ESS Not Avail, battery charging - dealer cant find problem

[SargeDiesel]

For anything other than pure "maintenance", I don't use anything less than about 6 amps - today, there's not much between 5 and 10, so 10 is my new minimum choice for charging.
I've had a BatteryMinder for years. It's always done very well - 1500mA or about 1.5 amps. Great for leaving on the lawn tractor, or either of my cars, when they sit for long periods. I've got a DieHard brand 800mA battery tender that works pretty well too, starting out with a battery that's not very low it will bring it up to snuff and keep it there, and like the BatteryMinder, even breathe new life into really old batteries now and then. (battery on my test bench is probably 15 years old)
I wasn't able to get my Eagle's battery to start it more than once even after sitting on either of those small "tenders" for hours. I put my NAPA 10/20 charger on it and let it run over night. Today after removing the surface charge letting the headlights run for about 30 seconds, it's still sitting at 12.7 volts. We'll see how it behaves when starting that car. The NAPA charger also tries to determine the health of the battery - measure internal resistance, check for sulfation and so on, and will go into desulphate mode when needed. Not cheap but a solid charger.

I've not had great luck with tenders when it comes time to a real charge that needs to be "forced" into a battery. Fine for maintenance, but don't give me anything less than 10 amps in a real charger.

Yeah I agree, the NOCO-10, is 10amps and charges all the common batteries, including lithium-ion. It will automatically charge a completely depleted battery to 1v and you can manually charge one depleted to 0v. It will repair damage from sulfation and will dub as a year around tender that wont overcharge.
So far, I haven't had an issue it couldn't deal with. I do miss my old sears/craftsman fully manual charger though, it allowed me to be completely in control... unfortunate it was stolen.

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[red/green hawk]

I have this problem. Went on a long drive, 3+ hours and the aux battery was charged enough to run the ESS. I'll be changing my battery out soon. I pointed it out at the dealer and they told me they wouldn't warranty it because I have too many accessories wired in: winch, sub, amp, wireless swtich, etc.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Yeah I agree, the NOCO-10, is 10amps and charges all the common batteries, including lithium-ion. It will automatically charge a completely depleted battery to 1v and you can manually charge one depleted to 0v. It will repair damage from sulfation and will dub as a year around tender that wont overcharge.
So far, I haven't had an issue it couldn't deal with. I do miss my old sears/craftsman fully manual charger though, it allowed me to be completely in control... unfortunate it was stolen.

I can't positively say whether this is due to the lower amperage, or the "second try" thing - but originally I tried charging that car battery on the 10 amp setting. When it was done I tried it and it failed a second start - ok on first, but down to just clicking on a subsequent start.
So I got it into the garage and that's when I put the charger on 20 amps and let it cook.
Was it the 20 amps - or - was it the fact it was a second shot at charging? Will never know, but having failed twice with the "tenders", it's not the first battery I've not had perfect luck with when charging a goofy battery.
10 should be fine - that sounds like a decent charger with some more than just basics electronics.
It sounds like some chargers that won't run when the battery is dead or there's no voltage detected, but it allows a manual way around that in "start anyway" or whatever that company calls it. I suspect it's a safety thing so you can't mis-connect it, or abuse it. A safety net in a way.

 

[SargeDiesel]

I can't positively say whether this is due to the lower amperage, or the "second try" thing - but originally I tried charging that car battery on the 10 amp setting. When it was done I tried it and it failed a second start - ok on first, but down to just clicking on a subsequent start.
So I got it into the garage and that's when I put the charger on 20 amps and let it cook.
Was it the 20 amps - or - was it the fact it was a second shot at charging? Will never know, but having failed twice with the "tenders", it's not the first battery I've not had perfect luck with when charging a goofy battery.
10 should be fine - that sounds like a decent charger with some more than just basics electronics.
It sounds like some chargers that won't run when the battery is dead or there's no voltage detected, but it allows a manual way around that in "start anyway" or whatever that company calls it. I suspect it's a safety thing so you can't mis-connect it, or abuse it. A safety net in a way.

Yes its an excellent charger. Very "Smart if you will... definitely more capable than a tender...
For some reason, I was thinking it was you that recommended the NOCO to me about a year ago... was it not ?

