Aux battery question

[SeventyGTX]

Hey guys, first post on the forum. I picked up an '18 JLUR a couple of months ago with 24k on it. A couple times I noticed when I hit the start button, it wouldn't start, then it would after 2 or 3 tries. Well this morning it wouldn't crank at all after sitting about a week. So I checked the battery and it's at 12.3 volts. Gave it a quick jump with my charger and it instantly fired up.

I decided I will just get another battery. THEN I found out about an aux battery I had no idea it had. Reading up on it I see it is basially for accessories when th ESS is on. Well, I installed an Autostart eliminator shortly after I bought the Jeep. My question is, can I just ignore the aux battery and forget replacing it too, or will it drag the new battery down trying to keep itself charged?

Thanks for any help and insight. I thought I was done with dual batteries when I sold my Cummins.

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[OldGuyNewJeep]

My question is, can I just ignore the aux battery and forget replacing it too

No.

will it drag the new battery down trying to keep itself charged?

Yes

See these:

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/3-6l-ess-dual-battery-consolidated-information.25377/

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/3-6l-ess-aux-battery-bypass.17293/

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...ent-the-easy-way-pull-the-fender-flare.56807/

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/3-6l-ess-battery-diagram.14401/

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/my-testing-of-the-ibs-ibm-system.79412/

 

[OldGuyNewJeep]

Thanks for any help and insight.

I added some more links above.

 

[SeventyGTX]

Thanks for the replies. This is something I did not expect when I bought this Wrangler. The bad thing is there is no way to test the ESS battery without pulling everything apart, so I will go ahead and replace them both......$$$. But man, I am really disappointed with things like having to remove the fuse box or pull the fender off busting clips just to get at a hidden battery. Not to mention the price of two batteries. At this point, not sure how long this is going to be in my garage. I'll take a clean TJ please.

 

[SeventyGTX]

Thanks Tommy, since it is buried I just assumed it was near impossible to test. But that makes sense. I didn't think of actually testing it at the cables. Been under the weather with a flu bug for a week and this battery thing has got me spun out.

I am going to see if I can do what another poster did and remove the ESS battery and all cables completely. There are so many threads on this with pages and pages of info, it is overwhelming. I don't like the fact the small battery can take down the main one. I want to see this on my garage floor...

 

[Rhinebeck01]

@SeventyGTX

I read a thread/posts as yours and say to myself geeez, if I could just talk to this guy on the phone..... WHY... because I could get him past his issue very very easily....

Even if you were an old guy, an old gal or a teen, that never touched a wrench, etc., getting past this issue would be/is easy easy..

Key here is to keep it simple lets say....

While forum posts here by guys are meant to be helpful, they unnecessarily tear the guy on the receiving end in a million different directions so to speak..

Truth of the matter is, you could deal with your issue in less then say 30 mins.... and with a $ outlay of about $8.00. OK, if you needed a new Main battery it would cost you say $258, if you wanted to go with a lets call it quality Main battery..

Anyway, do your homework..... research here on the forum before you go tearing into things... before you spend a lot of $ or cause harm to your JL, or..... Again, your issue is very easily and simply addressed.

.

 

[Strommen95]

My father is now considering buying a JL, which brings me a question of curiosity. If it's dumb, I apologize, electronics are not my strong suit but the answer could help out the OP potentially.

When I was reading on how to jumpstart the JL a few years ago, I learned to disable one of the negative cables and to my understanding, forced the Jeep to run through the main battery only. If I was to do this for my dad, or if OP was to do this potentially with electrical tape around the disabled cable end, is there any negative long term impact other than the auto-stop-start warning appearing on the dashboard? More specifically, does disabling this negative cable, prevent the auxiliary battery from causing the main battery to go bad along with it?

 

[Rhinebeck01]

My father is now considering buying a JL, which brings me a question of curiosity. If it's dumb, I apologize, electronics are not my strong suit but the answer could help out the OP potentially.

When I was reading on how to jumpstart the JL a few years ago, I learned to disable one of the negative cables and to my understanding, forced the Jeep to run through the main battery only. If I was to do this for my dad, or if OP was to do this potentially with electrical tape around the disabled cable end, is there any negative long term impact other than the auto-stop-start warning appearing on the dashboard? More specifically, does disabling this negative cable, prevent the auxiliary battery from causing the main battery to go bad along with it?

@Strommen95

The 3.6, dual battery JL, can be set-up to run with just the Main.

Takes about 5 min. if that, to do this.

Cost is about $8.00- to buy the necessary, simple, easily installed... bypass jumper wire.

You easily install the bypass jumper wire and disconnect one cable on the Neg terminal of the Main battery. That is it...

After you set-up the JL like this, limit use or not use, the vehicle's ESS feature.

Once the Aux battery is bypassed and you are running on just the Main battery ..... no good or harm can come to the Aux battery thanks to the Main and good or harm, to the Main battery, thanks to the Aux battery.

