Diagnosing Electrical Issues in the Jeep

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Midweek update! Earlier this year, while on an adventure in the Jeep, I discovered that the battery voltage dropped radically during the night. The fridge would stop working and the interior lights would grow dim after being parked for less than an hour. Yes, the battery was hosed, but why? In this short tinkering episode, I take a closer look at the Jeep's dual battery kit and accessories to see if there is something else amiss.

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Chris, I believe your orange JKU Rubicon is arguably one of the best traveled ( and documented) Jeeps on the planet. Whether you like it or not, it has become your trademark. I’m sure there are plenty of people who tune in to see the Revel, but I’m here for the Jeep and it’s adventures. ( OK, the Defender is pretty cool as well !) Hopefully many years from now, when you retire Orangie, it will find a home in a museam.
Enjoying your channel always.
Hope you get to the bottom of the electrical drain. 👍
No pun intended.
Had you ever considered a book documenting your years on the road?

calsurflance
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I have been working with emergency response vehicles for over 23 years and I have a few suggestions for you to consider.
First, AGM batteries charge between 14.6 and 14.8 volts after deep cycle use. Your charging system was only showing 13.7 volts initially. You can get your charging system checked for free. My Harley eats AGM batteries if not charged after a ride and my electrical system is at 14.4-14.6 volts.Someone in the comments below suggested a DC/DC charging system for your secondary battery. Sounds like good advice when out in the field.
Finally, 300 mA is a considerable amount of draw for a vehicle that idles a lot and doesn't do freeway speeds every day. Normal electrical system useage of creature comforts and accessories can draw down a battery at engine idle. Now that you have a home, consider installing battery maintainers and plugging in your truck when not in use.
Best of luck.

hamradioguy
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Chris, I think you hit the nail on the head with the comment about the fridge draining the battery down beyond 50%, AGM batteries will not recover properly with just a charge from an alternator. You would benefit from a DC - DC charging solution or if that is too much trouble simply charge your battery from 110v on a good quality multi stage charger once a month. Secondly i would definitely fit a Victron Battery Protect module to stop you over discharging the Aux battery, they are cheap and easy to install

michaelblake
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I'm a few months late here, but this summer I've dealt with a similar situation on a similar setup in my rig. I too had the Genesis Off-Road system and a pair of Yellowtops... I just wasn't getting the runtime out of my setup. Dakota Lithium has a Group 24-sized 12v 135Ah LiFePO4 battery that is rated for cranking duty and has a built-in heater for charging during my Canadian winters. Of course, it's not recommended to charge it directly from the alternator, so I added a Victron DC-DC charger. It was a pricy setup, but it's working like a dream!

soundguy
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I have a similar system where I have 2 extreme batteries and a solar panel on the hood (cascadia 4x4) plus a redarc 1225 bcdc in line charger. With that together I have not had any problems keeping my batteries charged. I also have the genesis dual battery system but I just switched it out to there new digital system which is working really good. I also keep my ARB fridge running 24-7 days a week but I installed a surge protector outlet inside and i plugged the fridge into that with that I wired a outlet on the outside of the Jeep. I can plug 110 into it while my Jeep is sitting at home not running. I have never had a problem with my batteries. But before that it was a nightmare lol.

physicalstarfighter
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First, like you said, Optima Batteries are not the same batteries they used to be 10 years ago. If an AGM battery like that drops so abruptly then the problem is the battery. What I suggest is to get rid of the dual battery system, have an Odyssey or another AGM like Interstate AGM battery group 94R only for starting the engine and get one Lithium battery 150Ah or higher for the essentials like fridge, USB outlets and chargers. Ive had the interstate battery 94R for starting the engine for about 4 years now, no problems so far. I highly recommend that. Now, if you get a Lithium battery you’ll have to place it inside the car; under a seat of something like that. Anyway, if you want more info about just reply and I’ll help you in that matter all you need.

godrock
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I too am ready swap out an Optima Yellow Top. It has worked well enough for 2 years, but it is no longer holding proper voltage for an entire day. I am going to try a Duracell from Batteries Plus, another group 27 AGM, but at half the price of the OYT.

