Stop Safely Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon

[BonesDT]

So I've been getting this dreaded warning on my dash. I've read the many posts about it and I feel I have tested the most common causes and I'm at a loss:

I just replaced the main battery and the aux battery with brand new Duralast batteries. The problem went away for only a couple days.

I pulled and checked the high amp "Z" fuse array and all the fuses tested intact, especially the notorious #3 fuse.

I swapped several critical relays (e.g. K01 Stop/Start, K03 Starter, K08 Run/Start, etc.) with less important relays (HD Accy's) and that didn't solve anything so that should mean there are no bad relays.

I checked several random fuses (there's sooooo many), but are there any specific ones I should check?

I tested the alternator 2 different ways. 1st way, when the engine was running, I disconnected the battery and the engine continued to run fine without the battery. The 2nd way, I tested the battery with the engine off (11-something volts) and when I turned the engine on, it gradually rose to 14-volts.

This is the GENERAL operation of my alternator, but quirky things have been happening in the last several days. Shortly after installing the brand new batteries, I started getting the warning message, but my dash battery level was still reading 13-14-volts, so that seemed odd that the warning was triggered at such high volts. Also, the one exception, my truck finally shut itself off today and wouldn't start up right away. When I jump started it, I disconnected the battery and the engine immediately died, so possibly my alternator is intermittently working??

Other things to know is this problem just started immediately after I had 2 recalls done - one was an update to the computer and the other was the clutch. It briefly happened in October 2023, but I replaced the main battery and disconnected the AUX battery and disabled the auto-stop using a Tazer and the issue went away until last week after the recalls. I have since reconnected (and replaced) the AUX battery and unmarried the Tazer, so those are not factors anymore.

Also, something that strikes me as odd, when I disconnect the main battery negative cable then I connect/disconnect the negative AUX battery terminal from the negative main battery terminal (that 13mm nut) - there are very strong sparks. This seemed odd to me that there would be strong sparks touching two DISCONNECTED negative terminals together. Is this an indication of a short somewhere?

The last catch all per posts is "loose connection somewhere in the vehicle". Like where do I start??

Thanks for any suggestions.

Sponsored

 

[Mr._Bill]

Did you fully charge both batteries before installing them?

Any reading from the batteries below 12.5 volts is not good. Anything below 12.0 volts is bad news.

Disconnecting battery cables with the engine running is asking for trouble. If you have a voltage reading above 13.0 with the engine running, then the alternator is working. The output is computer controlled and will vary with the charge level of the batteries and the demand of the electrical system.

The batteries are paralleled together all the time. It is important to make sure the battery cables do not touch against each other or anything metal in the engine bay. Sparks when reconnecting the cables is normal.

Disconnect and separately charge each battery. Pull the IBS connected to the Main battery negative post for about ten minutes to reset it. Test the high capacity fuse array, then put it all back together. If it's not back to normal after 24 hours and a couple cycles, then you will need to take it to the dealer to look at.

 

[BonesDT]

Thank you for the response.

They were brand new Duralast batteries from AutoZone. I did not try to charge them any further before installing them.

When they die, I bring them to AutoZone to charge/replace under warranty. Both times I have done this, despite only being 7-days old, they told me they no longer held a charge and replaced with brand new batteries.

I tested the high capacity fuse array and all good.


So I took it to the dealer (I swapped in another brand new Duralast main battery to get me there). They called me today and said "you don't have the original batteries in there" and proceeded to explain that I need to first replace both batteries with "original batteries" for $1300 before they can ever start diagnosing any issues. I asked what was wrong with the Duralast batteries and he said "they are not original" and the "wrong rating". When I asked what the proper rating is supposed to be, he answered "original". I kept asking him what's the difference and he said Jeep batteries are "VIN specific". I asked if he is trying to say Jeep makes a battery with unique ratings for every VIN number and he said "yes".

Does this make any sense?

 

[Mr._Bill]

I would find another dealer to take it to.

EDIT:
Batteries are a generic item. As long as the Main Battery is a H6 or H7, and the Aux Battery is a AUX14, that meet or exceed the 'Original' battery capacity, there should be no issues. Jeep ships a H6 or H7, depending on your build, which the VIN would identify. They do not provide VIN specific batteries. The H7 (94R) is the higher capacity of the two batteries.