 

[HooliganActual]

I have this problem. Went on a long drive, 3+ hours and the aux battery was charged enough to run the ESS. I'll be changing my battery out soon. I pointed it out at the dealer and they told me they wouldn't warranty it because I have too many accessories wired in: winch, sub, amp, wireless swtich, etc.

This is such a load of cr@p from dealers that people get told and I wish the mothership would address.

When my Aux batt failed, I couldn’t find a readily available after market battery so I pulled it and took it to the dealership to buy a replacement. The Parts Counter guy told me “Put that receipt in your glove box and if that battery fails within 3 years, just bring it to any Parts Counter for a replacement. No questions asked.” He said it didn’t matter what accessories were hooked up to it. All he needed was a receipt less than 3 years old and the core.

@JeepCares : How are the dealers so out of sync on issues like this? The Service guys say they can’t cover under warranty because of the accessories that are connected (which should be expected because you added 4 auxiliary switches in my dash for hooking up accessories) but then the Parts guy saying that has no bearing on his replacing of the battery?!?!?!

 

[red/green hawk]

This is such a load of cr@p from dealers that people get told and I wish the mothership would address.

When my Aux batt failed, I couldn’t find a readily available after market battery so I pulled it and took it to the dealership to buy a replacement. The Parts Counter guy told me “Put that receipt in your glove box and if that battery fails within 3 years, just bring it to any Parts Counter for a replacement. No questions asked.” He said it didn’t matter what accessories were hooked up to it. All he needed was a receipt less than 3 years old and the core.

@JeepCares : How are the dealers so out of sync on issues like this? The Service guys say they can’t cover under warranty because of the accessories that are connected (which should be expected because you added 4 auxiliary switches in my dash for hooking up accessories) but then the Parts guy saying that has no bearing on his replacing of the battery?!?!?!

I hear you...I complained to the service manager for a good 15 min. citing warranty laws and they just don't care. I called corporate and they don't care. Wired on accessories have zero/zilch/nada to do with the aux battery but they told me that because the aux is connected to the main the accessories can drain the aux. BS! I asked them to proove their claim a la warranty laws but they refused and said they didn't have to prove it. Absolute nightmare dealing with some of these places. I hate to say it because I feel like I'm kinda giving up a little but it's worth $100 and a couple hours of my time just to change it myself.

 

[HooliganActual]

I hear you...I complained to the service manager for a good 15 min. citing warranty laws and they just don't care. I called corporate and they don't care. Wired on accessories have zero/zilch/nada to do with the aux battery but they told me that because the aux is connected to the main the accessories can drain the aux. BS! I asked them to proove their claim a la warranty laws but they refused and said they didn't have to prove it. Absolute nightmare dealing with some of these places. I hate to say it because I feel like I'm kinda giving up a little but it's worth $100 and a couple hours of my time just to change it myself.

Here’s what you do because it is exactly how my situation worked out. My Aux battery failed while I was off grid camping for a week and left me stranded. Luckily I got someone to take me into a nearby town which did have a Jeep dealership where I was able to purchase the Aux battery (tried an AutoZone and Napa first but they didn’t have). The Service guy said they couldn't do anything about it but gave me a phone number for Warranty Claims. I’ve already mentioned the Parts Guy’s tale.

Fast forward to my return home, I called the number I was given, explained what happened, they filed a warranty claim with the receipt and a week later I got a check in the mail for the price I paid on the new battery. In that entire claim process nobody asked or cared about accessories being hooked up. The ONLY thing they cared about that it was a part purchased from the dealer.

 

[TRI-JAB]

Great thread - thanks for posting. I had same issues. JT left me stranded in the middle of three lane traffic…. Luckily another forum member showed up to jump start me and follow me to the house. But he did it in a Ford…. Either way replaced my main battery with an Optima 880 CCA and the Aux with a Duralast Platinum. Both from Autozone (who provides a 10% military discount - thanks!). Ended up costing me $482 all in with taxes and core returns.

my only issue now is my front and rear cameras don’t work. I am going to try to reprogram my mini tazer tomorrow to see if that fixes the issue. Initially my check engine light was on, but in the trip back to autozone to return the cores it went out.

