Battery Problems - JLR reliable off road?

[BornToRunAustin]

This morning I tried to start my Jeep JLR and no response. I am just out of warranty at just over 36K miles at 16 months of ownership. After checking all the usual things then used a battery jumper cable to start and drove to the dealership. They offered to do a 3 hour test of the battery system??? The system is so complicated that it takes 3 hours for a service tech to figure out what is wrong?

The initial computer readout in the service line said it was a battery problem...it just could not indicate which battery.

I ended up buying both the large main battery and the smaller aux battery. This afternoon changed out the main battery and the Jeep is starting up ok. Now the Start/Stop system is in Battery Protection Mode and is not working. I’m also getting other error messages including the driver door open etc. I will check to make sure the fuses are seated as indicated by other threads. It appears that the things that contribute to the vehicle not starting are many and complicated. Fuses might pop out and batteries die that are less than 18 months old? After reading all the other threads about starting issues...

I am concerned that my 16 month old JLR is not reliable enough to take off road. Two days ago my daughter and I were 15 miles into the back country in Big Bend National Park. Fortunately these problems did not start then when we took a break and turned off the engine.

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[BornToRunAustin]

Follow up...checked by fuses and over half were loose and some unseated. Pushed all back in. The Start/Stop Battery Protection Mode warning is still showing. I’m not sure if that is a problem or not.

 

[FirstF80InSpace]

Mine went into battery protection mode and outside temperature warning yesterday. It had to do with the really hot weather. Regardless, I hooked it up to a trickle charger until it was 100%. Checked this morning and all the ESS error messages were gone.

 

[BornToRunAustin]

Mine went into battery protection mode and outside temperature warning yesterday. It had to do with the really hot weather. Regardless, I hooked it up to a trickle charger until it was 100%. Checked this morning and all the ESS error messages were gone.

Thanks, that is the only thing I’ve not tried. What I don’t understand is why the batteries need to have a trickle charge if the alternator is working? I drive this Jeep every day.

 

[Jebiruph]

This morning I tried to start my Jeep JLR and no response. I am just out of warranty at just over 36K miles at 16 months of ownership. After checking all the usual things then used a battery jumper cable to start and drove to the dealership. They offered to do a 3 hour test of the battery system??? The system is so complicated that it takes 3 hours for a service tech to figure out what is wrong?

The batteries have to be charged before they can be tested. Most of the 3 hours is probably for charging so the tests will be valid.

 

[FirstF80InSpace]

Thanks, that is the only thing I’ve not tried. What I don’t understand is why the batteries need to have a trickle charge if the alternator is working? I drive this Jeep every day.

Honestly, I wonder that as well. I drive the Jeep almost every day and the alternator is always working. Meaning I'm constantly seeing 14.0v to 14.1v on the EVIC. I drive about 20 mins to work a day and around 25-30 mins coming home.

When I fully charge the battery with a trickle charger, then it shows around 13.6v on the EVIC while driving. I also notice that if I fully charge the battery, and then leave it overnight, in the morning the battery voltage is around 12.2 volts. So something tells me that the Jeep naturally has some parasitic draw on the battery. Either that or the OEM batteries are pure trash.

I will be switching over to the Genesis Offroad dual battery kit with Odyssey batteries sometime this week. This should eliminate all the battery issues.

 

[BornToRunAustin]

The batteries have to be charged before they can be tested. Most of the 3 hours is probably for charging so the tests will be valid.

I might agree but after going to the dealer, I did take my JL to an auto parts store near my house.
The counter guy came out to my Jeep, hooked up a battery tester and had me crank the engine with the battery jumper attached. The voltage on starting was 123 and this cranking voltage should be 700 or so. Simple test...bad main battery. Not three hours.

This morning the ESS system is working and I did nothing but change the main battery. No trickle charge.

I will be looking into the Genesis system also. Thanks

 

[Jebiruph]

I might agree but after going to the dealer, I did take my JL to an auto parts store near my house.
The counter guy came out to my Jeep, hooked up a battery tester and had me crank the engine with the battery jumper attached. The voltage on starting was 123 and this cranking voltage should be 700 or so. Simple test...bad main battery. Not three hours.

This morning the ESS system is working and I did nothing but change the main battery. No trickle charge.

I will be looking into the Genesis system also. Thanks

I'm not sure what you mean by cranking the engine with the battery jumper attached.

Sometimes when I take a battery to be tested at the parts store, it fails the initial test and they tell me I have to leave it for 2 hours so they can charge it and retest. The 3 hours for the dealer included this charging if needed. Did the counter guy isolate and test each of the batteries and did you get a print out of the results? Just wondering what type of failure the battery had.

 

[FirstF80InSpace]

So just an update, I drove the Jeep to work this morning and no ESS errors. So at least with my case, it was definitely heat related as when I had my issue a few days ago, I did run around town most of the day and the weather was sunny, hot and humid. So I do believe that it was temperature related.

 

[tesla]

So just an update, I drove the Jeep to work this morning and no ESS errors. So at least with my case, it was definitely heat related as when I had my issue a few days ago, I did run around town most of the day and the weather was sunny, hot and humid. So I do believe that it was temperature related.

In Toronto? It was over 100 F for several days in Virginia recently (also very humid as usual) and my JLUR had no issues. It may be something else.

 

[FirstF80InSpace]

In Toronto? It was over 100 F for several days in Virginia recently (also very humid as usual) and my JLUR had no issues. It may be something else.

Yeah, it was around 45 celcius with humidity, so around 113 fahrenheit. I was also driving around most of the day. That's why I got the "stop/start not ready battery protection mode" and then the "stop/start not ready due to outside temperature".

 

[tesla]

Yeah, it was around 45 celcius with humidity, so around 113 fahrenheit. I was also driving around most of the day. That's why I got the "stop/start not ready battery protection mode" and then the "stop/start not ready due to outside temperature".

WHAT!? 113 F in Canada? I had no idea it got that hot up there. I feel sorry for your Jeep, I would've wilted in that.

 

[Tumbleweed]

whats weird is I've done a lot of hour plus long drives here in AZ where the temp are around 115 degrees (and my jeep is black) and never saw that message once.
I took a 6hr offroading trip up north where the temperature drastically dropped from 100-58 degrees within an hour due to elevation and a rain storm and the battery protection mode appeared then but havent seen it since

 

[Bubalooie]

Thanks, that is the only thing I’ve not tried. What I don’t understand is why the batteries need to have a trickle charge if the alternator is working? I drive this Jeep every day.

I've been working in West Texas with temps as high as 108 degrees without any issues, but I did have to replace my battery at 20,000 miles.

 

[FirstF80InSpace]

WHAT!? 113 F in Canada? I had no idea it got that hot up there. I feel sorry for your Jeep, I would've wilted in that.

Past week has been absolutely hell. Especially the humidity.

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