Dealer can’t get battery

[HooliganActual]

I don’t know you well enough to lie to you.

FWIW, I didn’t say you were lying; only that it’s possible we weren’t getting the whole story; which could mean details like you included in the post just before that one. Being that your deal is finalized, the vehicle is with you and works, it does seem a little odd that you would be here expressing frustration that the dealer is now waiting for parts to come in.

Your dealer doesn’t want you to go to to another dealer because he wants to file the warranty claim (prolly 4 hours reimbursement from Mopar) rather than toss that softball to another dealer.

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[HooliganActual]

Like how far is the other dealer that has the MOPAR battery? Dealerships horse trade with their competitor parts departments all the time

Maybe 20 minutes depending on traffic. There are dealers closer, they just aren’t the ones I frequent/called (as I’m on the east side of the metro area and he’s on the west). If the part I needed was in Avondale, I’d make that drive.

 

[tonywin]

I'm in the same boat. My stop/start light came on and I know the aux battery is dying. It's beena little over 2 years but the AZ heat just kills batteries. I have the extended warranty but my dealer can't get me in for a week or so plus waiting for their "diagnostic" time. I'm tempted to goto Autozone and just get a new aux and install it myself.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I'm in the same boat. My stop/start light came on and I know the aux battery is dying. It's beena little over 2 years but the AZ heat just kills batteries. I have the extended warranty but my dealer can't get me in for a week or so plus waiting for their "diagnostic" time. I'm tempted to goto Autozone and just get a new aux and install it myself.

Why just that one? Why not both since you have not tested them to know the actual condition of either or both.
You have a 2020. You are 3 years on what are, at best, 3 to 4 year batteries. And - admittedly, you are in AZ heat which will shorten their lives.

I believe they are held up by the rules on warranty repairs and possible supply chain issues. I will see what this week brings.

They can do a trade or other deal to get parts from other dealers, what they cannot do is put in other batteries for you and warrant those originals.
The document is pretty clear and strict on battery testing as well. In fact, the test results must come from a specific machine and be networked directly to MOPAR. The test machine must have working wifi and a connection back to Jeep - and the bar code on the battery must be scanned by the machine. This ensures the batteries being replaced are for that truck and the results are for those batteries and going direct to Jeep - no chance to cheat.

 

[tonywin]

Why just that one? Why not both since you have not tested them to know the actual condition of either or both.
You have a 2020. You are 3 years on what are, at best, 3 to 4 year batteries. And - admittedly, you are in AZ heat which will shorten their lives.

I replaced the main battery with an H7 Costco Interstate battery a few months ago because its quick and easy to swap out. I'm still getting service stop/start so I assume it's the aux still.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I replaced the main battery with an H7 Costco Interstate battery a few months ago because its quick and easy to swap out. I'm still getting service stop/start so I assume it's the aux still.

Likely.
I'd still charge both the main and the new aux and reset the IBS to start over - clean slate.

 

[HooliganActual]

I'm in the same boat. My stop/start light came on and I know the aux battery is dying. It's beena little over 2 years but the AZ heat just kills batteries. I have the extended warranty but my dealer can't get me in for a week or so plus waiting for their "diagnostic" time. I'm tempted to goto Autozone and just get a new aux and install it myself.

I had a similar situation happen to me and lost both batteries on my 2020 up on the Mogollon Rim (I'm sure you'll recognize that name). Long story short is I wound up replacing my main with an aftermarket and buying the aux battery from the service counter at the dealer.

Here's my $0.02 USD (I'm over-sensitized to dealers and their handling of warranty batteries). Just go to the dealer's parts counter (or a 3rd party) and buy the battery. You've actually called out that while you are getting a "free replacement battery" under the warranty, you are at the dealer's mercy for it. They want your vehicle in order to do their diagnostic which consists of a series of charging/discharging sessions with computer printouts that they have to submit to Mopar for execution of the warranty, so you get the inconvenience of them wanting your vehicle for the day/afternoon (as it takes several hours). For $117, you can get one at the parts counter that has a 3 year warranty and replace it yourself fairly easily in an hour or so. If you do the work yourself, go through the wheel well and not through the hood, its so much easier.

 

[Dougstdig]

Yeah, I'd be awfully torn - letting the dealer do it free, labor and all is one side
but
NAPA batteries ready to go, 4 year warranty but you do the labor - that's the other side.



If you have the aux switches, you have the larger battery.
It's part of that aux switch package.




I can't speak for now/currently, but a few months ago, no one, not even NAPA, had or could even get the aux battery.

I'd only ever replace both after xxx time has passed as you have diminished capacity on 'em, both of them.

And when you replace the batteries - DO THIS or have troubles -
CHARGE each battery BEFORE installation. Use a good AGM charger for these AGM batteries.
Disconnect the IBS and leave it off for 10 to 15 minutes to reset it.
Install both new fully charged (parts stores do NOT properly charge batteries, if at all) and then put the IBS back and hook everything up.

Rules -
* Reset the IBS before/when replacing batteries
* Charge each battery before installation

(that's not only logical, but it's MOPAR saying that as well)

I don’t have the aux switches, but may add a set from an undecided vendor…plus I just want the most capacity.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

They want your vehicle in order to do their diagnostic which consists of a series of charging/discharging sessions with computer printouts that they have to submit to Mopar for execution of the warranty, so you get the inconvenience of them wanting your vehicle for the day/afternoon (as it takes several hours).

Where's that come from?
I have the battery testing document here and there's no such "3 charge/discharge" cycles in it.