Thank you @OVERLORD for posting the YouTube video. It was spot on. Much easier method to get to the Aux battery.

I added a photo of the bit set because I was super mad that I had to buy the entire set to get the right socket to remove my from seats when I replaced the flooring. Turns out you need the E6 to remove the “stems” from the old Aux battery and install in the new one. Win-Win!

 

[OVERLORD]

As I did not have an E6, I found that pressing a 4mm or a 5/32 will do the job as well.

 

[Mr._Bill]

The problem with warranty replacement through the Service Department is they have a set procedure to follow. They have to report the results and get approval to replace the battery. It requires a lot of time and they only get the warranty reimbursement if the replacement is approved. It's a large disincentive for doing battery warranty claims. The Parts Department isn't hindered by such requirements. Like most auto parts places, they just need a valid receipt to go with the defective item.

 

[HooliganActual]

The problem with warranty replacement through the Service Department is they have a set procedure to follow. They have to report the results and get approval to replace the battery. It requires a lot of time and they only get the warranty reimbursement if the replacement is approved. It's a large disincentive for doing battery warranty claims. The Parts Department isn't hindered by such requirements. Like most auto parts places, they just need a valid receipt to go with the defective item.

I hear you and I get why they do what they do; it’s their policy. But those policies, contrary to their Customer Service rhetoric, is not customer-centric. That is where my gears get ground, I have a $50,000+ receipt from that dealership already that includes that particular part. If I am within the warranty period on the battery that came installed on the car, it should be no different than bringing the parts guy a battery with a receipt. Literally, my reimbursement for that part directly from Jeep (I think it was actually a Mopar claim) was as easy as doing it with the Parts Counter. The Service side should be the same and if it is policy that hinders them, the policies should be changed.

I know it’s “different” but it shouldn’t be. I spent 40 years working in the manufacturing industry and the equipment we bought was warrantied by the OEM. We would have parts fail, make a phone call, give them the serial number of the machine, and a part would be on its way. There is literally no difference between what has happened, just a difference in the way one industry chooses to handle its business versus another.

 

[RalphTuttle]

The ESS on my '21 Mojave (2 years old with 17K miles) hasn't worked for the last couple of months. I took it into the dealer this morning. They replaced both the Auxiliary battery and the main battery with no questions and no charge. All under warranty.

 

[HereWeGo]

UPDATE: Couple days after dealer said batteries were okay, I was still getting the "charge battery" message. Back to dealer, they tested the battery again, it was okay again. When I picked it up, the advisor said they have seen this before (Jeep says somethings' wrong, but dealer can't find it) and they know they have to fail the battery to get a warranty replacement. They asked to bring it back the next day so they could go through the wiring.

Today, advisor says both batteries replaced, but still getting the charge battery message. Take it home, give it at least 4 hours to go to sleep, then drive for a couple days and report back.

So, I'm impressed they replaced the batteries, but perplexed that they don't know why the message is still present. Will report back in a few days.

 

[OVERLORD]

UPDATE: Couple days after dealer said batteries were okay, I was still getting the "charge battery" message. Back to dealer, they tested the battery again, it was okay again. When I picked it up, the advisor said they have seen this before (Jeep says somethings' wrong, but dealer can't find it) and they know they have to fail the battery to get a warranty replacement. They asked to bring it back the next day so they could go through the wiring.

Today, advisor says both batteries replaced, but still getting the charge battery message. Take it home, give it at least 4 hours to go to sleep, then drive for a couple days and report back.

So, I'm impressed they replaced the batteries, but perplexed that they don't know why the message is still present. Will report back in a few days.

Mine is doing the same thing.

Primary battery load tested as good.

ESS Battery tested weak.

Replaced ESS Battery.

There is something about an IBS reset?

Not sure if that is a time thing .....

 

[HereWeGo]

LAST UPDATE: After the Jeep sat overnight, the "battery charging" message was gone. Apparently the dealer was correct, it had to "sleep" for at least 4 hours to reset. ESS works now, problem fixed!!

Hats off to my local dealer for going the extra mile and making sure the batteries failed so they could warranty them. They knew they would eventually fail and didn't want me to get stranded on my upcoming off-road trip.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread!!

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