Battery dead - 21 JLU

[dmen]

Hi all, we have a 21 Willys - put the soft top on yesterday and when I was done the battery was too dead to start the engine. Wife thought I left the ignition on or something. I thought maybe but it only took an hour, so I thought it odd. We jumped it to start it and then drove it around for a while. Well, this morning I started it up so I could pull it out of the garage and put the windows on, and it started but I could tell the battery was weak. When I went to start it when I was finished, to go to the store, it wouldn't start. I put a battery charger on it for... 12A fast charge. And after about 20 min it said full charge but the meter was bouncing from full to empty and back... Maybe that's normal? I rarely use a charger. Never on the Jeep before.
Battery voltage was at 11.7V last night before I jumped it, and dash said 13.6V while driving around so I assume it was charging. Didn't check it this am yet.
Bad battery? How to tell?

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[Rhinebeck01]

Hi all, we have a 21 Willys - put the soft top on yesterday and when I was done the battery was too dead to start the engine. Wife thought I left the ignition on or something. I thought maybe but it only took an hour, so I thought it odd. We jumped it to start it and then drove it around for a while. Well, this morning I started it up so I could pull it out of the garage and put the windows on, and it started but I could tell the battery was weak. When I went to start it when I was finished, to go to the store, it wouldn't start. I put a battery charger on it for... 12A fast charge. And after about 20 min it said full charge but the meter was bouncing from full to empty and back... Maybe that's normal? I rarely use a charger. Never on the Jeep before.
Battery voltage was at 11.7V last night before I jumped it, and dash said 13.6V while driving around so I assume it was charging. Didn't check it this am yet.
Bad battery? How to tell?

Do you have a Main and Aux battery or is your JL, an etorque JL?

Is your JL still covered warranty?

 

[jludave]

Bad battery?

Most likely. The OEM batteries in the JL are crap. At most, people get 3 years out of them if that.

Don't second guess it. Change the battery and the aux battery too if you have one.

And, as @Rhinebeck01 suggests above, you might have your battery/batteries covered if you are still in your warranty period.

 

[dmen]

Do you have a Main and Aux battery or is your JL, an etorque JL?

Is your JL still covered warranty?

We have the main and aux. We do have a "SmartStopStart" to bypass the ESS so I don't think the aux gets used too much but I also don't really know how the battery system works. I believe we are still under warranty, will have to check.

 

[Rhinebeck01]

We have the main and aux. We do have a "SmartStopStart" to bypass the ESS so I don't think the aux gets used too much but I also don't really know how the battery system works. I believe we are still under warranty, will have to check.

Common misconception is that if you keep ESS feature off/do not use ESS thanks to a button push or a SmartStopStart unit or a Tazer JL, etc., that in essence does the button push for you, that the Aux battery is not used so will remain healthy, etc..

Reality is the Aux battery is in constant play regardless as it is always hooked up in parallel with the Main. With that said if the Main battery goes bad the Aux battery is negatively impacted and vice versa..


----------
IF under warranty, have dealer eval.
At a dealership for a battery(s) thing, it is wise to ask to talk to the Service Manager... again talk to the Service Manager and not the Service Writer.

Politely ask that he/she have the Tech, load test each of your batteries and to provide you with a printout of each of the 2 load tests.

IF either battery fails the load test, then indeed you have an iffy battery or iffy 2 batteries and you can get the dealer to replace under warranty.

The load testing takes a couple of hrs. of shop time, so very often they will not do proper load testing, but say they did or not even mention load testing to you.

IF you do not see the load tests printouts you cannot be sure they actually did do load testing..

 

[jludave]

I believe we are still under warranty, will have to check.

You have a '21 so you're good on that, as you're under 3 years. If you're over 36,000 miles, then you are technically out of warranty and will need to see what your dealership can do for you.

 

[dmen]

Most likely. The OEM batteries in the JL are crap. At most, people get 3 years out of them if that.

Don't second guess it. Change the battery and the aux battery too if you have one.

And, as @Rhinebeck01 suggests above, you might have your battery/batteries covered if you are still in your warranty period.

Dang! Had no idea the OEM batteries are garbage. We're right at 32K miles, so I think they would be covered but I guess will have to call the dealer.

