Stop/Start Not Ready-Battery Charging

[ChattVol]

My ESS will work if I leave the batteries on a tender overnight. It will work for two 14 mile drives. It will remain in a Stop/Start Battery Not Charging state until I put it on the tender again.

My jl does the same thing...tried charging it and it worked temporarily. I had the main battery replaced and still have the ESS not working battery charging alert. I drove it for 1.5 hours after the main battery was replaced to see if it would charge the aux battery and the alert never went away. Going to get the aux battery replaced this week. I only drive my jl once or twice a week the last 3 months...sounds like I'll need to start hooking it up to the tender/charger when it sits for a week. That sounds annoying.

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[tablerock]

The entire ESS is annoying !!! Wish there was some way to have one main battery. [keep it simple]

 

[JeepCares]

The ESS stopped working about two weeks ago on my 2018 JL. Jeep was in the shop from last Saturday until Wednesday. I picked it up and the message on the screen was the same as when I dropped it off (Stop/Start Not Ready Battery Charging). They told me it would require driving a little while for the aux battery to be fully charged and then the message would disappear and the ESS would function properly. Nope. Drove for 40 minutes at freeway speeds and it still didn't change and ESS still isn't working. Then they told me that I must not be in reaching the "correct conditions" for the ESS to engage. That is garbage. The Cherokee I've been driving while mine is in the shop kicks in just like my Jeep JL used to and in the same places on my commute. Back to the dealer.

I have the same problem. At first there was a warning about ess disabled. Now there’s nothing unless I go through the menu and find the battery needs charging. The dealer doesn’t know what it is and has ignored my requests to get it right.

Hi TexCin and PAUL,
We're sorry to hear that you have both experienced this as well. Should you need any assistance while working with your dealers, please send us a PM.
Alex
JeepCares

 

[thisismyusername]

"Stop/Start Not Ready-Battery Charging"
I have taken my wrangler to the dealership 3 times already. They always "fix it" and the problem returns within two days. On top of that, the service agent never returns my calls. Nor his manager. It is an eternal void of lack of accountability. I ponder constantly if I should contact a lawyer since in Texas car dealerships only get 4 tries to fix a problem on new cars.

I wonder if the computer does not properly recognize the battery thus it is always "charging", or the system is inadequate to charge the battery so it takes 2 weeks to charge it and fails again within two days because it won't hold the charge necessary for the ESS.

 

[JeepCares]

"Stop/Start Not Ready-Battery Charging"
I have taken my wrangler to the dealership 3 times already. They always "fix it" and the problem returns within two days. On top of that, the service agent never returns my calls. Nor his manager. It is an eternal void of lack of accountability. I ponder constantly if I should contact a lawyer since in Texas car dealerships only get 4 tries to fix a problem on new cars.

I wonder if the computer does not properly recognize the battery thus it is always "charging", or the system is inadequate to charge the battery so it takes 2 weeks to charge it and fails again within two days because it won't hold the charge necessary for the ESS.

Hello,
We're sorry to hear about this. We have received your PM and will continue assisting you from there.
Alex
JeepCares

 

[IndustrialAction]

I'm having the same issue. Trying to decide if it warrants a dealership visit. I personally don't care for ESS but it seems odd to me that it goes long stretches without working. I think it is because I'm not taking long enough drives during the week and because it is cold. On warm days or on the weekends when I get to put more miles on it, ESS seems to work as it is supposed to

 

[JeepCares]

I'm having the same issue. Trying to decide if it warrants a dealership visit. I personally don't care for ESS but it seems odd to me that it goes long stretches without working. I think it is because I'm not taking long enough drives during the week and because it is cold. On warm days or on the weekends when I get to put more miles on it, ESS seems to work as it is supposed to

Hi Patrick,
As mentioned to your fellow forum members, should you decide to visit your dealer, please send us a PM. We'd be happy to offer assistance to your dealer visit.
Alex
JeepCares

 

[WranglerMan]

For all of those having issues with ESS not working due to battery charging it’s most likely either one or both batteries going bad...have the dealer service folks do a load test

 

[thisismyusername]

For all of those having issues with ESS not working due to battery charging it’s most likely either one or both batteries going bad...have the dealer service folks do a load test

Hey WranglerMan,

It is something else. They replaced my ESS battery and said they tested the main as well as the alternator. On my 3rd trip, they also replaced a sensor. But the issue remains. I contacted JeepCares and they have been extremely responsive. My car is at the dealership now and JeepCares is working directly with them. I will let you know how it goes.

