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"Aux switches temporarily unavailable while battery charging"

lookitsadam

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I went to start up my 2018 JLU Sport S the other day and got a message on the dash that said "Aux switches temporarily unavailable while battery charging". I only have 2 things connected to my Aux switches and neither were on, so I thought it was weird.

I flipped through the vehicle info pages to check the battery voltage and it was reading just above 14, right where it should be. Even weirder.

Drove around all day doing my errands and each time I started the Jeep I got the same aux switch unavailable message. Then I didn't drive my Jeep all weekend and when I went to start it Monday after having it sit since Friday I push the start button and nothing happens, just like what you'd expect with a dead battery. I waited a few seconds, tried again, and it fired right up. Same aux switch message appears, but the battery voltage still says 14.

Anybody have this happen before or know what might be going on?
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Jebiruph

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Which engine? If it's the 3.6, then I think the battery charging message is based off of the battery sensor data. Check your ground cables at the negative battery terminal and make sure they are tight. It may be that your main battery is bad. 14 volts is the alternator output, not the batteries. See what it reads when it is off, but even that is the combined battery voltage.
 

Suffolklou

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You may have a battery going bad. I recently got that message because I left my fridge plugged in for about 18 hours. The Jeep still started but the Aux switches didn't work for a few minutes.

If you drove it for long periods of time, it should have charged both batteries. you should check the voltage of both batteries. It doesn't charge the little one until after the big one is charged.
 
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lookitsadam

lookitsadam

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You may have a battery going bad. I recently got that message because I left my fridge plugged in for about 18 hours. The Jeep still started but the Aux switches didn't work for a few minutes.

If you drove it for long periods of time, it should have charged both batteries. you should check the voltage of both batteries. It doesn't charge the little one until after the big one is charged.
How do I check the voltage of both the main and aux battery? There's only 1 option to check voltage on the dash.
 

Rhinebeck01

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How do I check the voltage of both the main and aux battery? There's only 1 option to check voltage on the dash.
@lookitsadam

The same scenario comes up here pretty frequently.. Forum search and you will find plenty of JL owner's that have experienced similar.. There are lts of thread that will get you up to speed so to speak in regard to the JL's batteries..

Suggest you get a Battery Tender attached to that JL, as soon as you can.

Attach the cables of the tender to the Main batteries Pos and Neg. terminals. Do this and both batteries will get charged.

Give your JL a few hours until the tender indicates charged. Remove the tender and get back to regular activities.

Sure, you may have a bad/iffy Main battery of quite possibly your USE of the JL routine saw the battery(s) deplete and thus your Aux switch message and the issue when you tried to start it.

Assess your use routine. Is the JL, sitting unused most of the time or lots of the time. Are you doing frequent stop starts and little driving time. Do you leave the fob in the JL, 24/7.... and on and on..

Very good chance your issue will be no more after you charge with a tender. Of course, if it does not, then bother to look further / take to Service Dept.

For the record, I had the Aux disable scenario early on with my JL. Turned out my Tazer JL had caused the batteries to become partially depleted.. Got it on a battery tender and I also, corrected the issue with the Tazer and that Aux disabled issue was history..
 

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Suffolklou

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This guy talks about both batteries. They are tied together (by the Jeep) when they are fully charged.

You have to disconnect things to read them individually with a Volt Meter.
 

Suffolklou

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@lookitsadam

The same scenario comes up here pretty frequently.. Forum search and you will find plenty of JL owner's that have experienced similar.. There are lts of thread that will get you up to speed so to speak in regard to the JL's batteries..

Suggest you get a Battery Tender attached to that JL, as soon as you can.

Attach the cables of the tender to the Main batteries Pos and Neg. terminals. Do this and both batteries will get charged.

Give your JL a few hours until the tender indicates charged. Remove the tender and get back to regular activities.

Sure, you may have a bad/iffy Main battery of quite possibly your USE of the JL routine saw the battery(s) deplete and thus your Aux switch message and the issue when you tried to start it.

Assess your use routine. Is the JL, sitting unused most of the time or lots of the time. Are you doing frequent stop starts and little driving time. Do you leave the fob in the JL, 24/7.... and on and on..

Very good chance your issue will be no more after you charge with a tender. Of course, if it does not, then bother to look further / take to Service Dept.

For the record, I had the Aux disable scenario early on with my JL. Turned out my Tazer JL had caused the batteries to become partially depleted.. Got it on a battery tender and I also, corrected the issue with the Tazer and that Aux disabled issue was history..
How did your Tazer keep it from charging?
 
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lookitsadam

lookitsadam

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@lookitsadam

The same scenario comes up here pretty frequently.. Forum search and you will find plenty of JL owner's that have experienced similar.. There are lts of thread that will get you up to speed so to speak in regard to the JL's batteries..

Suggest you get a Battery Tender attached to that JL, as soon as you can.

Attach the cables of the tender to the Main batteries Pos and Neg. terminals. Do this and both batteries will get charged.

Give your JL a few hours until the tender indicates charged. Remove the tender and get back to regular activities.

