Dead battery issue
#41
02-14-2020, 02:15 PM
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#42
02-16-2020, 03:11 PM
I had my vehicle rechecked at my dealership for a parasitic battery drain. They found no unusual battery drain when turned off. That does not mean there is no drain. I have been advised there is a computer drain considered normal and they suggested I do not use my vehicle enough to recharge the battery between starts. They say it takes about 5 miles of road use just to replenish the battery drawdown from a single start not even counting on computer drain. If you do not use your vehicle regularly and run it enough between starts this may be the answer. I will hold further comments until I have investigated further.
#43
02-16-2020, 03:32 PM
I have not studied the manual to that extent but when I mentioned I had had vehicles in the past that would go months without use and still start I realize they did not have computers with a continuous power drain. It makes sense that the startup power draw will have to be recharged but unless Chrysler products have an unusually high computer drain I remain guarded about the explanation about how much running time is required to replenish the startup battery drawndown.
#44
02-19-2020, 02:26 PM
Same drain issue.
I’ve had it with my 2013 journey. The starting issue seems to have started after the steering recall.
About a month later the car no longer recognized my phone’s bluetooth. Shortly after that I started having issues with my battery dying. Had the battery replaced, bluetooth works again and everything’s fine- for a while. About a month later my bluetooth stops working again and while after that, there battery is dead. My mechanic checked the cold cranking amps and said the battery must not be good. Had it replaced under warranty.
Same exact scenario happened again. My mechanic says there must be something else going on, he’s never had an issue with this brand. Replaced it again. Same thing happens.
Before it died again i brought it to the dealership while it was still under warranty and told me i had a bad ABS module that was staying on in the car.
Shortly after they “fixed” it, my bluetooth stopped working again and low and low and behold, my warranty is expired. I deal with it, making sure to drive it every day, twice a day or expect to jump it. I bought a battery jump box to help if i’m stranded.
I decide i can’t take it anymore because it’s winter and it’s freezing out so i brought it to the dealership.
After paying $450 for the initial diagnostic fees, they told me that there’s something staying on in the car that’s drawing .5 amps when it’s off. They have to rip out my interior to find out exactly what it is. They determined that the body control module was faulty and it was keeping the BUS on and it was draining my battery. They couldn’t get the part for a week and at the end of it, charged me over $1500.
Upon picking it up, they told me the battery should be replaced because it’s been dead and jumped so many times, and my hands free module should be replaced soon because it wasn’t relaying consistently when hooked up to their equipment. That’s a $1,000 part for a feature i never use.
I figured I’d drive it around and let it charge for a while before replacing it AGAIN. Started just fine this morning, went to the supermarket for 15 minutes, came out and it was dead again. Jumped it, drove home (same distance) and let it sit for a half hour. Just went back out and it started right up. I’m replacing the battery tomorrow- fully expecting it to not start again before the spring.
I couldn’t be more disappointed in the quality of my vehicle and the number of other customers that are dealing with this same nightmare.
About a month later the car no longer recognized my phone’s bluetooth. Shortly after that I started having issues with my battery dying. Had the battery replaced, bluetooth works again and everything’s fine- for a while. About a month later my bluetooth stops working again and while after that, there battery is dead. My mechanic checked the cold cranking amps and said the battery must not be good. Had it replaced under warranty.
Same exact scenario happened again. My mechanic says there must be something else going on, he’s never had an issue with this brand. Replaced it again. Same thing happens.
Before it died again i brought it to the dealership while it was still under warranty and told me i had a bad ABS module that was staying on in the car.
Shortly after they “fixed” it, my bluetooth stopped working again and low and low and behold, my warranty is expired. I deal with it, making sure to drive it every day, twice a day or expect to jump it. I bought a battery jump box to help if i’m stranded.
I decide i can’t take it anymore because it’s winter and it’s freezing out so i brought it to the dealership.
After paying $450 for the initial diagnostic fees, they told me that there’s something staying on in the car that’s drawing .5 amps when it’s off. They have to rip out my interior to find out exactly what it is. They determined that the body control module was faulty and it was keeping the BUS on and it was draining my battery. They couldn’t get the part for a week and at the end of it, charged me over $1500.