Charging the batteries would be the thing to try. When dealing with factory installed batteries, that is the first step of the dealer diagnostics.

 

[Lunentucker]

One thing you could do that's quick and easy would be to disconnect the AUX battery and reduce your troubleshooting to just one battery and the rest of the electrical systems.
Remove the AUX battery ground cable at the main ground group and IBS. Tape it up and zip tie it out of the way.
Remove fuse F42.
Let the vehicle sit for over 15 minutes, and then try starting it up and see what you get.

 

[BonesDT]

I will try that. Keep in mind, my AUX battery was disconnected for 4 months before this problem started happening.

How do I disconnect the AUX battery from the "IBS"? I looked up IBS and it looks like a electronic sensor attached to the ground terminal, but I don't see that device on my Glad.

 

[Lunentucker]

I will try that. Keep in mind, my AUX battery was disconnected for 4 months before this problem started happening.

How do I disconnect the AUX battery from the "IBS"? I looked up IBS and it looks like a electronic sensor attached to the ground terminal, but I don't see that device on my Glad.

Ignore the part about it disabling ESS. It doesn't.

 

[Mr._Bill]

I will try that. Keep in mind, my AUX battery was disconnected for 4 months before this problem started happening.

How do I disconnect the AUX battery from the "IBS"? I looked up IBS and it looks like a electronic sensor attached to the ground terminal, but I don't see that device on my Glad.

The IBS attaches to the negative post of the Main battery. It has two threaded terminals on it. One is for the negative cable from the Aux battery. The other is for the cable that attaches to the frame.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Thank you for the response.

They were brand new Duralast batteries from AutoZone. I did not try to charge them any further before installing them.

When they die, I bring them to AutoZone to charge/replace under warranty. Both times I have done this, despite only being 7-days old, they told me they no longer held a charge and replaced with brand new batteries.

First mistake was not fully charging each before installation.
At the very least, you should disconnect the ground cables, separate them from each other, and charge the aux battery and main battery and leave the IBS fully disconnected while you are doing that.

And - how did you access the aux battery? If you went down through the PDC/fuse panel, that could be a problem - bent pin, etc., you may have caused some damage, bad connection/bent contact by doing that. (Having too much experience with electrical, that's not a way I'd personally do it no matter what "everyone else says"._)

 

[BonesDT]

OK, so this is very weird. I picked up my truck from the dealer. Fortunately it started right up and I drove home without any error messages and the battery gauge on the dash consistently reading in the 14's volts.

So when I get home, I know there is still a problem draining my battery(ies) so I popped the hood to disconnect the aux battery to take that out of the equation and make sure it doesn't drain my main battery.

To my surprise, the entire red terminal was disconnected from the main battery! Not sure what the dealer did or if it was intentional but they must have forgot to connect the red terminal. The black negative was still connected. My car has full 14 volt power. I guess it's been running off the aux battery this whole time.

Anybody make any sense of this. I haven't had it long enough to see if the error message comes back but seems like everything is running better with the MAIN battery disconnected!

 

[ShadowsPapa]

OK, so this is very weird. I picked up my truck from the dealer. Fortunately it started right up and I drove home without any error messages and the battery gauge on the dash consistently reading in the 14's volts.

So when I get home, I know there is still a problem draining my battery(ies) so I popped the hood to disconnect the aux battery to take that out of the equation and make sure it doesn't drain my main battery.

To my surprise, the entire red terminal was disconnected from the main battery! Not sure what the dealer did or if it was intentional but they must have forgot to connect the red terminal. The black negative was still connected. My car has full 14 volt power. I guess it's been running off the aux battery this whole time.

Anybody make any sense of this. I haven't had it long enough to see if the error message comes back but seems like everything is running better with the MAIN battery disconnected!

Did they test both batteries?
Could be the main is a problem.
best bet - charge both batteries independently, disconnect IBS for several minutes while charging the batteries.
if both batteries will fully charge without trouble and hold the charge, then put it all back together.

Yeah, with a good aux battery, you can actually start and drive these things.

Sponsored