Sure, you may have a bad/iffy Main battery of quite possibly your USE of the JL routine saw the battery(s) deplete and thus your Aux switch message and the issue when you tried to start it.

Assess your use routine. Is the JL, sitting unused most of the time or lots of the time. Are you doing frequent stop starts and little driving time. Do you leave the fob in the JL, 24/7.... and on and on..

Very good chance your issue will be no more after you charge with a tender. Of course, if it does not, then bother to look further / take to Service Dept.

For the record, I had the Aux disable scenario early on with my JL. Turned out my Tazer JL had caused the batteries to become partially depleted.. Got it on a battery tender and I also, corrected the issue with the Tazer and that Aux disabled issue was history..
Thanks! The only thing I've done different recently is I used the 12v outlet on the dash to test out a friend's dash cam, which has since been unplugged. That outlet is only on when the Jeep is on though, so I wouldn't expect it to drain the battery?

I live in a city, so I can regularly go 5-7 days without needing to drive my Jeep and have never had any issues with the battery depleting over that time before.
 

Rhinebeck01

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How did your Tazer keep it from charging?
Huh?

The issue I had with the Tazer JL was that the firmware on it was not up to snuff lets say. Tazer JL had just been released (March 2018) and Joe at ZAutomotive was in the process o trying to figure all out lets say.

So, Tazer with initial firmware caused battery depletion in certain scenarios. New firmware fixed that so Tazer JL is less apt to cause battery draw that would leave you in a lurch.
 

Rhinebeck01

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Thanks! The only thing I've done different recently is I used the 12v outlet on the dash to test out a friend's dash cam, which has since been unplugged. That outlet is only on when the Jeep is on though, so I wouldn't expect it to drain the battery?

I live in a city, so I can regularly go 5-7 days without needing to drive my Jeep and have never had any issues with the battery depleting over that time before.
@lookitsadam

12v cigarette lighter on the JL, is ignition switched so that cam was not the issue..... unless you were fooling with the cam alot with the ignition on the ACC or ON position and engine not runnig lets say.

Probably this Aux disabled evic notice, is due to your use routine.

Maybe with Covid 19 you are using, driving the JL less or more frequent short trips and multiple stop starts and that is ywhy ou are now seeing an issue and in the past did not.

IF you can consider using a Battery Tender when the JL sits for days and days..

Of course you could have a problematic/bad battery(s) but time will tell. Better chance it is just a use related issue.

By the way, your 2018 manual did not state but the 2019 and 2020 manual dies state/warn lets say, that letting the JL sit more then I think it was 17 days is a big no no. FCA knows that as the JL sits, parasitic draw is depleting the battery, 24/7. FCA recommends both batteris be connected if vehicle is to sit for x number of days..
 

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Suffolklou

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Yep, sitting or short trips will kill the little battery. The big one charges first.

My Wife's 2016 Grand Cherokee has the ESS and two batteries. She only drives about 5 miles to work each way. The ESS didn't work for the longest time, I had to take it on a road trip before the alternator charged it enough to work.

I second the battery tender...
 

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Also having the same issue now (as of a month ago). But my drives are at least 40 minutes every time, nearly every day (longest it has sat is 36 hours in the past 9 months). I do have a pedal commander, but other than it's stock from an electronics standpoint. I'll throw my Porsche tender on it and see what happens, but wondering if after ~18 months the battery is shot. Wouldn't surprise me here in AZ.

Also battery voltage was at 13.8-14.2 or so immediately after starting the jeep but still got the message. Weird.

I have the 2.0 ('19) with the mild hybrid system btw.
 

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I went to start up my 2018 JLU Sport S the other day and got a message on the dash that said "Aux switches temporarily unavailable while battery charging". I only have 2 things connected to my Aux switches and neither were on, so I thought it was weird.

I flipped through the vehicle info pages to check the battery voltage and it was reading just above 14, right where it should be. Even weirder.

Drove around all day doing my errands and each time I started the Jeep I got the same aux switch unavailable message. Then I didn't drive my Jeep all weekend and when I went to start it Monday after having it sit since Friday I push the start button and nothing happens, just like what you'd expect with a dead battery. I waited a few seconds, tried again, and it fired right up. Same aux switch message appears, but the battery voltage still says 14.

Anybody have this happen before or know what might be going on?
Stated succinctly Adam if not also repeated from above, the 14 volts is not only what your alternator is putting out, not battery voltage, but this relatively high amount may, paradoxically, be indicative of battery problems, not battery health. Good luck. :)
 

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I’m in AZ too and just got this message today. Drove 40 miles on Saturday and shorter trips since then and getting the same message.
I think it’s the battery(s). I’ll drive a longer ride and see if it’ll work first. Hate going to the dealer!
 

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I’m in AZ too and just got this message today. Drove 40 miles on Saturday and shorter trips since then and getting the same message.
I think it’s the battery(s). I’ll drive a longer ride and see if it’ll work first. Hate going to the dealer!
My dealer said he's been seeing 2-3x of these a day the past month. Might be the heat... tends to kill batteries and tires out here.
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