Upon picking it up, they told me the battery should be replaced because it’s been dead and jumped so many times, and my hands free module should be replaced soon because it wasn’t relaying consistently when hooked up to their equipment. That’s a $1,000 part for a feature i never use.
I figured I’d drive it around and let it charge for a while before replacing it AGAIN. Started just fine this morning, went to the supermarket for 15 minutes, came out and it was dead again. Jumped it, drove home (same distance) and let it sit for a half hour. Just went back out and it started right up. I’m replacing the battery tomorrow- fully expecting it to not start again before the spring.
I couldn’t be more disappointed in the quality of my vehicle and the number of other customers that are dealing with this same nightmare.
#45
02-19-2020, 03:19 PM
I’ve had it with my 2013 journey. The starting issue seems to have started after the steering recall.
About a month later the car no longer recognized my phone’s bluetooth. Shortly after that I started having issues with my battery dying. Had the battery replaced, bluetooth works again and everything’s fine- for a while. About a month later my bluetooth stops working again and while after that, there battery is dead. My mechanic checked the cold cranking amps and said the battery must not be good. Had it replaced under warranty.
Same exact scenario happened again. My mechanic says there must be something else going on, he’s never had an issue with this brand. Replaced it again. Same thing happens.
Before it died again i brought it to the dealership while it was still under warranty and told me i had a bad ABS module that was staying on in the car.
Shortly after they “fixed” it, my bluetooth stopped working again and low and low and behold, my warranty is expired. I deal with it, making sure to drive it every day, twice a day or expect to jump it. I bought a battery jump box to help if i’m stranded.
I decide i can’t take it anymore because it’s winter and it’s freezing out so i brought it to the dealership.
After paying $450 for the initial diagnostic fees, they told me that there’s something staying on in the car that’s drawing .5 amps when it’s off. They have to rip out my interior to find out exactly what it is. They determined that the body control module was faulty and it was keeping the BUS on and it was draining my battery. They couldn’t get the part for a week and at the end of it, charged me over $1500.
Upon picking it up, they told me the battery should be replaced because it’s been dead and jumped so many times, and my hands free module should be replaced soon because it wasn’t relaying consistently when hooked up to their equipment. That’s a $1,000 part for a feature i never use.
I figured I’d drive it around and let it charge for a while before replacing it AGAIN. Started just fine this morning, went to the supermarket for 15 minutes, came out and it was dead again. Jumped it, drove home (same distance) and let it sit for a half hour. Just went back out and it started right up. I’m replacing the battery tomorrow- fully expecting it to not start again before the spring.
I couldn’t be more disappointed in the quality of my vehicle and the number of other customers that are dealing with this same nightmare.
About a month later the car no longer recognized my phone’s bluetooth. Shortly after that I started having issues with my battery dying. Had the battery replaced, bluetooth works again and everything’s fine- for a while. About a month later my bluetooth stops working again and while after that, there battery is dead. My mechanic checked the cold cranking amps and said the battery must not be good. Had it replaced under warranty.
Same exact scenario happened again. My mechanic says there must be something else going on, he’s never had an issue with this brand. Replaced it again. Same thing happens.
Before it died again i brought it to the dealership while it was still under warranty and told me i had a bad ABS module that was staying on in the car.
Shortly after they “fixed” it, my bluetooth stopped working again and low and low and behold, my warranty is expired. I deal with it, making sure to drive it every day, twice a day or expect to jump it. I bought a battery jump box to help if i’m stranded.
I decide i can’t take it anymore because it’s winter and it’s freezing out so i brought it to the dealership.
After paying $450 for the initial diagnostic fees, they told me that there’s something staying on in the car that’s drawing .5 amps when it’s off. They have to rip out my interior to find out exactly what it is. They determined that the body control module was faulty and it was keeping the BUS on and it was draining my battery. They couldn’t get the part for a week and at the end of it, charged me over $1500.
Upon picking it up, they told me the battery should be replaced because it’s been dead and jumped so many times, and my hands free module should be replaced soon because it wasn’t relaying consistently when hooked up to their equipment. That’s a $1,000 part for a feature i never use.
