Genesis Offroad Double Battery and ESS 6 Cycle Limit - Anyone with issues?

[Onward4x4]

So I installed the @Genesis Offroad double battery setup and it looks awesome. It works really well too except I have been having ESS problem since installed. The ESS shuts down and I get a warning about ESS not functioning and needing service after 6 or so cycles (sometimes 7 - but I may have had miscounted that time). After I turn the Jeep off, and re-start, the ESS functions again.

I contacted Genesis and the person who was very nice told me that Chrysler (@JeepCares) has designed the ESS to shut down after each 6 cycles. Now, I have no reason to doubt Genesis's good faith in this instance but I find it to be a heck of a coincidence that in the 15 months that I have owned my JL, I have never exceeded the 6 cycle thing except each time I have driven the Jeep in the 3 days after which I have installed the Genesis setup. So I am puzzled... Anyone else experiencing this issue/feature?

Photo of Rhonda attached for kicks!

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[Kyanche]

I'd wait for more data before drawing a conclusion but I don't really believe that? 6 cycles per startup? One day I left ESS on for my entire drive to work and the engine must've shut off about 10 times. It drove me nuts lol. It never 'turned off'.

 

[wolfdog]

I'm sure you genesis guy was nice but I've been in traffic stop and go lots more than 6x and even as much (never counted 15/20 times and it's ALWAYS worked!! So I believe you man was misinformed, nice or not! My JLU is a 2018 however, my 2015 Cherokee Trailhawk would always do lots more than 6 too! The Cherokee of course has only one really large battery not the screwy 2 battery set up in the JL?

Go jeep!!!

 

[Bluebear]

I have the same issue. This is my thread: https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/genesis-offroad-dual-battery-issue.39747/

Without the Genesis system stop/start keeps working, with the system about 6-7 times it will disable. Not tied to battery charge or anything, "probably" because the factory accessory battery doesn't exist and the system assumes there is an issue as it can't detect voltages of it.

Sadly seems to be just how it is at the moment, haven't found a solution. No real issue beyond the annoyance of the system not functioning as from the factory.

 

[Onward4x4]

I have the same issue. This is my thread: https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/genesis-offroad-dual-battery-issue.39747/

Without the Genesis system stop/start keeps working, with the system about 6-7 times it will disable. Not tied to battery charge or anything, "probably" because the factory accessory battery doesn't exist and the system assumes there is an issue as it can't detect voltages of it.

Sadly seems to be just how it is at the moment, haven't found a solution. No real issue beyond the annoyance of the system not functioning as from the factory.

Aha... glad to see I am not the only one!! I was starting to believe in the unbelievable coincidence!!

 

[Onward4x4]

I'm sure you genesis guy was nice but I've been in traffic stop and go lots more than 6x and even as much (never counted 15/20 times and it's ALWAYS worked!! So I believe you man was misinformed, nice or not! My JLU is a 2018 however, my 2015 Cherokee Trailhawk would always do lots more than 6 too! The Cherokee of course has only one really large battery not the screwy 2 battery set up in the JL?

Go jeep!!!

Yeah-I don't think that 6 cycle thing makes sense to me. But, I haven't heard back from FCA yet--who knows...

 

[Gee-pah]

Questions:

What engine is everyone running here... 3.6L? In fact is the Genesis only for the 3.6L?

What would happen if after 6 cycles of ESS use, and subsequent seeming automatic deactivation of the system, you turned ESS system off and back on again (without re-cranking) via pressing the ESS disable button?

I wonder if hooking the Genesis system up to a trickle charger when the rig's at rest would change this...or to rephrase is this an issue where ESS is turning off because voltage thresholds aren't being reached or simply because this is some magic threshold number in FCA's ESS algorithm? As I seem to recall that the batteries are connected in parallel not only on factory batteries , but under the Genesis system when the rig's parked and shut down.

I'm going to see if I can get more then 6 ESS cycles on my 3.6L, with the factory battery system (that I trickle charge when at rest) when I go out.

I want to say that if 6 were the FCA factory limit that we'd have heard about this by now from other forum members.

It's times like this I really wish I could program in CANBUS to determine what has actually been programmed by FCA rather than hypothesizing what likely is from trial and error.

