removing the Aux battery--does it violate the warranty?

[STW]

I have the Aux battery disconnected but still in place (and fuse 42 pulled, and not using ESS). This is a more reliable way to run the Jeep I think, but if I end up at the dealer for any other reasons, should I re-connect the Aux battery? Will they consider this a warranty violation.

Some will say they don't care about warranty, and I do live in a state with dealers who tolerate a lot of modification generally. But I don't want to have an unrelated problem not get fixed under warranty only because I've "modified" the battery system by disconnecting the Aux battery. Ideally I'd just remove the Aux battery and not carry it around.

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[Fudster]

If you are looking for a concrete, "this will or won't violate the warranty" answer, I'm afraid I have none to offer you.

Some dealers may make this a sore spot, others, I hope most, won't. Especially since part of the motivation for this mod comes from the fact that Stellantis ESS system in the Wranlger is suboptimally designed, IMHO.

The system was built to pass an EPA test IMHO. Not be a mission critical component by any stretch of the imagination.

Technically, a modification should not void a warranty unless an automaker or dealer can prove that it caused need for repairs. In reality, Stellantis has bigger pockets than any of us to fight such matters, while on the other hand, I refuse to believe that disconnecting the ESS battery and preventing the relay that when energized separates the batteries by yanking Fuse 42--even if a permanent change--and it certainly isn't, will cause damage for which repairs cost money to fix.

I think a dealer would have to be an extreme douche to deny an unrelated warranty claim, and it probably would be bad business. Stellantis is well aware that people mod their Wrangler, and its sucky ESS reliability record is partly to blame for why such mods like yours are frequent.

In a more extreme case, and its a hypothetical, lets suppose that your running ESS with just the main battery, deplete it during an ESS event and can't crank--and such matters cause an accident, or bodily harm.

I'm not trying to scare anyone or even say this is likely to happen. ESS events end prematurely when battery voltage drops (but not beyond the ability to crank) in an effort to avoid this, and won't even engage if your (in this case main) battery's voltage is too low--I'm just saying it's a "tad" more likely to happen when running ESS with one battery and a product of a user modification during the "perfect storm" of cold weather, an old main battery, and lots of energy drawing aftermarket accessories running during an ESS event.

Perhaps in such a case, seeking damages from Stellantis might be difficult because you ran the ESS system differently from how it was designed.

Then again, you might not have a case even if ESS was running stock; batteries can die, it's an assumed risk of driving a motor vehicle. I admit ignorance on the case law of such damages from user mods and imagine that it is highly case specific.

Here I think is the path of least resistance: While under warranty periodically trickle charge your ESS battery and don't remove it. When visiting the dealer consider reattaching it and Fuse 42.

Why invite trouble?

I'd really like to know what others think here.

P.S. perhaps consider the installation of one of these towards this "dress up for the dealer" end...unless of course it violates the warranty

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JZ9NDH2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[rhocking]

Here I think is the path of least resistance: While under warranty periodically trickle charge your ESS battery and don't remove it. When visiting the dealer consider reattaching it and Fuse 42.

Why invite trouble?

I'd really like to know what others think here.

One of the advantages of the F42 fuse pull and disconnect of aux cable is that it is easy to reattach and reinsert the fuse. The main reason I trickle charge the main battery is because I don't drive a lot. One of the reasons I trickle charge the aux as well is so that if I have to reconnect I can be fairly sure the battery will be OK. After trickle charging I always take (separate) readings from the Voltage of both the main and aux and have not noticed significant drop in voltage for either so I don't think reconnecting the aux would be an issue.

I'm with you....reconnecting is easy so "why invite trouble".

 

[kah.mun.rah]

If it takes 5 minutes to put it back to stock, why not do it before the dealer visit?

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