Genesis dual batt setup disables ESS?

[Darel]

Maybe I should have read into this further before I dropped $1600 on the Genesis dual battery kit and two batteries.

I received my kit and was going through the Genesis site for the installation links, and only for the first time noticed they had a tab on there for "questions and answers". One of the questions was about ESS, and the answer said that with this kit you lose the ESS function after 6 cycles. I thought it was just basically a fancy isolator, tray and a larger capacity battery to run my winch. I had no idea this is going to disable my ESS, which I do NOT want to do, and I DEFINITELY don't want to be running around with a warning light on. And don't tell me to put electrical tape over it on my $50,000 truck.

Can someone confirm I'm going to lose ESS and constantly have an Avengers light on with this kit? Because if so, I'm sending it back.

And also if so, are there any nice dual battery kits with an isolator that retain ESS?

Or, perhaps a way to modify the Genesis system to keep the ESS function, like with a resistor to trick the system into thinking there's a voltage difference? Although I guess if that was possible Genesis would have incorporated it already.

Thanks,
Darel

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[jay21mojave]

Don't know about Genesis set up.. do know that pulling fuse 42 and disconnecting the ground cable to the aux. battery did not stop ESS from functioning. Spoke with an experienced Jeep tech, his opinion and knowledge about ESS is push the button on the dash to stop if from functioning; said even with fuse 42 pulled and the cable off - the ESS system drew power from the main battery. Now have put the fuse back in and will be connecting up the aux bat negative cable when AND push the button on each start up.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Every day I'm more and more glad I'm leaving mine as is and if I want more battery capacity, I'll do what a couple of members have done - install a battery in the back with the proper equipment - such as Redarc offers, to keep it charged, but isolated.

I always thought this system kept the ESS operational - without issue. This is the first i've seen that it in effect disables it.

 

[Darel]

Well, I went ahead and installed everything yesterday mainly because I was bored, and it all works great. No issues. ESS works fine. In the Q&A it did specify that the ESS warning would appear after 6 ESS events, and despite 5+ hours of driving around today, I don't think I actually reached 6 events. I'm not real clear if it's just a warning, a message, the dash light or even if the ESS stops or continues to function after 6 events, but I figure for my style of driving I will probably only ever see this circumstance maybe once a month, so screw it. I figure if it'll bother me that much a few times a year, I can hit the button in that case. I'll say this, now I do want to get to that 6 event threshold just to see how this plays out.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

With our conditions here, I can run into 6 ESS instances inside of 10 to 15 minutes. Tons of stop lights - some lasting over 2 minutes, it's very possible for me to give it a workout.

 

[Darel]

Normally, yes. But I start and end my week with a 3-hour drive, and in between my office is less than a mile from my crash pad. And when I'm home on weekends I usually drive my wife's car or my kid's JK. So that's how I rationalized just going ahead and installing it.

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