Aux Battery replacement the easy way... pull the fender flare

[Mtpockets]

-If I’m playing music while vacuuming my Jeep but the engine is not running, which battery am I sucking off of?

-I don’t want to get stuck anywhere. How do I know when it’s time to replace the Aux Battery?

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[Rock Hopper]

Well I can tell you it gets easier to replace the AUX battery from the top the second time you do it. I literally had the AUX battery in my hand in 10 mins the second time.

Can you give us any tips?

I'd rather not pull a fender just to change out a battery that I don't use. I disabled my ESS the first day I picked up my Jeep. I am still trying to figure out this two battery system and if there is a way to completely dispense of the small ESS battery.

 

[ALRUI]

Can you give us any tips?

I'd rather not pull a fender just to change out a battery that I don't use. I disabled my ESS the first day I picked up my Jeep. I am still trying to figure out this two battery system and if there is a way to completely dispense of the small ESS battery.

What method did you use to disable ESS?

 

[ALRUI]

Well I can tell you it gets easier to replace the AUX battery from the top the second time you do it. I literally had the AUX battery in my hand in 10 mins the second time.

With so many connections being disturbed the top method may be faster once dialed in but carries a lot of potential for issues. IMNSHO

 

[bigfoot21075]

What method did you use to disable ESS?

I installed a
ZAutomotive Tazer JL Mini
https://www.extremeterrain.com/zaut..._p81hEpzQyaJlMPr818aAvtAEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

On day one. GREAT product!

 

[Rhinebeck01]

Can you give us any tips?

I'd rather not pull a fender just to change out a battery that I don't use. I disabled my ESS the first day I picked up my Jeep. I am still trying to figure out this two battery system and if there is a way to completely dispense of the small ESS battery.

Actually, your ESS is not disabled.. Sure, you may have purchased an adjunct which in essence does the ESS button push for you..

As for whether to access the Aux battery by pulling the PDC... Sure you can do that but all you are doing is asking for problems doing it that way..

Most you can damage peeling back a fender liner or pulling a flare is some plastic rivets or clips.
Pulling the PDC ... if things go just a little a muck, it can costs you hundreds.. FCA tells techs to peel back fender liner and for valid reasons.

 

[Rhinebeck01]

I installed a
ZAutomotive Tazer JL Mini
https://www.extremeterrain.com/zautomotive-jeep-wrangler-tazer-jl-programmer-tazerjl.html?utm_content=XTEngineandPerformance-Tuners|ZAutomotive&T5_Var4=J130904-JL&intl=0&utm_campaign=XTW+Wrangler+Brands+&+Vehicle+Low+RLSA&dialogtech=ppc&utm_source=google-pla&utm_medium=shopping&T5_Var2=shopping&gclid=Cj0KCQiA6t6ABhDMARIsAONIYywEEgI2yUtu_6bsBcO8dcKYSyy1CXaSUPeA_p81hEpzQyaJlMPr818aAvtAEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

On day one. GREAT product!

Not sure why this ad for Tazer JL Mini and the vendor selling it would b e posted in this thread...
Has nothing to do with the removal of Aux..

 

[bigfoot21075]

Not sure why this ad for Tazer JL Mini and the vendor selling it would b e posted in this thread...
Has nothing to do with the removal of Aux..

I put that link in. The question was how to disable ESS. Tazer Mini stores your last selection of ESS on or off and maintains that until you hit the button again. It effectively disable my ESS without me having to push the button every time.

 

[mgroeger]

-If I’m playing music while vacuuming my Jeep but the engine is not running, which battery am I sucking off of?

-I don’t want to get stuck anywhere. How do I know when it’s time to replace the Aux Battery?

The main purpose of the Aux battery is for the auto start stop feature. You will know when it's time to replace it when you're auto start stop throws an error to the dash and a warning light. Take heed to that warning and go have the batteries checked because it WILL leave you stranded eventually. The most people are getting out of these batteries is about 3 years and often times when either one starts to fail the other battery isn't far behind.

