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My 2020 Jeep Rubicon “JLUR” could have killed me and my family this weekend.

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Thanks in advance @Fsttanks for keeping us all informed. I don't own a Jeep yet but I'm about 99.9% ready to buy a JLRU. I too have the big time concern about what if this happen with either my wife are daughter driving. Steering play, death wobble, locker sensor failings, and now this! Pause button has once again firmly been pressed.
Well, not to say researching possible issues is a bad idea, but if you dig into any vehicle (any make, any model) you will find issues. I don't care if it's a vehicle that people like to claim is flawless. For example I've heard a lot of "the Tacoma is indestructible", but then I started talking to people who have one, and started hearing about issues. Granted, not every one of them has issues, but when you start getting deeper than the hype you see it. Jeeps are no different. It's not every one of them. that has issues I've got an early production '18 (Sahara with every option but the park sensors) and I have no significant issues. My only issue was a sensor that failed in the door, telling the Jeep the door was ajar when it wasn't. Easy fix, and not Jeep specific since I'm sure FCA uses those sensors in most of their vehicles.

The problem with forums is, they're where people turn for help or to vent when they have an issue. Sure we have general talk, but you're much more likely to hear "my ___ failed" rather than "my ___ is working flawlessly." Of course that makes sense, because we expect everything to work flawlessly, so we don't post about it.... although I just did. ;)
You're wise to look at potential issues before buying, but don't forget to look at it objectively and consider how many units were made/sold that aren't reporting problems. You obviously also want to weigh in the severity of a reported problem., where some may be more significant than others (like the one reported in this thread).
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Jebiruph

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Of all the different symptoms and causes, I only remember the wipers running by themselves being caused by a mostly depleted aux battery. Hopefully it's fixed when you get it back, but just in case, I would leave the voltage display up to see if it drops right before a failure.
 
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Fsttanks

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Of all the different symptoms and causes, I only remember the wipers running by themselves being caused by a mostly depleted aux battery. Hopefully it's fixed when you get it back, but just in case, I would leave the voltage display up to see if it drops right before a failure.
I had the voltage display up before the second event and there was no drop prior to it happening. Battery showed its normal 12.7 volts and when checked later by an independent system, showed holding a charge and a steady 12 volts.
 

Jebiruph

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I had the voltage display up before the second event and there was no drop prior to it happening. Battery showed its normal 12.7 volts and when checked later by an independent system, showed holding a charge and a steady 12 volts.
The voltage display showed 12.7 volts before the second event?
 
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Fsttanks

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The voltage display showed 12.7 volts before the second event?
Yes. That is the normal indicated voltage range for my Jeep and has been since day one of ownership. My JLUR is a 3.6 non eTorque with automatic transmission. It does NOT use the 48v system of the 2.0 or 3.6 eTorque motors. Also the ESS was turned off and is 98% of the time.

NO dash warnings, engine or low battery indicators were illuminated at any time prior to both events.
 

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Jebiruph

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Yes. That is the normal indicated voltage range for my Jeep and has been since day one of ownership. My JLUR is a 3.6 non eTorque with automatic transmission. It does NOT use the 48v system of the 2.0 or 3.6 eTorque motors. Also the ESS was turned off and is 98% of the time.

NO dash warnings, engine or low battery indicators were illuminated at any time prior to both events.
That voltage seems a little low for running on the alternator, seems more like battery voltage. Mine is always over 14.5, so I'm not used to seeing it that low.
 

HeavyUser

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Well, not to say researching possible issues is a bad idea, but if you dig into any vehicle (any make, any model) you will find issues.
I have yet to come across a vehicle forum that has been up for 2 years with over 100 pages in the issues section.
 
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SteadyC

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No word back yet. It is still under “investigation”? I am hoping that there is more information available tomorrow, Fri. If not it won’t be until Mon next week.

Jeep Customer Care contact me today and actually seemed concerned?
anything from Friday?
 

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mwilk012

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Good to hear that you and your family were unharmed. I’m sure you all have PTSD as a result of the incident. Please keep us informed.
Why would you trivialize PTSD like that? This guy's car died while driving and that was it. What a joke.
 
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Fsttanks

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Same.

The low volts is a raging clue as to what's happening here.
One would think, but if so it should have presented issues sooner. I have had the Jeep for almost five months and 4500 miles.

Voltage in that time has hovered around the 12.7 range and never dropped below the 12.5. If the computer system is that sensitive, then again the issues is even more alarming.

The battery when tested is maintaining a full charge and correct range of voltage output. If the computer system needs more then 12 volts to operate reliability then even more questions of long term reliability come up.
 
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Fsttanks

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Why would you trivialize PTSD like that? This guy's car died while driving and that was it. What a joke.
Notice I did not respond to the original post.

Its no laughing matter to joke about PTSD. A lot of good men and women have it for very legitimate reasons.
 

Neanderthalman

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One would think so, but it would should have happened sooner. Voltage never dropped below the 12.5. If the computer system is that sensitive then again the issues is even more alarming.

The battery when tested is maintaining a full charge and correct range of voltage output. If the computer system needs more then 12 volts to operate reliability then even more questions of long term reliability come up.
Any AC on the system?

Alternators are.....shouldn't be surprising....alternating current generators. They have rectifiers and nowadays often regulators on the output to convert the AC power they generate to a compatible DC power for the vehicle systems and batteries.

I've seen a lot of weird ass stuff happen on my first car when a rectifier failed and I was getting a DC output with a strong (as in 4-6V) AC waveform superimposed on it. So while the DC (ie: average) voltage showed normalish, the actual voltage was fluctuating wildly from the AC component and causing havoc. Fried a brand new battery as I recall - do bear with my spotty recollection as this was a quarter of a century ago now.

Now I can't say that this is what's happening here. All I'm saying is that 12.5V from your alternator is NOT normal, and is indicative of some other problem - this is but one possibility.

And if you have a multimeter and know how to use it - you can easily check this yourself.
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