 

[WranglerMan]

Hey WranglerMan,

It is something else. They replaced my ESS battery and said they tested the main as well as the alternator. On my 3rd trip, they also replaced a sensor. But the issue remains. I contacted JeepCares and they have been extremely responsive. My car is at the dealership now and JeepCares is working directly with them. I will let you know how it goes.

I would like to hear the resolution on this, currently my JL does not have this issue but if it sits for a few days upon starting the EVIC displayed voltage runs close to 14 and sometimes over but if I drive it for an hour or so each day back and fourth to work it slowly drops to 13.5+ and the only time it’s in the high 12’s is when coming off a tender or on a long trip but I have no charging message and ESS works if I let it

 

[Htfan]

Glad to have found this thread. Just started experiencing this ESS battery "never charged" issue. My JLs ESS has worked maybe once in the last month and that was after a two hour highway trip. Shortly after it stopped working again and hasn't been for weeks.

Sounds like I need a new battery.

 

[jayteal]

My dealership last week replaced the main battery due to this issue and of course, days later with a good amount of highway driving has not fixed the issue. ESS still has not worked in several weeks. They also mentioned TSB 19-108-19 which I can not find any details on. Needless to say I'll be going back to hopefully get the aux battery replaced which is probably the real issue. It sucks.

 

[Compression-Ignition]

I'm kinda gathering that people who frequently use a battery tender/maintainer do not have issues with the ESS system. Sometimes there's more to it than just the amount and type of driving the system undergoes (for instance, a flat out faulty system), but often it seems an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure......

Jeep could probably save themselves a ton of headaches if they built battery monitoring into their uconnect app. Before the aux. battery becomes a problem you could get an alert that prompts you to get a top off charge on your battery at your next convenience. They could even sell you a nice re-branded charger that will make all this a cinch. Plus all this talk of electric being the future......you're just getting everyone primed having them plug in now.

I don't know, just seems like a proactive approach would be better.

 

[WranglerMan]

@Compression-Ignition that’s a good idea but i doubt FCA is capable of that but maybe putting that baby battery in a better place would have been a better idea, but yes I use a smart tender every month and usually leave it on for a few days and so far so good but when that baby battery goes it’s going to be a hassle to get to

 

[willcasp]

I'm kinda gathering that people who frequently use a battery tender/maintainer do not have issues with the ESS system. Sometimes there's more to it than just the amount and type of driving the system undergoes (for instance, a flat out faulty system), but often it seems an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure......

Jeep could probably save themselves a ton of headaches if they built battery monitoring into their uconnect app. Before the aux. battery becomes a problem you could get an alert that prompts you to get a top off charge on your battery at your next convenience. They could even sell you a nice re-branded charger that will make all this a cinch. Plus all this talk of electric being the future......you're just getting everyone primed having them plug in now.

I don't know, just seems like a proactive approach would be better.

If the systems really does require a charger to keep it working correctly, that is a really bad solution.

I have used a CTEK charger with mine. If I charge it over night, and then drive about 5 miles, the ESS system will work. It will work for the remainder of my commute, as well as the commute home. The ESS system then goes into the won't enable because it is charging state, until I hook it up to the tender again.

According to posts I have seen, I need to take it in to the dealer and go through the dance until the dealer decides to replace the batteries. Seems like more of an issue with the charging system, as recharging the battery until it depletes again seems to be the operating scenario.

As for your software solution idea, sounds like a great idea. Seeing how FCA is completely incompetent in the software department, I don't hold out a lot of hope for what should be a simple thing.

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