I got this alert this AM and am a tad confused

[CyberHero]

I have never seen that light come on at all and my vehicle has 2k miles on it. Anyone else get this before? It appeared on my monthly Uconnect report. Jeep is driving just fine.

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[CyberHero]

Manual says it only turns on if not charging properly! So does it turn on at all or not? Battery voltage after not starting for 4 days was 14.5

 

[CyberHero]

From the looks of it it should hit after I start the vehicle but it was in my garage parked for 4 days and it wasn’t started when it supposedly hit

 

[DylanM]

Manual says it only turns on if not charging properly! So does it turn on at all or not? Battery voltage after not starting for 4 days was 14.5

The 14.5v displayed isn't your battery voltage, that's the charging system voltage. A reading like that indicates your battery needs charged so the smart charging system in your vehicle is doing exactly that. To see your actual battery voltage the engine needs to be stopped, so you should keep your foot off the brake and depress the ignition button twice so that it's in the RUN position.

Most likely the warning is due to nothing more than the battery/batteries being low from sitting for a few days, especially if you have a tendency to drive infrequently or for short trips. So long as the battery/charging system warning lamp stays off with the engine running and you're not getting other weak battery associated problems, I'd not worry too much at this point.

 

[CyberHero]

Amazing ya I go on 1-5mile spurts here and there and sometimes don’t drive it for a week or 4 days at a time. Just passed 2k miles in 8months. So happy to read this tho thank you

The 14.5v displayed isn't your battery voltage, that's the charging system voltage. A reading like that indicates your battery needs charged so the smart charging system in your vehicle is doing exactly that.

Most likely the warning is due to nothing more than the battery/batteries being low from sitting for a few days, especially if you have a tendency to drive infrequently or for short trips. So long as the battery/charging system warning lamp stays off with the engine running and you're not getting other weak battery associated problems, I'd not worry too much at this point.

 

[DylanM]

Amazing ya I go on 1-5mile spurts here and there and sometimes don’t drive it for a week or 4 days at a time. Just passed 2k miles in 8months. So happy to read this tho thank you

Happy to help. A good rule of thumb to keep your battery health up is to get in at least one drive lasting thirty minutes per week, otherwise you may want to invest in a quality battery maintainer.

 

[JTR178]

Amazing ya I go on 1-5mile spurts here and there and sometimes don’t drive it for a week or 4 days at a time. Just passed 2k miles in 8months. So happy to read this tho thank you

Time for a battery tender.

 

[NotSo Bright White]

With only 2000 miles on it, the question I have is how long did it sit on the lot prior to you purchasing it. When I bought a 23 Mojave, it was sitting on the lot for over a year. The start/stop would work. Not that I care, but it is an indicator of battery health. I took it to the dealer and the batteries check out fine. Drove it 1000 miles to So Cal and back, still wouldn’t work. I bought another battery tender like I have on my Rubicon and 1 week later, it works perfectly. Would have been nice if the dealer charged the batteries instead of checking them for hours. So yes, I agree with Cyberhero. And yes it is weird to have 2 new vehicles plugged it! In Jeep’s defense, I don’t drive them enough being retired but damn I like them!

 

[starrskream]

with only 2k miles, I'd ask the dealer. that's their problem. That is what your warranty is for. I'm like you, I like to walk in knowing the most likely answer so i do not get jerked around. Its most likely either a bulb, or you need new batteries or a alternator. In any case, they are paying for it.

 

[chorky]

Amazing ya I go on 1-5mile spurts here and there and sometimes don’t drive it for a week or 4 days at a time. Just passed 2k miles in 8months. So happy to read this tho thank you

With infrequent driving and only 1-5 mile trips here and there, that is your problem. The systems of the truck have a pretty significant drain on the batteries even when off (as compared to trucks in the 90's). But a 5 mile drive will never fully recharge the battery. Short cycling battieries, and not letting them fully recharge is a major killer of them. If you only drive minimally like this, you need a battery tender. But, if this is a consistent use case for you I would be more concerned about shortening the engine life. Short drives like that are terrible on engines and other components.

with only 2k miles, I'd ask the dealer. that's their problem. That is what your warranty is for. I'm like you, I like to walk in knowing the most likely answer so i do not get jerked around. Its most likely either a bulb, or you need new batteries or a alternator. In any case, they are paying for it.

Eh, it is but it isn't. Sure they could justify this as a warranty item and maybe there is a major component going bad, but his use case of short and infrequent drives is causing premature wear and outside of the 'normal operating' conditions. He might be able to get them warranted a couple of times but the issue is this situation will keep happening if the vehicle is seldom driven. I have a new to me LJ that I have driven less than 500 miles since purchasing, it has only 60K or so on the clock. But it's a ticking time bomb unless I can start driving it more. Seals, fluids, components really don't like just sitting around - they start to degrade pretty quick that way.

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