I figured I’d drive it around and let it charge for a while before replacing it AGAIN. Started just fine this morning, went to the supermarket for 15 minutes, came out and it was dead again. Jumped it, drove home (same distance) and let it sit for a half hour. Just went back out and it started right up. I’m replacing the battery tomorrow- fully expecting it to not start again before the spring.
I couldn’t be more disappointed in the quality of my vehicle and the number of other customers that are dealing with this same nightmare.
#46
04-11-2020, 02:18 PM
Dealerships are not helping with this problem. They say no problem. I can park it for one day maybe. You cant use park n fly lots , when in quarentine You have to drive it around to keep the battery up. When it's really dead and you finally get it to start it runs rough. You have to charge it often if you do short runs. Something was put together wrong I think. If Dodge really cared they would help us.
#47
04-22-2020, 12:45 PM
I purchased my 2011 Dodge Journey Crew new. Within the first year, the brakes and rotors had to be replaced and the battery was dying. I took it back to the dealership, was told it was the radio draining the battery. There were some TSB they downloaded and it seemed to fix the problem. Last winter the battery was dying again. Had the battery replaced and it seemed to be fixed. Now this winter I'm having the same problem. I had the battery tested and the battery health is fine but isn't fully charged. I took it to the local mechanic who performed an electrical test and determined that the radio is not shutting off when the car is turned off. They sent it to the local Dodge dealership to have another TSB downloaded to the radio. It dropped the draw on the battery but there is still a draw. They are recommending replacing the radio with a brand new Chrysler radio. Can someone tell me if this is actually going to fix the battery draw? Have they completely fixed this issue? After multiple brake pad and rotor replacements, a recent radiator replacement, I am done sinking money into this car just to have to spend more. I love this car and it only has 60k miles on it and is in good condition but it's so frustrating to have this issue when it's a known problem and Chrysler doesn't take ownership of it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
#48
05-12-2020, 03:37 PM
Summary follow-up:
Initial problem dead battery 5/21/18. Replaced by local repair shop.
9/10/18 dead battery. Battery replaced by local shop under warranty.
10/1/18 dead battery. No problem found by reputable electrical shop.
Kept recharging battery until it was dying after car only set for 2/3 days.
11/11/18. Dealer replaced HVAC stack module and battery.
11/17/18 Battery dead again Dealer replaced alternator and battery.
1/22/19 Battery dead, dealer replaced intermittent hands free module. Took week in shop to diagnose. That seemed to correct battery problem, finally.
4/8/19 headlights flickering at idle. Electrical shop said bad alternator, so replaced again. Did not resolve, so back to dealer who reflashed ECM with latest update. Finally all seems resolved.
Total time 5/21/18 to 4/18/19. 5 Batteries, 2 alternators, and 2 modules replaced. Car in 3 shops at least 8 times. Total investment $2968. But all seems well now, finally.
Initial problem dead battery 5/21/18. Replaced by local repair shop.
9/10/18 dead battery. Battery replaced by local shop under warranty.
10/1/18 dead battery. No problem found by reputable electrical shop.
Kept recharging battery until it was dying after car only set for 2/3 days.
11/11/18. Dealer replaced HVAC stack module and battery.
11/17/18 Battery dead again Dealer replaced alternator and battery.
1/22/19 Battery dead, dealer replaced intermittent hands free module. Took week in shop to diagnose. That seemed to correct battery problem, finally.
4/8/19 headlights flickering at idle. Electrical shop said bad alternator, so replaced again. Did not resolve, so back to dealer who reflashed ECM with latest update. Finally all seems resolved.
Total time 5/21/18 to 4/18/19. 5 Batteries, 2 alternators, and 2 modules replaced. Car in 3 shops at least 8 times. Total investment $2968. But all seems well now, finally.
Last edited by Fred Odette; 05-12-2020 at 03:40 PM.
#49
08-13-2020, 09:43 AM
My 2012 Journey worked fine until March of this year (2020) when at that time the battery would go completely dead within 2-3 days of not driving the car. I had the battery replaced at the dealer, and it still kept draining. So I took the car back to the dealer and they tested the drain (cost me $607) and it turned out to be the Bluetooth module which I never used because it was not compatible with the newer iphones. I was told that the module was defective. To replace the module it would have cost me $1279.90 which is absolutely insane. I said disconnect it and leave it like that. So far the car has been working fine since then.