You check the state of charge - and if it's below a certain point the battery must be charged to reach that SoC
You use the following to check state of charge -

Then when you reach that point, you test the battery - no charge/discharge cycles.

They can do it in short order if you go in with a battery over about 12.4 volts.

Once they know it's up to level to be tested - this is it, nothing else to it -

Check SoC
Charge if necessary
Test
Print result (which are sent to Jeep via wifi)

There is no long sequence, it doesn't take all day.

People here have gone in, had batteries tested, and left the same morning with new batteries.

 

[HooliganActual]

Where's that come from?
I have the battery testing document here and there's no such "3 charge/discharge" cycles in it.

You check the state of charge - and if it's below a certain point the battery must be charged to reach that SoC
You use the following to check state of charge -

Then when you reach that point, you test the battery - no charge/discharge cycles.

They can do it in short order if you go in with a battery over about 12.4 volts.

Once they know it's up to level to be tested - this is it, nothing else to it -

Check SoC
Charge if necessary
Test
Print result (which are sent to Jeep via wifi)

There is no long sequence, it doesn't take all day.

People here have gone in, had batteries tested, and left the same morning with new batteries.

That is just what my dealer told me he wanted/had to do when my batteries failed. Whatever “the right process is”, my dealer said he wanted it for a half of a day minimum. That’s where it comes from.

I can’t sit here and say that it would have actually taken that long because I decided that was a ridiculous ask. But let’s be honest with each other, the manual/procedure may say one thing but the time they take to do it may be different. I’ll guarantee I can rotate tires and change my oil faster than I watched them do it and I don’t even have a lift.

It took me an hour and a half to do it all myself and then, since I purchased the Aux battery from the dealership, I was able to file a claim with Mopar and recoup that expense (Mopar wouldn’t reimburse the aftermarket main battery that I bought).

 

[djthumper]

As long as it is still starting I would wait things out with the Avondale dealer. I am surprised they are not set up to work with another dealer. You may as well get a free new set. I was stationed at Luke and travelling around the Phoenix area was not a big deal.

I just had mine replaced up here in Vegas.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Whatever “the right process is”, my dealer said he wanted it for a half of a day minimum. That’s where it comes from.

No wonder you don't trust dealers.

Hey, I'm an auto electric guy - I know for a fact it won't take that long. I've done such testing and with less sophisticated equipment that actually took MORE time to use.
The document takes almost as long to read as the process is to do! Seriously, it's a process and can't be done like the parts store fools do, but it's not that complicated.
If they don't have to do the charging bit, I could do it all in under an 90 minutes for sure even at my age.
You connect, hit some buttons, it runs the test - done. You get a printout, results are sent to Jeep/MOPAR.
Don't forget I worked years doing this same sort of thing.

But let’s be honest with each other, the manual/procedure may say one thing but the time they take to do it may be different.

Yeah, for some things - but not this one. It's not going to take all day, and the only way it would take "hours" is if your battery is down and they must charge it first. - but they don't need to charge it to 100% and the last 10-20 takes the longest.

they likely were busy, or wanted to hedge their bets, or were planning on a full cycle of charging prior to testing. Testing doesn't take that long at all.

 

[HooliganActual]

No wonder you don't trust dealers.

Hey, I'm an auto electric guy - I know for a fact it won't take that long. I've done such testing and with less sophisticated equipment that actually took MORE time to use.
The document takes as long to read as the process is to do! Seriously, it's a process and can't be done like the parts store fools do, but it's not that complicated.
If they don't have to do the charging bit, I could do it all in under an 90 minutes for sure eve at my age.

Agreed. I did industrial maintenance for 40 years. I know when I’m being fed a line of BS by a maintenance guy. It’s not that I don’t trust dealers, I don’t trust dealers that obviously try to take advantage of customers. So many of them seem to take their customers “hostage” with their practices. The dealership I bought all three of my current Jeeps from has the most dishonest service group I have ever dealt with…but the sales team is great. So I have a different dealership with a great service team that I go to 90% of the time (and as it happens, their sales team is awful). It’s that first dealership that gave me the line of BS.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Agreed. I did industrial maintenance for 40 years. I know when I’m being fed a line of BS by a maintenance guy. It’s not that I don’t trust dealers, I don’t trust dealers that obviously try to take advantage of customers.

Bingo and well said.
Some are great - and earn the trust of customers and do great work.
Others scare me.

I've seen the situations you refer to - sales=great but at the same store - service=sucks.
They are two different businesses and the sales people can get really frustrated by crappy service that loses them customers.
I stopped going to a shop where the tech and service writer both said my winch was draining my batteries. And their fix? Move the winch ground cable off the main battery negative (top of the IBS, properly wired) over to the FENDER GROUND STUD.
Where do they think that big black cable runs from the top of the negative battery post - yeah, over to the fender ground stud. I looked and could not believe my eyes - so you move the ground cable to fix a battery drain - ignoring the fact that the winch is also grounded via the mount to the frame to the body to the battery.
I guess they ignored that big RED SWITCH that said OFF right next to the cable they moved.

 

[RubiAR]

I'm all about spending a little more for less hassle, especially in regard to dealer visits.... I also second (or 32nd) going to Autozone and pucking one out myself. I don't like them for much else, but their battery supplier has been revered as the best in the industry. I just coughed up the extra dough on the Platinum AGM in the XK and I can tell a difference in starting compared to my 2 previous batteries from O'Reilly's. I'll prob put the same in the new JT when the time comes.

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