ESS Reality Check

[RussJeep1]

it would be nice if someone could come up with a relocation kit for the ESS battery. Most people issue with it seems to be it's location and difficulty in replacement in an stranded situation.

It is in a hard to get to spot. If stranded @Jebiruph's aforementioned hack, I think, is our best play until we can get home or to service center.

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[WranglerMan]

It is in a hard to get to spot. If stranded @Jebiruph's aforementioned hack, I think, is our best play until we can get home or to service center.

I have my @Jebiruph ESS bypass in my glove box with some wing nuts and also have the ESS negative attached with a wing nut for easy removal

 

[Bravo]

I drive 40 miles home on the highway after my jeeps sits for 24 hrs at work in the parking lot... my first red light after getting off the highway my ESS usually doesn’t activate cuz of battery charging in the display... 2nd light 1/2 mile down the road it works fine...

 

[WranglerMan]

I drive 40 miles home on the highway after my jeeps sits for 24 hrs at work in the parking lot... my first red light after getting off the highway my ESS usually doesn’t activate cuz of battery charging in the display... 2nd light 1/2 mile down the road it works fine...

Your battery should not be that low to keep ESS from working correctly after sitting for 24 hrs, my Jeep has sat for 2 days and I just checked voltages and the metered voltage off the main is 12.56 and 12.66 is a fully charged battery.

When it’s been sitting for several days the only thing that should keep it from kicking in under normal operation is engine temp or if the cabin is heating or cooling, if you are seeing a message in screen #6 which is the ESS message window that says battery charging I would have the batteries checked, the reason I say this is mine always said battery charging and after checking the main battery was found to be bad.

 

[GreyFox]

Your battery should not be that low to keep ESS from working correctly after sitting for 24 hrs, my Jeep has sat for 2 days and I just checked voltsges and the metered voltsgr off the main is 12.56 and 12.66 is a fully charged battery.

When it’s been sitting for several days the only thing that should keep it from kicking in under normal operation is engine temp to if the cabin is heating or cooling, if you are seeing a message in screen #6 which is the ESS message window that says battery charging I would have the batteries checked, the reason I say this is mine always said battery charging and after checking the main battery was found to be bad.

Mine has not been started for the past week due to me not wanting to get out in crappy weather, so it's been in the garage. I went out today and started it for a few minutes and the only issue I saw playing with the system screens was that the ESS wasn't ready because of the engine temp.

I did have it disengage itself (with the A encircled and a line thru it) last week when I hit the brake,gas,break in quick succession. I thought a deer was going to exercise his pedestrian right away. But today there were no messages other than engine temp.

 

[RussJeep1]

Mine has not been started for the past week due to me not wanting to get out in crappy weather, so it's been in the garage. I went out today and started it for a few minutes and the only issue I saw playing with the system screens was that the ESS wasn't ready because of the engine temp.

I did have it disengage itself (with the A encircled and a line thru it) last week when I hit the brake,gas,break in quick succession. I thought a deer was going to exercise his pedestrian right away. But today there were no messages other than engine temp.

Thanks for your thoughts Brandy. I don't know if the system displays multiple reasons why it won't engage, so maybe you had no voltage issue, or maybe that voltage issue would have appeared on your screens only after adequate engine temp had been reached and said temperature no longer became a reason for it not to engage.

I hope not though, of course! Thanks for your time.

I love animals, but it is a shame that the law doesn't permit us to litigate deer. Maybe if the courts require the flying ones to take us around in their sled against their will when they step in front of our rigs they'll think twice about this irresponsible behavior!

 

[TroyBoy]

So after your dash cam drains your batteries down to 12.4, which is 25% drained, there is still a parasitic draw that is happening so it could even be a bit lower than 12.4

That may explain why it takes 15 minutes before your ESS starts working again. If your ESS never works then I would say it is time to get a battery load test done at the dealership. That's what happened to mine and both batteries had to be replaced.

FYI, there are external batteries that you can buy just for dash cams. Here is the one I just installed:
https://www.blackvue.com/product/power-magic-ultra-battery-b-124/

 

[Uhdinator]

My ESS has never activated since its been cold weather. With the heater and everything going i believe it will not activate.

 

[DaltonGang]

Personally, i would like to see an ESS Delete Kit. I dont need some tree hugging gizmo shutting my engine off, to save a couple of pennies, in the short run, and costing me hundreds in the future, when it craps out. And it will Crap out. Its just a matter of time.

 

[WranglerMan]

I have always wondered how low a battery can get down to while sitting and still have enough juice to crank the motor, we know that a fully charged battery is 12.66 at rest but it seems all these newer vehicles have some type of parasitic draw even when there is nothing abnormal and voltage drops while it sits but how long can it stay parked before if fails to crank

 

[GreyFox]

Personally, i would like to see an ESS Delete Kit. I dont need some tree hugging gizmo shutting my engine off, to save a couple of pennies, in the short run, and costing me hundreds in the future, when it craps out. And it will Crap out. Its just a matter of time.

You would not believe the "WTF" looks I get at stop signs/lights when my ESS kicks in.

 

[GreyFox]

I've also noticed that if I hold the brake just enough to keep the Jeep stopped, the ESS does not engage. It feels like maybe half way down to me. But once I put full pressure on the brake the ESS does engage. Just my observation.

 

[Biscuit]

When it’s been sitting for several days the only thing that should keep it from kicking in under normal operation is engine temp or if the cabin is heating or cooling...

What the poster you replied to described is normal operation.

 

[gofastguy]

For some reason (probably because mine's a manual) my ESS seems to only turn the engine off maybe once a month. I think it is when I am idling for awhile in neutral with the clutch out perhaps. But the ESS light comes on for other reasons that seem unrelated like when my valve train needed work and yesterday on a road trip in 40 degree weather. I dread taking it in to the dealer. We all know what they tell you when you go in and tell them you had things lit up on the dash. If it's not lit when you drop it off it didn't happen!!

 

[RussJeep1]

Personally, i would like to see an ESS Delete Kit. I dont need some tree hugging gizmo shutting my engine off, to save a couple of pennies, in the short run, and costing me hundreds in the future, when it craps out. And it will Crap out. Its just a matter of time.

@DaltonGang : as you may know, several of the CANbus technology accessories (e.g. JL Tazer) will get your ESS to remain off across cold cranks.

It's true--you the individual can do little in the form of savings with ESS: although it adds up over the rig's life. And true: it may cost more in wear than the savings in gas: (the jury's still out on that one as ESS systems are relatively new).

Moving parts are subject to wear and tear. To deny that fact would do disservice to your sensible thoughts on this matter.

Here's the thing though: these systems do add up across all the rigs with them and that have them enabled. And sure, this often spawns a heated discussion on the right to choice of an individual versus the obligations to (and to receive from) society.

Few believe global warming isn't happening. Virtually no one who does believes it isn't, and won't continue to have disastrous effects on human life. Maybe greenhouses gases have nothing to do with it, although I think they do, and know that we can't chance living life with the hopes of there being no connection.

That tree hugging gizmo has "your 6" too @DaltonGang , not just mine or other people's.

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