#50
08-15-2020, 11:30 AM
Update
I’ve had it with my 2013 journey. The starting issue seems to have started after the steering recall.
About a month later the car no longer recognized my phone’s bluetooth. Shortly after that I started having issues with my battery dying. Had the battery replaced, bluetooth works again and everything’s fine- for a while. About a month later my bluetooth stops working again and while after that, there battery is dead. My mechanic checked the cold cranking amps and said the battery must not be good. Had it replaced under warranty.
Same exact scenario happened again. My mechanic says there must be something else going on, he’s never had an issue with this brand. Replaced it again. Same thing happens.
Before it died again i brought it to the dealership while it was still under warranty and told me i had a bad ABS module that was staying on in the car.
Shortly after they “fixed” it, my bluetooth stopped working again and low and low and behold, my warranty is expired. I deal with it, making sure to drive it every day, twice a day or expect to jump it. I bought a battery jump box to help if i’m stranded.
I decide i can’t take it anymore because it’s winter and it’s freezing out so i brought it to the dealership.
After paying $450 for the initial diagnostic fees, they told me that there’s something staying on in the car that’s drawing .5 amps when it’s off. They have to rip out my interior to find out exactly what it is. They determined that the body control module was faulty and it was keeping the BUS on and it was draining my battery. They couldn’t get the part for a week and at the end of it, charged me over $1500.
Upon picking it up, they told me the battery should be replaced because it’s been dead and jumped so many times, and my hands free module should be replaced soon because it wasn’t relaying consistently when hooked up to their equipment. That’s a $1,000 part for a feature i never use.
I figured I’d drive it around and let it charge for a while before replacing it AGAIN. Started just fine this morning, went to the supermarket for 15 minutes, came out and it was dead again. Jumped it, drove home (same distance) and let it sit for a half hour. Just went back out and it started right up. I’m replacing the battery tomorrow- fully expecting it to not start again before the spring.
I couldn’t be more disappointed in the quality of my vehicle and the number of other customers that are dealing with this same nightmare.
About a month later the car no longer recognized my phone’s bluetooth. Shortly after that I started having issues with my battery dying. Had the battery replaced, bluetooth works again and everything’s fine- for a while. About a month later my bluetooth stops working again and while after that, there battery is dead. My mechanic checked the cold cranking amps and said the battery must not be good. Had it replaced under warranty.
Same exact scenario happened again. My mechanic says there must be something else going on, he’s never had an issue with this brand. Replaced it again. Same thing happens.
Before it died again i brought it to the dealership while it was still under warranty and told me i had a bad ABS module that was staying on in the car.
Shortly after they “fixed” it, my bluetooth stopped working again and low and low and behold, my warranty is expired. I deal with it, making sure to drive it every day, twice a day or expect to jump it. I bought a battery jump box to help if i’m stranded.
I decide i can’t take it anymore because it’s winter and it’s freezing out so i brought it to the dealership.
After paying $450 for the initial diagnostic fees, they told me that there’s something staying on in the car that’s drawing .5 amps when it’s off. They have to rip out my interior to find out exactly what it is. They determined that the body control module was faulty and it was keeping the BUS on and it was draining my battery. They couldn’t get the part for a week and at the end of it, charged me over $1500.
Upon picking it up, they told me the battery should be replaced because it’s been dead and jumped so many times, and my hands free module should be replaced soon because it wasn’t relaying consistently when hooked up to their equipment. That’s a $1,000 part for a feature i never use.
I figured I’d drive it around and let it charge for a while before replacing it AGAIN. Started just fine this morning, went to the supermarket for 15 minutes, came out and it was dead again. Jumped it, drove home (same distance) and let it sit for a half hour. Just went back out and it started right up. I’m replacing the battery tomorrow- fully expecting it to not start again before the spring.
I couldn’t be more disappointed in the quality of my vehicle and the number of other customers that are dealing with this same nightmare.