Electrical nightmares

[KCwrangler]

So I'm going to post a video here in a minute, but I am the newest member of the electrical nightmare club. At this point I just want to pick up another JK and call it a day.

So since the jeep was brand new every random start (between 15-30 ignition cycles) the radio would turn off 2-3 minutes into driving. It would come back on sometimes within 20 seconds, sometimes it would take the vehicle being shut off for it to turn back on. Sometimes the radio would come back on and then it would act as if someone were pushing random places all over the screen - changing between aux, xm, volume up - volume down. I called the dealership a couple of times and they gave me the typical "it needs to happen for us" response. I finally scheduled an appointment hoping that it would happen for them...never did of course, but they said they "reprogrammed the radio with the newest data" and sent me on my way. That was Monday 8/13.

Fast forward to 8/26 i hop in the Jeep (inside my garage) to run and pick up some lunch and the Jeep did all kinds of crazy stuff. The dash lights were flickering, the windshield wipers were engaging at random, service power steering, vehicle not in park, even the shifter lights were flashing yellow and white. The Jeep was stuck in the run position and pressing the start button didn't change a thing. The gauges were jumping around, the battery was still fully charged at this point. i couldn't move the jeep or do anything, couldn't get it to stop flickering and acting crazy so i just let it ride...took my wife's car to grab lunch and when I got back it was still doing the same thing.

I disconnected the battery and charged it back up, as soon as I reconnected the battery it started doing the same thing. i will call the dealership in the morning and they'll have to tow it. What a pain, seriously. At what point do i start researching lemon laws in Kansas? I only have one officially documented electrical issue on the books, now two...but who knows how many more are to come.

edit:

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[Jeepsterfreak]

So I'm going to post a video here in a minute, but I am the newest member of the electrical nightmare club. At this point I just want to pick up another JK and call it a day.

So since the jeep was brand new every random start (between 15-30 ignition cycles) the radio would turn off 2-3 minutes into driving. It would come back on sometimes within 20 seconds, sometimes it would take the vehicle being shut off for it to turn back on. Sometimes the radio would come back on and then it would act as if someone were pushing random places all over the screen - changing between aux, xm, volume up - volume down. I called the dealership a couple of times and they gave me the typical "it needs to happen for us" response. I finally scheduled an appointment hoping that it would happen for them...never did of course, but they said they "reprogrammed the radio with the newest data" and sent me on my way. That was Monday 8/13.

Fast forward to 8/26 i hop in the Jeep (inside my garage) to run and pick up some lunch and the Jeep did all kinds of crazy stuff. The dash lights were flickering, the windshield wipers were engaging at random, service power steering, vehicle not in park, even the shifter lights were flashing yellow and white. The Jeep was stuck in the run position and pressing the start button didn't change a thing. The gauges were jumping around, the battery was still fully charged at this point. i couldn't move the jeep or do anything, couldn't get it to stop flickering and acting crazy so i just let it ride...took my wife's car to grab lunch and when I got back it was still doing the same thing.

I disconnected the battery and charged it back up, as soon as I reconnected the battery it started doing the same thing. i will call the dealership in the morning and they'll have to tow it. What a pain, seriously. At what point do i start researching lemon laws in Kansas? I only have one officially documented electrical issue on the books, now two...but who knows how many more are to come.

edit:

Similar events have been reported on the forum. I think the aux battery was at fault.

Do you have V6 or 2.0?

 

[KCwrangler]

Similar events have been reported on the forum. I think the aux battery was at fault.

Do you have V6 or 2.0?

I’ve got a v6, no tow package/aux switches/bigger battery/etc

I searched and couldn’t find any threads with this situation, just no starts and vehicle dying at stoplights and not coming back on...

 

[Glamisfan]

Have you checked the fuses and relays to make sure they are fully pushed in?

 

[Jeepsk8]

It's probably the large fuse in the PDU where all the larger wires and cables connect, has the metal posts on it. One of those is for the ESS battery and if that opens then weird stuff happens.

 

[KCwrangler]

Double, triple checked...not a single loose fuse on the Jeep

 

[Jo's Jeep]

Double, triple checked...not a single loose fuse on the Jeep

Have you checked this? Sometimes it gets overlooked because it does not look like a normal fuse.

 

[Rhinebeck01]

@Jo's Jeep

How about you tell him how to check what you suggest he check. I look forward to seeing your instructions on this.