 

[Onward4x4]

Questions:

What engine is everyone running here... 3.6L? In fact is the Genesis only for the 3.6L?

What would happen if after 6 cycles of ESS use, and subsequent seeming automatic deactivation of the system, you turned ESS system off and back on again (without re-cranking) via pressing the ESS disable button?

I have the 3.6 and I did try to turn the ESS on and off when it stopped working. No response was the result. The pushing of the button made no difference-the warning sign of the ESS not working was still there.

It never occurred to me to count the number of the ESS cycles before changing and so I would be curious to know what would the result of your test be. As I said in my OP, it would be a heck of a coincidence if I never went over the 6 cycle period for the 15 months I owned the Jeep to go over it now within the three days I have installed the Genesis--that would really be something!!

 

[texascrane]

I have the 2020 JLUR with the 3.6L and installed the Genesis dual battery system a few weeks ago. I typically turn the ESS off when I start the jeep. I left it on today on my way home from work and sure enough, I got the same warning message on start/stop cycle #7. My batteries were hooked up to my Noco G26000 yesterday so there's no way they weren't fully charged...

I pulled out my obdII reader and couldn't see any codes. When I turned the car off and restarted it, it appeared that the start/stop system was functioning normally and the warning message was gone.

 

[Dkretden]

What a cluster. I thought that the Genesis system would be the cure all for the crappy motorcycle battery that FCA felt obligated to insert into my Jeep. I guess not.

 

[Jebiruph]

How's this for a theory. The battery sensor is attached to the wrong battery. What if the ESS system expects the sensor to report a power loss from the battery every time the engine starts. Since the non-sensor battery is powering the start, the sensor never reports a start event power drop. After 6 starts, the ESS system goes into limp mode (disabled) because it knows it's not getting accurate reporting.

This makes sense because there should be a fail safe mode for a failed battery sensor. If the battery sensor fails, you don't want to risk an auto stop with a bad battery.

 

[Onward4x4]

How's this for a theory. The battery sensor is attached to the wrong battery. What if the ESS system expects the sensor to report a power loss from the battery every time the engine starts. Since the non-sensor battery is powering the start, the sensor never reports a start event power drop. After 6 starts, the ESS system goes into limp mode (disabled) because it knows it's not getting accurate reporting.

This makes sense because there should be a fail safe mode for a failed battery sensor. If the battery sensor fails, you don't want to risk an auto stop with a bad battery.

That would be beyond my pay grade to assess. I wished @Genesis Offroad would come up with a solution IF the solution is as easy as hooking up the darn thing differently. Because, my ESS worked just fine and did not stop after 6 cycles before installing this-what should have been an upgrade.

 

[Rploaded]

2.0 here and I do not have this issue. Must have something to do with the aux battery in the 3.6 being missing after the dual battery kit.

Have you tried unplugging the voltage sensor on the ground side?

 

[texascrane]

How's this for a theory. The battery sensor is attached to the wrong battery. What if the ESS system expects the sensor to report a power loss from the battery every time the engine starts. Since the non-sensor battery is powering the start, the sensor never reports a start event power drop. After 6 starts, the ESS system goes into limp mode (disabled) because it knows it's not getting accurate reporting.

This makes sense because there should be a fail safe mode for a failed battery sensor. If the battery sensor fails, you don't want to risk an auto stop with a bad battery.

We could test this theory if somebody with a 3.6 and the stock battery system was willing to unplug their IBS and go for a drive where they cycle their start/stop system 7+ times. If they get the same warning message, then this is likely what's happening.

I've got a SmartStopStart module on it's way so I'm not particularly concerned, but I am interested now in figuring out what's going on.

 

[Jebiruph]

We could test this theory if somebody with a 3.6 and the stock battery system was willing to unplug their IBS and go for a drive where they cycle their start/stop system 7+ times. If they get the same warning message, then this is likely what's happening.

I've got a SmartStopStart module on it's way so I'm not particularly concerned, but I am interested now in figuring out what's going on.

Unplugging the IBS won't be a good test. The IBS has to be functioning (providing valid battery status) and connected to a battery that's not powering the starter. It's probably going to take somebody with a Genesis system to rewire theirs.

Even with the SmartStopStart module, you could still be impacted as I have read of people having charging issues with the system.

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