 

[dmen]

Common misconception is that if you keep ESS feature off/do not use ESS thanks to a button push or a SmartStopStart unit that in essence does the button push for you, thatthe Aux battery is not used so will remain healthy, etc..

Reality is the Aux battery is in constant play regardless as it is always hooked up in parallel with the Main. With that said if the Main battery goes bad the Aux battery is negatively impacted and vice versa..


----------
IF under warranty, have dealer eval.
At a dealership for a battery(s) thing, it is wise to ask to talk to the Service Manager... again talk to the Service Manager and not the Service Writer.

Politely ask that he/she have the Tech, load test each of your batteries and to provide you with a printout of each of the 2 load tests.

IF either battery fails the load test, then indeed you have an iffy battery or iffy 2 batteries and you can get the dealer to replace under warranty.

The load testing takes a couple of hrs. of shop time, so very often they will not do proper load testing, but say they did or not even mention load testing to you.

IF you do not see the load tests printouts you cannot be sure they actually did do load testing..

Thanks much for the info, really appreciate it!

 

[garyji]

From 11.7 to full charge in less than hour means the battery is toast. It will show all good , but it is not. Time to change em.

G.

 

[dmen]

You have a '21 so you're good on that, as you're under 3 years. If you're over 36,000 miles, then you are technically out of warranty and will need to see what your dealership can do for you.

We're right at 32K so we should be good. Going to have to get the dealer to load test as @Rhinebeck01 said. Thank you.

 

[dmen]

From 11.7 to full charge in less than hour means the battery is toast. It will show all good , but it is not. Time to change em.

G.

Thanks, that's kind of what I though.

 

[Rhinebeck01]

We're right at 32K so we should be good. Going to have to get the dealer to load test as @Rhinebeck01 said. Thank you.

Were you not under warranty, I would have said, just replace both batteries yourself as they are aged out. Don't waste time load testing just replace them. You also have the option of just replacing the Main battery and bypassing the Aux battery.

Since you are under warranty, I mentioned the part about load testing and talking to the Service Manager, etc.... Reason being they won't replace either battery unless they load test.

A battery has to fail load testing or they will not replace under warranty.

Problem is some dealers will say load test just one of the two batteries.

They replace that one battery and you go home with the JL. Since the 2 batteries are hooked up in parallel that new battery the dealer installed gets negatively impacted by the other remaining bad battery..... and result is you end up again, with a no start situation, etc. , a few days later..

You want both load tested by the dealer on the same day.. IF you do not ask for copies of both load tests big big chance they will not load test at all, load test only one .... and you pay the price with time and $ down the road.

.

 

[dmen]

Most likely. The OEM batteries in the JL are crap. At most, people get 3 years out of them if that.

Don't second guess it. Change the battery and the aux battery too if you have one.

And, as @Rhinebeck01 suggests above, you might have your battery/batteries covered if you are still in your warranty period.

Thank you

 

[dmen]

Were you not under warranty, I would have said, just replace both batteries as they are aged out.
Don't waste time load testing just replace them.

Since you are under warranty, I mentioned the part about load testing and talking to the Service Manager, etc.... Reason being they won't replace either battery unless they load test.

A battery has to fail load testing or they will not replace under warranty.

Problem is some dealers will say load test just one of the two batteries.

They replace that one battery and you go home with the JL. Since the 2 batteries are hooked up in parallel that new battery the dealer installed gets negatively impacted by the other remaining bad battery..... and result is you end up again, with a no start situation, etc. , a few days later..

You want both load tested by the dealer on the same day.. IF you do not ask for copies of both load tests big big chance they will not load test at all, load test only one .... and you pay the price with time and $ down the road.

.

Thanks much for the advice, I will definitely get copies of the tests.

 

[Rhinebeck01]

Thanks much for the advice, I will definitely get copies of the tests.

You will find as I mentioned that talking to the Service Manager is best.. Ask to speak to him/her..

Right off compliment his/her Service Dept. .... and tell him the locals you know speak highly of him or her and their Sservice Dept...

Yup, you "swooze' him. NOW, tell him you are concerned and please do provide you with copies of the load tests... 2 load tests as the Tech will get results for each.

Often/ usually, I ask to speak to the Tech that is going to touch my vehicle. I either tip him right then or mention I will be tipping him. I mention politely my wants and concerns.. Communication communication and setting expectations is best...

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