 

[Jeepsk8]

Have you checked this? Sometimes it gets overlooked because it does not look like a normal fuse.

That's the one I was talking about.

 

[Jo's Jeep]

That's the one I was talking about.

I know, I just thought the video would help.

 

[Jo's Jeep]

@Jo's Jeep

How about you tell him how to check what you suggest he check. I look forward to seeing your instructions on this.

Not sure what you are saying, the video is pretty self explanatory. Basically you need to check that the clips are not touching and that they are indexed correctly. Most people stop at the top of the ECM (fuses/relays) and never check the High current bus.

 

[KCwrangler]

I didn’t realize that was a fuse, I checked all those nuts to ensure they were seated and they were but I didn’t pull it out and look at it. It’s at the dealer now, we’ll see what they say. Been there all day and they don’t have it inside yet...good times.

I added rough country windshield pod lights, but that was 3 months ago when the Jeep was brand new...haven’t done anything electrical to it since. It ran fine pulling back into my garage and then the next morning it acts up...

 

[JeepCares]

So I'm going to post a video here in a minute, but I am the newest member of the electrical nightmare club. At this point I just want to pick up another JK and call it a day.

So since the jeep was brand new every random start (between 15-30 ignition cycles) the radio would turn off 2-3 minutes into driving. It would come back on sometimes within 20 seconds, sometimes it would take the vehicle being shut off for it to turn back on. Sometimes the radio would come back on and then it would act as if someone were pushing random places all over the screen - changing between aux, xm, volume up - volume down. I called the dealership a couple of times and they gave me the typical "it needs to happen for us" response. I finally scheduled an appointment hoping that it would happen for them...never did of course, but they said they "reprogrammed the radio with the newest data" and sent me on my way. That was Monday 8/13.

Fast forward to 8/26 i hop in the Jeep (inside my garage) to run and pick up some lunch and the Jeep did all kinds of crazy stuff. The dash lights were flickering, the windshield wipers were engaging at random, service power steering, vehicle not in park, even the shifter lights were flashing yellow and white. The Jeep was stuck in the run position and pressing the start button didn't change a thing. The gauges were jumping around, the battery was still fully charged at this point. i couldn't move the jeep or do anything, couldn't get it to stop flickering and acting crazy so i just let it ride...took my wife's car to grab lunch and when I got back it was still doing the same thing.

I disconnected the battery and charged it back up, as soon as I reconnected the battery it started doing the same thing. i will call the dealership in the morning and they'll have to tow it. What a pain, seriously. At what point do i start researching lemon laws in Kansas? I only have one officially documented electrical issue on the books, now two...but who knows how many more are to come.

edit:

I am really sorry to learn you're having such a tough time with your new Wrangler. Did you connect with your dealer? Send me a direct message with your VIN as I want to help in the best way possible.

Jasmine
Jeep Social Care Specialist

 

[KCwrangler]

@JeepCares been at the dealer since 9a yesterday, called at 4:45pm when I hadn't heard from them...they said "i think you're next in line, maybe call back later" and haven't heard from them since...

 

[KCwrangler]

Was just advised that they charged my battery, and it "tested okay, and the issue with the lights on the dash was probably due to low voltage" and then went on to explain to me that they tested it after charging...and it tested good, but it is rated at 660CCA and it is showing 1200+CCA on the tester. They want to leave it overnight and re test it again tomorrow...

My issue with this is that the battery wasn't low when I first got in the Jeep and it wouldn't start/dash going nuts. I checked it on my charger right away...and then I let the battery go completely dead, re-charged it and had the same exact problem. I don't have a bogus charger either, its a decent one. Hindsight I should have just disconnected the battery for 30-45 minutes while I charged the battery instead of letting it go completely dead.

2nd why/how would my battery be that low to start to begin with. I drove the Jeep on at least a 5 mile trip Saturday mid-day, then it sat until Sunday mid-day...thats a pretty serious draw, to have something kill the battery entirely when I've never had an issue before. Not only that, don't these jeeps have the 15 minute auto off feature if something (interior lights, etc) is left on?

I also tried to re-charge the battery the next morning and start the jeep, with the same outcome as the day before.

I feel like this is a kick the can down the road situation that is going to pop up again and again, but then again maybe I'm just being a pessimist about my brand new vehicle that's been in the shop multiple times in the first 3 months of ownership.

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