That little Aux battery just sits there doing nothing.. There is no warning/EVIC lights on the dash.... You will see no difference in the behavior of the JL..

.

.

 

[Strommen95]

@Strommen95

The 3.6, dual battery JL, can be set-up to run with just the Main.

Takes about 5 min. if that, to do this.

Cost is about $8.00- to buy the necessary, simple, easily installed... bypass jumper wire.

You easily install the bypass jumper wire and disconnect one cable on the Neg terminal of the Main battery. That is it...

After you set-up the JL like this, limit use or not use, the vehicle's ESS feature.

Once the Aux battery is bypassed and you are running on just the Main battery ..... no good or harm can come to the Aux battery thanks to the Main and good or harm, to the Main battery, thanks to the Aux battery.

That little Aux battery just sits there doing nothing.. There is no warning/EVIC lights on the dash.... You will see no difference in the behavior of the JL..

.

.

Thanks. Upon reading through the thread again, it appears my question was answered by several members, so sorry to all who already went through it. I skimmed through the posts my first time reading.

I recently replaced both batteries, so I'll be good for a while(knock on wood.) Don't really feel like doing it every 3 years though, even knowing the fender method now. Then my dad potentially too, that's even more times to go through changing the battery.

While I don't think it was particularly hard to get to the ESS battery, I would rather just remove it and not pay $110 every 3 years for a feature I don't use that only has potential to screw up my main battery. Fuses make my brain feel fuzzy in not a good way, but I'll do either the bypass method if I stop being lazy or possibly remove the aux and just deal with the warning light. My main concern is the main battery remaining in good shape and not replacing it every 3 years, I'd rather "go the distance" until it dies.

 

[Rhinebeck01]

@Strommen95
@SeventyGTX

The aim of my posts in this thread was .... just to point out the issue is very easily remedied.. a few $ and a few minutes is all it takes.. I did not mean to unleash the dogs so to speak but rather to encourage the OP to take it slow... to do his homework and not get overwhelmed by posts here..

 

[SeventyGTX]

Thanks for the responses guys. It's going to be a while before I can do much about my battery(s) issue. I found I have had Covid for the past week and a half and just feel like crap. No energy to deal with much of anything at the moment. This thing seems to just linger on and on.

 

[Strommen95]

Thanks for the responses guys. It's going to be a while before I can do much about my battery(s) issue. I found I have had Covid for the past week and a half and just feel like crap. No energy to deal with much of anything at the moment. This thing seems to just linger on and on.

You’ve had symptoms for about a week and a half? Damn. I had it around New Years, felt better after 5-6 days. Seems to hit everyone differently though.

Feel better.

 

[SeventyGTX]

You’ve had symptoms for about a week and a half? Damn. I had it around New Years, felt better after 5-6 days. Seems to hit everyone differently though.

Feel better.

Thanks. It's been lingering on and on for over 2 weeks now. The fever lasted about 3 days, but it's just been this lackluster, no energy head in a fog thing now.

 

[AzScorpion]

@Strommen95

The 3.6, dual battery JL, can be set-up to run with just the Main.

Takes about 5 min. if that, to do this.

Cost is about $8.00- to buy the necessary, simple, easily installed... bypass jumper wire.

You easily install the bypass jumper wire and disconnect one cable on the Neg terminal of the Main battery. That is it...

After you set-up the JL like this, limit use or not use, the vehicle's ESS feature.

Once the Aux battery is bypassed and you are running on just the Main battery ..... no good or harm can come to the Aux battery thanks to the Main and good or harm, to the Main battery, thanks to the Aux battery.

That little Aux battery just sits there doing nothing.. There is no warning/EVIC lights on the dash.... You will see no difference in the behavior of the JL..

.

.

@Rhinebeck01 Can this also be done with the 2.0? I'd love to be able to disconnect the aux battery all together. I cant stand the ESS and on my Ranger it's simple to bypass it. Just plug an LED nightlight into the rear 110 outlet and it has just enough draw to trick the system. The outlet goes off after 20 minutes shutting the vehicle down so no draw there.

@SeventyGTX I had it back in August and still find myself getting tired a lot. Some days I'm fine then others I have zero energy and just want to crawl back in bed. I had it for about 2 weeks but the first week just felt like a cold coming on. Then it hit me overnight and could barely get out of bed the next morning. The nausea and aches were the worst I've ever had and I have a very high pain tolerance. Hope you kick it soon!

 

[zrickety]

Thanks. It's been lingering on and on for over 2 weeks now. The fever lasted about 3 days, but it's just been this lackluster, no energy head in a fog thing now.

Eat some mandarins and get vitamin D. You'll feel better soon.
I came to this thread thinking you were adding another battery. I believe you just move the aux positive terminal to the main battery and you can delete the aux battery altogether.

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