ESS not available, CEL on, radio and AC will not come on

[1stJeep2022]

Hello
First post about my first jeep. Sad it is an issue. 2022 Gladiator Sport.
Two weeks ago the ESS not available came along with a CEL. Took her to the dealership and they said she had a parasitic draw at the alternator and replaced it under warranty. Happily took her home made about three short trips around town with no issues. Got in a o go to dinner and the ESS not available came on. CEL came on, Not in park flashed on for a moment. Turned it off them back on. The CEL was on the radio would not work and the AC would not work. This morning she started and all was good CEL was off as well. Any ideas? I am thinking batteries or battery may be weak, dead or dying.

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[Mr._Bill]

The ESS not available message is an indication that there is an electrical system issue that needs attention. Usually, it means one or both batteries need to be replaced.

The average life expectancy of the batteries is about three years. Less than that if it is not driven enough to keep the batteries charged. It needs at least thirty minutes a day to overcome the parasitic draw of the computers, alarm, and head unit. If it is not driven regularly, a battery maintainer should be attached.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Hello
First post about my first jeep. Sad it is an issue. 2022 Gladiator Sport.
Two weeks ago the ESS not available came along with a CEL. Took her to the dealership and they said she had a parasitic draw at the alternator and replaced it under warranty. Happily took her home made about three short trips around town with no issues. Got in a o go to dinner and the ESS not available came on. CEL came on, Not in park flashed on for a moment. Turned it off them back on. The CEL was on the radio would not work and the AC would not work. This morning she started and all was good CEL was off as well. Any ideas? I am thinking batteries or battery may be weak, dead or dying.

Get a cheap $20 volt meter at Walmart and check the voltage of the batteries when the truck is off.
Report back - if below 12.4, time to dig deeper.

CEL - get the code read. Could be anything from a CANBus communication error (also can cause shifter error messages) to misfires to low voltage conditions.

The dealer should have charged and checked the batteries - that's part of what should have been done with the alternator work.

Basically, it's all total guess work - spitballing, to see what stick until you get the code beind the light, and check battery voltage.

 

[1stJeep2022]

@ShadowsPapa
Thanks for the reply I’ll get the multimeter and code reader and post the results here.

 

[1stJeep2022]

The ESS not available message is an indication that there is an electrical system issue that needs attention. Usually, it means one or both batteries need to be replaced.

The average life expectancy of the batteries is about three years. Less than that if it is not driven enough to keep the batteries charged. It needs at least thirty minutes a day to overcome the parasitic draw of the computers, alarm, and head unit. If it is not driven regularly, a battery maintainer should be attached.

Does the battery maintainer get attached to the main battery only?

 

[cranbiz]

The batteries are in parallel unless ESS is active, Connect the maintainer to the big battery. Both will get charged.

 

[GeneralMaximus]

The batteries are in parallel unless ESS is active, Connect the maintainer to the big battery. Both will get charged.

His small battery may already be dead or weakened. According to this guy, you need to hook two posts together in order to charge that small battery(4:50 time mark)

 

[Mr._Bill]

Does the battery maintainer get attached to the main battery only?

As long as you have a stock setup with no changes to the factory battery cables, then the maintainer only needs to be connected to the nuts on top of the main battery (not to the actual battery posts).

 

[cranbiz]

His small battery may already be dead or weakened. According to this guy, you need to hook two posts together in order to charge that small battery(4:50 time mark)

As long as the Z Fuse is good, you can just connect the maintainer to the big battery. Electrically, they are connected thru the PCR relay.

 

[1stJeep2022]

Get a cheap $20 volt meter at Walmart and check the voltage of the batteries when the truck is off.
Report back - if below 12.4, time to dig deeper.

CEL - get the code read. Could be anything from a CANBus communication error (also can cause shifter error messages) to misfires to low voltage conditions.

The dealer should have charged and checked the batteries - that's part of what should have been done with the alternator work.

Basically, it's all total guess work - spitballing, to see what stick until you get the code beind the light, and check battery voltage.

@ShadowsPapa
Picked up a code reader this morning followed the directions for hooking it up and pairing it to the app and there were no error codes. Battery voltage with the gladiator off was 12.3 at the main battery.

 

[Lost1wing]

Time to get a good agm charger.

 

[Lost1wing]

If you just checked the voltage at the main battery without disconnecting anything, all you know is that you need to charge them. 12.3 is low.

Remove the fender ground, remove the negative terminal off of the main and separate the two ground cables that you just removed. One of those cables goes to the fender and the other goes to the aux battery. Measure the voltage at that ground and the + battery main post. This will be your aux battery voltage. Move the negative meter lead to - battery main terminal. This is obviously your main battery reading.

Charge each battery while still disconnected and separated.

 

[Lost1wing]

I'm not familiar with all of the codes, but I suppose you could have a code battery related and cleared itself once the battery was charged up enough. It could have been a cell not even related to the battery. Some code readers give clues as to the last cel and how many cycles from the last cel.

 

[1stJeep2022]

If you just checked the voltage at the main battery without disconnecting anything, all you know is that you need to charge them. 12.3 is low.

Remove the fender ground, remove the negative terminal off of the main and separate the two ground cables that you just removed. One of those cables goes to the fender and the other goes to the aux battery. Measure the voltage at that ground and the + battery main post. This will be your aux battery voltage. Move the negative meter lead to - battery main terminal. This is obviously your main battery reading.

Charge each battery while still disconnected and separated.

Thanks

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