If you are specifically vacuuming your Jeep with the radio running the radio will be using the main battery. Now if, as an example, you are camping and playing music it might use both. Or if you are waxing the Jeep and playing music it will only be the aux battery. I'm glad you were so specific that you were vacuuming while playing music because that will determine which battery is being used.
Wow, I think I just used up a week's worth of smart assery in that one reply

 

[bigfoot21075]

The main purpose of the Aux battery is for the auto start stop feature. You will know when it's time to replace it when you're auto start stop throws an error to the dash and a warning light. Take heed to that warning and go have the batteries checked because it WILL leave you stranded eventually. The most people are getting out of these batteries is about 3 years and often times when either one starts to fail the other battery isn't far behind.

If you are specifically vacuuming your Jeep with the radio running the radio will be using the main battery. Now if, as an example, you are camping and playing music it might use both. Or if you are waxing the Jeep and playing music it will only be the aux battery. I'm glad you were so specific that you were vacuuming while playing music because that will determine which battery is being used.
Wow, I think I just used up a week's worth of smart assery in that one reply

What is your thought on WHY these batteries have such a short lifespan? Does never using the auto stop start feature extend the battery life at all?

 

[mgroeger]

Can you give us any tips?

I'd rather not pull a fender just to change out a battery that I don't use. I disabled my ESS the first day I picked up my Jeep. I am still trying to figure out this two battery system and if there is a way to completely dispense of the small ESS battery.

Disconnect and remove the main battery.
Pop the fuse cover.
Unscrew the three (maybe 4) bolts running down the middle.
Using a large screw driver GENTLY prior around the edges of the box where the tabs are holding the fuse bank top to the bottom of the box.
Once you pop that top up reach inside and gently wiggle the large plugs off the back of the fuse block.

It's pretty straight forward and a heck of a lot easier IMO then ripping the fender off and the HIGH probability you will bust fender clips.

There is a video I think on YouTube that will help. Once the plugs are off the back it's a matter of getting everything out of your way via popping a clip or two here and there and pushing things around. Then voila you have access to the bolts to remove the cover of the ess battery.

The next time the batteries go I will seriously be considering removing them and doing the jumper bypass which is gone over in great detail on this forum.

 

[mgroeger]

With so many connections being disturbed the top method may be faster once dialed in but carries a lot of potential for issues. IMNSHO

Agreed. I've done it twice with no problems though. To each his own.

 

[TBULL52]

What is your thought on WHY these batteries have such a short lifespan? Does never using the auto stop start feature extend the battery life at all?

I don't know why they have a short life span but I can tell you that I have had the Auto Start/Stop on my 2018 JLUR "turned off" by using the JLTazer shortly after I bought my Jeep 3 yrs ago and my aux battery just went bad. It started with the dash warning the start/stop and Aux switches were temporarily unavailabe, a few days later my jeep wouldn't start but was able to be easily jump started. I replaced the aux battery and things have been fine for the last few days.

 

[Rhinebeck01]

Agreed. I've done it twice with no problems though. To each his own.

@mgroeger

For guys say like you and other's that are familiar with fooling with the PDC, etc., the risk is less but for most forum guys... (Novices) they can get into real trouble pulling the PDC. My posts are aimed at the average Joe, here.... but again, even a knowledgeable Tech can screw up... have issues when they pull a PDC.

 

[mgroeger]

What is your thought on WHY these batteries have such a short lifespan? Does never using the auto stop start feature extend the battery life at all?

After talking with some local mechanics and others the general consensus is batteries in general don't last as long as they used to. The days of my youth where you could pull 5 - 7 years out of a battery are gone. 3 - 4 is the tops from what I'm told and I would agree based on recent experience with multiple vehicles.

Using or not using the ess battery seems to have no effect on life since we had it disabled in my wife's Jeep. Both her batteries went out after 2.5 years and around 65k miles, so she got the mileage out of them but not the years.
My ess battery on my Jeep went out after 2.5 year and only 40k miles. I went to O'Rielly auto and bought one and it was absolutely identical to the Mopar except with a diff sticker on it. They said there are only but a certain amount of manufacturers making the batteries so you will see the same one with diff stickers.
Since we are literally driving a computer I didn't feel like dicking around with removing the ess battery this go around. I choked up the $100 for the new battery and went on my merry way.

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