure the aux battery receives that charge, otherwise when the IBS will keep the circuit open won't allow the charge to go to the aux.

That's what I'm trying to figure out.

 

[jebiruph]

I thought I read somewhere (just can't find it) that you have to connect the negative to the IBS or something like that to insure the aux battery receives that charge, otherwise when the IBS will keep the circuit open won't allow the charge to go to the aux.

That's what I'm trying to figure out.

It's possible to connect a charger directly to the battery post, bypassing the battery sensor. Both batteries still get charged, but it messes up the battery sensor analysis of the main battery.

 

[BEERviper]

It doesn't seem like anyone in this thread knows what the "proper" way to attach a battery tender to this dual battery setup. I know the answer is out there but I just can't find it by searching the forum.

I'll create a new post.

 

[jebiruph]

It doesn't seem like anyone in this thread knows what the "proper" way to attach a battery tender to this dual battery setup. I know the answer is out there but I just can't find it by searching the forum.

I'll create a new post.

Connect it to where the wires are connected.

 

[BEERviper]

Connect it to where the wires are connected.

There are wires connected to a block that separates them from the battery negative terminal, there are also wires connected to the chassis next to the battery ... which set of these wires am I supposed to connect it to? Which wires will send charge to both the aux battery and the main battery?

 

[Mr._Bill]

There are wires connected to a block that separates them from the battery negative terminal, there are also wires connected to the chassis next to the battery ... which set of these wires am I supposed to connect it to? Which wires will send charge to both the aux battery and the main battery?

If everything is connected and working properly, attaching a charger to the positive and negative posts of the main battery is supposed to charge both batteries. I have not tried to confirm this, since I have not yet had any problems with my batteries.

The truck is supposed to have a 'smart' charging system that gives priority to the main battery. The ESS battery is not charged until the main battery is at a minimum specific level. This is what I have read, and not yet tried to verify it.

 

[BEERviper]

If everything is connected and working properly, attaching a charger to the positive and negative posts of the main battery is supposed to charge both batteries. I have not tried to confirm this, since I have not yet had any problems with my batteries.

The truck is supposed to have a 'smart' charging system that gives priority to the main battery. The ESS battery is not charged until the main battery is at a minimum specific level. This is what I have read, and not yet tried to verify it.

This is the problem ... without the engine running I don't believe it works the same, hence why I'm trying to find someone that has already been through this and figured it out. Without the engine running I don't believe the IBS is working to determine where charge needs to go.

This is why I'm looking for advice from someone that has been through this. My dealership has already replaced my Aux battery and I'm looking for a solution to keep it charged overnight.

There are many threads about ESS not working and the IBS, I was hoping that by posting in a thread about a title "Battery tender" that someone that had replied may have this answer

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Without the engine running I don't believe the IBS is working to determine where charge needs to go.

It's not in play since both batteries are connected together when ESS isn't active. That's why a bad AUX battery can kill the main battery - like it happened on my wife's Jeep.

Check out
https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/ess-dual-battery-system-operation.44028/

 

[BEERviper]

It's not in play since both batteries are connected together when ESS isn't active. That's why a bad AUX battery can kill the main battery - like it happened on my wife's Jeep.

Check out
https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/ess-dual-battery-system-operation.44028/

Thanks Bill, assuming the diagram you posted is the case when the engine is off (ignition also off) then it sounds to me that simply connecting the battery tender to the positive and negative terminals of the main battery should charge both batteries.

 

[Brekka]

Do you leave it outside? You could get a solar tender.

Sponsored