ovrlxnd
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Totally agree... i found that out quickly with shupping on the road. Dont depend on that. Figure out what can be locally sourced and repaired. New hotness cant be found in 90% of stores

ctrlnull
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I ran Walmart batteries in my RV. Not because they were the best, but because I could replace them everywhere.

smoke
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I love DEKA batteries for my truck, RV, boat, etc. they last about six or seven years maybe even longer

MrSupertim
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Thanks for the video!
Batteries and crankcases can make for a very busy existence!
Electricity is a mystery!.. you can tell by the comments, and all the versions of what “right” looks like.

bobbysnow
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I have always had good luck with the Marine Blue top optima batteries-I think they are far better than the yellow tops which don’t hold a charge as long and don’t draw down and recharge like the blue tops.

irishdefense
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I'm heading off from Vermont in my 2021 RAM 1500 on a month-long camping tour of Nove Scotia, Newfoundland, Labrador and Quebec. I have a ICECO VL60D to keep everything cool. Instead of a dual battery system I have an ECOFLOW Delta 2 (1024 Wh) portable power station to provide auxiliary power. I installed a Victron DC-DC converter (not charger) to keep the Delta 2 powered while driving and ran a 12-volt outlet to the bed of the truck to keep the ICECO running while driving. The Victron unit will charge the Delta 2 at around 415 watts which is significantly faster than the RAM OEM 12-volt power outlet will. The ICECO will be plugged into the Delta 2 once I am at camp for the day and will keep it running all night without significant drain on the unit. Once I am back on the road the next day the Delta gets recharged by the Victron and the ICECO goes back on the 12-volt outlet in the bed of the truck. This trip will be a test of this setup in preparation for a 2-month road trip to Alaska & Canada in 2024.

jeffmorris
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Been watching you for years! Great video work and wonderful story telling!

MrClearview
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I will be at overland west Saturday. I hope to run into you. Thanks for making great videos.

austinjudkins
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Chris, I believe you are correct in your diagnosis. Doing the math your system the way it is currently set up works fine. It's just when you add up the hours in which it is under load living full time in your vehicle it depletes the life cycle of the aux battery. Maybe you can rotate the batteries from time to time which might improve overall life of the batteries. By the way looking at that transmission pan I believe it's time for a new one. Don't get stranded because of a leaky transmission. Safe travels, Perry

Perry
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Remove batteries from the jeep. Charge over night and let batteries rest for a couple hours. Then do a load test on your batteries.

When you buy batteries that are tied together buy both new at the same time.

rtarrc
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Optima has become junk. Sadly, I only got a year out of my yellow top in my 16 JK. The champion battery thats in there now is going on 4 years. Your channel deserves so many more views. Keep it up!

EJisthecatalist
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Chris, really time to go lithium. It worth all the penny you’ll put in that system. I have a complete quiet mind since I’ve done the move, 4-5 years ago.

cotepierre
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When Interstate Battery bought Optima things changed. We used Optima on our off road race car & prerunners. They were a great battery and then we started having issues. What we found out was production was moved from Optima’s original factory in the US to Mexico. Interstate uses Johnson Controls to manufacture the Interstate battery. But we were told a 3rd party manufacturer called Clarios which works with Johnson Controls took over the manufacturing of the Optims battery in Mexico. The lead used in the spiral coil is recycled and the purity of lead is not the same quality as it was. We also had 2 battery’s where the terminal lost contact with the plating under the plastic case, causing it to lose contact. One of the side terminal actually popped off the battery. In both cases these battery’s were in an extreme vibration application in a Baja Prerun truck. But this was never an issue on the OG Optima battery’s in the same vehicle. Btw we were using Red Tops, but that does not matter as Red, Blue & Yellow are all made in the same plant & contractor.

For everyday use in my daily drivers I’ve had very good luck with Interstates from Costco. The cost is good and the warranty is great!

But for a more extreme use look at US Battery. They are still made here in Pennsylvania. I’ve had great luck with them in several applications.

toddcunningham