3.6L ESS IBS Information

[timn1984]

@timn1984

The more you say, the more, I feel you are a poster boy for having and routinely using a trickle charger.

With all those short trips, 30 miles a week driving the JL, multiple times the vehicle is started, Uconnect using 12v, etc, etc.... and the JL's alternator just isn't given enough drive time to charge up the Aux battery. Then the JL is sitting lots and while sitting it is always using some 12v power... ......Again, you are undoubtedly a poster child for trickle charging.

Consider getting a decent trickle charger ($45+-) and also installing the quick disconnect cable that comes with it. Now, connect the trickle charger for a few hours every week or so. I've suggested this to other's here and they .... after a few weeks pm'd and said... no more “ESS not ready battery charging”.

In closing, my feeling is, especially, a JL owner ..... needs a decent battery trickle charger and a quality set of battery jumper cables in their arsenal.

.

Sounds like I need a trickle charger. Any idea on which one? And are they easy to install? I like the idea of the quick disconnect cable. I’m a fairly capable person but am new to fixing jeeps. Any guidance on installation would be helpful.

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[biggprikk]

My driving pattern is very similar to yours, 5 miles daily to work, 30 miles to church on Sunday and occasional errands. I live in a cold climate and my ESS always works once the engine warms up. I'm pretty sure “ESS not ready battery charging” is referring to your main battery because that's what the IBS monitors. A bad ESS battery could drain the main battery over night, but if you are still having charging issues with the new ESS battery, there might be other problems. You can either have the dealer check it out again, regularly trickle charge it to see if that helps, use a voltmeter to monitor battery voltages yourself, or any combination of those until the issue is resolved.

@Jebiruph is the battery wiz here!

 

[allieboy]

@Jebiruph is the battery wiz here!

Rhinebeck01 is. He told me.

 

[tablerock]

Hello, Does the smaller battery charge while driving with the ESS turned off ??? Thanks

 

[Jebiruph]

Hello, Does the smaller battery charge while driving with the ESS turned off ??? Thanks

Yes

 

[ZEN357]

So after reading his, where is the auxillary battery located and how big is it? Is it like the size of the main battery? How often will it need replaced?

 

[allieboy]

So after reading his, where is the auxillary battery located and how big is it? Is it like the size of the main battery? How often will it need replaced?

Smaller...located under right fender under main.

 

[Jebiruph]

So after reading his, where is the auxillary battery located and how big is it? Is it like the size of the main battery? How often will it need replaced?

 

[ZEN357]

Great more stuff to go bad and replace!!!!

 

[ZEN357]

Great more stuff to go bad and replace!!!!

I remember when vehicles were much simplier to work on and repair. The average mechanically inclined person could fix his vehicle or modify it on his Saturday afternoon. Now a days it take a technical team of experts to diagnose a problem. How are things better?

 

[timn1984]

Sounds like I need a trickle charger. Any idea on which one? And are they easy to install? I like the idea of the quick disconnect cable. I’m a fairly capable person but am new to fixing jeeps. Any guidance on installation would be helpful.

So I bought a trickle charger (Amazon). Have not hooked it up yet, but my ESS has been working like a charm since the purchase. I guess the act of buying it "fixed" the problem.... Uncanny how that works.

 

[WranglerMan]

I use a trickle charge once a month, it’s not a big deal with the quick disconnect and only takes about 12 hrs or so to go green so I put it on about 5 or 6 pm and by morning it’s done, my hope is my batteries with stay healthy longer

 

[Therby]

Would there be any issue you guys can forsee by adding a larger battery to run my 12v fridge. It will be a group94 size AGM

Thanks

 

[Stickerhead]

By disconnecting the battery monitor to defeat the ESS, is that going to hurt any monitoring function the electronics need? Since I don’t use the ESS, can I just disconnect the aux battery completely and just use it like a regular car/truck before ESS? Any drawbacks except having a possible charged spare aux battery?

 

[Jebiruph]

By disconnecting the battery monitor to defeat the ESS, is that going to hurt any monitoring function the electronics need? Since I don’t use the ESS, can I just disconnect the aux battery completely and just use it like a regular car/truck before ESS? Any drawbacks except having a possible charged spare aux battery?

Seems like I've read Grand Cherokee owners with the dual battery ESS where unplugging the sensor to disable ESS, but I don't remember any details.

This thread discusses disconnecting the Aux battery.
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/3-6l-ess-aux-battery-bypass.17293/

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